Last Picture of the Year

This is the, "Happy New Year!" pose.  We watched a little countdown off of Netflix and toasted the new year with some sparkling cider at around 10:00pm.  Cameron rubbed his eyes all throughout.  They had stayed up late watching Star Wars (and Cameron saw his toys from Christmas in a new light.  He's seen the movies before but this time recognized his toy ships and was extra excited).  2016 was a good year for our little family.  Here's to 2017!

Zoo

Who doesn't want to go to the zoo when it's cold and snowy? Kenzie and Parker were a bit hesitant as we bundled up this morning.  (Cameron had no qualms.  He also jumped into every pile of snow he could, so I was very glad I had put his snow pants on him!)

Kenzie and Parker quickly changed their minds once we arrived.  Quite a few warm weather animals were nowhere to be seen, but there were still several animals out and about.  Here the Siberian lynx was pacing around.

Parker (always the one with the map!) with a tiger in the background.  

Cameron very intently watching a hyrax eat.  He sat there for the longest time.  I finally had to pull him away.

Hard to see in the back lit pictures, but there were several burrowing owls.  Kenzie had been happy to go to the zoo, but she was beaming once we saw some owls.  She borrowed my phone and took lots and lots of pictures of the burrowing owls and then the barn owl.

An in-action shot as we went by on the carousel (Kenzie didn't want to ride today, so she took pictures).  You can see the unbridled joy on Parker's face to be riding his beloved panda.  Cameron was equally excited to be riding a tiger.  

 The elephants were finally out for their breakfast the second time we walked by.

A short clip of the sea lion showing off, and Parker's mouth hanging open.  We just happened to walk by the seal and sea lion area when the trainers came out for their training session.  The sea lion did flips, barked at everyone, and waved his flippers.  The seals jumped and did tricks, too.  I mostly had to hold Cameron up to see so I couldn't take videos, but it was pretty neat.  We were really close, and the kids were all amazed.  At the end Parker even got to ask the zookeeper a question about the difference between seals and sea lions.  I think it's cute how he's at the zoo to learn, not just be entertained. 

 It was a successful trip to the zoo with these fun kiddos!  They all agreed it was worth bundling up for.

Dream Fulfilled

Every Christmas, we watch the Garfield Christmas Special, which starts with Garfield having a dream sequence.  In it, Jon wakes him up on Christmas morning and tells the food-loving cat, "You may now eat your way to the tree."  I always laugh and jokingly tell Chris I would love to eat my way to the tree.  

 This Christmas morning, I came out in the hall to find some note on the ground.  It took me a second to figure out what was going on, but then I laughed.

There were half a dozen giant chocolate muffins in a trail to the Christmas tree!  (Hopefully it goes without saying, but I did not actually eat 6 jumbo muffins.  I gathered them up so the kids wouldn't step on them during their morning stampede, but it still made me laugh to have the opportunity to eat my way to the tree.  Dream fulfilled!)

Christmas With the Arnolds

Parker waving from the frozen lake while Daddy ties his skates.  The lake had frozen enough to skate on.  Parker was quite amazed and shuffled along in his shoes several times throughout the evening.

Kenzie and Megan warming up after being outside for a bit.

I only get weird faces when I try to take a picture of the kids all eating together!

Time for some more fun on the lake.  Kenzie riding the trike.

Here's Josh riding a trike, too.  He's 23.  

Cameron was so happy to be out with his cousins on the lake.  I helped him walk on the ice at first, but eventually he didn't want any help.  It was pretty rough ice, which was good for having some traction. 

Here's Chris pulling Cameron around in a chair.  The skating didn't last too long, just because it was freezing outside and it was present time!

Here you can hear Cameron yell, "Fire fighter truck!" He got to go outside and see Uncle Arnie's fire truck right before this, so he was extra excited.

I loved Parker's expression here.  Cameron also got a giant truck that hauls other cars inside it, and they were both impressed!

Such a busy evening for these boys!  They were both asleep long before we made it home.

Christmas Morning

Cameron and Parker waiting to go see the tree Christmas morning (and Kenzie laying down in the background!  She claimed she wanted more sleep!).  Chris put the garland across two chairs with a note saying nobody could pass it without Mom & Dad.  Parker sat in the hall and read books patiently while he waited for his siblings to wake up.

Parker unwrapping presents from his new bean bag chair.  We thought he would hyperventilate he was so wound up with excitement!

  

Here's a clip of some of the flurry of present opening.  Cameron had really wanted a Star Wars ship, and he was suitably impressed with his new Millennium Falcon. 

 Check this out!  I got a pizza oven!  It gets up to 700 degrees and claims it will replicate a wood burning oven (with propane).  Looking forward to trying that one out.

The boys got some new light sabers from their grandparents and wasted no time having an epic battle (Cameron was actually swinging his at Parker even before he unwrapped it, just because it seemed sword-shaped!).  Kenzie was admiring her Lego house and was right in the middle of the action.

Parker with some of his stuff.  He told his grandparents this Christmas was better than he expected! 

