SNOW DAYS!!

Sunday morning we woke up to a fresh 5 inches of snow!! It was magical!! We knew that there would be no church, so we had a little lay in and waited for the phone call. Little did we know that the kids were already outside playing in the snow--it was 7:50 when I went downstairs to find them coming in from their first play. We all went out a little while later, and we had so much fun throwing snowballs, making snow angels, and just playing with one another. I love the above picture, because you can just see exactly where that snow it going to go!! Yup...got himself right in the face. It was great!

Taylor was only out for a short time before her little feet were frozen and she was in tears wrapped in a blanket by the door watching. This was the best shot I could get of her...it was pretty pitiful.

The garden shovels were being used as catapults until we decided they probably weren't the safest of things. Carter was super cute with his lovely Santa hat on--tis the season of snow, right?

Mike was cracking me up because he thought he should make fire in the big fire bin so that we could be out even longer!

The next day the snow was perfect for snowman building--the day before it wasn't balling up very well so we gave up. Mason was outside and this was the best shot I could get of him laughing while taking off his gloves, I had told him to leave them on!!

If you are going to make a snowman, why not make sure it is the biggest in the neighbourhood!!

The kids are getting so big and grown up!! I was sad we didn't get a good shot of Mason--mostly his fault for avoiding the camera at all times, but we will try!!

Brennan --3 years 7 months

Taylor 5 years 10 months

Carter--8 years 10 months!!

Fun in our house...

This is often where you might find Mason in our house...playing with his marble race game. He is actually starting to put the pieces together and actually make different mazes.

This was made for me by Carter...very sweet little guy that he is. I found it on my dresser, and wanted to take a picture so that Carter could have his Lego's back. Although the white flower at the end of 'mom' he said I could keep forever. :)

Plasma Ball & Relaxin'

Just a few shots from Christmas night. We were so busy skyping with everyone that we didn't really take any pictures of all the cousin/grandparent unwrapping. Lets just say every one was spoiled. Carter got a new robe and he was thrilled! I think he lived in this thing most of Christmas break. We thought he looked quite handsome in the new digs.

The hit of Mason's Christmas was this plasma ball. Aunt Heather and I had spoken about it last year as an idea, but she never was able to find one that would work for him. Well, this year that idea popped back into her head and Aunt Heather and Uncle Matt popped it in the post. Mason is in love with this thing like nothing I have ever seen before! He was not interested when he first opened it, but as soon as that on switch got flipped Mason was addicted!

Christmas for the Christiansen's

If we could convince Mason to stay on the stairs then my desire to have just the kids in the picture would be brilliant, but alas he is one excited chap come Christmas morning! Carter had been up since about 3 a.m. There was a time during the wee morning hours that I had to tell him to come to my bed and cuddle with me, to which I found him shaking because he was so excited. Brennan was still pretty tired and Taylor was not wanting a picture taken until we told her we always get one before we find out if Santa came or not.

The first investigation of the special treasures, Carter was looking for all the stockings so that he knew which pile of presents belonged to which person.

Reading the letter from Santa that was left behind. Telling the kids that they were very good this year, and to remember to treat one another kindly always.

Taylor received a lot of new drawing paper, pens, art supplies of many kinds, and a new desk for her room.

Mason was super speed opening man! We didn't get as many pictures of the kids because we were trying to keep Mason from opening up every one's gifts. For some reason Carter came out with more pictures, probably because he was the most animated of the morning. Mason was thrilled with his Marble Race game, and his candy. Santa tries his hardest every year for something Mason will magically love. He was very excited to get a new stash of slide wheels for his eye-spy thing. He will lay with that for hours looking through slides.

Brennan was diligently going through his stocking, and wanted to inspect each and every item. He will learn that is what we do after the whirlwind of opening is over after a couple more years I think. He made us laugh every time he opened something this year, he kept shouting out as he ripped the paper, "No Fair!!" He kept hearing the other kids saying. "No way!" However, his reaction got mixed up in translation, so it was hilarious. He got a new train track/car track table, cars, books, and some puzzles.

Yup, Taylor not the most photogenic person when she is in a rush to get things opened. She was so quite on her side of the room, just opening and admiring each gift.

"Wow! This is 100 pieces, that is going to be such a challenge!" Could not stop laughing at Carter's reactions to each and every gift he got. He was very pleased with his Captain America Shield, new Star Wars books, and his Rock em' Sock em' Robots game.

Brennan thought that Dad was super lucky because he got new guns for Christmas...then the let down occurred when he realized that they were just clamps for his wood shop.

Carter decided that because this was his last gift under the tree he would make it extra exciting because he would keep his eyes closed. These photos are the best thing this Christmas to me. Carter was so surprised, and so excited and we actually captured that moment forever! I love technology and photos that can capture moments like these forever!

Brennan did not crack a smile about his car race table until he literally had every single piece of paper off of it, then he got excited.

Big fat Candy Cane stick...doesn't get much better than that!

Dad's new RC Helicopter...Carter got one too and they had a lot of fun with them...until parts started breaking. Now they are in the daddy repair shop with high hopes of being fixed. :(

Mommy got a new toy as well. Very fun!!

Then we played 'mess up the neat pile of paper game' Thanks Brennan!! You can at least see his PJ bottom's in there. He thought it was hilarious!
After all was said and done, we tried to get a family shot in front of the tree. It was as good as we were going to get it this year! It was a fun Christmas and we were glad that we got to spend it together as a family. We went to a short church service/sacrament meeting. We came home and hopped back into our PJ's, made a lovely brunch and spent most of the day Skyping with family across the world. Can't beat that!

Christmas Eve

Hollie spent the day doing something she has never done on Christmas Eve...cooking a turkey and ham with all the fixings. By the end of the day, Hollie decided that was the one and only time she was ever going to do that! It makes me laugh that a couple of our children are already in their PJ's when we did our traditional PJ present opening. This was the first year that one of the kids said, "we already know what they are, new pajama's!" Carter made my day actually with this little phrase because it means they are picking up on little traditions in our family!!

Actually all of them get really excited about their new PJ's and we end up having a little stripping party right there in the lounge! Hopefully one day they will decide that they are too big for that and going to their rooms to change might be the better plan.

Brennan was thrilled about his new Lightening McQueen PJ's, and didn't really care that they were a little big for him.

Mason got some new Star Wars Lego's PJ's and was very happy about the choice as well, I love when he enjoys something and will just sit there and yell and point at what he loves about it.

Carter liked that his PJ's had the 'old' Star Wars people on it, and was the first one dressed in his new stuff.

Taylor was a close second with her new 'love hearts' PJ's on her body! Then she was on to getting cookies ready for Santa Claus. :)

We were able to settle the children enough to read the Christmas story and talk about how special it is that Jesus Christ was born. I appreciate that they all 'get it' when it comes to why we have Christmas and that presents are awesome, but a certain bonus in the grand scheme of things. We sang a couple Christmas carols and off to bed we went, it took about 5 minutes for everyone to be sound asleep, which is a record in this house!