getting ready for the skin's game!

thank you for a wonderful christmas!

Thank you, Nana Beth and Bobba Steve for  an wonderful Christmas.  Christmas dinner was A-MAZING!!!  You spoiled us with breakfast too - pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, fruit, and mmmm mmm good coffee.

We had a great time exploring the abandoned cabin, 40 year old still, finding artifacts, climbing trees, swinging, playing in the creek, going to the science museum, downtown Roanoke, and Mill Mountain Zoo.  You guys make it very difficult to go home.

Most of all, thank you for your hospitality and loving us.  Aside from all of the activities, we really enjoyed spending time with you - playing cards, board games, watching TV, telling stories, and reading books.  It was all so perfect!  Thank you!

Love,

Laila, Adam, Aiden, Sky, and Nicolas

sky a marching virginian?

We saw this hat at a secondhand shop called Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke.  Pretty cool hat and incidentally, it looks pretty cool on my girl.

mill mountain zoo

This was the first time we visited the Mill Mountain Zoo.  Surprisingly, in all  these years we've never brought the kids here.  I give the zoo a thumbs up for being small, manageable, and interesting.  I could actually take all three kids there with me and not worry about losing one.

This is the famous Ruby the Tiger....I remember hearing about Ruby when I went to Tech.

Everyone wanted a chance to sit on the tiger's head.

My little cubs

This could've been our holiday card...too late!

roanoke science museum

This was cool...kids learn to identify their teeth and their purpose.  Mostly, I think kids get a kick from the size of the mouth.  Pretty cool. 

My mad scientist

This was awesome...can't explain it but it was basically a big turn table you get to do experiments with those small disks. Aiden got into this one.

So freakin' cool, man. 

Girl Power

Anything he plays is music to my ears.

opening Christmas presents!

Nick just enjoyed opening presents...anyone's presents....didn't matter if it was for him or not. 

Check this out, Nana Beth....I got this cool book. 

Yup, there are some presents here that weren't here last night. 

"Dad, I think this one's for you."

How cozy is this??!!

Aiden sorting through the presents...his job was to hand presents out based on the labels. 

Sky reading about her iHome.

my handsome nicolas

Pitt, DeCaprio, Damon, Reynalds, Pattison...sorry but Nicolas is the new show in town. 

The kid has style, a great personality, he's smart, he's sweet, he's lovable, he's tall, he's strong, he's slim, he has good skin, nice eyes, perfect hair... he's our Moonin.

and he carries himself really well. 

exploring the cabin and the abandoned still

christmas morning

kids build a fort - phase 2 (completion)