Happy New Years Eve

The best way to end our new year, with Daddy home with us after a long month of hunting!  Happy New Years Eve!!!

Enjoying our toys

helpin' Momma build the fort

enjoying the finished fort....

a new love...for his bucket of PCV pipes

That's right, Brandon's favorite Christmas gift is still the PVC pipes/parts!  He loves to construct things.

Look at me!!!!

Daddy just loves to spike their hair up in the bathtub!

My little dare devil.  Seriously, I think Mason is gonna be our wild one!  You should see him "ride" around the house on his new motorcycle.

Christmas evening

Brandon and Aunt Gail developed a special bond this year

Brandon absolutely adores Easton, he was such a good sport!

The Payne boys

Peggy and her four girls

Tuckered out after a long Christmas day together!

It's was good to spend time with Kevin's side of the family...a little chaotic but always fun to see the all the kids together.  Picture seven kids all under the ago of nine all the way down to one!  Brandon will definitely miss Aunt Gail and playing with Easton. 

Christmas morning at home

That's right Nama, this was the first thing we did Christmas morning...he didn't even notice the other presents under the tree!

My little dare-devil!

Grandpa spoiled the boys this year with a Raptor!!!!

Mason was the first to drive and did awesome

Brandon had fun driving!

but seemed more content adjusting the radio (yes, it's a real radio)

Christmas Eve

We hosted another fabulous Christmas Eve dinner this year.  I had insisted on making a full turkey dinner (with all the sides) this year and about half way through all the prep, thought next year a nice lasagna would be so much easier (and creates a lot less dishes).
It has been really nice these last few years to have my parents over to celebrate the holidays, especially since having kids.  I really like that the kids get to be at home, opening their gifts, and falling asleep in their beds.  But most of all, I really appreciate having my parents together to celebrate the holidays, especially since I have very few memories of my parents together from childhood.  So next year, lets keep my new tradition going!

Vonderheide Christmas

The boys had a fun filled day, starting out with lunch at Aunt Teddie's followed by dinner at Aunt Patty's.  Poor Mason, he was a little tuckered out by the evening but Brandon was going strong.  He was so excited to open gifts and play with all their (yes his and Mason's) new things.  Thanks to everybody for the gifts and great meals.

Happiness in December!

Enjoying some left over DQ with Daddy!

Yes, we learned a new trick during bath....spraying brother like an elephant.

Mason decided to stay up and help Momma wrap gifts, if you look closely you can see the tape he applied to his face!

Daddy's 30th

Happy birthday Kev!

We celebrated Kev's b-day a few days early, since he'll be out hunting....hence the new backpack that the kiddos insisted on wearing.

One quick pic before Daddy leaves for his hunt!

Let the holidays begin...

My little baker and cookie decorator!

This year I really wanted all the family to help decorate for the holidays....but as always I idealize more than reality can handle!  We had fun starting to decorate the tree, but I ended up finishing as the boys got distracted by other things like strands of extra Christmas lights and playing with Daddy.

The holidays are always a bit more stressful for me but this year I planned on trying to keep it all in perspective (especially with Kevin planning to be out of town a bunch) and spend tons of time with boys, creating wonderful memories.  Most of all, I want our boys to have little favorite memories, like baking cookies with Momma, just because they asked to.