Christmas 2010

We had a big Christmas vacation this year, spanning nearly three weeks of family and fun. Not that the two are necessarily different, but there was a lot of both. Here are some of the highlights we were able to capture for your amusement.

Ender and Chloe visiting the furniture store Santa... always a fun holiday tradition!


Baby Chloe got to meet her aunts and uncles for the first time.

Amy took the lead on decorating the Christmas tree.


Ender loves to see his Christmas tree.

It was Brian's utterly brilliant idea to use Buzz Lightyear as the Christmas tree angel... until the boys noticed him up there and wanted us to take Buzz down so they could play with him.

This is the gingerbread house that Ender decorated all by himself. Grandma helped with the path, but everything else was all Ender!

In a family as big as ours someone's always having a baby, and Christmas time is the perfect opportunity to throw all those babies into a beanbag chair for a group picture!

Grandma and Grandpa got us tickets to ride the North Pole Express!

Ender was very excited to take a ride on a train that went above the ground instead of below.

Grandpa and Grandma enjoyed holding their new grandbabies all the way to the North Pole and back.

Ender's "Get that stupid camera out of my face before you make me miss Santa!" face.

Ender loved catching snowflakes in his mouth (and eyes) at the North Pole!

He also made sure to water the snow before we left, so that more would grow for next year.

Ender and Brenden built some snowmen out in the yard.

Christmas Dress... check.
My First Christmas bib... check.
Novelty antlers... check.
Just call me Chloe the Red-Dressed Christmasbaby.

Ender reading Frosty the Snowman for the first time ever on Christmas Eve.

Hanging with Uncle Rod and his bell-hat at Great Grandma & Great Grandpa's house.

Chloe pronouncing a blessing upon Christmas morning.

When Ender unwrapped an alligator on Christmas morning his first instinct was to jump on its back, ride it around the room like a horse, and attack everyone in sight.

"What do you mean that's the end of the presents?"

Of course we went to Temple Square!

One of the advantages to having our parents around is that we can pass off the kids long enough to take these kinds of self portraits again.

SO MANY LIGHTS!!!

Brian would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly show off some of the pictures he took at Temple Square.

"It's not that I'm a good photographer, because I'm not. But I do know a few simple tricks with the camera, and have a decent photo editing program."
-Brian

We took Ender to the Children's Museum, where he promptly took on a job as a crane operator.

Safety First!

After a long day of working the cranes, Ender heads home.

On his way home, Ender stops at the grocery store to pick up some yummy food for dinner.

Oh no! Halfway through preparing his dinner, Ender realizes his sink is broken!

Out comes the trusty took kit, and a little know-how he picked up from his Grandpas!

Before you can say "dinner is burned" he has the sink fixed, and goes back to cooking his tasty dinner!

Ender loves being at Grandma and Grandpa's house, because he gets all the chocolate ice cream he can stand.

After a bowl of ice cream, it's always time for a bath, especially with dinosurs!

We spent New Years in St. George, where the kids had lots of tea parties with their Abuela.

Chloe with her Grandpa Frank, who loves her little baby feet!

Brian got a new hat from his in-laws for Christmas, and thinks it makes him look tough.

Ender wearing the same hat, carrying a doll, and wearing footy pajamas still looks tougher than his daddy.

Chloe also got to meet Aunt Carletta.

A rustic family photo with the cousins!

Rock-a-bye Babies.

Ender amused himself with stickers on the long plane ride home.