Christmas (and Sam's Birthday) in Pictures

Many blog posts have been created and then lost in my head over the last few weeks. I want to write more often on here, but I never want to go out of order. So, I need to post pictures from Christmas so that I can move on with life in 2011! So here is the week of Christmas that we spent in California told mostly in pictures (with captions, because we all know I can't not talk).

I love the gentle way my dad plays with the kids. Few words, but always at their level. And I love seeing my kids use the table my sister and I used as kids in the same kitchen we grew up in (I think my dad made the table and chairs for us).

Sam's birthday morning at Chuck E. Cheese:

Laughed watching Aunt Kendra the pilot fly a silly yellow hovercraft or something...

...so she returned the favor by laughing at me as I tried to make this jerky horse jump over obstacles while Annie ate her goldfish in disinterest.

Who is more excited about winning tickets?

1) Sam, the birthday boy:

2) Evan, the pesky little brother:

3) Aunt Kendra and Crampaw, who found a secret thrill in figuring out which game was easiest to win and standing there while small children tugged on their pant legs (just kidding):

Birthday cake and pizza at Grandma and Grandpa's house:

Then the afternoon spent at Scooter's Jungle...an indoor play area with inflatable toys. Annie was obsessed with this slide but had to be helped up the stairs every time. It was so hard to carry her up inflatable stairs with a long line of impatient children bumping into your rear...it was so steep! My mom got a little stuck on the stairs the first time up and instead of going to help, I called Kendra over to laugh with me. I don't think we could have gotten away with that as teenagers:

Decorating a gingerbread house only to then be hounded incessantly for permission to eat "treats off the house" (but they loved it):

Oh, the love! All those hands belonging to people I love so much! Love.

Walks to the park when it wasn't raining:

Another love picture. My 3 independent bike riders going off on an adventure. More love.

And then there are the hours of interesting fun in Grandpa's workshop. I suggested they make a traditional wooden ball and cup with a string game, but of course, they made a gun.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day:

"Oh how pretty!"

"Look, pr-e-tty!"

"I don't want to wear this hat because you want me to. I just want to be pretty!"

"Yeah, I'm done with all that. Just gonna chill right here. In the most un-ladylike pose possible."

Oh the presents, the presents. So many presents.

So many presents, I'll use them as a footstool.

Slightly fake, "Wow, Evan, cool. Can I open mine now???" (imagine frantic panting and pawing like a puppy)

I get the after-Christmas-let-down, too, Evan. It's okay.

So there it is...Christmas 2010. Wish we could do it again!