Ava's Playdate

Ava loved having her friend Emma come over today for a playdate.  Emma is one of the only girl friends Ava has that is her exact same age. (well, Emma will be 3 in January, and Ava will be 3 in March).  And Emma also has a brother who is just a few months older than Carter... so now that Cristian's in school and has kind of outgrown playdates, it's nice to know someone who has kids Ava and Carter's age!!   Here's Ava playing "Ava-in-a-box"
Serious Princess Emma =)
Cristian trying to get Emma to smile
Ava and Emma 
Ava and Emma again, cute girls!!

Christmas with K's Family

The Saturday after Christmas Kyle's parents and brother came over to  our house.  So the kids got to open more presents.  Here's Ava opening her Baby Alive.
And her Fur Real Puppy.
Cristian was excited about his digital camera =)
Cristian showing Grandpa Larry his disappearing coin trick.
Carter and daddy opening presents
Grandma Gina playing with Carter
We all went out to dinner at MaMa Stortini's... here are the kids with Grandma Gina
Group shot after dinner

Sledding

Here's a little video of Ava sledding down the hill that leads down to my parents house. She's so funny, you can see her at first trying to make herself go faster, then she tries to slow herself down, and then she figures out she's not going to slow down, so she bails off the side of the sled =)


C decided he wanted to start all the way at the top of the hill.

Great Wolf Day 2

Good Morning! (Ava and Cristian laying down by a sleeping Carter)
The kids by the snowy trees (water park in background)
Mommy and Carter at breakfast
All around the hotel (on each floor) they have an interactive wizard game.  It's kinda like a scavenger hunt.  Here are the kids and Auntie with their wands opening up the chest to see what treasures are inside, and to get their next clue.
The treasure chest was successfully opened
More wizard game...
The kids ready for day 2 at the water park
Grampie with a sleeping Carter.  (they heat the inside of the water park to 84 degrees, in case anyone is wondering why he's in just a onesie)
Here goes Ava on the green slide (they make all kids under 48" where a life jacket)
Splash
Nannie with Ava in the wave pool.
Auntie and Cristian going on one of the tube slides.
Meredith and Larissa going on the slide with them.
And Samantha and Karly going with everyone too.
Here comes Ava on one of the kiddie pool slides. 
Ava was so proud of herself for going on the purple slide all by herself.  She probably went on it over, and over, and over close to 100 times (not joking)
Ava playing with the flower water squirters
Ava trying to squirt me =)
Here come Auntie and Cristian down one of the big water slides
Cristian was excited he was tall enough for this one!!
Cristian coming down one of the slides
Auntie and Cristian climbing up to some of the slides
Cristian coming down the yellow slide
It got a "Thumbs up" from Cristian.
Mmmm... pizza for lunch.

Great Wolf Lodge Christmas Dinner

After Christmas brunch, we went home and packed and headed to the Great Wolf Lodge!  As soon as we got there and checked in, the kids were anxious to play at the water park!  (Here's a preview of what Ava's hair is going to look like after I have it cut...in this picture it's tucked back into her hood so it looks about shoulder length)
Ava with daddy.
Nannie singing to Carter, which he thought was hysterical. 
Mommy with her Carter Sauce... ready to go to his first A. Family Christmas Dinner!
Mommy with all three of her kidlets.
There were several things Ava couldn't eat at dinner, so Nannie brought her some special treats!  Ava loves her Nannie, or as she calls her Nants.
Carter with daddy.
Carter with cousin Dane... and congratulations are in order for Dane who recently got engaged to his girlfriend Christina.  Dane graduates from college in May (which is where they met) and they are planning to move to WA after the wedding.   The wedding will be sometime this summer in California, since that is where Christina is from.
Cristian with cousins Megan, Larissa, and Meredith.  
Grandma and Grandpa enjoying the after dinner entertainment.  Hard to believe that our ever growing family of 51 (soon to be 52), started with these two people!
The entertainment:  Cousin Joel and Uncle Tom.
Erin and Meredith giving Cami a nosy-nosy.
Sarah Palin??
Aunt Kathy with Camden and Carter
Grandma Debbie with her 3rd grandchild, Carter, and Grandma Denise with her 5th grandchild, Camden.
Carter and Cami... they were talking to each other and reaching for one another.  Cute Cousins!!
Uncle Dan wrestling and playing with the kids... flash backs to when I was 3, 4, and 5 years old.   =)