Monday, January 3, 2011

New Years Partay!!

Warning: Picture Overload!

Typically, for New Years, we celebrate at home with the kids (they get to stay up til 9 or 10pm). We bang on pots and pans and yell and scream from the top of our lungs. Then Justin & I put them to bed and watch a movie together then toast in the new year at midnight with our sparkling cider (yes we are real party animals). 

This year we headed up to Prescott and spent time with Justin's sister Krista, her hubby Ryan and their 4 kiddos. They had a huge snow storm right before we came up so it made it extra fun playing in this...

The kids didn't waste any time and got right down to playing with each other... 


 The kids couldn't wait to get their snow gear on and head outside for some much needed playtime with the white fluffy stuff.
Gunner and cute Anna all ready to go!

Caleb loved being in the snow. He wanted to go out with the kids so bad he took off without his gloves! 

Breezy was so excited to wear her pink hat with matching scarf and gloves. I dont think they were the warmest but at least she was stylin' :)

We went outside and started playing in the snow as we waited the arrival of Justin's other brother Tyson and his family. 

Bree liked eating the snow more than playing in it. 

Billy sharing his snowballs with Caleb. Ah, how sweet.

Fun with cousins. Gunner & Cameron

So while we were waiting for Tyson & Angie & their family to arrive, the big boys (Ryan & Justin) thought it would be super fun to surprise them with a snowball attack when they made their entrance. 

Here's Billy showing me his giant snowball he found for the attack. (I dont think he actually used it...it looks like that can cause some damage!)

Tyson should have known not to open his window when his brothers & nephews were armed with so many snowballs! 


I think they thought the attack was over when they got out of the car...think again!

It's all good clean fun right?

 Next we headed up to a mountain to do some sledding! While we waited for the other Cooks to get their snow gear on, we took some fun pics. Love this one of me & Breezy.

One of the belly for documentation, yes I am huge these days...

Even though it was SUPER cold, the kids loved going sledding. 

Caleb especially loved it. He kept trying to take the sled and make it go when he wasn't on a hill. When he wouldn't go anywhere, he wasn't too happy. When he did he was in heaven!

Go Caleb!

Justin took Breezy down once even though she wasn't digging the idea. She's like her Momma and likes to stay warm. :) I love that all you can see are her eyes!


Don't ask me about this next picture. This is what happens when Justin & Ryan go shopping with one another. They come back with interesting finds. What can I say, they're weird. 


That night was New Years' Eve. We did the count down with the kids and celebrated with root beer floats. 

Caleb was super tired yet still wanted to party

Happy New Year! 


The next day we played in the snow some more. Krista & Ryan are such great hosts. Krista knows how to please everyone. Since there was so much snow, she broke out all the fixings for snow cones. What a fabulous hostess! Tyson wanted to take all the credit for this idea. Nice try Tyson!

The kids were in heaven. I think Gunner had at least 4 cups!

In between snow cones he made snow angels. 

Caleb didn't care if he had a cup, he just ate it straight from the source!


After snow cones, lots of snow fights broke out. Tyson was the target, yet again. :)

Take down!

Thanks so much Krista & Ryan! We had a wonderful weekend with you guys! Can't wait to play again soon! 

The end!



Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas - Part 2

Christmas morning...oh how I love the excitement. The looks on my kids faces when they open their treasures is priceless. This year I was ready with camera in one hand and video camera in the other...all the time. :) Well, I made Justin film some of the time too. We paused it a few times to wrap our arms around our little ones. :)

Preparing to enter the family room....ohhhh...pins & needles! Don't you love the baggie eyes?

Love Bree's expression...this is when she saw her play kitchen!

Of course it came with a new baby and a built in high chair to feed them!

The boys enjoying their new basketball hoop. 

Gunner gave Bree a "little baby" which she embraced right away

Caleb opening one of his presents...In year's past he hasn't seemed to grasp the idea that there's something exciting underneath the wrapping paper. This was the first year that idea clicked and he was really excited to open his gifts! 

This one is for Great Grandpa Taylor. Gunner discovered Charlie Brown this Christmas and loves him now. Once he saw what the book was, he was a little excited! Thanks Great Grandpa!

Love it when my kids enjoy watching each other open their presents!



Gunner wanted a robot for Christmas most of all...little did we know the reason why. As soon as he opened it he said "My robot! Now I have someone to help me clean up all my toys!" 

Justin...going crazy over his presents from the kids...he loved his socks!

One of Gunner's presents was a Spiderman Web-shooter. He's been asking for this since May of this year so Santa finally brought him one. As soon as Dad went to take out some of the trash, he geared himself up and sprayed his Dad down good. Way to go Spidey!

Last of all, we ended our opening of presents with our traditional "jumping and rolling in the wrapping paper." It seems like there's always so much, why not play in it?

Merry (very late) Christmas!



Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas in Collages - Part 1

One of our family traditions at Christmas is reenacting the Nativity Scene. I remember doing it since I was a little kid. As teenagers me & my cousins would complain out loud that we didn't like doing it, even though I secretly liked it. What's not to like? Getting dressed up is always fun. My aunt always had the best costumes.

So, we passed the torch to our little kids and let them reenact the Nativity Scene. Gunner was Joseph and the other girls in the pictures are my cousin Todd's kids. Jocelyn, Brinley & Amelia. They are the cutest girls. Jocelyn is just a year younger than Gunner so naturally, she was Mary. Caleb was a shepherd and Breezy was an angel. She made sure the baby Jesus was taken care of at every point. She took her part very seriously. :) During the presentation she would walk over and check on the baby Jesus doll to make sure he had a blanket and was tucked in to his straw bed. I'm surprised she didn't try to run off with him!

Since I took too many pictures (as usual) I made a few collages of our Christmas week. 


For Christmas Eve, we take turns between my family & Justin's family. This year it was my family's turn for dinner and to spend Christmas Eve together. My parents out-do themselves every year. We had a delicious ham dinner with all the fixings and my Mom did a little devotional about the true meaning of Christmas and why we give each other presents. 

I love the picture below of my parents carving the ham together. They are hilarious. :)


We ended the night with some yummy dessert and then the kids got to open one present. New Christmas Jammies! I felt cool this year because I had a theme for their matching PJs. They all love Toy Story so as I did all my pre-Christmas shopping on Amazon, I found Woody jammies for Caleb, Buzz for Gunner and Jessie for Bree. I thought they looked super cute!

Next up is Christmas morning, Christmas lunch and Christmas dinner. We really know how to party. :) Until the next installment...Peace out!

Oh and P.S. All the digital scrapbook papers & elements are from Summertime Designs, of course!