Riley Family Christmas

There will be more picture to go along with this post later, but for now here are some shots that a good friend of the family took while we were having our Family Christmas at Daddy and Momma's house this year. Papa Ron and Nonna had bought all the children coordinating sweaters and we tried to let things happen as they did instead of pushing too hard. I think we got some really sweet shots particularly of Jason, our big 5 year old. Soon he will begin losing teeth and changing into a schoolboy, so I wanted one final memory of his wonderful "baby face". The joke of the day was our own family picture with Caleb making a face that cannot really be described and is yet so fitting for him. The days are Merry indeed!

"Fear Not, Fear Not...Don't be Scared!"

This year's Christmas production at church included any three year old children thought capable of participating so Colleen joined Jason in Wednesday night practices to prepare for her debut. And it was worth the wait! There was picking going on at both ends and several turns to comment on how pretty another little girl's dress or hair looked that morning. A trip to the front of the stage to announce to her Daddy (and everyone else) that her tights were "stuck in [her] hiney" was certainly a highlight! Never-the-less, she and Jason did a wonderful job and we were so proud to call them ours. Praise the Lord that they not only sing about not living in fear but dwell daily in the safety and peace of Christ in their own lives.

Cousin Riley

Colleen loves her cousins, most especially the girls! Any time we get a chance to be with one of them she grins big and proceeds to tell us all the things she will show them and do with them. Riley is especially dear to her heart as she loves to paint fingernails and toenails and make her hair pretty. In Colleen's mind that is exactly what a girl should be doing all the time! Here they are playing in the leaves with matching hairdo's and smiles.

Pigeon Forge, TN

We did not do a good job of documenting our first true family trip together, but to say we had a great time would be an understatement. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time together and have not stopped talking about how nice it was to go off together as a family. We went to Pigeon Forge, TN and stopped in Gatlinburg on the way to see Ripley's Aquarium. This was perfect for the children and really well put together. After that we rode the trolley to the sky tram which took us up to Ober Gatlinburg where there was no snow but Alpine Bobsledding. A few frozen toes and fingers later, we came down the mountain to the hotel (the highlight of our stay for Jason, Colleen, and Caleb!) The next morning we enjoyed swimming at the indoor pool and a tour of the Old Mill area for souvenirs. Then it was naps, lunch, and a special evening at the Cirque de' Chine. The children were fascinated by the contortionists and acrobatics, entertaining us at intermission with their own talents! And the last morning we enjoyed a visit to the Apple Barn and the river before heading home. What a perfect trip!

This is us...

As painful as it may be to post a couple of these pictures (!) this is the real us hanging out at home and doing the things we do. It is also what happens when the children get a hold of the camera. There are no great poses here and certainly no time to make ourselves look our best!

Something New to Look at!

Samuel took this picture because he thought Jason was too cute trying desperately to get a look at our very new and very protected laptop!

HarvestFest 2011

Hooray for Harvest time and costumes! We did another Trunk of Treats this year but kept things a little more simple than the last. We had a large table with a sign that said "We Love the Torch" and tons of colored pencils, crayons, and markers for kids to make their mark in 2011. It was a great success and the perfect fit with our own three little Crayola Crayons. The hats didn't stay on for very long but they sure were cute in them!