Kuiper Christmas in WA 2009

Right before the party. Dwight & Leshia & fam. and Grandma

Kuiper came for ham dinner and presents on Saturday.

That gave them enuf time to rest and enjoy Cody for a few days.

Cody looks like he is laughing.

This is my Courtney-twin picture.

There is no such thing as too many pictures of this beautiful child!

Yahoo! Dishes are done! Now we can open presents!!!

The kids were SO good waiting for the kitchen to

get cleaned up.

Yummy...

Dwight's favorite place in our house, I think...

Nikki showing us her new Bible from Grandpa and Grandma.

Note purse and cookies knitted by Grandma also.

I will have to stick to just one pic per girl so

Dwight and Leshia have some pics for their blog.

Their hands were kind of full of kids that day...

A quick run outside for a family photo -

the sun was almost not blinding...

Calvin having fun - a little foggy tho, I think...

Thomas kept the hat on most of the day.

He was a little surprised he couldn't wear it to bed!

Cody slept through most of the excitement.

Hugs for our wonderful Grandma!

Really, they have pretty children!

John thought this folder would be great for "organizing stuff."

He wears the slippers and hat every day. And he even learned

to love his Lincoln Logs, once he found out he could build and bomb

buildings. Grandpa and Grandma's gifts are always just perfect!

Cameron loves to have her pic taken :)

Dwight waiting for Calvin to catch up...

Grandpa and Grandma's gift for Calvin - perfect

since he used this exact brand!

The girls gave Aunt Bethany a little thank you for

taking care of them over the weekend - complete

with beautiful artwork!

Cody with his blanket from Grandma.

Thomas loves his Lincoln Logs. If you change anything

around, he gets very...animated!

Bears from Uncle Calvin - they were a hit,

altho I'm no longer sure given Nikki's expression...

I am addicted to taking pictures of Cody.

So sweet...

After taking several sneaky photos of me playing with

Lincoln Logs, none of which turned out (ha ha, Mom!), I

got a few of my own of Mom. The logs stayed on the

coffee table and were played with for days

(by little people and not so little people)!

Presents are done. Kids are downstairs.

Calvin made it through the day!

(his back was all messed up from sledding)

Dwight wanted you all to know his finger was in a splint.

Or was it just me he wanted to know???

Please don't wake me up, Mommy!

Look at those luscious lips! He's such a Kuiper (ha ha)!

December 25 - Christmas Afternoon w/ Uncle Jim's

Ever adventurous, the DH cousins decided we needed a

new tradition so we headed up to Baker after Christmas

dinner for some quality sledding. The ski lifts are

closed Christmas Day so we could sled on the ski runs, which are

way more gentle but way, way longer!

I was walking up from my first run down when

my baby came flying past me on the GT Snowracer.

I was terrified, but need not have worried. He giggled

the whole day long and never fell off.

About two minutes after this shot, Calvin took John

down on the tube, which does not have much

steering capacity. After narrowly avoided wiping out two

small girls, they plowed into the lodge at full speed. Calvin

broke the impact for John with his own head. It was very scary.

Calvin is still taking Ibuprofen.

John tried to get back in the saddle again but his

head hurt too much. So he watched for awhile instead.

Uncle Jim specialized in backwards.

Sisters three. Check out Molly's boots!

We stuck to this gentler hill for the rest of the afternoon.

Katie took this pic to show her students

in Singapore how "cool" she was!

I was fat but I was WARM!

Crazy DH people.
We are definitely doing this every year.
Just not that one hill.

Sitting on the road, determined not to leave...

- "I NEEDA go on the snow..."
John in truck with headache. Walkie talkie

action cheered him up on the way down.

One last look at the sun starting to set on Shuksan.

December 25 - Christmas Morning

We were all a little sleepy...

Thomas concerned that this is not another train.
All he wants are trains!


Great profile of my favorite tummy...


Ask me in a year if this one last longer than a Big Wheel!

More stuff for the garage :)

I thought he knew this was a sled for weeks.

He was clueless until he opened it.

An improvement over the laundry basket!

John sold so much banket on his own we thought

he deserved a prize. He showed everyone at church.

Now when he walks out the pastor asks him what time it is.

Sleepy breakfast...

December 24 - Sad & Happy Day

Christmas Eve was the 1-yr. anniversary of

Calvin's dad's death, so we went to the grave yard with Mom DH.

Thomas kept things light by refusing to place his flower -

he wanted to go look for Grandpa and give it to him!

Grandma DH gave Thomas a train.
He was overjoyed with "Duke!"

John got real walkie-talkies. He has
already used them going to Baker!

Grandma loved her microwave. She had a terrible
power outtage that fried a lot of stuff in her house,
including her phones, stove, furnace, computer and microwave.
Mark & Julie, thought you'd like this pic!