Pictures with Santa

Chase did so well, but was so sleepy. It was past his nap time.

I love this one. Bryson is looking at Chase, Chase is looking at Santa, Santa is looking at Carter, and Carter is looking at me.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We have so many new toys to play with and I am not just talking about the kids. The highlight of Christmas was the gift that Joe bought for the family. It's a running joke from me to him that he should have labeled the gift to Joe from Joe. Are you wondering what it is.....it's a PS3. We bought the boys so many new Wii games that they haven't even thought to play the PS3. Joe has had a good time with his present.

Santa brought Bryson a new computer. His old computer he has had since his 2nd birthday so it was time for an upgrade. Bryson loves to get on the computer had visit his school homepage. He also got a lot of DS games, Wii games, Computer games, Star Wars toys, Bakugan's, UP Bluray, Board Games, Books, a Race Track, new Bike Helmet, Transformers, and a digital camera. He and Carter have had so much fun taking pictures and making videos with it. You should see some of the videos they have made. You can hear them giggling over them for hours.

Santa brought Carter a Nintendo DS. Which he absolutely loves and Bryson is so thankful that he doesn't have to share his anymore. He also received a lot of DS games and a Case, Wii games, Star Wars the Clone Wars Bluray, Star Wars toys, Computer games, Transformers, Bakugan's, Board Games, Books, a Race Track, new Bike Helmet and a Darth Maul Dual Light Saber.

Santa brought Chase a Car/Walker and a Learning Play Table. He has had so much fun on the table. Chasers also got a Sorting house, Peak-a-boo Blocks and Train, a Wooden Train with shape blocks, Little Einstein Rocket ship and Conductor's Wand, a few different Bath Toys, Stacking Blocks, and Books.



Besides Joe's PS3 and games he got a Bluray Home Theater System and a Kindle. He also got a few shirts from American Eagle and NMSU. He is also shopping around for a new golf club.

I got an awesome new video camera. My old one was was bought by my dad before I had Bryson. That means it's over 7 years old. Though it works awesome my wonderful hubby thought I needed an upgrade. The Video Camera he bought me is a Canon Vixia HG21. It has a hard drive built into the camera. Though I haven't figured out how to get the video off the camera hard drive and on to my mac. I also got a new point and shoot. I like to have a point and shoot as well and my nice SLR. It's nice to be able to just throw that in my pocket and go. Oh and it's pink. I have never had any other color but black or silver. It's super cute!

All in all we made a killing this Christmas and we must have been really good this year. Truth is...we are just really happy Joe is back from Afghanistan and that this Christmas we didn't have a 6 month deployment looming ahead of us.

Oh and in addition to a fried Turkey we fried a Prime Rib this year. It was awesome.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve night the boys always get to open a present. They haven't caught on to the fact that it's the same present every year. Christmas pjs and a new Christmas book.

Carter did surprise us this year and he said "I really hate this!" It was quite funny because he was expecting a toy and out come clothes. I told him that was fine and that I would take his boxers back to the store. His tune changed very quickly and he said that he loved them and he was thankful.

Bryson on the other hand loved his Christmas pants, and Chase looked adorable in his sleeper.

After their bath and Christmas pjs were on I made the boys hot chocolate. We then put the angel on the tree. Bryson put the angel on last year and it was Carter's turn this year. After the angle was in her place Joe read the boys their new Christmas books that Grammie and PopPop got them.

Then it was time to run up stairs and jump into bed. About 10 minutes after the boys were in bed I remembered that we forgot to lay out Santa's cookies and milk. So back up the stairs I went and told the boys what we had forgot. They rushed back downstairs and decided 5 cookies was a good amount for Santa to have. Then back into bed they went. Dreams about Santa sure to come next....

Christmas Eve Luminaria's

We spent a good part of the day setting up Luminaria's on our street. We thought it would be a nice treat for our neighbor's and any passerby's. We never got a correct tally on how many we set up but I believe there were over 2 hundred.

Joe put on his headphones and got to work. He says we need to go bigger next year.

Carter would take the filled ones around to the front of the house. He said he was tired of all that walking back and forth.

We enlisted some neighborhood kids. Child labor is free!

Chaser's helped me take pictures and open bags for everyone.

We lined them up and down the street and around the outside and inside of the loop. We also did a smaller circle on top of the mound on the inside loop.

Our neighbor's liked them so much that they picked them up for us. Have I mentioned before we have great neighbor's?

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Merry Hip Hop Christmas

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Merry Disco Christmas

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8 Months

Well....After holding you back and trying to hinder you from crawling, you are a crawler. A crawler at 7 months. Carter had you beat by a month and you had Bryson beat by 3 months. You have been a joy to have around. We love you so much...even if you are into everything now.

This month you have:

• You have two bottom teeth.
• You can eat a whole dunkin doughnut by yourself.
• You eat about 6-8 jars of baby food plus some items we eat.
• You drink about 40 ounces of formula a day. Thank goodness it's starting to decrease a bit.
• You are wearing size 12-18 month clothing.
• You started crawling a 7 1/2 months.
• You had your first Thanksgiving and loved it(lots of real mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes).
• You celebrated Daddy's birthday.
• You helped decorate the Christmas tree(and have left it alone so far).
• You had your picture taken with Santa.
• You still sleep from 7-8 until 7-8 in the morning. You are such a great sleeper.
• You take 2- two hour naps.
• You don't want us to hold you to sleep anymore. You use to enjoy us holding you while you drifted off to dreamland. Now you want us to lay you in your bed. You always fall right to sleep.

Chase you are our special little boy and we are so thankful for you.

At the beginning of the first video it looks like he is reving up to go.

Merry Country Christmas

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Home Work Assignment.

Bryson had to name 10 items and then count how many we had and give the plural amount. He wanted to count all my wine bottles.....um.... No Bryson you may not! "Why Mom?"

His teacher might think awful things....He decided to count Presents instead.

Merry Classic Christmas

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Japanese Parks...

are nothing like in the states. They have these huge roller slides that if you don't bring a piece of cardboard to ride on your butts going to burn.






There are also, what I call drop slides. You hang on to a bar with your body dangling and let go. You drop until the slide curves and you meet back up with it.

These parks are so much fun and they are all over the island. If these parks where in the states they would be a law suit waiting to happen.

31

Last year he was gone but this year he was here...and we are so thankful!
I hope it was a memorable one.

First tooth

Today you got your first tooth. You are such a trooper, it hasn't phased you a bit.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We spent the afternoon with our friends the Salas' and then in the evening we went over to our neighbors house the Slattery's.

Our Thanksgiving food was fabulous. Leann made a turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, stuffing, a few casseroles, apple, cherry and pumpkin pie. Her mom is in town and made all the pies, and helped prepare so much. I made the fried turkey, rolls, sweet potatoes, bourbon carrots and rum cake. Leann had her neighbors and another couple over and they brought all the appetizers. We had so much food, and it all was so delicious.


The kids all played outside until it was time to eat. Bryson and Carter love to spend time with Anthony, and I love to spend time with Allissa. Its fun to have a girl around.

I am really thankful that my family is all together this year. We really missed Joe last year.

Special Olympics

The special olympics were held here and we decided to go and cheer them on. During the races they had some japanese drummers preform. We had a great time watching them.