Just a few more.........

pictures that I wanted to share from 2011.........

Our tree of gratitude
I believe I have very good kids who use their manners and appreciate all that they have but they are kids and it is easy to get a case of the I wants especially around christmastime...so in order to help the kids remember all that there is to be grateful for we filled out our 25 oranaments with things we are grateful for.

My little artist....she colors/draws all the time and everywhere...not sure what she was doing here.

Every year we take the kids to drive around and look at christmas lights and this year we found the prettiest display ever. This picture does it no justice...the entire neighborhood was decorated and all in a similar manner and it was soooo pretty!!!

One of the places we found Elfy, he leaves on christmas eve and the day after christmas Katelin was wanting to find him so I had to explain to her that he goes to live in the North Pole until the next christmas season.

Not a flattering picture of me but I was rearranging the gifts under the tree and digging out the toys and ornaments that Evan had thrown in the tree and he kept sitting on me....it was funny, my goofy little boy.

Katelin: Mommy do you think I have too much blue makeup on because I think I have too much....I think I look a little creepy.

Look Mom....I can stand on the bus!

Santa brought the kids some cool pillows and Evan took advantage of it.

Rylie with one of her new books....my girl loooves to read and we stocked her up with some books for chistmas including the Little House on the Prairie set, she read one at school and loved it.

I told you Katelin wanted Santa to bring her a McDonald's set and well he didn't but Mommy and Daddy did.

I can't always get this boy to smile for the camera but man I love it when he does.

My Grandma has this little plastic princess tea set that Katelin always plays with when we go to visit her so she got her her own tea set for christmas and man does she love it....we've had many many tea parties!

Christmas morning I saw Owen sitting in the chair like this and I asked everyone who they thought he looked like and my mom and Chet both said Papa.....Papa would always sit in his chair at the kitchen table with his white t-shirt and white socks on slouched down with his legs crossed. It was just one of those moments that I wanted to remember.

Evan in his new recliner from Grammy all snuggled with his blanket.

These are the pictures I tried to take of my kiddos the night we went to see Santa....I wasn't too worried since I would get a picture of all of them with Santa but only 3 of my babies would sit with the jolly old man.

This crazy kid of mine....yes she is dipping her grilled cheese in her milk and then eating it......

My funny funny little Evie....he loves to vacuum, sweep or mop....if he sees the broom or mop he starts running it across the kitchen floor and if daddy gets out the big vacuum.....well he goes and gets the little kitchen vac and follows daddy around. As soon as he sees a vacuum he starts making mmmm mmmmm noises....so funny!!!