I'm so getting more and more into the sepia option on my camera. These were just some random precious moments over the past few days. Christmas Day and yesterday we just stayed in our pjs all day and it was great!! Today we were back to the land of the living:)

Uh Oh!!

I know I refer to Alayna as my little pistol, but she really is sweet and I'm reminded by a certain someone often (ummm, Sue) however she does have normal 1 year old issues amongst that sweetness. She's been challenging me with our christmas tree by taking the ornaments off and finding a spot she thinks they look better. She goes back and forth and leaves them in various places either lined up on the kitchen chair or wherever she feels like at any given time. I'll do the flicking and don't touch ect....but she will look at me with those big eyes and start chattering at me 100miles an hour. Sort of sounds like this....tchitywehkdfdjhq;oicljfdghudgwiyekrhg. Those of you who have heard her carry on a total conversation know what I mean. Today I'm sitting at the computer and behind me in the front living room I hear something fall. I turn around and see her looking right at me and I say "what did you do?" and her response is tyeihodsihdflkdhfodyoirheh. She knew she did wrong. I quickly grab my camera and repeat myself asking what she did and again I get "tyeihjdhfiudgq;kjleyruisjhd" I guess I'm not consistant with my discipline because she took more drastic measures and finds ways to manipulate me at the same time. I dared her not to do that with the big christmas tree or her little chatter won't win me over to that one:) lol

Fun Loving times

Bradley and Aleigha hard at work trying to break the ice. Some days were so cold you could only go out for short periods of time. So glad it did snow for Bradley's sake. He prays each night for it to snow here. Well his prayer was answered, just in a different location!!

We went to Grandpas shop right when we got in town and a highlight for Bradley is to sit in one of grandpas big tractors. He gets so excited!!! I'm like Holy Cow!! His mouth is open so wide you can see the little thingy hanging from the back of his throat!!!

Alayna getting horsey rides from Auntie Lindsay

Taylee and Alayna

Grandma comforting Bradley after he got minor frostbite on his fingers. She worked her special magic to warm them up.

Alayna getting lovin from gramma.

We did have the best time up there. It wasn't what we did that mattered, it was just the fact that it was almost 2 weeks of good old fashioned quality time hanging out laughing and just being buddies and of course having the good old annual silly time that you just can't help but have when you get with my goofy family. The kids got along great and of course had their moments of picking on each other great too. They were together nonstop and only took an occasional break. They've got that brother/sister type.... well you know cousin relationship. It's so neat how the kids just sense and know they are family.

Annual Hunting Shack Fun!!

One of the things we like to do is go out in the middle of nowhere to my dad's hunting shack. This year he has a new one he's making into a cozy little bungalo. He even dug a little pond where the kids had a blast throwing rocks on the ice and banging sticks. This kept them content for quite sometime. It doesn't take much. One of the times we went it just snowed so it made it even more fun for them to play. We had one of our Thanksgiving meals out here.

Here they are going on their walk down the trail to feed the deer. My dad cheats and leaves corn piles and lures them in. Just kidding dad.....but I don't think you even caught a deer this year did you. He claims he just likes to watch them and not shoot them...that those days are over, but he sure was spitting and sputtering when Craig got his. No the gun is not loaded, but he said he had to bring it in case there were "bears"

Dad lets each of the kids fill up their own little bucket of corn to take to the deer. Here's Bradley sneaking more corn from the bin.

Grandpa and Alayna

This ones for you dad....don't fall in!!!

Colleen, Grandpa and the kiddos

Here's a few shots of them playing by the water throwing their rocks at the ice.

ALL ABOARD THE POLOR EXPRESS

All A Board The Polor Express!!!!

One really fun thing we did was the day after Thanksgiving whoever wanted to my aunt treated us to a ride on the polor express. So my mom, Aunt, 2 cousins, Bradley, Taylee, Aleigha and I went. You start at one point and take a ride on the train which is all decorated for Christmas to the train depot where you get off and see all the old time trains and listen to the story "The Polor Express" The kids also got to have a visit with santa who was waiting for them after the story. When you get back they have hot cocoa, cookies and a bon fire going. It was quite a fun cozy time! The kids really had a great time in this festive event. After that we all headed out to pizza for dinner.

Bradley watching the train come as we are waiting to board.

Picture time as we wait to board. That is Lake Superior in the background.

This is looking up the North Shore. It is really beautiful, especially in the summer.

As we were getting ready to board to head back, one of the men tapped Bradley on the shoulder and asked him if he wanted to pull the whistle to get everyones attention to get back on the train. You know he felt quite important!!!

The kids visit with Santa...no this isn't Alayna, this is my cousins baby. My sister stayed with Alayna so I could have this time with just Bradley.

Here we all are before the train ride