Snow man!

Papa Totten came over to build a snowman and have a snowball fight with the kids on Sunday when the weather was nice (before the snow is gone!). Here's some pics of the fun!!

Papa shows no mercy!!

Brett retaliates!

The snowman!

1/13/11

Valentine's Day and new hair do!

Sorry for the sideways pictures....can't figure that out? Here's Claire eating her all pink valentines day breakfast- pink pancakes with strawberry milk (of course, despite mom's efforts to make everything lovely and pink- they didn't eat these pancakes as well as the regular ones!)

Brett Allen- age 6 1/2

My loves 2/14/11

Claire talked me into a haircut and I love it (and so does she!). I was asking her if she was sure she wanted her pretty red hair cut off and she said "Mommy- it will still be red!" So true!!

Looking pretty with her new do and Valentines day outfit :)

Brett is playing basketball...

Arms out on defense....only problem is he plays defense on both ends of the court! We'll have to work on that, I guess!!

Warmin' up....

Go Dodgers! (Brett is #6)

Warm up time.... lay-ups

This was the Dodger's first game and Brett enjoyed it. Definitely doesn't totally get the game yet...but practice makes perfect, right?!

Winter fun

Happy New Year 2011- Claire, Isaiah Williamson, Brett, and Ellie Williamson

Brett sledding

Daddy and Claire pull Brett on the sled

Brett and Claire "driving" the ATV

Christmas festivities continued...

Just an assortment of pictures from Christmas day at Mark and Pat's and the next day at my mom and dad's house. Jacob and Brett got matching video cameras that they were pretty excited about :) I can just imagine all the priceless moments Brett will catch on video!!

Claire is excited about her games!!

Olivia and Claire with Claire's new baby doll in Olivia's new chair!

Aaron was super excited about his can of Sprite in his stocking!

Claire sleeps with her new baby from Nan and Papa (Susie)

3 Totten girls and the beautiful snowfall on Christmas Eve

the Thompson's- Christmas Eve 2010

Thompson/Maehl kids on Christmas day 2010

Mark and Pat got the new Glee karoke game for the Wii and the kids and adults had a ball singing and entertaining the family!

Lyndey Jean and Claire belting out a tune...

Ready for a yummy Christmas dinner!

Playing Just Dance for kids on the Wii...good way to burn off some Christmas cookie calories!

Claire loves her new alarm clock from Gma and Gpa

Brett got an awesome remote control tractor from Mema and Papa

The boys all got jerseys...Brody did too, but he was eating during the pictures!

Mark and Rae singing "Endless Love" :)

Brett and Lainey singing their little hearts out!

Liz, Claire, and LJ squeeze in together :)

Christmas morning!

Brett ready to open his gifts from Santa!

Claire is ready to dig in too...

Claire and I first thing Christmas AM (still looking a bit tired I'd say!)

Daddy and Brett Christmas AM

Christmas Eve and Church program

So- I got the pictures in the wrong order...but see story below for the details of the Christmas program and then revisit the photos for a laugh!

Christmas Eve we spent the day with my family at my parent's house. Unfortunately, the winter roads kept my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob from arriving until late in the afternoon (right before we had to leave for the kids program at church). However, we had a great time celebrating with my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her family and brother-in-law, and my Grandma Avis and Terry. We had lots of food, fun, and gifts and then we were off to the Christmas program at church.
This was Claire's first year being in the program and it was a doozy! She was tired as it was 6pm and she hadn't had a nap due to the busy day and Christmas festivities (in hind sight- probably not a great idea!). Anyhow...before we left my mom and dad's house, I had curled her hair and put it in a pretty red headband with a big flower on the side- she looked gorgeous. So she walks in with the other kids and her headband is across her forehead with that pretty red flower like right next to her eye! She spies Dan and I in the audience right away and we motion to her to move it back and she does....and she continues to play with it for the entire program. She sings not ONE word to ONE song....just plays with the headband and takes it off and puts it on and pulls it up and pulls it back! We are both cringing and laughing at this point. So finally she gets tired and puts her head down on the railing of the altar and then she starts swinging on the altar railing. Then finally she takes her headband off and is sticking it in the space between the wood on the altar railing. She gets it stuck and she visibly trying to pull it out...so the pastor (who was sitting in the front row watching all of this) gets up and pulls it out for her! It breaks and she starts to cry....thank heavens it was time for the kids to process out of the church. I go to pick her up in the fellowship room and she's sobbing about her broken headband (mostly b/c she's exhausted though!). Through all of this- her big brother is singing every word to every song like an angel- but he's on the other side of the church from where we were sitting and we could barely see him or get his head in a picture- so that's why there's not many pics of Brett. But he did GREAT! It was a Merry Christmas Eve.
We headed to Gma and Gpa's house for Christmas cookies- then off to our house to put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Brett and Daddy went to church at 10:30, but Claire was soo exhausted, I opted to let her go to sleep and stay home. Thought we'd need a good night sleep for the excitement of Christmas day.....