Christmas 2014...

These pictures are in no particular order...

Charlie was a present pro by this year!

Uncle Ryan and Auntie Cari had wrapped Will's Skylanders in a Fruit Cocktail box and he didn't realize that it was really something else, and seemed content with a box of fruit!  

Once he opened the box he was THRILLED! 

William is a huge Geronimo Stilton fan so he was so excited to get the stuffed animal! 

Charlie got the Train Table he had been asking for for the last 6 months!

Stocking time!  Toothbrushes for all! 

Jelly Beans!

Santa brought William Benny's Spaceship from the Lego Movie...Life was good!

The boys worked hard on the gingerbread houses this year.  More candy made it on to the houses than ever before...

We also made Rice Krispy Treat Snowmen!

My favorite part of Christmas...Singing the closing song at Church by Candlelight.

Julie knitted me these super warm double layer mittens!  I love them! 

Molly got her "I'm Fixin To" mug!

The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Two Crazy Kids!

Benny's Spaceship- Complete! 

Christmas was great this year.  I was struggling a little bit emotionally, but the kids are a great distraction, and a wonderful reminder of how great it is to have these two crazy kids, and how lucky I am.  The kids had so many presents and though each year I swear to buy less, they still ended up with a TON!  Molly and Richard got here a week earlier this time so it was nice to have a chance to do some of the fun pre- Christmas stuff with them.  We made gingerbread houses, went to see Christmas lights, went to the zoo, the Science Museum, and the Minnesota History Museum.

Christmas Tree 2014

The boys were ready to go!

As Daddy cuts the tree down the boys prepare for the annual "Let the Tree Fall on the Kids" moment!

Timber!

Thankfully Charlie was on hand to save Brother...

The tree farm has free pony rides...

Both boys loved it! 

A Visit with Father Christmas or Get This Man Away From Me!

William has the routine down pat.  Look at camera and smile...

Tell Santa what you want...

Laugh at Santa's joke to insure Christmas present...

Charlie was very excited, until we got there...

He was smiling, not crying, but wouldn't even look at the guy!

The closer Santa got, the further away Charlie leaned!  Poor guy!  We'll try again next year!

Fall Fun...Yadda, Yadda, Yadda: I GOT TO HOLD A MONKEY!!!

Charlie was thrilled by the petting zoo animals!

William is growing like a weed!

Sliding down the haypile...

Concentrating hard on the beanbag toss...

This bunny was so soft...and probably riddled with ecoli... What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...

Charlie communes with a Rooster...

The boys spotted all the pumpkins on the hayride...they make them into scarecrows and cute little scenes...

BIG MOMENT!  I have always wanted to hold a monkey as long as I can remember, and today it happened!  I was so thrilled!  He was soft and very cute!  

We have been below freezing every night so the pumpkins are all covered with hay to protect them.  It made picking them out a little more of a challenge, but the boys liked playing in the hay!

Charlie found his perfect pumpkin within about 5 seconds of being in the field!

William was old enough to pull the wagon!  There was about 90lbs of pumpkin in there so that's pretty impressive!