Christmas in Park City

Our REALLY white Christmas in Park City!

 Two ski buddies, Isaac and cousin Max.  These two guys tore it up on that mountain and LOVED every minute of it.  Isaac has become pretty much independent out there, which is great but I'm most excited about the fact that he really LOVES it!  When they got home the second day after being gone from open until close I told him how impressed I was that he stayed all day.  "That's because I LOVE it Mom, I really LOVE it!"  Ooooh that is music to my ears!

Some sledding going on on our hill...Isaac and Reese.

And this picture just makes me want to get Georgie a puppy!  She is such an animal lover and I am just mean for not helping her develop that!  Look at her little face just LOVING and connecting with that dog.

I like this one;)

And I really like this picture because there we are...that's all of us!  The whole family.  We dont' get many of these.  And the best part about this picture is what was going on while we were taking them.  My Dad started out the session by yelling out funny things for us to say to keep the kids attentive and smiling for the camera.  He would say...Chuck E Cheese or snow Skiing or something silly.  These comments sort of snow balled into random words that had caused tention between us throughout the week and before long I was yelling "Communism", Adam..."Socialized Medicine", "Obama", "Religion", "Mini-vans", "Google Scam" and we were all just cracking up.  It was good for my politically polar and opinionated family to laugh at ourselves.  The perfect way to wrap up the week!  Merry Christmas to all!  And more importantly, now, A Happy New Year...2010!

Christmas in OK

Christmas in Oklahoma

This year we got to enjoy two Christmas', one here in Oklahoma and the second at the cabin in Park City.   Here are a few blips of our first Christmas week right here at home.

Christmas Eve could not have been better.  It began with a virtual blizzard and 6-8 inches of snow.  Our Elf on The Shelf, Sparkle, had to head back to the North Pole to help Santa Prepare for his big night.  But before his departure he dropped off a note for the kids and a huge book filled with stories and pictures by our favorite author, Jan Brett.  We began our snowy morning by reading the entire thing, in our pajamas, covered with blankets!  I think that's my idea of a perfect morning...staying in bed for an extra two hours.  Gee, I'm such a go getter!

We spent the rest of the day cooking, watching movies, rescuing a neighbor from being stuck in the snow and then, finally, after much begging, building a snowman.  Georgie managed to sneak out the door in only tights and a dress...and she never once complained about being cold.  She should have been born into one of Jan Bretts stories about reindeer, mittens and snow loving trolls!  That evening the kids acted out the scripture story of Christs birth for all the adults.  They even sang us some Christmas songs. This was my first Christmas doing this (the manger scene) and I am hooked!

Kennedy and baby Easton

Isaac with his fellow shepherds, eager to herald in the baby Jesus!

According to the online tracker, Santa was already in Brazil when we left the Bahr's house.  We had some serious  sleep to get into if we wanted him make it down our chimney!  And I guess we made it because we awoke to this the next morning!

Joey put the bug in the kids ear that they were not to awake us (unbeknownst to me....I would have let them get up at 5 am probably!)  And they were so obedient.  We woke up to the sound of the playing pleasantly in their rooms.  After a good teeth brushing and some quick breakfast prep, we knocked on their door.  Which led to this:

Woo HOo!

Here Isaac is holding the snow globe that G made him.  It was a homemade Christmas.  Copying my blog idle, designmom, I decided to start her tradition in our own family...kids making each other Christmas presents.  It was a big hit.  The kids really got into it.  Especially Isaac.

Nice hair, right!

Isaacs gift to G was two little bags meant to hold her dance shoes that he decorated with fabric marker and stencils.  

Riding her pony, recently named Vanilla Lightning, with her pink guitar.  What a cowgirl!

Another tradition we began last year was that they each get a game.  Isaac was pretty excited about battleship!  G walked away with Operation.  After a glorious morning of unwrapping we settled down for some Apple Souffle and then played graciously with toys for the rest of the afternoon.  

It was an epic Christmas of utter spoiling.  Yea, we spoiled them this year...and it was so fun!