Our Baby Boy Turns 3!

Brayden's 3rd Birthday

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since our little man came into the world.  What a sweet little boy we have with such personality!!!!

Getting ready for work, just like Daddy! 

Don't worry, Shaun usually leaves his flannel teddy bear pajamas at home

and opts for a dress shirt and slacks to go with his tie, belt, and dress shoes.

I just LOVE this little face!

On Bray's birthday we took a trip to Build A Bear. 
Here they are getting ready to put the heart in their new animals.

 At the bathing station cleaning up their new animals.  And yes, Brayden has a pink kitty, but all he wanted was a cat and of course they only had pink.  So thank Build A Bear for that one!

 

 Our attempt at a Cookie Monster cake.

 

 Brayden checking out his cake.

 

 Feeding Cookie Monster a cookie:)

 

 Family picture time!

 

 Larkin getting right in there to help open the gifts.  What a helpful big sister!

 

Safety first!  Bray trying out his new weed whacker.

He was still figuring out how to put the goggles on the comfortable way!

 

Trying out some of the yummy birthday cake.

Christmas 2012

 

Christmas 2012

This year we spent Christmas at home.  It was a great holiday!  It was nice to have so much family time without having to travel.  Since Christmas wasn't until Tuesday we spent the weekend before Christmas doing lots of little holiday projects.  We had a gingerbread house competition, a cookie decorating day, a game day, and homemade pizza/movie night.

Chatting with Santa at Larkin's preschool.

 

 Here are the gingerbread houses that Daddy and Larkin

and Mommy and Brayden created.

Hard at work making Christmas cookies! 

What good helpers we had this year.

 Our little Santa putting his hat on his own way!

 

 Getting ready to open some presents.

 

Sleeping Beauty to add to Larkin's princess collection.

 

This was the start of game day.  They were about to open Hungry Hungry Hippos and Cootie. 

This lead to an afternoon of board game fun. 

Who knew a two year old would love Hungry Hungry Hippos so much!

 

 The start of our My Little Pony collection.

 

 Ohhh an airplane!

 

 Christmas morning checking out their new "indoor" camping supplies!

 

 Guess who liked the tent!

 

 Thanks, Aunt Tara, for the Lalaloopsy house.

 

"Think I will get a little closer!"

 

 After a little scavenger hunt this was the last gift they found!

 

 Santa Jordan (the cat).  Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary make the holidays so much fun.

 

 Ready to start opening more packages.

 

Helping Aunt Mary open a present.

Jingle Bell Rock Time!

 

Holiday Dance Recital

This year for Christmas Larkin's dance school put on a holiday recital.  It was super cute, lasted less than an hour, and the girls had a blast!  Larkin's class tap danced to Jingle Bell Rock and her teacher, Ms. Pam, did a great job!

 

Getting ready to go on stage.

 

Larkin and her dance friends!

 

 

*VIDEO MAYBE TO COME*

 

Performing Jingle Bell Rock!

 

 

The Polar Express

The Polar Express!

This year during the Christmas season we decided to take the family on a ride on the Polar Express in Williams, AZ.  We had such a fun time!  Besides getting to spend the night in Flagstaff and playing some mean games of hide-n-seek in the hotel, we also had a wonderful time wearing our pajamas on the train.  Once we boarded the train the fun really began.  We had hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies while listening to the story of the Polar Express as the train chugged on towards the North Pole!  Once we arrived at the North Pole we saw lots of holiday lights and of course, Santa Claus!  Santa even boarded the train with us and rode all the way back to the train station stopping to talk with each child and give them a little bell.  Of course we had to be in the Christmas spirit so we sang our favorite Christmas carols the whole trip back.  What a fun time we had!!!!

 Getting ready to leave for Flagstaff.

 

 Uncle Mark, Daddy, Larkin, and Brayden in Williams.

 

 Family picture time!

 

 Mommy and Larkin in our pjs

 

 Our little conductor!

 

 Getting ready to board the train with Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary.

 

 Time to board!

 

 Getting ready for the hot cocoa and cookies.

 

 Cuddling with Aunt Mary!

 

 Santa stopped to give us a bell!

 

 Showing the bell to Daddy.

 

Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary in their matching pjs.

They are such good sports!

 

The Polar Express

Happy Halloween

Halloween Time!

This year we headed to Tolmachoff Farms once again for a fun morning visiting the pumpkin patch and weaving our way through the corn maze.  We had perfect weather and everyone had fun seeing the animals and playing around.  The best part had to be the pony rides!  Larkin and Brayden each had their first pony ride this year and LOVED it.

 

 

Daddy and Uncle Mark taking the kids through the petting zoo.

 

Aunt Mary helping the kids explore the Three Little Pigs' homes.

 

Larkin taking a turn driving the tractor.

 

And.... Uncle Mark wanted a turn too!

 

Weaving our way through the corn maze.  We made it in less than an hour!!!

 

 

Having fun burying his sister in corn.

 

The Botanical Gardens

This year we also went to the pumpkin patch at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  It was so much fun going for a hay ride and picking out that "special" pumpkin to have Daddy lug back to the car.  Don't worry, they picked the biggest ones they could find (Poor Daddy)!

 Taking a little break in the pumpkin patch.

 

 Don't worry, this isn't the one he ended up with.

 

 Cuddle time!!!!

 

Costume Time

This year for Halloween the kids decided to go as characters from the Wizard of Oz.  Brayden was the Scarecrow and Larkin decided to be the Cowardly Lion, but had to wear Dorothy's red slippers as well.  She definitely has her own take on things!

 Our Lion and Scarecrow.

 

Check out those ruby red slippers!

 

 

 

Ready for trick-or-treating!

 

 Of course we had to go trick-or-treat at Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary's house. 

They give the best treats!