December

Here are a few pictures from December. I have been a little lazy about the pictures - really need to get back on the stick. But we had a wonderful December!! Here are pictures of a few of the fun things we did:

While Ty's family was still here for Thanksgiving, we went to a Christmas tree farm and cut down a tree. It was a ton of fun! We got to wander around and choose our favorite tree, then the man who owned the lot cut it down for us (kinda wished we could have done it ourselves). He threw it in his truck and took it down to shake out the pine needles and stuff. Coleman laughs about "the shakey" (and so do his uncles) even a couple months later. :)

Cole, Brookie and Tyler getting ready to bring the tree in.

Decorating our first Christmas tree.

Until this year we've made do with an eighteen inch tall tree that I got for my 14th birthday. This year we decided - since we live in a very wooded area (there are Christmas tree farms 5 minutes or less from our house) - we'd do the real thing! :) It was so fun!

We strung popcorn and made paper stars and Ty's parents got us some great ornaments to decorate. While we were popping the popcorn, Cole got so excited! We told him we'd be putting it on the tree and he immediateley grabbed handfulls and began stuffing it onto the side branches (Amelia Bedelia) :). So cute! He and Brookie had a terrific time putting the decorations on - we all helped. It was loads of fun - and I found loose popcorn beneath those side branches every day until we took the tree down. Occasionally in the morning, the kiddos would wander over and take a bite or two as a breakfast appetizer. :)

We had our good friends over to play and made peanut butter play doh. We decorated it with mini M&Ms, then we made pine cone Christmas trees and decorated those with frosting and M&Ms - always a good thing to have around. We had a blast!

When we go grocery shopping, Coleman always wants to look at the "sea creatures." Winco always has a variety of sea food, and Cole loves to ask all about it. I have to admit I probalby know more sea food names in Spanish because of some weird unit we did in college than I know in English - I'm not much of a sea food eater. Does anybody know the English name for "mariscos?" Anyway, while we were looking, Cole convinced me that we needed a crab. I told him that if we bought it, we'd have to eat it and he seemed ok with that. He held in (in the bag) in the car and around the house for a few minutes until I couldn't stand the smell. I finally resorted to "Daddy's really good at crabs. Let's put it in the fridge 'till he gets home." Poor Tyler! It worked though and he waited. Here are the pictures of the experience... after all that, he didn't eat any. Brookie seemed to enjoy it though, and it was yummier than I thought it would be. I guess I'll have to eat future crab with my eyes closed.

A few pictures before church -

I have fond (mixed with mildly annoyed) memories of sponge curlers. Brookie thought they looked like fun, so we gave them a shot.

Doesn't she look thrilled? They didn't last super long, but I was suprised that she let me out them all it. She's usually such a wiggle worm!

Playing with sea creatures!

Playing with sea creatures from the library!

More curlers. She really is such a girly girl!

Ty finished his rotations and tests at didactic week and we were getting ready to head to Utah. We decided to take one day just to regroup and have a little fun before we embarked on our long drive. We stayed home and just played, packed, and gave the kids their Christmas presents. "Santa" wasn't thinking ahead when he decided Cole needed a basketball hoop and Brookie needed a kitchen. Definitely not good traveling items for spending Christmas at Grandma's...

The kids had a good time playing with them beofre we left, so it all worked out.

Cole shooting hoops ("doing boom shacka-lacka") and our decorated tree!

Brookie playing with her kitchen