Shooting the gingerbread houses...

We've had this tradition for almost 10 years now, of taking our rock hard gingerbread house, the day after Christmas, void of all candy, out to use for target practice.  Everyone always looks forward to it and we have a blast (pun totally intended)! :)

We drive out into the Arizona desert, and set up.  Mark and Josh both brought a bunch of guns.  They usually start everyone out with the small caliber stuff, shooting out the stained glass windows and smaller stuff on the houses.  Then they move up to bigger caliber stuff, taking out entire walls with one shot.  After the houses are leveled to sugar dust, we start up with the shotguns and throwing clay pigeons (I like this part the best).  Then they setup clay pigeons to use as targets.

My friend, Sarah, with her son, Carter...

 

Yay!!! It's Christmas Day!!!

Christmas morning is always the wonderful culmination of so much planning and waiting.  It's such a blast!  My favorite part is seeing all the gifts our kids give each other.  They work hard to earn money and save up for just the right thing for each person.  They anxiously await to see how excited their sibling will be about the gift they know is "perfect".  They are so cute with each other.

Bryan designed this poster in Photoshop and had it printed.  It had all of Colton's favorite soccer teams on it.  Way cool!

Bryan designed and made this wood plaque for Mark in his woodworking class at school.  It is of Manchester United, both he and Mark's favorite team!

Bryan also made these wood pens in his class for me and Morgan...

Morgan's nickname at our house is "Q-Lo" (Queen of Leftovers).  Any leftovers we bring back from a restaurant...she finds...no matter how we try to hide them.

This particular picture of Christ (the Prodigal Son) was one of the things Bryan wanted the most.  Beautiful picture by Greg Olsen.

The only thing Mark asked for was Louis Lamour books, so I gave him all of them (over 100)!  That should keep him busy for awhile!

And of course we did our "Polar Bear Swim".  Morgan has been joining the boys lately.  She wants the money!  She's braver than me.  I don't want to jump in that freezing pool!  So fun to watch though!