Current mood:	accomplished
Current music:	Brian playing video games
Entry tags:	christmas

Got my Christmas Pics up!


The rest of them are going to be links for you to click on, with some short explanations, and I'll cut it, so if you're not interested after seeing that adorable picture there, then you can go on, and Make Santa Sad! heh ;)

Christmas 2005 - Oatman AZ style - Collin's first.


We have several things going on here. Firstly, our little town of Oatman has a party for the kids each year where they send them home with stuff that is going to break the next day, so that we can listen to our children crying as we haul out the broken pieces. It's really very nice.

Brian took the girls this year, and it was over before I could get Collin ready to go - So, they brought his pressies home for him to open. Dillon was at his dad's during these first few events, so you won't see him until later.

Collin gets the Traditional Oatman Burro

And he got snap lock beads

...which he watched Dustin play with Note to self: Dustin needs eyebrow trimmer.

Kaitlin got a drum-set! yay!

Collin got to touch his very first real live fiber-optic tree!

Collin enjoying the tree, and a candy cane!

Dustin ate candy

...and Brian took a moment to show us how his nose hairs wiggle when he snores!

Now, there was this HUGE Christmas parade down main street, Oatman.. It was so big, that many of the people in it scraped the burro crap off their shoes, and went back around to be in it two or three times with different groups and "floats".

To save you from having to ask the questions - Yes, we have flushing toilets here, and running water - sorta.

You won't see Dillon again, nor will you see Kristen in these festivities, as she threw a fit, refused to come, and stayed home to peek at ALL of her Christmas presents. Collin won best costume and Prettiest hat, and got two giant stuffed puppies out of it all, and Kaitlin won funniest hat, and best ornament decoration - she got a basket of candles, and some other toys.

The color guard began the parade That Oatman Hotel is where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their Honeymoon, after being married in Kingman.

Our firetruck I dunno what that thing is on that man's head.. *shrugs*

Grand Marshal rode in the wagon - Driven by Dustin's boss

There goes the Grand Marshal

The Coffee club - lol

I think this guy was lost he's probably wondering why everyone is looking at him and snapping pictures.

We had some boys in uniform

I honestly don't know who this is She -may- be Miss (or Mrs.?) Rt 66, but don't quote me on that.

Some gun fighters These weren't any of our local gunfighters, and I don't know what hole they dug them out of, but there ya go.

We have our own red hatters

The river cruisers

I don't think this is Santa

...but, he threw Kaitlin a teddy bear

...and Collin too!

This surely isn't Santa! In fact, it's Tom too cool

Dustin was in the parade! He got thrown from his horse, because the gunfighters ahead of him were firing guns - I missed it, but my friend said he was very graceful and landed on his feet.

I just thought this was cute That Classy Coyote in the background is where Bri works on the week-ends.

Finally! Santa!

Kaitlin with Santa

Collin with Santa

Brian with Santa

Christmas eve, my Mom and her husband, Billy - came to bring the kids some pressies, and have snacks. All five kiddos are here now.

They just brought a few little things.. You have to give them credit for this - Not everyone would do this for a family of 7, whether they're your family or not. That's Dillon, Kaitlin, and then Kristen - Left to Right.

Yay! More make-up! Thatll be on the walls before long. :)Both girls also got comforters from Gramma.

I think Billy was nodding off

Dillon got a blanket and bean bag chair Dillon isn't exactly the most photogenic kid. LOL! He takes after me - It's rare to find a good pic of me. He's a good lookin' kid though.

Dustin was too sick to get up Poor kid - I had taken him to the ER the night before, because his ear was infected and hurting so bad that it made him cry. He also got a comforter and bean bag chair.

Collin with my mom My mom enjoyed playing with baby, and Sinny Lou-who - our 100 pound Great Pyronese, enjoyed playing with my mom.

Grandma helping Collin open his pressies

Success!

My mom got me a bag from the Post Office, that has Disney friends on it. She is the local post master, and I was eyeballing that bag in the post office one day.

My mom got Brian Cologn We haven't smelled it yet.. LOL

Brian's Mom and Dad also sent a bunch of things, and we got new phones from them - It's the ones that only need one of them to have a phone jack, but you can put several others throughout the house. Also, some pots and pans, and some baking supplies. They live in Florida.

Well, the next morning Santa had been here - sorta. Kristen and Dillon peaked at the presents, so it kind of took something away from it all. In fact, Kristen said.. "I hardly got anything this year." I know she felt that way because she saw it all weeks before, and in her mind, she got it all weeks before, and not for Christmas. Such is the life of a peak-er! The boys got fewer items than the girls because their stuff is far more expensive. This year, instead of worrying about everyone having the same number of items to open, we spent the same amount of money on each kid.

The tree - 05 We had this tree, and a little one this year, plus a couple fiber-optic snowmen, that Bri's mom sent last year, and some lights on the inside of the house. We were getting a new roof, so we didn't decorate outside.

Kaitlin's teacher, Mrs Meyer, gave us a "Christmas pickle" this year, and we started a new tradition! It is an ornament shaped like a pickle, and legend has it - that the finder of said pickle (on the tree) gets good luck, and an extra gift from Santa! Dustin was the first pickle finder, and he got a "kids" digital Camera for it. The "losers" got giant Hershey's Kisses.

I didn't notice until I was uploading pictures that the kids didn't change their cloths! Apparently when I announced "I heard on the radio that Santa just got to Arizona!" and they ran to bed - they went to bed fully dressed! They do change their clothing on other days, I promise!

Dustin got a new jacket When I showed this to Brian after I got it, he told me Dustin was looking at the same exact one at the mall that day, but it was too expensive for him. He loved this. He still wasn't feeling well, but was better. Dustin also got a new game for his PS2, plus the camera for finding the pickle.

Dillon got a Game-boy advance SP His gift was small, so we put it in several boxes, wrapped each, and he had to work for it. Dustin warned him not to stab what was inside with that knife, and I said, "Yeah, it's a puppy!" hehe. Dillon also got a book with really cool science experiments, including instructions on how to make a Gauss gun (electromagnetic gun) Dillon is the science geek guy of the family. Brian is looking forward to making those things with him.

Kristen gets a hair bead-er She also got some pants, and some New Balance shoes that the doctor recommended (she was born with clubbed feet - they have been fixed, but bothering her lately), a new coat that was too small, and a Tamagotchi pet. We went back to the mall the next day to replace the coat, but they were all out, so I promised to get her one from somewhere else this week.

Kaitlin gifts Dillon I somehow didn't get any pictures of Kaitlin opening her gifts this day? She got a new thing for her leapfrog, a Narnia book, pants, shoes, markers, and a coat.

Now this is how you unwrap a present! Brian did really good at showing restraint, don't you think? He really wanted to stop him. LOL

...and then you eat what's inside! hehe Collin got several "Lamaze" toys, and they arrived just in time from Amazon!

The girls gave Brian a giant M&M They also gave him a razor. Kristen gave him a clock shaped like a tire, and Kaitlin gave him a pen shaped like a Lizard. I gave him a Rumi poetry book that he asked for, and a pocket watch - He told me a long time ago (I think before last Christmas) that he wanted one, and he sure loves it.

Dustin got me a new mouse for my PC, Kristen gave me an insulted coffee mug because "everyone else has one, and I thought you should too" and Kaitlin gave me a crystal paper weight that has a horse on it. Bri got me a Deepak Chopra book, and some foot pampering stuff.

Sinny-Lou-Who got a bone!

That's it! The Kiddos are at their dad's now until after New years. Collin and I are sick with Dustin's cold/flu, and are trying not to get as sick as him.