Sweet Boys

I just love to watch the boys play.  Something about watching a child make-believe is just so refreshing and calming to me.  What a joy!  

Chase LOVES playing with his guys and he ALWAYS makes them fly.  I think Chase would really love to be able to fly.  It sounds crazy, but I think he thinks about that ALOT!  : )

Eli loves to build guys out of legos/hero factory.  He usually builds one that is shooting or fighting or something similar.  It used to bother me, but I have finally realized that it is just a "boy thing".  I realize that not all boys are into shooting and fighting, but lots are.  For many, it's just part of being a boy. 

 LOVE, LOVE these pictures!!!  Just priceless to me

Cheese

So this is what Reed looks like when I tell him to say "Cheese"......

And this is what he looks like when I say "smile"......

I think I'll stick with "smile"!!  : )

Just Watchin' The Game

We always enjoy watching sports, especially college football!  The boys had an especially fun time watching bowl games while sitting in their new sports chairs they received for Christmas.  It was so fun to watch Reed join in on the fun and excitement.  He just watched his big brothers and did whatever they did.  So cute!

 What is wrong with my kids?!?!?  The LOVE to tell me how much they like the longhorns....even when we are not watching a longhorn game, Eli is doing the longhorn signs.  WHAT?!?!?

He's only in Kindergarten....we've got time!  ; )

More from Kauai

In addition to the 700+ pictures that I took with my camera in Kauai, I found about 75 that I took with my phone.  These are my favorites....

 Eli enjoying some First Class service.  We sat in first class on the way to Kauai (didn't pay for it, we were just given these seats).  We all really enjoyed the extra service!  : )  Yes....that is Hunter sleeping in the background.  : )

 During our entire trip Chase made this face just about every time I tried to take his picture.  It makes crazy pictures, but it totally makes me laugh.

 Hunter and the kids spent lots of time in the pool.  The pool was HUGE....the largest in Hawaii and some days we felt like we had the entire pool to ourselves. 

 This dessert was one of the best things I've ever eaten!!!  YUMMY!  I later found out it had 1/2 pound of butter in it!  Yikes....but it was so deliciously worth it!  I would LOVE, LOVE to have another one right now!!!!!!

 Chase and Eli completely wore themselves out every day!  We tried to do naps and rest time but most of the time we were not successful.  The result....they would just crash at completely random places.  Chase fell asleep partially standing up after he got out of the pool and was wrapped in a towel.  

 Eli fell asleep in the chair during dinner.  This happened several times!  We finally started taking strollers to dinner so we could wheel the kids back to our hotel room.  : )

 My sand creation....a palm tree.  I probably like playing in the sand as much as the kids; however, every time I tried to build something, Chase or Reed would crash it.  My palm tree was crashed about 5 seconds after I took this picture.

 Reed's bed in the sand

 Eli....buried alive!  : )

Christmas

Christmas was a little different this year.  We returned from Kauai on Christmas Eve and were on "Hawaii time" for several days after our return.  We were up WAY past midnight on Christmas Eve and didn't really wake up on Christmas until about 12:30pm.  : )  My sister didn't come in town this year so my parents went to Alaska to spend Christmas with them.  It was different, but we still had a nice time celebrating the birth of Jesus. 

Decorating Christmas cookies

Writing a letter to Santa

 Santa's cookies

 Santa's Letter - "Dear Santa, I've been good.  I do good in school.  Eli"

 Santa visited our house!

 Eli's "iPad"

On Christmas, Eli ran in my room and said "MOM....I didn't get a DS, but I got EXACTLY what I wanted!!"  : )

 Santa left Chase some Toy Story Band Aids in his stocking...this was one of Chase's favorite gifts ; )

 Santa left a keyboard for Reed

 Chase & Astro Boy movie.....Chase's FAVORITE movie!!!!

 Eli got a new Bible.  He LOVES it!!

Eli and Chase using their new lap desks

Christmas Vacation

We took a vacation to Kauai.  It was absolutely beautiful and 10 of the best days of 2011!  : )  We took over 700 pictures while we were there.  : )  A few highlights.....

 The view from our room

 Every morning at 9:00 we went to the lobby of the hotel to help feed the fish.  Eli enjoyed it; Chase was scared that the fish were going to eat him.  Chase says this about ALL animals!  : )

 Chase napping at about 10am : ) trying to adjust to Hawaii time

 Eli loved his boogie board

 Reed LOVED playing in the sand.  Since he was in a cast, we put a plastic bag over his leg while he played.  The doctor told us to stay away from sand while he had the cast.  :)

 LOVE this picture of Chase

 The hotel had a pool for kids....it was perfect and everyone loved it

 Love this picture of Eli

 Kauai has chickens that roam wild and they are EVERYWHERE!!!   One grabbed a potato chip out of Reed's hand while he was eating lunch.  I wish I had a camera to capture the look on his face when it happened.  He looked very offended!

We had a waterproof cast cover so Reed was still able to enjoy the pool.

 Silly boys!

 When driving around the island, we found a cave.  This is the view from the inside of the cave.

 We went to a plantation that had lots of peacocks that just run wild.  Reed loved chasing the peacocks! It was so cute to see him run after them in his cast.

 Chasing peacocks : )

 Eli enjoyed digging really deep holes in the sand....this was one of his deepest

Eli and Chase played until they dropped.  One day I wrapped Chase in a towel after he got out of the pool and he immediately fell asleep half standing up.  CRAZY!  Towards the end of the trip, Eli and Chase fell asleep each evening at the dinner table.  They were completely worn out!!!