Christmas Break at the Ranch

Arriving at the ranch after the very well traveled 4 hour drive!!

Is that Pepper?  Anders and Anna riding the newly trained Pepper.

This happened several times.  Tait loves to curl up with grandpa on the couch.

Hans

Finn

Garrett and Anders

Anna playing with her cousins

Does it look like 8 degrees?  Grandma had lots of cocoa ready for very cold grandkids!

I LOVE Tait's smile in this picture!!!!

COUSINS!!

CHRISTMAS DAY

Santa brought the little boys new trains (I love EBAY!), the girls fabric, Anders a military boardgame and the family Wii

The traditional picture at the top of the stairs that I've taken since I was 5

A new sewing machine from the grandmas!!! You should have heard the screams of delight!

Dad's new tackle box from the kids that is designated for ice fishing

Ghost Squad game for our new family Wii

Elli started sewing immediately

A fishing boat for Hans from grandma and grandpa Howard

Thanks Grandpa!!

Adding to Finn's Batman cave

Christmas Eve

Okay so these are backwards!

Does Tait look ready for bed?  He was so excited and talked to me nonstop until he literally took a breath and was OUT!  I couldn't believe it!

Finn can hardly keep his eyes open

Reading the Night Before Christmas

Grandma in her BYU santa hat and aunt Tracy in her U of U santa hat.  Grandma had just given all the kids BYU socks.

Mike, Tracy, Nicholas and Tracy's son and daughter-in-law.  They were such a fun addition to our Christmas Eve.

The Nativity-our way!

The Program-Tait, Elli, Finn and Hans practiced for hours.  Anna was their director.

Drawing with new goodies from uncle Brett

Tait LOVES to draw

What a wonderful Christmas Eve!!!

Christmas Ambiance

My Little "Man"

Tait has long wondered when he will become a man.  He has expressed interest in having under arm hair.  He sleeps at night without a shirt on because he feels that's what men do (although he knows his dad doesn't sleep shirtless).  It is important for him to act like the man of the house when he needs to.  He loves when dad and Anders are gone for dinner or morning or evening prayer because that means he can call on someone to say the prayer since he is the man of the house when they're gone.  One day Tait came downstairs looking like this!  He drew sharpie on tape to make his mustache and eyebrows and was very serious about it.  It was incredibly difficult to keep a straight face.  What a funny kid!!!!