Goodbye 2011! Hello 2012!

John Daddy with his Grandsons. 

Here we are telling Silas, Merritt, Mark & Denise goodbye.  Haha Uncle Mark!

Sandy at our New Years Eve Party! We dropped the ball at 9pm so all the kids could celebrate New Years! (and so the parents could be asleep before midnight)

Sweet Baby Merritt...one day she will like her Aunt Joy (I hope)

Bryan loading the cannon just before midnight (well around 8:30)

Fireworks, of course!

Happy New Year! The kids loved the bubble wrap stomp!

Darlene & her funny boy Cager

I think it was a good night Cager!

Isn't Miller the most handsome thing!

Colin...yes you are amazing

Bobby and Sandy...we had so much fun with these labels.

Christmas Day

Good Christmas morning boys! They slept in til 6am! Here is Nate checking out his newton balls.

I see you Luke!

We were shocked to find that Santa left 2 dirt bikes in the garage even after mom said "no."  Nate and Henry were thrilled!

Henry decked out in all his gear ready to ride!

Nate is in blue shirt, Henry is red.  Santa went all out!

O Henry, please be careful!

Nate rides as if he's been doing this for years.

Christmas lunch at DeeDee & JohnDaddy's house. 

Daddy with his boys. 

Can you see the 2 specks way back in the pasture...yep, that's Nate & Henry!

Luke is a bridge for Silas' Polar Express train

Christmas dinner is always with Ronnie's family.  This year we ate at their house.  Here we are opening gifts before the party started. 

Ahhh.... the day after Christmas.  Playing a little Hedbanz while Mom starts to take the tree down. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning we went to breakfast at Nana's house.  This is one of my favorite celebrations, I love biscuits, gravy & brown sugar and only eat it once a year.  Here is Cliff explaining to Luke how to drop holly berries to the center of the earth. 

Cliff is so much fun! All his neices & nephews adore him.

DeeDee hugging Nate.  Henry, Mark & Silas in the background. 

Can you believe how tall Uncle Cliff is??

Now Cliff is showing the boys Nana's cellar.  They're sure pirates have buried treasure under there.

Luke isn't afraid of going under the house!

Christmas Eve afternoon is spent with Martha's family at the Riverhouse.  Here is Luke working with the firewood. 

Nate completely built this fire himself.  He even started it with his flint.

Henry chilling out with Brayden.  Nintendo is the universal language of 1st graders.

Here is Mama Aiken opening a gift she thought was from Aunt Mary in Seattle.  Little did she know Ronnie had wrapped pigs feet, she was thrilled! Pigs feet are one of her favorite dishes.

Luke enjoying the new wagon

Christmas Eve dinner is always steaks at Granny's house.  Here she is telling us all how much she loves us and how important family is. 

Brent praying before dinner. 

Luke enjoying Erika's sugar cookies.  They taste as good as they look!

All the great grandchildren playing in Granny's recliner. 

Mark wanted to do pushups with Henry on his back.  He didn't realize Nate was up there too, plus James was adding weight. 

Finally some fireworks...my boys think no celebration is complete without them. 

Complete chaos! Thank goodness no one was hurt and no structure burned down. 

The Polar Express

Luke with his friend Kami on the last day of school before Christmas!

On December 22, DeeDee & JohnDaddy treated  us all to a ride on the Polar Express! Luke is waiting on the train to board and sampling some of the sugar cookies that Bryan made for the ride!

John Daddy and Nate are ready to ride despite the pouring rain!

Cliff and DeeDee in the train museum before the ride. 

Cliff & Henry...Soaked but content to be headed to the North Pole on the Polar Express!

New Suits

These boys have really enjoyed their new suits.  They have worn them to church every Sunday since the week before Christmas.  Henry actually sits on the front row the entire service!