Christmas 2008 - Pull up a chair - this is going to take a while :)

We went to Ensign Ranch for our family Christmas party December 23rd. and spent the night in the family cabins. We had a great time - here's some of our pictures. In this one Lee is wearing his FLAMING orange coat. He had just used the dust pan to shovel snow.
Ohhhhh! Grandpa with Paige

Emi-oh

Kaisa, Addison and Emily

Grandpa and Braden amongst a pile of gifts

Braden, Tanner, Grandpa, Tyson, Summer, Chad, Emily and Paige

Sleepy time for Kaisa, Billy and Scott

Chad

Sarah, Emily and Nellie

Grandpa all snuggied tight in his bed

Chad and Emily

Scott and Sarah

Billy was the pancake meister on Christmas Eve morning. He made LOTS of yummy pancakes - just one of his many talents I guess.

This is a really SICK picture of me but I was the bacon meister. I cooked 4 lbs. of bacon.

Emilee set up her little picnic table in the back bedroom for some of the kids to use and it worked out great! Here's Tanner, Paige, Bailee and Gracie enjoying breakfast.

Isn't it pretty?

Addison Jo

Abby Taylor

So we cleaned up the cabins, checked out, and headed out to the snow for some fun.

Summer Lynn

Scott and Billy

Miss Nellie

Wee Wee in his one FLAMING orange (but warm) coat

Jen and Sarah

Billy and Kaisa

So we went home, unloaded and put things away, had dinner and went out to look at Christmas lights.

The next morning we saw that Santa had left us some wonderful surprises.

When I peeked out my front door Christmas morning, before everybody else was up, this is what I saw.

My crazy boys LOVE to give old Billy a hard time and kiss his shaved head

Santa had left us some matching jammies on Christmas Eve, so here we are in our matching camo PJs the next morning.

Kaisa with her new North Face jacket

Billy with his new PS3 game

Chad TRYING to pretend that he's excited with his gifts of socks and cash. He REALLY wanted an Xbox 360 and Guitar Hero, but we played a trick on him to make him think he wasn't getting it.

Nellie got a Guitar Hero game for her Nintendo DS

Chad with Xbox PJs

Chad hearts bagels so that was another "decoy" gift ")

Scott seemed pleased with his home theater system

I handed Lee Chad's Guitar Hero to open, telling everyone that I had forgotten to give him this gift

We gave Chad the chance (deal or no deal) to trade the $ $140.00 cash in for what was behind "door # 1", which was his Xbox 360 . . . he took it and was quite relieved.

This was one of my FAVORITE parts of Christmas. Last year Lee (and his lovely assistants/Kaisa and Nellie) made me my own personal fleece blanket, which I LOVED, so I thought I would return the favor to him this year with his own special (camo) fleece blanket.

Look at that face . . . priceless!!

He loved it! Kaisa and Billy found me working on it when they came up to go to bed on Christmas Eve (I was in their bedroom) so they had pitty on me and helped me tie it. I REALLY appreciated their help - "many hands make light work". Lee had been home sick the week before Christmas so I hadn't had any time to get it done before then like I normally would have had.

One VERY happy Chad

Billy trying out the guitar

Lee was a happy little camper in the playroom, with his one special blanket, watching his army movies while the kids were breaking in the Guitar Hero in the other room.

Nellie playing her Guitar Hero (DS)

Scott playing the Guitar Hero - Kaisa sleeping tightly on the right. Christmas is exhausting :)

Billy snoozing on the floor

Mr. Chad

Pumpkin pies and bearclaws were just a few of the goodies from the kitchen Christmas day.

Then Lee and I went up to Snoqualmie to see Jen and Ryan's kids. Braden got his cool guitar and was having a blast playing it.

Gracie with her Nintendo DS

This is the gift that Grandpa and I gave to Braden and Tanner for Christmas - it's a jumpoline!

THEN, since Kaisa and Billy were here we had a combination birthday dinner for Nellie, Chad and Kaisa @ Red Robin. Here's Nellie and Chad with their birthday sundaes.

Kaisa with her birthday sundae

Tyson and Calley were spending time with her family for Christmas, but other than that we had the rest of the group here (minus kids - except Bailee). Tomorrow we head up to Oak Harbor for the last of our Christmas 2008 parties so we'll have more pictures to share then :).
MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!