How do you get the perfect Christmas picture?

I liked how our Christmas Card picture ended up this year (only the kids this time), but I think it is so funny HOW you get to the perfect Christmas photo where everyone happens to be smiling:

I was trying to get them to laugh (instead of cry) and I succeeded.... too well.

Finally!

"It Just Tickles"

It seems this is every mother's right of passage. She must allow her children to "do" her hair with whatever implement they see fit.

I think Logan's fidora is just awesome... look familiar Aaron? Sorry, not giving it back! By the way, the "just tickles" comment from Logan is what our friend Kelly (who cuts his hair) tells Logan everytime he freaks out about the clippers.




Logan is doing his Darkman impression.

Making a "Gingerboy House"

We made our annual gingerbread house tonight or as Reagan calls it a "gingerboy" house. (They love an episode of Super Why with the gingerboy.) They had a blast and were actually quite good with the self-restraint until Daddy started eating the candy. hehehe... Chase was the most intent on decorating the house of all of the kids. After we finished, Logan said enthusiastically "Mommy! I love it!"

The boys got haircuts today! Yeah!

The finished product!

Logan's Birthday Party - 4 Years Old!

It was Logan's birthday on the 29th of November. We had a pirate birthday party with a Kung Fu Panda cake. Mixing themes! An attrocity!

In the morning, after breakfast, the kids got a treasure map to find buried treasure. (Eye patches, compasses, glittery necklaces, pirate earrings, etc.) Now they could be proper pirates and they fought the big, bad Daddy Pirate!

On second thought, Blake might not like me posting this.... oh, well....

Then Pirate Logan got to open his presents. He got some great gifts from his aunts and "Gram Gram." THANKS!

Only present picture he was smiling in.

Then we went to Peter Piper Pizza for lunch. No one was there... on a Saturday at 11am.... it was awesome to not have to worry who your kids are getting in the way of, etc. Logan insisted on the eyepatch. Next, cake and naptime and we were done with his birthday by 12:30pm! Not bad. Of course, all the kids did for the next few days is play pirates.

What in the.....

I leave my bed for a few minutes early in the morning and I come back to find this....

Hey that is MY spot! (That is Blake in the far right trying to ignore what is going on.)

Halloween 2008--FINALLY!

Well, I know ya'll have been waiting on pins and needles for our pictures from Halloween. We went with the Wizard of Oz theme this year. Chase would growl at everyone and they all loved Trick-or-Treating. Reagan was scared to death at the first house where a possessed clown answered the door... and so begins the nightmare and the years of therapy. She was shaking like a leaf, but after a few houses she recovered. Candy has that way with children, doesn't it?

Carving the Pumpkins

The kids had a great time carving the pumpkins. Though, Logan didn't want to get "yucky" when we took out the pumpkin seeds. I couldn't believe it... what kid doesn't love to get yucky?!

Logan just got some new Star Wars pajamas that he is in love with. As you can see, he is even wearing them during the day. He never wants to take them off.

The kids were absolutely delighted when Blake started carving faces in the pumpkins. Reagan started literally squealing. "Daddy! Make may pumpkin!" When did she start speaking in complete sentences? Crazy.

The Pumpkin Patch!

We went back to Apple Annie's (where we went pear picking) to go to the pumpkin patch with the Walkers. They first have an all-you-can-eat pumpkin pancake breakfast. It was awesome! (Then again, I love all things pumpkin.) I think I am going to try to figure out the recipe for Halloween day.

After the pancake breakfast, we went on a tractor-pulled hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin.

On the hunt...

Taking a rest after all that hard work.

What we were doing tonight...

This is what we were doing tonight... Nice, huh? We made carmel apples for Halloween and the kids had all that sugar-rush energy. We were trying to wear them out and just succeeded in wearing ourselves out. (The Bartholomew Clan will remember doing this ALL THE TIME!) What are ya'll doing tonight?

The Tucson Zoo

On Thursday (October 23rd), the kids and I went to the Tucson Zoo with the Walkers. They have two boys who are practically the same ages as our kids. Each of their birthdays are off by just a couple of days from our kids and we go practically everywhere with them.

Logan, Merrick and Braxton are playing with the frog water fountain.

Reagan and the boys ate their snack while watching the giraffes.

Reagan always has to have one of these pictures. She is a wonderful pouter!

These were the best pictures I could get since the kids are not at all interested in posing for pictures. They loved the animals and had a great time.

Stake Chili Cook-Off

We had a great time at the Stake Chili Cook-Off. Reagan was the only one to actually eat the chili, but there was a blow-up castle, and homemade donuts (the kids LOVED those), cotton candy, ballon animals and all kinds of activities for the kiddos. They had a blast.

Pear Picking at Apple Annie's

We went to Apple Annie's, a local U-Pick orchard and we picked asian pears.





They ate the pears right off the tree. It was hard to get them to keep picking and stop eating.

Chase was like this almost the entire time.