 Cameron with his haul.  He was beyond thrilled with everything.

 Kenzie got a bazillion owls, just like she wanted.  She quickly gathered it all up and disappeared into her room, giggling.

 

Parker putting together his Star Wars model plane.  He only needed a little help from Dad.

Duchess watching Kenzie put together her Legos.  (Kenzie insisted Duchess receive her own stocking with some cat treats inside.) Kenzie had her Lego house and hot dog stand put together in no time.  She's always building with her Legos.

Finally, this was one of my favorite pictures from Christmas morning.  Cameron wearing his new tool belt and safety goggles!  He was all ready to do some fixing.  It was a good Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Cameron helping stir together some ranch dressing.  That was the only thing he was interested in helping with, but I thought he was so cute in the apron!

Kenzie decided half the menu this year, so she got to help!  Here she's making some brownies all by herself.  Later she helped me shape a bunch of balls of dough for pizza monkey bread for Christmas lunch.  

Some excited kids after dinner, getting ready to exchange the presents they picked out for each other.  As always, they were very eager to both give and receive the presents!

Kenzie liked the Shopkins toaster from Cameron, and here she's laughing about the Shopkins fridge from Parker.  

The boys starting to play with their Star Wars ships from Kenzie.  Those were a huge hit, especially with Cameron.  He lined his ships up on his work bench before he went to bed.

He also had his ships all lined up while he ate some brownies and peppermint ice cream for dessert.

 Parker's really been asking a lot of questions about Santa this year.  He asked everyone and anyone if they believe in Santa Claus, and of course he got mixed results.  I thought his note was sweet:

Dear Santa,

I hope you like the cherry candy cane.  I know that some people don't believe in you and I think they are wrong about you.  

From, 

Parker T. A. age 8

P.S. The carrots are for the reindeer.

So cute!  Santa wrote back and thanked Parker for believing in him, which made Parker pretty happy this morning!

Christmas Preschool Program

Kenzie and Parker got out of school early on Wednesday, so they joined me in watching Cameron's little preschool program.  Cameron was so excited they were there.  He smiled at them and got even a little embarrassed.  It was cute how much he wanted to impress them.

Here he is being a Christmas tree that finds a home.  (He starts off in the middle, and then apparently remembers he's supposed to be on the end as the last tree.)

Here's the very end of the Christmas tree part.  I thought it was cute.

Getting ready for their big finale.

Hooray!  This marked the beginning of Christmas break for the kiddos!

Kenzie's Dance Recital

I love how every year it is the same - Parker and Cameron enjoy going to Kenzie's dance recital.  Parker holds the program and keeps track of how many numbers until Kenzie needs to be in the hall ready.  He tells me what the song will be titled and notes the time to see if they are on schedule!  

Cameron just really enjoys clapping after each song!

Here's a short clip of Kenzie clogging.  She is on the far right in the red jacket.  Those sparkly jackets made it easy to spot her afterwards, too!

One more clip.  She's been clogging with the same few girls for years now.  The other kids come and go but Kenzie's two friends are always there.  

 The dancer with her brothers afterwards.  They are sweet to always tell her she did a good job.

Great Aunt Tiff

Yesterday would have been my little brother's 30th birthday.  All day I thought about posting something, but nothing seemed quite right.  Plus, we were spending the day fasting for our nephew's wife, Chelsea, who had preeclampsia and had started having seizures early that morning.  They were delivering their little boy a few weeks early because of it- 

- and here he is!  This is Joseph, making me a great aunt (that sounds way old!).  He was born late last night, so he does share Kyle's birthday.  I thought it was kind of sweet the way the timing worked out.  Mom and baby seem to be doing okay now by the last report I heard, too. 

Ward Christmas Breakfast

Saturday morning was our ward's Christmas breakfast.  Nobody particularly enjoys getting up early in our family, but I did want Parker and Cameron to get the chance to see Santa before they get too big for it like Kenzers.

 Here is Parker's shy, excited smile as he waited his turn to see Santa.  

He took their discussion quite seriously.  He asked Santa for a bean bag chair.

This was Cameron's first time approaching Santa, since he wouldn't do it last year.  He literally jumped up to Santa's lap this time!  Here he's thinking about what to ask for.  (He really doesn't care.  When we made letters to Santa some time ago, he wanted to ask for, "A box... with a present in it!")  

Santa finally just skipped the present part and asked Cameron to be sure to leave him some cookies.  Cameron agreed to that, got his candy cane, and we were on our way!

Gingerbread Houses

Goofy kids starting to make their Christmas houses last week.  It has become a tradition, and one they really look forward to.  Lots of candy to decorate with, and lots more to sample as they work!

Parker very intently drawing some squiggles in frosting.

Kenzie with her completed house.  She does everything herself, but I'm glad she's not yet too cool to make one.

 Parker quite proud of his masterpiece. 

 Cameron finished, and then set to work dismantling it to eat it.  His house is now looking rather bare on the counter because he's picked off a candy every time he's walked by.  (He's also been accused of sampling some of Kenzie's house!)