{Grandmom & Grand-dad Elder}

While on vacation in Annapolis, I tried to make a point to take a picture of each kid and Grandmom & Grand-dad.  It is something I usually forget to do, even though I have my camera out all the time.  Mission accomplished, and got some cute moments in the process.  I was going for the "un-posed" picture in most of these shots.

{Childrens Museum}

While in Annapolis, we also went to the Children's Museum.  The kids had so much fun, we could have spent hours in the "kitchen".  The kids loved cooking.  They also had a "store" that you could buy food to take to the kitchen to cook.  Was very funny to see Tanner pay $80 for a few vegetables.  They store keeper said, wow, you didn't even negotiate, I like you.  We quickly taught him how to negotiate and he got much better at it.

{Shrek the Halls Ice!}

After Christmas we went to Shrek the Halls Ice!.  This is an indoor area with 2 million pounds of larger-than-life colorful ice sculptures and 20-feet tall ice slides!  It is so cold inside the exhibit that they give you jackets to wear over your clothes.  I bundled up Bryn and carried her inside my jacket the entire time.  She kept nice and toasty.  It was very cool to see the Shrek characters larger than life and carved out of giant pieces of ice.  Adam and the big kids (including Tanner) slide down a 20 foot slide made entirely from ice.  It was very cool, and very cold!!

{Christmas Presents}

Brynlee took a nap during the present opening.  The big kids got a furby from Santa & were totally spoiled by Grandmom & Grand-dad.  They loved every minute of it and were occupied with new gadgets the rest of the day.  (the rest of the week really!)

I was excited also to get a picture in front of the Christmas tree.  Since I broke my wrist and we were going to be out of town for the week, we didn't set ours up this year. 

{Christmas Jammies & Stockings}

Christmas morning we all woke up, went up stairs in our cute jammies and opened our stockings.  The kids posed for a picture in their matching Snowmen jammies and then got right to opening the stuff from their stockings!  Bryn checked out everyone, and then opened some stuff from her stocking.  She put lots of it in her mouth!  The kids were set with just the stuff in their stockings!  Then it was breakfast time.  After breakfast the uncles and grandpa woke up and came down to get down to business!

{Christmas Girlies}

Before dinner on Christmas Day I snapped a few pictures of these two cuties!

{Letters to Santa}

Every year the kids write a note to Santa and leave him cookies.  This year was no exception.  They wrote letters and drew pictures.  

 Their favorite part is when Santa eats the cookies (he always leaves crumbs behind) and leaves the kids a note in return.  

{Daddy Time}

We loved having Adam to ourselves for an entire week.  Both Brynlee and Tanner LOVE Adam.  Bryn has him wrapped around her finger, and Tanner can't get enough of Adam.  I loved to watch them all playing together!  The big kids were occupied with new toys, and Grandma and Grandpa a lot of the time.

[Random cute picture!]

{Boat ride on the Bay}

On Christmas Eve, we took a boat ride on the bay to look at Christmas lights.  It was really fun, we had hot chocolate and the kids loved looking at the lights on the bay!

[All of us as we were getting ready to start the tour.]

[Sir Blinks a lot is impossible to get a good picture with.  Sorry Buddy!]

[Tanner LOVES hot chocolate (lets be honest, anything chocolate.) ]

[It was hard to get pictures of the lights, be we loved looking at them!]

{Ward Party, Santa Pictures}

This year our ward Christmas party was fun.  I think it is the best one we have been at to date.  The kids went to different rooms and did different crafts.  They also got to take a picture with Santa!

{Happy New Year!}

I don't do resolutions.  But I do try and think of things that I would like to do in the upcoming year.  This year I want to do better at the things I am already doing.

*Be a better/more fun/more patient mom
*Blog and create memories
*Be productive at the gym and eat healthy
*Spend my time wisely
*Monthly date nights with my honey (thanks to the Y, this should be easy)

I hope the New Year brings you happiness and everything you hope for!