The Different Faces of...SANTA

Pass the parcel took on a new twist this time around....it was a ball of seran wrap with prizes and treats all along the way!!  Each kid needed to dress as Santa and then start unraveling the ball until the next kid rolled doubles!  HOHOHO

Pretty Pretty Ladies

We got the boys in this group shot...but that was all they were going to give us!!!  Papa, Clay, CJ, Preston, and Detric b-lined it out of that room faster than you could blink or even say, "Hey...wait we need another picture!!)  So, Laura, Nana, Aparri, and Erica willingly got their pictures taken together!  Here are the Pretty Pretty Ladies!

Fun or Dumb?

To keep us awake until midnight we played spoons...and since it was snowing outside, we decided to take it to the next level!!! We played a round outside.... yes people...we played a round of cards on the back porch and then before you could grab a spoon you had to run a lap around Mom and Dad's house in the snow barefoot!  Sounded like a good idea at the time...until we actually did it!  Then there was pushing, shoving,  and slick concrete and before Laura could even get off the patio she was on the ground, sitting in the cold snow, with a cut  foot, laughing hysterically.  Mom couldn't stop laughing either - so arm in arm together they finished their lap around the house!  Fun or Dumb?  I'll let you decide!  (But if you were to ask any of us that did it... I do believe we all would do it again in a heartbeat!!)  Who else can you do dumb things with if not your mom and siblings?  

Fire & Ice

New Years just isn't complete without fireworks... or so Shane and Clayboy think!!!  (And I don't think anyone else minded either)  We had a great time shooting off alittle bit of fire in the middle of the unexpected snow storm!!!  Everyone had a great time pretending to be Harry Potter, Hermine Granger, and Ronald Weasley as we shouted "Expectopatronus"  "Stupify" and "LivEosa" into the New Year sky with our roman candles firing away!

Water Walls

I think we found Preston's nitch...water and walls!!  This place in Portland, Clackamas aquatic center,  had them both!  Preston loves water...we've known that for awhile...but when it came to the rock climbing wall...this little man was amazing.  He hooked those toes and off he went!  He did the rock wall as many times as he possibly could (at least 7 times)!  The rest of us  - Clay, Laura, CJ, and Aparri were exhausted with cramped toes and spent arms after 1 round!  How this kid managed to go time and time again is a mystery.  Wow Preston - Boy you can climb!  And you know us...we can spend hours and hours and hours at the pool...but when we hear the words "poop" or "puke"  in the pool... see ya later pool...we are DONE!  Luckily, we had already been there for several hours and it was time to head out anyway...but that was just extra motivation to leave NOW!!  It ended up being perfect timing...we started to get snow on our way home, so we were glad to get back to Papa and Nana's safe and sound for New Years Eve!

Our Gorgeous Multnomah

One of our favorite places in the Northwest is Multnomah Falls.  Laura has lots of memories hiking here as a kid.  Since it had been a few years since we had ventured to the falls, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take the kids and hike to the bridge.  Well, it was a beautiful day, but there was still ice and snow on the path so for safety they closed down the trail.... at least we got to enjoy the beautiful view!  Still Gorgeous!

  

Getting too old for Children's Museums

Aparri and Detric had a great time at the Portland children's museum....they could have stayed there all day!  The older boys were kinda bored....it really was geared more for little kids.  Now we know - it's hard to believe that we have children that are getting too old for children's museums, time is passing quickly...next time OMSI.  That being said - Preston did enjoy the molding clay exhibit.  So Did Aparri - but I think she was just excited to get down and dirty!  There was an exhibit perfect for Julie - a dental hygienist... Julie gave Aparri the proper instructions on cleaning the alligators teeth - learning from an expert!!! Now Erica was dying to get down and see and touch everything...but as the little woman is putting EVERYTHING in her mouth -  Laura was too afraid of what she might pick up (item or germ)...she kept her corralled in Grandma, Papa, or her arms.... when Erica was done...we were all done!