Zoo Lights!!

We headed to Hogle Zoo with some friends.  I've never been there except during the hot summer months and this was definitely a nice change.  The kids got a good dose of Christmas lights AND animals!

The boys ran to the lighted up train as soon as we walked through the front gate. 

 We took along some friends of ours, the McCullough's!  Barry actually knows Mike from his mission in Ecuador.  And even better, they're in our ward!  What a small world!

 We got some one-on-one time with Santa which didn't last too long.  We thought we at least had a chance with Koen's break through with Santa on the North Pole Express, but no.  I don't blame him though.  This particular "Santa's helper" was kinda strange.  And apparently the new thing to do in family/Santa pics is to flip off the camera......LOL!!

 I LOVE this pic, I just wish it wasn't blurry...

 Mike, Kaylynn, Leda and James.

 Koen loved the dragon but didn't want to sit too close to the flames.

 Kaylynn

 James.  When the boys first heard his name in Primary they were so excited because James is one of their favorite trains and they just couldn't believe that a person could have that name.  So James was instantly a cool guy!

 Koen talking to the lighted elephant.

Great friends and Zoo Lights make us happy!

All Aboard the North Pole Express!!!

Our little family, Mike and his family and Annika put on our p.j.'s and headed up to Heber to board the North Pole Express.

Koen is patiently waiting for the train to take off.

 I can see some pack-rat traits in Kael because he loves to hold onto tickets, grocery receipts and now he's stoked to be handed a song book.

 Mrs. Claus made the trip and is talking to the kids and telling stories.

 Just finished up their cookies and hot chocolate....

 The conductor told us that on this VERY TRAIN CAR they filmed the movie "A River Runs Through It."  AND...it gets better.....on the VERY seat Kael is sitting (which was where I started off at the beginning of the trip, tee hee!) was exactly where Brad Pitt sat!  Just think, the boys and my tush shared fabric with Brad......

Kael trying to hide instead of singing Christmas songs. 

 Peeking outside to see the North Pole lights and SANTA!

 Caught the boys singing!

 A guy going around took every one's picture and then came by with such cute shots of us, but he wanted $12 each!!!  No way!  So we whipped out our camera and took a few shots of our own. 

 Shy guy (Kael), trying to hide from the camera.

 We sang the 12 Days of Christmas and the boys were handed #6!  So they had to hold up the number every time we sang about it. 

 Uncle Mike was #4.

 Kael's turn!

 Caught on film!  The very first contact with Santa.....and no crying, screaming or playing instant wet noodle when coming within close proximity.  Koen actually had a brief conversation and told Santa a few things he wanted for Christmas.

 A beautiful train!

 Here's our train car.  If you ever board the Heber Creeper for any occasion, sit in car 7508, 3rd seat from the back on the West side (driver's side).....it's the best seat in the house!

 Kyrsten, Mike, Klayton and Brody.

Fall Family Pics

So usually in the past we've planned out a day with my family to all go out somewhere scenic and everyone gets family pics taken.  Well, this year we kept getting snowed or rained out.  So, one afternoon it happened to be nice weather and I made the last minute decision to head out and make an attempt to document the family.  So I threw clothes at the twins (if not we'd have family pictures with them in sweats and some sort of boy-ish character i.e. Batman, Superman, Mario & Luigi....) I pulled the bun out of my hair and we ran out the door to find a spot. 

 The timing wasn't EXACTLY ideal since we didn't have our ENTIRE family, namely the rest of the kids, but I still believe this effort counts.

 So, yes, I set up a tripod clicked the timer and ran in the scene.  It would have been nice to see how we all looked in our impromptu poses and I would have even been able to steer away from the boys, namely Koen, making goofy faces in the pictures. But hey, these pictures show more personality.

 It's a pretty tough task to ask four year old boys to be serious, especially when they're outside in their element.

 My handsome guys!

 Thank you Koen!!  Love my little goof ball!

October Snow

I know this pic doesn't have snow in it or have really anything to do with the title of this post...but I thought I'd throw it in since it was taken in October and it has a funny little side bit to it I thought I'd blog a bit about.

So, I took the boys to go see Grandpa White at work and he sent them each home with starfish goggles. 

They loved these goggles for the few days they had them until they broke.  They wore them in the car ride home and while eating dinner.  They looked so goofy it cracked me up! One thing that Koen does, as part of his quarky personality, is he sings or hums all the time (just like Daddy!).  He hums his own theme music everywhere he goes.  When I hear him belting out a tune, he's usually sitting on the toilet.  So the other picture of Koen in his goggles (of which I made a last minute decision NOT to post and save it for blackmail or fun pictures to show any woman who shows serious interest when he's MUCH older.....like 30), he's sitting on the toilet, singing and wearing his goggles!  I wish I had gotten the video camera up in time but all I could get was a snap shot.   That's my goofy guy!

 So, October we got a pretty good snow fall and the boys were excited to go play in it.  Their Great-Grandma Neild made them hats, which they LOVE, and they put on all their warm stuff and headed outside.

 Kael is in the blue, Koen in orange.

 Such a cute shot

 They had fun eating snow and throwing it at each other.