Caleb Turns Eight!

We are so happy for Caleb, he finally turned eight! Who gets that many presents?
Caleb was so excited for everything he opened, It made it so fun.
Ryan and I were both really busy, and though I had most of his birthday done, I sent Ryan on his own
to finish up. As a result, Caleb got exactly what he wanted. Good job dad!
"G-force"
A red stretcy shirt
a 5 lb package of gummi bears
A magnetic battle strikers game
and
scriptures

Caleb extatic over the cowtails grandma sent him! And he loved all the camping stuff she sent. He now thinks he can go backpacking with the older boys this summer. We had originally said they neede to be 10, so they could carry their own gear, but Ryan may let him go now that he has so much of the stuff he needs. Time will tell.
And he was so good to share.

Hugging Papou after opening his favorite present...

A slingshot!

Now all three boys have one, this could be dangerous!

Caleb wanted a fort cake.

Again, I am not the greatest, but they have tons of fun helping me make it, so I will just keep trying.

New Year's~Here Comes 2010!

So I guess technically, they say that the new decade doesn't start until next year.

Whatever, who are "they" and why do "they get to decide.

I think it's a new decade, and so it is.

Zero is the first number so 2010 is a new decade in my mind.

So now that that is clear,

We celebrated with the Crane's

Emma, wow am I amazed at how grown up she is getting. She is trying to say all the words we say, and making us smile in the meantime.
All the kids with their party hats. We played sardines in the dark, and Emma and I had to wait for a long time for anyone to find us.(they got distracted playing with the lazer tag)

Mara and Jace. Emma says "Jace" clear as a bell. Mara insists that he is one of her best friends!

Ryan and I , Last picture of 2009!

Until I kissed his ear, he was perfectly content just sitting there in front of the fire.

The winos! Just kidding! The babies loved the Martinelli's though!

Awkward! and oh so funny!

The Crane's had had it by 10:00, so we said Happy New Year and they went on their way. I told Caleb that if he stayed awake until his birthday he could open his presents. Determined to finally stay awake until his birthday, he insisted that we watch a movie. At 12:07 I woke up and tried to tell Caleb it was his birthday, but yet again, he didn't make it. Maybe next year.

We hope the new year finds you making memories, making time and realizing just what is truly important!

Christmas Day!

Ready to see what SANTA brought!!!!

Merry Christmas morning!

The Barbie Laptop! All she ever asked for!


Even Noah and Caleb thought it was kinda cool.

I don't know who thought the fishing poles were cooler, Sam and Noah, or Ryan?

Caleb got a watch! He loves it and informs me that he will no longer have to run into the other room to tell me what time it is, and he can time himself for his one-minute math facts.

What more could a kid want?

Sam showing that he is really very happy to finally have a fishing pole that stays together and whose reel will not get stuck. It is a spin reel...whatever that means!

Emma sporting Mara's new dress-up. She loves it and Mara was nice enough to share.

She also loved the vest...thanks yiayia. She has worn it all day.

Noah thought his starwars lego..the complete saga was the best gift ever!

Caleb is opening his roller blades. Even though he didn't ask Santa for them, he loved them.

That Santa is so smart!

Max and his Imaginext castle! That was at the top of his list to Santa!

Princess Yahtzee!

Emma with her baby in a backpack from Caleb!

Do you think I look tired? I don't know why, we had to finally wake up the kids at 7:00am. Who ever heard of that...parents having to wake their kids on Christmas morning. I never would have needed my parents to wake me up.

At 5:30am I asked Ryan if we could go get them, but he said no. At 7:00 we finally woke back up and he said, okay enough, lets go get them.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Maughan for the Lazer Tag games!

And these are the presents that Grandma and Grandpa Passey sent for the kids. They all loved them. The boys were excited to have pull overs like their dad, and Emma walked around with her towel saying "duck, duck" which really sounded like "du, du" too cute. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa, we are so thankful!

The girls spent most of the day in their room playing with their Loving Family Doll house that Yiayia and Papou sent.

Okay, so I was one of those girls, it was so fun! There were twin babies and we kept letting them play then bathing them, then feeding them and then putting them to bed. Emma loved it and had specific ideas about what she wanted the dolls to do. Mara put the parents in their bed and then I said okay put the little girl in bed. Even though the little girl had her own bed, Mara put the little girl in bed with the parents. Telling of her own life.

Caleb and Max got Egyptian Playmobil! It was so cool, hidden compartment, grave robbers, camels, chariots and canyopic jars. It was so fun to play! Thank you Yiayia and Papou!

The older boys spent a good part of the day playing with their wii. They got a big game hunter shooting game, Lego rockband, and Lego starwars the complete saga.
It was a great relaxing day! and there were actually no babies born! Happy for me!

Christmas Eve Dinner with the Shephard's

We were invited to the Shephard's for Christmas Eve dinner and it was marvelous. I was feeling a little sad about not being home for Christmas...you know with family. I was even just thinking I wanted to stay home and pout, but I am so glad that we got to go to their house, it was just what we needed. They taught us their traditions and the kids got really excited and we thorougly enjoyed ourselves. The kids table, with Chris and Jenny and Ryan and Melanie.

Menu:

Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, salmon, steak, potatoes, salad, jello,

bubble bread and hot artichoke dip.
Delicious!

The "adult" table with Sam, Noah and Brent.

Emma found a christmas garland and Hillary helped her get all

"decked out"

She was so funny!... Lookin'!

Max was given "Flarp" Goop that you push into a jar and it makes farting

noises. It was quite disgusting, but the little boys thought it was really funny.

Max even said "too bad for you, you'll hear it all the way home in the car."

Yeah, too bad for me.

The little girls(Mara and Emma) and the Big Boys(Sam and Brent)!

We brought along the girls pajamas so that they could fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Good thinking on our part! They did and thankfully they were in bed at a decent hour.

(Ever since I took Emma's crib down, the girls both think that they don't have to go to bed

until we do! Not good.)

Christmas Traditions~Christmas PJs from YiaYia!~

First off, has anyone ever thought about what a funny word PJs, Pajamas, or P-jammas is? Where did it even come from?

Anyway, off the side note!

The kids were all really excited to open their pajammas this year. After looking at all the presents under the tree for so long, it was finally time to open one! Yeah!

It didn't matter that they already knew it was pajamas, they were just excited.Every year Ryan's parents get us all pajamas to open up on Christmas Eve. It is such a fun tradition that we all look forward to.
The opening begins!

Pink Gingerbread jammas for the girls and plaid flannel for the younger boys.

(don't know why Emma had to have that "little people" in her mouth...she is so wierd)

"Grown up" jammas for the older boys.

Sam's shirt says "Cereal first, questions later."

Noah's shirt says "10 minutes more."

They love them of course.

Christmas Traditions~The Nativity~

We bring to you on Christmas Eve~The Nativity~Director(Mel) and Narrator (Ryan)
Cast of Charactures:
Mary: Mara, Joseph: Noah, Donky: Miya
Shephards:Sam, Noah, Caleb,Max
Angel: Emma
Wisemen:Max, Caleb, Sam

It came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Ceasar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, beign great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought fourth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold an angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round them

and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of DAvid a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.And when the angels were gone the shephards said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And wisemen from the east came bearing gifts of Gold, Frankinscense and Myrrh.

And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

May we, like Mary, ponder all these things in our hearts.