Crazy Christmas

Brightyn and Payson left milk and cookies for Santa.
Santa left presents the next morning, but took something away..........
Binkies !!!  All Gone !!

Christmas Eve at Grandma Shirlee's - everyone gets new P.J.'s

They frosted cookies too :)

Ugly Sweater cookies :)

Thatch and Blakeley

Christmas morning - Paw Patrol for Thatcher

Skylanders for Tagg

Remote Control helicopter for Treyson

This fun car thing turned out to be everyone's toy of choice.
They had so much fun with it all day long.

We watched Brightyn while Landon and Kacey and Payson went to Star Wars.
She was a sweetie, and just played and played.  No nap though !

The boys made the cars go up and down the metal door.
It was pretty amazing.

In the evening we had a nice turkey dinner, with dressing, rolls, potatoes, gravy and ham. 

Everyone had a great time.

What a wonderful day with family.
Missing those who aren't here.

A Different Kind of Christmas

Missing Grandpa Ben

Dickson Family Christmas Party

We played our annual LEFT RIGHT CENTER game, and Carrie won this time!   This is always a hit.

Pictionary is loved by everyone.
Payson is quite the artist !
No one guessed his drawing ;)

Treyson drew a picture of Tinkerbell..........no one guessed it ;)

I wish I had a full length picture of Brightyn.
She was decked out so pretty in a beautiful maroon dress, and cute sweater.

The kids wrestled, and finally CJ had to show them who was boss.

Thatcher commandeered my phone, and took pictures.........

It's amazing how Roger will smile for the camera when a little boy is the one taking the picture.

Payson says CHEESE

Dax says Peace out

I think this was a selfie
(Thanks Dallin)

Then we started the gingerbread house decorating.  This year we only did 2 houses (Rich and Bettinson).  The Dickson's house bit the dust in transit ;(

Bright sat for a long time on Grandpa D's lap, showing him how this fun toy worked.  At one point I looked over, and she was reaching up and taking him by the chin, and making sure he was watching.  It was pretty cute. 

Treyson and Tiana's masterpiece !

The boys certainly out number the girls in our family.
Dallin, Landon, Jaden, Devin, Lance, Colton
Payson, Treyson, Thatcher, Tagg, Dax

Kacey (Brightyn), Tiana, Larissa, CJ

And my SIBS
Mark, Erika, Me
Thanks Mom and Dad for everything.
It was a wonderful get-together

What a difference a year and ten days makes !

December 12, 2014
I know we need the water...........but this was pretty SWEET !

December 22, 2015
CJ managed to get her van stuck on one side of the driveway, and our 4WD truck stuck on the other side.  She called Moroni Wardell, and he brought his Kubota and dug her out and then cleared our driveway !  I think she should get stuck more often !

Thanks Moroni !!

Thanksgiving Burn.....turned into a Christmas Burn !

Rog and Zac added the straw that they had used for the insulation for the cement work to the pile.  That may have been the wrong decision !  They piled it on the foot of snow already on the pile, thinking it would light up quickly........it did not.

The swings are right near the burn pile, and Erika and the kids took advantage of it.

They kept trying.............and finally it started.

This is Thatcher's COLD face!  I think he just accidentally got hit with a snowball.

Here comes Payson !

More snowball fights.

Brightyn was ALL bundled up.

At one point when the fire got going, and we had moved closer to it to keep warm, she kept her face totally buried in Kacey's neck.  She thought she would get burned if she looked at it I guess.

Usually, we have to stand WAY BACK from the fire, because of the heat, but not this time !  We were all standing close, trying to get warm.

These four YAHOOs built a snowman.

Zac took a break and had a snowball fight with Pays and Thatch.

Zac and CJ and kids.

Landon and Kacey and kids.

Me and Rog

Mom and Dad

More snowball fights.  Poor Colton was used as a buffer.  Landon has no mercy !

The Bettinson Bunch with Larissa.  It is so good to have her around !

Rich Family Christmas Party

24 pillows made with care, from Grandpa Ben's shirts he used to wear.......Hey !  I'm a poet :)
One for each of the kids and grandkids, and a special one just for Grandma Ben.

Joni had a great idea, and brought these props for photo ops.
Turned out great !
J.P., Ryker, Parker, Addison, Harper, Trapper, Kroix

Grandpa's pal's

Miss Brightyn loves to eat IF she gets to sit on anyone's lap while doing so :)

OLD Grandpa and Grandma Porter with their grandbabies :)

Kayla and Sidney with Autumn and Jocelyn

The Porter Crew (adults..........maybe)

Kayla and Brytain

Sleepy Rudolph

Cheesy Rudolph

Notice the "Naughty" boy, caught between his dad's legs for a split second photo shot.

Megan's bunch.

Brenda' s bunch

Hello Santa !

Mushy Mushy

Love this little family :)

Go Brightyn !!

Love these guys (and girl :)

Addison and Parker
Jared and Shaina's sweeties

Layna, Trace, Tyrel

Nathan and Jocelyn

Truer captions were never held...........

Todd, Nikki, Sawyer, Cedar

Had to capture this bunch without props....
Darrins' family

Grandma Ben (LuAnn) with all the GREATS and a couple of great greats

We sure missed Grandpa this year.
We wondered if we should cancel, but thought he would want the crazy show to go on.

I asked Roger later, how he was doing, because everyone always says to me, "How's Roger doing?" and I never know what to say.......He's a man of few words (haha, don't I know it!)   He said the thing he missed most was just sitting by his dad at the party, and watching the action.

After the party, Roger and I went up to the cemetery, and put little Christmas trees on Ambure's and Grandpa's graves.
We sure need to get Ambure's headstone redone.  You can't even read the writing on it any more.

Merry Christmas Grandpa

Layna gave Grandma a Christmas decoration out of wood, with the following words (at least I think these are the words)

Christmas in Heaven
What do they do?

They come to earth to spend it with you.
So save them a space, one empty chair

You might not see them,
but they will be there