Holiday Festivities

I know it has been a while that I have posted but the computer is in our kitchen area and seems to suck me in. I am trying to avoid that at all costs because I will be back on the computer when school starts again in a few weeks. I uploaded these pictures in the wrong order. So I will start with our Ward Christmas party pics that happened on December 12th. I wasn't looking forward to the party because it is always way too long for the boys and they end up being loud and run amuck and that all stresses me out to the max. So I tried to focus on the boys seeing Santa. One of our ward members is the manager of our mall and for the last two years has had the Santa from the mall come to our party. The boys and I call him "The Real Santa." He is soo real looking down to his rosy cheeks. The boys both wanted to tell him what they wanted, James a Bakugan Monster and Austin a Star Wars Vehicle. We got up there and Austin sort of chickened out but got on Santa's lap for at least a minute to get a picture. He did talk to him though when I was holding him and told him what he wanted. James was so cute he was all nervous but did it anyway, and talked to Santa in a nervous shaky voice. All in all we had fun but I was glad when it was time to go home.

Here is my favorite picture of James with Santa.

Here are the boys, Austin trying to be happy on Santa's lap.
One of Austin's new skills is to take pictures. James does it too, you know with a daddy photographer there is no avoiding my hubby's mad ninja skills. Sometimes the pictures they take are really good. Here are a few of my sister Heather and my nephew Andrew and my brother-in-law Doug. We were waiting in line to see Santa.

Here is Austin with his lovely craft rudolph candy cane guy.

I know this is bad but sometimes you need to bust out the I phone to get the boys to stop running around like crazy animals. You gotta love em.

These next pictures happened a few weekends ago. Michael didn't have to work so we decided to go on a family outing to the Duke Energy Train Display. We went really early I think it was the weekend after Thanksgiving so we could beat the crowds. We did and it was great to be able to go through the line twice and be out of there in an hour. We had fun, I just wish we had more outings like this.