Christmas

I'm not the best person when it comes to taking pictures.  I would rather watch what's going on.  So, there could probably be better photos in this post, but oh well.  I have great memories!

Waiting impatiently for Christmas to begin.

 Our wall of friends.  We have moved so many times we have wonderful friends all across the country, from Utah to Wisconsin, to Connecticut, to Massachusetts, to Wyoming, to New York, well you get the idea.  We love to get updates and see everyone's children growing up, but it makes us miss all our friends!

 Jackson building his Ninjago Brickmaster.  With a little help from Dad.

 The kids were thrilled to wake up to white.  This is the most snow we'd had all winter.  Of course, it just opened things up and now we have over a foot and a half and it's snowing today.

 Our tree this year.

 The detritus of Christmas.

 And the stockings.

 Best picture of Christmas: James getting the Lego Ninjago set he's been wishing for forever.  He got it built in about 45 minutes.  Made me a little nostalgic for our Christmases growing up when my brothers would get big lego sets and we'd put them together.  Glad I have boys!!

Catchup

Well, we've had many adventures lately and haven't taken time to blog, but I finally uploaded photos from the camera and decided it was time!

For Thanksgiving week, we picked my parents up in Philadelphia and did some sightseeing, including Valley Forge.  We ate at wonderful Max Brenner restaurant and headed off the next day in the van to Outer Banks, NC.

 Lots of fun things to do there.  The boys loved hot-tubbing.

 And blogger takes a brief break from the correct picture order to give you James with his homemade rocket.  He took a class at school where he learned to make this and then they had a day to shoot them off.  Pure happiness.

 James and Steve, the instructor, setting off his rocket.  It was really fun to watch all the rockets go up.

 Back to Outer Banks, Jackson mostly played on the beach, the water and wind were really cold this trip.

 But we loved having my parents there with us to do fun things and spend time with us and the boys.

 A little chilly for Jude.

 But not for Jake and James, out there Boogie Boarding.

 James turned 11 in December and graduated from Cub Scouts.  A little sad, it's been such a fun group of Webelos he's been with and a great leader.  She wasn't at the pack meeting, but most of the boys in the group earned their "Arrow of Light", the most prestigious award in cub scouting and the only patch from cub scouts that can be worn on the boy scout uniform.  Good job James!!!

 James had a very fun birthday party and got some excellent gifts thanks to his great friends!

 One of the activities was Glow in the Dark Silly String.  All over everyone.  But quite the adventure.

 And the all-important blowing out of the candles.  Now he's officially 11 . . . .

 We spent the afternoon Saturday at the Dickens Festival in Skaneatlas.  Such fun and the best patisserie I've been to.

 Father Christmas was the "real thing", so cool and Jackson was so excited to meet him!

 Gingerbread houses, a must every Christmas season

 After these pictures they chowed down on the houses.  Never thought I'd need a limit on how much of your gingerbread house you can eat per day.

And Jude, along for the ride as always!