This describes how we felt about going to

Cali for Christmas!! Oh Yeppy

But this is what happened Christmas morning

Time of pictures 8:00am!

I guess we didn't hype up the whole

'you get lots of cool stuff to open Christmas morning.'

I guess they were tuckered out from the previous weeks fun like...

Watching TV i.e. the cooking, or hunting elk shows

Christmas tradition of watching Logan make

candy canes in Ontario

Rocco's first ride! Not too impressed, rather uneasy

But this one...

He picked which elmo flying fish he wanted and loved it!!

I've forgotten how big these

animals were.

Surprisingly Rocco wasn't very interested

Lots of time with family

More cookies than our bodies

could handle.

Armanie Rocco sorry if you develop type II diabetes

I will gladly inject insulin so you still can eat Papa's

dynamo cookies

Gingerbread house that were devoured the same day

What one more week in California!!?

But can i go see Rowdy, Erza and Elliot

and their parents first??

I think learning how to ride on your own is paramount

Even a rite of passage.

I got a little sentimental when I took this shot.

4 years seemed like a long time when she was just born.

If it wasn't for pictures I wouldn't believe she's been with us that long.

Since this picture those wheels have become tinted yellow from

all the dust she's run them through. Locke and I are so impressed

that she took hold of this new found freedom.

She rides to preschool, the library, anywhere there's pavement

she'll just ride! She even has impressive dismounts, with minimal tears

Probably one of the coolest afternoons spent

Lots of rocks to throw and in Armanie's case lots to jump from

She's becoming quite adventurous.

Snowballs to throw!

A 5 dollar adventure pass was well spent.

Funniest stories in awhile!

So this is what we saw out the back door.

Ella was laughing and just being silly. Heather and I were giggling at how cute she looked....

Armanie got wind that Ella had her helmet on and in a wink

she was opening the door and this occured

Yellings of "that's my helmet", "it's very special to me you can't have it Ella!"

Look at that mane of hair, no wonder Ella was screaming for her life! And half naked. I can only imagine how fierce her face looked.

And those arms, they were meant to drum Ella, lethal move A.

After much chasing the final brawl happened.

This feud was reminiscent of my own childhood.

Heather and I bickered/fought over silly things and to be

honest I think her arm span could have be better executed in her favor

This Ella of ours got a lot of points in the department of self defense.

She held her own and has frequently sent Armanie in tears

retreating to her mother.

*There weren't permanent marks from this episode*

And within an hour they were playing dress up and serving tea

Just great pictures to remind us how sweet our little angels can be.

Yikes!

On a lighter note

We discovered Celeste's longboard and with the weather

being in the 80's staying indoors in December was a crime

Even at night; so pleasant!!

Lunch with Honey, ALWAYS a highlight.

Armanie feels on the top of the world when she gets to see

Grandparents out of their normal surroundings (not on vacation and at home playing)

She kept saying, I want to see Honey's classroom,

Trip to Balboa.

Not pictured was the sweet cruisers we rented to

stroll the boardwalk. And the Christmas tree in the bomb fire

You know I think vacationing is more fun now with older kiddos.