Christmas 2010

Christmas was GREAT this year, a little crazy with Disneyland the next day, but GREAT still!!

 The boys loved the guitars and sleds that Santa brought them!

 Nice face Colby!!

 All the boys kept saying they wanted was Pokemon cards. Well, they got them. About 200 between us and the grandparents!

 All Peyton said he wanted was Mickey Mouse, he loves dancing with him and showing his brothers how you push his hand to make him dance some more.

 I have to apologize for how my boys are dressed now. Most moms would dress their kids all cute and festive because its Christmas right? Well, most of their cute clothes were packed for Disneyland so Bryan and Colby wore their soccer uniforms, Tyler wore short sleeves and shorts and Peyton looked half way cute I guess. Sorry!!

They got so spoiled as usual!! I hope they had as much fun as we did buying everything for them!

Zoo Lights

Papa and Nana took us to see the Zoo Lights this year. It was our first year going and I have to be honest...I was expecting a little more. I thought we would get to see all the animals and Christmas lights. But thats not how it was. There was plenty of Christmas lights, but no animals. The only one that we really saw and was extremely active was the tiger. Peyton loved it of course and wanted to stay there the whole time. There was a lot of "animal" lights everywhere, but the real animals were either too dark to see or they put them inside somewhere. Oh well, the boys had fun at least.

This is Colby pretending to be a gorilla if you can't tell...

I just noticed what that sign said as I was looking at these pictures. Whoops, I guess we were breaking the rules...

Tylers Birthday Pictures

I just can't believe how BIG he is getting...

Welcome to the Family

I would like to welcome the newest additions to our CRAZY family...

                                                               Chimchar the monkey..

                                                        Luke Skywalker the blue bear...

                                                                  Puppy the ... puppy!

                                                                   And Harry the owl...

We did our annual Christmas tradition that the boys look forward to all year long, going to Gateway and making a Build-a-bear! Every year we ask ourselves why we do this. It takes them forever to pick out which animal they want, even longer for all of them to help the lady stuff it. The whole time a huge line is forming behind us, then they have to wash it. Then the worst part...picking out outfits for the animals to wear. Thats probably why this is the only picture I got while we were actually there. But we figured it out eventually.And its always worth it in the end when they love them so much and have to make them beds at home and show them all their other animals.

I have to brag a little bit about my savings this time...

Last week I got a coupon for a free animal, well, we weren't going until the next week so I went anyways and made the new baby an animal. While I was checking out I had the opportunity to buy a $10 gift card for $5. Great!! I knew we were going the next week so I asked how many I could buy, I ended up getting $40 worth. Then since I "like" them on facebook they put out a coupon too. Text a certain number and get $10 off your bear. I made Rob do it too. Then I had found two different coupons for $10 off as well. So I ended up spending $65 for 4 animals plus all the clothes they picked out. I think I saved like $80 between all the coupons and discounted giftcards I had. Pretty proud of myself!!

Our Surprise Early Christmas Present

As a last minute surprise and present for Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa Smith asked us if we wanted to go to Disneyland with them. Of course!! We never pass up a Disneyland trip...its the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!! 

We wanted to think of a really cute way to surprise the boys but still wanted them to be excited for Christmas. We aren't leaving until the day after Christmas so I didn't want it to over shadow it. This is what we thought of. We left a present under our tree and the boys found it. We told them that "Santa was being silly and didn't he know that it wasn't Christmas yet? Well, I guess we should open it and see what he brought them?"

We wrapped it up in several different boxes so that they had to keep unwrapping to find out what was inside. They were so excited the whole time wondering what it was.

When they finally got to the real box, they all just started yelling and looking at the different things inside, but still weren't sure what it all ment?

We put in their Disney hats that we bought them last trip, Buzz Lightyear bookbags and Lanyards that the travel agent gave us, and maps of Disneyland. It was Bryan that finally found the maps and figured out what was going on.

 We also made a chain to count down the days until we left.

 Peyton LOVED the hats and just wanted to keep on trying them on.

 Bryan thought we should invite someone to come with us, so he immedialty called up Grandpa and Grandma and asked if they wanted to come since Nana and Papa came last time.

 More hats!

 Peyton wanted to start packing I guess, he ran to his room and brought out his Mickey Mouse and started shoving him inside his bookbag. He hasn't taken it off since!

Four REALLY excited boys, counting down the days until Disneyland!!