Christmas morning 2010

Let the set up begin!
Daddy and CJ doing the robot puzzle
Pia slept through Christmas morning, but managed to catch the end
Patriot this girl LOVES horses
Starwars
Batman backpack, it was a FAV!
Christmas morning
Pia's presents
Khloe
Caleb
Love this DUDE
cookies and milk
setting cookies and milk out for Santa
3 amigos under the tree Christmas morning 2010
watching the newest coolest Christmas movie, Prep and Landing. Thanks Matlachs for the awesome new tradition! We LOVE it!
Christmas Kringle from Merritts, yummy!!
Pia and her walker/stroller

We had a FANTASTIC Christmas! The kids got so many amazing things, we got to spend the entire day together as a family and even got to go to the movie theater to see Disney's Tangled. What an amazing day!

It's a WONDERFUL Life

"I'm gonna shake the dust of this crummy old town off my feet and I'm gonna SEE the world."

The moment of desperation when george feels the world and everyone in it would have been better had he not been in it.

The very end when George gets another chance and gets to see it truly is a wonderful life.

George and Mary

My ALL time favorite movie and the scenes I LOVE!!! Well besides To Kill a Mockingbird :)

Silly, scattered images...

Tonight reading to my children before bed I "REALIZED SOMETHING" ( a quote from Khloe's favorite book knuffle bunny) Why I take SO many pictures. Yes it is mostly to remember every little moment I can and always have an image to jog my memory, but there is more.

My kids think it is funny to pick the book by Karen Kingsbury, "Let me hold you Longer," before bed. Why, because I CRY every time I read it...YES...every time!! Someone gave it to me as a shower gift when I had Caleb and it changed my life. Seriously a children's book changed my life, if you let them they always will!! Filled with so many life lessons, so much imagination and storytelling, pictures, pictures and more pictures [Side note I remember pictures in books my parents read to me more than the story read, like I said I am a visual person.] amazing... I digress... sorry I heart children's books! If you don't, check your pulse you may be DEAD!

As so many people have told me, "You won't know until you have children of your own." If I had a dime for every time someone told me that, UGH, I'd be rich with tons of babies ;) Really though as much as I HATE to admit it every single one of them was right! My kids think the book is funny because I cry they laugh because they couldn't possibly know, they don't have children. They DON'T get it!

Anyway I agreed to read it despite the fact that my voice begins to quiver on the first page. It's a good kind of sad. I want to read it to remind myself to stop and treasure EVERY single MOMENT of this precious life. Midway threw the book a few short rhyming sentences stopped me in my tracks. I have read this book hundreds of times and never heard this part until tonight.

Silly, scattered images

will represent your past.

I keep on taking pictures

never quite sure of your lasts...

This is WHY I take SO many pictures. I don't want to miss a blink! I want to always remember I want to always treasure, I want to explode with emotion when I look back at my life and the little lives that trail behind me. I have to do this, if I don't I will forever regret it. It's not rocket science it's taking pictures of life as you live it! If you are better at writing write life as you live it but please don't let time pass without catching your moments somehow. This really is your only go at it. Treasure this time, hold it tight and find away to keep it.

more quotes from "Let me hold you longer"

"Long ago you cam to me, a miracle of firsts: First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst. But one day you will move away and leave me to your past, And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts..."

"I never said good-bye to all your yesterdays long passed. So what about tomorrow- will I recognize your last."

"I look ahead and dream of days that haven't come to pass. But as I do, I sometimes miss today's sweet precious lasts."

"I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed, let me hold on longer to every precious last."

GET THE BOOK, read it and let it change you :)

An Orange in my stocking

I always wondered why my parents put an orange in the bottom of my Christmas stocking. I thought is was maybe a German or Scotch-Irish tradition being that's where my family originated from on both side, NOPE. It is actually because of St. Nicholas himself! I finally read about it this year. I do it for my children because my parents did it to me and their parents did it for them. Mystery solved this is apparently where the idea came from so many years ago.

Knowing that I LOVE tradition I would do this regardless of knowing why, solely because my parents gave me an orange in the bottom of my stocking every year is enough reason for me to do it with my children. I was however curious as to why this tradition started. Now I know and I LOVE it that much more! Thank you Mom and Dad for another amazing tradition I can caring on with my children. OH and I bought the oranges today :)

This is an article I came across when investigating I love the last paragraph.

