Happy Birthday Walker!!!!!

 

 

Today is Walker's 12th birthday. He got money, a camo Virginia Tech hat and an awesome hiking backpack, it even has a cover if he's hiking in the rain!! He had a friend over, and they have been playing the X-Box and Wii all day!!

Natural Bridge

 

 

 

We thought it would be fun to stop by the Natural Bridge zoo on our way home, but it was closed for a winter break. We drove down the the natural bridge, but parts of it were closed due to the trails being icy. the boys enjoyed posing in front of the big bear (maddie wouldn't, so I included one of her in front of the Christmas tree at the Visitor's Center) After posing in front of the bear, Aiden and Owen found some toy guns and thought it would be fun to shoot the bear!!!!!

Temple Lights

 

 

 

 

We decided to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Washington DC temple so we could see the lights, and they were absolutely beautiful. The trip there was not great, the dvd player never worked, Aiden and Owen got carsick, (nothing like christening the new van with puke!!) and it took over an hour to make it a few miles near the end, but it was well worth it!!! We walked through the visitor's center and checked out the Nativity Scenes and decorated trees.

Christmas 2009

 

 

 

 

Today, at 4:30am, Maddie, Walker and Owen came bouncing down the stairs to open presents. After some coaxing, Tim and Aiden got up and joined us in the den. Maddie got the netbook she wanted, Walker got a shotgun he wasn't expecting, and Aiden and Owen got a castle, a racetrack, and some other goodies. Right now they are playing together with playdoh. Hopefully the ice will melt and we can join the rest of the family in a little while!

sledding...

 

 

 

 

As much as I absolutely hate all the in and out and wet clothes that come with sled riding, the kids sure are having a good time doing it. Owen even joined in today!

Christmas past

I found this picture today, and thought it was cute. Doesn't Owen look like Walker???

later that day.....

 

 

 

 

We can't keep Aiden inside the house. He would spend the entire day outside in the snow if we let him! We have to keep convincing him he needs to come in and warm up. Tim and Walker got the driveway cleared, and at 5:00 the snow plows came by. Sadly, they left a wall of snow at the end of the driveway that is huge! Our neighbor joked we could use them as forts and have a snowball fight!

Snow 2009

 

 

 

 

So it snowed last night....a lot. After spending more time than I care to recall bundling everyone up, Owen made it about 30 seconds before he decided it was too deep and he came back in. Maddie, Walker and Aiden enjoyed rolling around in it, and making snow angels, but it is too deep to even sled in!

Owen's Christmas Program

 

The first song in the program was "Twas the Night before Christmas". Owen was "stirring". (You know, "not a creature was stirring....") It was hilarious. The kids did a great job.

Santa pics

 

 

Here are our Santa pics for this year. Maddie and Walker decided they were too old.....actually, Maddie would have done it, but wanted to go the the "Y" with Tim and Walker instead!

Our new house guests.....

 

 

Meet Oliver (Owen's elf) and Barry (Aiden's elf). They will be staying with us until Christmas Eve. We went to Tennessee with a friend and her son, who has an elf named "Hunny". He arrives every year at Thanksgiving, and stays until he goes back to the North Pole. Aiden and Owen thought it would be really neat to have our own elves. In order to get an elf, you have to write a letter to an existing elf, asking him to bring you one of his friends. So last night, after riding the train, we wrote Hunny a note asking for two elves for Aiden and Owen, and they appeared in our hotel room this morning!! They are the cutest things....you write them a note every night, and they write you back. They even move around the house while you are gone, and at night while you are sleeping....you never know where they will be!!!!

TN Aquarium

 

 

 

 

Since the aquarium was a block from the hotel, we got up this morning and checked it out. The boys had so much fun. The first one was a salt water exhibit, with sharks and fish, and the second was a river exhibit, with all kinds of fish, turtles and butterflies.

The Polar Express

 

 

 

 

This weekend Aiden, Owen and I went to Chatanooga TN for the weekend with a friend and her son to ride "the Polar Express". We rode a train to the North Pole, drank chocolate milk and ate a gingerbread cookie while a nice lady read the story to us. When we got there, Santa got on the train and rode back to the station with us, and everyone got to see him and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. At the end of the ride, he and Mrs. Claus gave everyone a bell. They had a great time!