Twas' the Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse (named Katie).

The stockings were hung on the chimney with care,
(PR insisted that Katie have her own!) in hopes that Saint Nick soon would be there...

O' Christmas Tree

Yesterday, we embarked on our 4th Annual Christmas Tree Cutting Adventure. We buy a $10.00 pass and head up into the mountains to find the "perfect" tree. This year, Mom and Dad, Mark and Abby, and Gwen and Tim joined in the fun. The weather was beautiful...just enough snow, not too much cold. The kids love climbing rocks and clomping around in the snow, and the dads love using 4-Wheel Drive and their saws! I think we found a great tree...not exactly perfect by tree lot standards, but one of our best Colorado trees yet!

T-H-A-N-K-S

Some things I am thankful for this year:
My Kiddos:

My Hubby (and his incredible dart throwing abilities!):

Awesome Parents & Grandparents:

Great Food!:
(and Uncle Mark!)
(and Nephew Nolan...who weighs the same as the turkey!)
(especially Wes's homemade pies!)
Aunt Sue's Games! (I explained her creativity for games in a previous post. Our "Thanksgiving Derby" involves rolling dice to see who's turkeys advance to the finals. The winners earn fantastic prizes.
(I'm especially thankful that the losers get to wear this lovely hat! oh, and for Gwen too...)
And Family & Friends:
(Some Near):
(& Some Far...Oma Bosch & Brady talking to Brad & Jayne via webcam):

Happy Thanksgiving.

What Happens In Vegas...

...gets blogged about!

Wes and I (and our friends Jesse and Kacey) enjoyed our 3rd annual "End-Of-The-Volleyball-Season" weekend away in Las Vegas.

We had a great time in Sin City. We slept in (6 AM is sleeping in for PR), walked The Strip, rested and read by the pool, gambled a bit (see if we were lucky in the video, and DON'T ask Wes about the ND/Syracuse football game), shopped, and saw the show Tony and Tina's Wedding.

I should also mention that Aunt Sue probably had the best trip of anyone. She didn't actually go, but we gambled some money for her at the roulette table...Wes worked the table, and I narrated to Sue via cell phone. She doubled her money and didn't spend a dime!

Thanks also to Oma, Opa, and Grandma Tammy for taking such good care of Payton and Brady. They had just as great of a vacation as we did!

The Wild Blue Yonder...

This weekend, we packed up the kids and headed down to Colorado Springs for the Air Force Academy Football Game. The game started at 1:30, but we left at 9:30 so we had plenty of time to tailgate, listen to the drum and bugle core in the stadium tunnel, and enjoy the festivities. PR and Brady LOVED the pre-game parachuters and fly-over. We tried to catch a video of the planes, but they're moving a little fast. I included the video anyway so you can see just how loud they really are! The Falcons ended up losing to BYU, but we had a great day inspite of the outcome. Go Air Force!

The Good Ol' Days...

This weekend, we took a trip to the Littleton Historical Museum. The weather is still awesome, and the museum is free, so we headed on over to enjoy the sights. There is an indoor museum that showcases the history of Littleton, but we spent the majority of our time outside checking out the farm houses, barns, and animals. My how times have changed...

This looks more like Grand Rapids than Littleton!
Hangin' With Mom...
Driving The Wagon...
Coloring wool using natural plant extracts. Payton thought the lady said that they were "dyeing wolves!"
Did you have any idea how scary turkeys actually look?!
"Feeding" the donkeys. PR & Brady's favorite, see video below and you'll see why I put feeding in quotations!.

Halloween 2008

Here is a video of our most excellent Halloween adventure!