Did you know that the tradition of putting oranges into Christmas stockings dates back to the times of St. Nicholas, himself? It's true. The story goes that St. Nicholas overheard

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some young maidens who were upset because they were going to be sold off into slavery because they did not have enough money for a respectable dowry, therefore no husband could be found for them. After the girls had washed their stockings they had hung them to dry by the fire. The next morning they found enough gold coins in their stockings for a very adequant dowry. It is suspected that the coins had been thrown into the window or down the chimney and had landed in the stockings. The gold that St. Nicholas is known for throwing has been represented by gold balls therefore making oranges, and even apples, the symbol of the gold.
So why not try it out this year with your own children, if you don't already? They may just love getting that little orange and/or apple in the toe of their stocking. Once my oldest daughter was old enough to enjoy Christmas we placed an orange and an apple in the toe of her stocking and we've done it with the other two girls also. I think the best thing about this is the feeling of tradition we parents can enjoy and the hope that our children will continue the tradition once they have their own children. Christmas doesn't have to be all about expensive gifts and all of the holiday parties. Just sit back and enjoy the feeling of love. After all, that's what Christmas is all about.

12

Santa came early and brought me a fabulous NEW camera...

Christmas 2010
My sweet boy
How dare I put her down to take her picture?!?!
Silly little ELF
Mary and baby Jesus
I LOVE Christmas cards!
Hung by the fire with care...
CANDY!
My sweet Khloe
My favorite lil tree
Frosty

Ok, ok it wasn't Santa, it was Mom and Dad but that's Santa right? I have been wanting a new camera for a long time now. My DEAR Husband bought me one for my 30th birthday and feeling to guilty to keep it we returned the camera. That was a mistake because the moment I let it go was the moment I wanted it back! I have always LOVED pictures. I am a visual person and pictures to me speak more than words. Words for some people say everything but to me an image says so much more. Maybe it is because I am not all that great with words or maybe because I remember more when looking at a photo than I do reading a few sentences.

Anyway I couldn't be more happy with my new camera it is amazing doesn't take a bad shot just like my kiddos ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you Santa...opps Mom and Dad for my new favorite toy!! It's right up there with my 1990 Christmas when I got my FIRST American Girl I will NEVER forget that!

Some shots of me playing around taking pictures of a few of my favorite Christmas things.

Christmas photo shoot bc my kids don't take a bad picture :)

3 amigos
Sneaky
Sweet
Sensitive
CJ
Waiting for Santa

Christmas Train Dry Gulch U.S.A.

Caleb on the train
Mimi and the kids
Mrs. Claus with the 3 amigos
Khloe riding Wyatt the horse, Caleb rode Ricky
Caleb on the Elf Train
Dry Gulch
The family at Christmas Train
Mommy and her lil man
I LOVE Christmas and everything that goes along with it. Santa Claus, Nativity stories, Christmas trees, decorations, candy canes, stockings, presents, giving, lights etc... One of my favorite Christmas activities since moving here is The Christmas Train! It is an old black steam train that you ride through the forest and listen to the story of Christmas. From the creation of the world to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus it is beautifully narrated and depicted with real life scenes and paintings.

After riding the train you can enjoy the cowboy town of Dry Gulch with visits to Santa, rides on the elf train, pony and carousel. Horse drawn carriage rides through the story of the Night Before Christmas. Hot chocolate, funnel cakes. Christmas Carolers and puppet shows! It is amazing!! Here are a few snap shots of our 2010 trip to The Christmas Train!

Pia's funny face!

I can hold my breath
"Little bright eyes" what Daddy calls her
Little sleepy eyed
Big and blue
this one is for Hallie

Pia has one of the most expressive baby faces I have ever seen on a baby! She smiles, cringes, snorts, laughs, frowns and tons of little faces in between. It is hard for me to catch these little faces with my camera because she is constantly changing them. I have managed to catch a few though. One she LOVES to make at a little friend of ours Hallie. Hallie has a sweet smile, big brown eyes and loves to crinkle her nose at Pia and Pia for whatever reason ALWAYS crinkles back!

Here are some of the many little faces of our sweet princess Pia!