Such Fun!

 We had SO much fun in Denver together.

Duluth store, big malls, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Lego Store, Disney Store, a real candy store, jack-o-lantern pizza, staying in a hotel, watching Michigan Football, going to a restaurant, hair cuts, Once Upon a Child, Kid Wonder indoor play place, and a snowy day all together.

Note, we did not buy things at the Lego Store or the Disney Store (or several toy stores) but for our crew, that is a big deal just to go in and look at stores like that.

The big kids knew that Mama and Daddy were going to buy something special for Lee Lee because she had just had her birthday, and so they brought some of their chore money and had a lot of fun choosing what they wanted to spend it on.  Lucky for them Build-A-Bear was having a really good deal of buy one animal, get a second one for $10.  So, Howard and Caroline decided to buy Build-A-Bear animals with their money, but Tracey wanted to save hers for other things on the trip.  It is fun to see their personalities and priorities coming out.

Also, the kids needed lots of reminders of how "old fashioned tv" works -- you cannot pause, you cannot choose the program, you cannot skip the commercials... we had to remind them of that a lot.

We made it home safely by Monday late afternoon and our four big kids immediately wanted to bundle in winter gear and play in the snow.  Nine-and-a-half inches waiting for us at our house!!!

Two Mamas

Just two Mamas out shopping with their babies...

 

Weekend Fun

This past weekend was the Rifle Hometown Holidays Celebration which includes a lot of local fun, local events, local fundraisers, and just basically a fun Christmas festival.

We slept in on Saturday morning and then Hubby took the three big kids to a showing of The Polar Express on the big screen (for the cost of a can of food).  He didn't get pictures.

But Lee Lee and I had some fun time together, and I tried to fold laundry with Hunter in tow.

"Smile Babies!" says Lee Lee

Then, Tracey and Howard really needed some down time after the excitement of the movie, so I took Caroline, Lee Lee and Hunter to see Santa and watch the tree lighting at our local park.

Then, we met up with Daddy, Tracey, and Howard, for the light parade, and we found some other friends there too. 

Then on Sunday we slept in and then all went to Grand Junction.  The Miller cousins all exchange names for gifts, and we have our kids exchange names for each other to exchange gifts -- and they are at an age where they really can help shop for one of their cousins and one of their siblings, so we were able to find some gifts while we were out and about... 

And we found some things that will not be gifts...

We saw Santa and had fun...

I feel like this Christmas season is flying by -- mostly because Hunter is so young, I'm just not able to do some of my usual Christmas things because I'm just trying to keep up with our four big kids and new baby (note to self, if we have another baby, November and December are off limits for due dates!).  But we are trying to get in the Christmas spirit.