Christmas Photos

Here are some pictures that I got of the kids when they were dressed up for various holiday things in December. 

 

For some reason Avery Lynn thought she should hug Caden in this picture. At least he's smiling!

Before the Christmas Eve service

Caden before his Christmas Concert at school

Before Christmas Eve service at Church

 

Both (Crazy) kids before Christmas Eve Service

The Magic Tree 2012

We always try to get some fun photos from the Magic Tree.  We decided to go on a night that wasn't absolutely freezing this year so everyone isn't bundled up as much as usual but the kids loved seeing the lights and it was a fun evening.  They also had a tree done in all blue lights which Ricky took advantage of and captured some cool (maybe spooky) pictures of us looking through the tree trunk.  So the blue pictures are from that tree.  Enjoy!

 

Christmas Program

Caden's LODO Christmas Program. His class sang Silent Night and Rudolph. They are a bunch of very loved kids, you can see all the flashes going off as they are singing. There were lots of pictures taken as well as videos. : )

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Santa Success!

We made it to see Santa this weekend.  Believe it or not, both kids sat on Santa's lap and nobody cried!  This is the first year that Caden has sat on Santa's lap (well except the first year when he was a baby).  The other two years he said he was going to and then we he walked up to Santa he quickly decided he just wanted to stand next to him.  Last year Avery Lynn screamed while sitting on Santa's lap while Caden stood next to Santa with his hand on Santa's leg.  But this year both kids sat down and nobody cried.  Success!  I don't think Caden stopped talking the entire time.  (Which isn't really that surprising.) He rattled off everything he could think of to tell Santa he wanted...except when I asked him what he told him he told me he couldn't think of anything so he just told him a couple of things.  But we could hardly get his attention to take a picture because he was talking talking talking.  Avery Lynn wasn't quite as talkative, but Caden swears she told Santa she wanted a princess.  I don't know if she really said that but Caden says she did.  Typically when I asked her what she was going to tell Santa she wanted she would just tell me she wanted Santa.  Anyhow, here are the pics.

 

 

Caden talking

Avery Lynn's checking him out....You're Santa??

You have to sit on the four wheelers when you go to Bass Pro. Right?



Final Fall Photos

I've finally decided that I'm not going to use these fall pictures that I took for our Christmas card so I will share some more pictures that we took this fall. The leaves were awesome up here, even without much rain, and I got some cute pictures of the kids with an awesome orange tree at Stephens Lake Park.

 

The kids made this piece of wood into a slide

Caden found a stick and was using it as a sword in between pictures. 

Christmas Card Time Again - Win Shutterfly Giftcard

It is that time again when you start thinking about what photo you are going to put on those cute Christmas cards and what design you are going to choose from the hundreds out there.  I realized last year that the majority of Christmas cards we received were photo cards so I think it is safe to say that is the new preference in Christmas cards.  Head over to Shutterfly and check out all their options of Photo Christmas cards.  They have tons to choose from and lots of specials going on right now.  I love Shutterfly's cards and products.  I have never been disappointed in anything I have ordered from them.  It always looks great and arrives in a very quick manner.

Shutterfly Current Deals:

• You can find their regular specials and sales listed on their special offers page at http://www.shutterfly.com/special-offers. 
• They have a special going on today (Black Friday) through the weekend where you can get 10 Free Christmas Cards by entering the code BLACKFRIDAY. Visit one of these pages to get all the info http://www.facebook.com/shutterfly  or directly at https://www.shutterfly.com/10freecards
• I am lucky enough to have the privilege of hosting a drawing for Shutterfly where I will be able to give away one $50 Shutterfly gift card to a lucky reader.  See details below.

Giveaway Details: 
Enter giveaway by leaving a comment telling me who would be in your photo on your Shutterfly Christmas card.  Please remember to include your email address so that you can be contacted to get your code.  One entry per person. Entries can be received until 12/2/2012 at 11:59pm.  Giveaway prize: $50 off order of $50 or more (excluding tax and shipping & cannot be combined with any other promos (expire 12/14/2012)

This is a post sponsored by Shutterfly, however, all opinions are my own. I really do recommend their cards and products.  Check them out, if you haven't already, and see for yourself.

Halloween Costume Pictures

Caden was a (mean) pirate this year, he always made sure that he added mean when someone asked him what he was going to be.  Avery Lynn was Minnie Mouse.  While they didn't

have costumes that necessarily went together this year I did notice as I was uploading the pictures that they color coordinated very well with the red, white, and black.  Some of the pictures are from when they got dressed for the Halloween party we went to and others are from Halloween night so that is why you see Avery Lynn dressed in warmer clothes in some and not others.  Some friends came over to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night and all the kids had a blast.  Avery Lynn really enjoyed trick-or-treating more than I expected her to.  She loved going up to each house to trick-or-treat and get candy.  Caden was a pro this year, he knew exactly what to do and was all about quickly moving from house to house. 

I had to add this picture.  Notice Avery Lynn is correcting Caden that she is supposed to say "Cheese" not him.

Avery Lynn rode from house to house in the wagon

Caden got his candy and was moving on to the next house

A picture of the cousins at Chapman's Halloween themed birthday party

Halloween Activities

We did a lot of things to celebrate Halloween this year.  I'm not exactly sure why we did so much more this year than in years past, maybe because Avery Lynn is older and can participate more this year.  We did two trips to Pumpkin Patches, went to a Halloween party, ate Halloween treats, did tons of Halloween themed art projects at home plus all the ones Caden did a school, carved pumpkins and I'm sure I'm missing some stuff.  But it was a fun filled October.  Here are some pictures that had to do with all our Halloween activities.

 



Caden eating a yummy fried cinnamon/sugar tortilla shell jack-o-lantern

 

Avery Lynn eating a yummy fried cinnamon/sugar tortilla shell jack-o-lantern

A few days before we carved pumpkins we decorated them with these fun stickers

I was surprised how Avery Lynn dug right into the pumpkin goo, she liked pulling out all of the pumpkin seeds

 

 At first Caden opted to color a picture at the table instead of sticking his hand inside the pumpkin

He caved into the pressure and decided he would do it after Avery Lynn was having fun at it

Caden pulling out pumpkin seeds

I decided it would be fun to take a picture of all the Halloween art on our fridge.  Crazy!

Our carved pumpkins.  Caden has a bat, Avery Lynn a Cat, Ricky and I did faces, and Lilly has a bone

The kids with the jack-o-lanterns