Trigger Bullet Drinkwater!!!
The week after Christmas, while we were enjoying some relaxing time with family, we started looking online for dogs. And by we, I mean I! This is something we've been discussing for a few months now, but hadn't officially decided upon. While looking, I happened upon a breeder that was preparing to sell yellow lab puppies from a liter of 12 that week. We went, looked, and fell in LOVE!!!
Trigger is now 10 weeks old, but was 8 at the time. He is so cuddly and fun!
We have been exhausted by this puppy stage, but we know he is going to be a fun family pet for years to come. So the waking up twice a night to let him out to go potty will all be worth it!
Ryan and Austin fell immediately in love with him!
Ryan want to get home every day right after school to take him out to play!
We love Trigger and can't wait for all of the camping trips, walks, endless fetch sessions and big wet kisses we will enjoy with him!
Trigger is now 10 weeks old, but was 8 at the time. He is so cuddly and fun!We have been exhausted by this puppy stage, but we know he is going to be a fun family pet for years to come. So the waking up twice a night to let him out to go potty will all be worth it!Ryan and Austin fell immediately in love with him!Ryan want to get home every day right after school to take him out to play!We love Trigger and can't wait for all of the camping trips, walks, endless fetch sessions and big wet kisses we will enjoy with him!
Next up was Ryan!
And lastly Tyler went for a ride!
The boys had fun watching and waiting for their turn!
Another day we enjoyed just playing and being outside! Goofball!
During the week Justin and I celebrated our 9
At the end of the week we rang in 2012 in style!!! We went to Wong's Garden for a delicious dinner, then celebrated at 9 PM with our very tired kiddos! They enjoyed banging pots and pans while watching fireworks the neighbors were firing off!
They would have never made it to midnight! The rest of us did! We spent the night playing games, watching the ball drop, and the major fireworks show the neighbors put on. New Years Day was a nice quiet day while we celebrated Nana's birthday! Happy New Year everyone! May 2012 be blessed and bring much happiness to you and your family!
We haven't been at my childhood home in Loomis for Christmas morning in about 4 years, so I was very excited! Carefully filled stockings!
Ryan was one of the first ones up, so he enjoyed going through his stocking with a little bit of help from Tyler!
Ryan finally couldn't wait any longer and woke Austin up. He had fun, although you can't completely tell! 
After going through our stockings and checking out all the presents, we enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Next up was church! The boys were well prepped on the plan for our Christmas Sunday and knew the order that everything would go in! They did GREAT and didn't beg or even ask to open any presents before church at all!
Merry Christmas 2011!!!
Love these little Angels!!! They make Christmas soooooo much fun!
Cousins!!
Sisters!!!
The Ross family!
Aunties with their boys!!!
YAY!!! FINALLY!!!
The first presents the boys opened were the presents they picked out for each other. They were so excited to give these to one another, and they were both thrilled to get them!
They got to open a few more presents and started with the ones from Santa...
...then Uncle Trevor called from his mission in New Mexico. We stopped all present opening and took turns talking to him, asking questions, and telling stories. It was so good to hear his voice, and so much fun to hear about his experiences first hand! After 1 1/2 hours, we got back to present opening!
We had to halt our present opening yet again and head to the Schmidt Family Christmas Party!!!
Not many pictures were taken at this event, but we had a lot of fun and enjoyed the company of our extended family! 
Austin completely conked out on Dad before the party was over. He was pooped!
Our beautiful new niece Rachel who joined our family 5 weeks early! We were lucky to have her here for Christmas and had fun passing her around while we opened presents that night! Oh yeah, because we came home and all of the adults finished opening our presents until 1:30 AM! We are big Christmas partyers!!! It was a lot of fun just hanging out and seeing what each other got!
The following morning, yes December 26th, the kiddos finished opening their Christmas presents! They were so patient with our hectic Christmas this year!
This picture is hilarious!!! Austin got a box of dress up clothes that he had asked for, so he immediately had to put one on. Then he proceeded to open presents dressed as Spiderman. We were cracking up!
That evening we went to the Callaway Family Christmas Party. We had a lot of fun, as we always do, getting together with this fun bunch. Yet again, I forgot to pull out the camera much, but snapped a few! Ty with Mommy and Daddy!
Justin jokes that we have the marathon family Christmas, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I LOVE all of the traditions that I had growing up, the ones that Justin had, and the ones we've created with our own family! We are so grateful for this time of year that we have to celebrate the birth and life of our Savior Jesus Christ! May we remember to celebrate and come unto him the whole year through!
