Well, we hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (in about 5 1/2 hours as I write this). The photos below are more or less in chronological order.
Dana and I wrapped presents while the 2 older boys were in school. Cade was our official present put-under-the-tree-er and insisted he do each and every present. Dana moved them before this photo, but he had carefully stacked the presents on top of each other right up into, and on, the tree branches.
Cade and I visited the Santa in the mall a week or so before this photo was taken. Of course, I didn't get any pictures, but Cade walked right up to Santa, hugged him, and talked to him like an old friend. When I took all 3 boys to have breakfast with Santa, Cade wanted nothing to do with him and refused to get anywhere near him. Go figure.
We spent Christmas with Dana's family at Inlow this year. Follow along on my photo journal of the several days we spent there.
It snowed several inches the day before we got there. Cade loved playing in the snow. Here he is picking up snow balls and throwing them at me or in the fresh snow.
As you can imagine, all the kids were about to pop with all these unopened gifts around. The presents were sorted and stacked more times than I could count.
We spent a large portion of our Christmas Eve sledding down Ron's Suicide Run. The hill is about 30 miles long at about an 80 degree angle. Right about the time you break the sound barrier you launch off the dreaded Jar-Your-Bones Jump before crashing down 1/2 a mile later on Spinecrunching Slope. At least that's how I explain it. The kids didn't seem to think it was all that bad.
Kevin says his hand slipped off the handle on this one. I think he was just trying to pull a motocross inspired nac nac. Watch the video below to see how this one ended. You have to click on it twice to get it to play.
Here's a sequence from one of Cameron's better jumps. The look on his face was even better in another picture but it was blurry. This rather mild "Mommy!" look will have to do. I especially like the way he bends his legs backwards and flattens his nose on the sled on landing.
If you can't get a good shot of a good jump, get a shot of a good crash. Here's Kevin hitting the eject button.
Tyler jumped out of the track and almost took out Ron. I love the look on both their faces.
I'm not as flexible as Cameron. I also kept my head up. I thought I was going to die during the run on this video. Those trees got awfully close.
Speaking of nearly dying, check out these photos and video of Dana. She thought the sledding looked like fun so she wanted to try it. I told her to go on her stomach and use her arms to absorb the landing. I also told her to start from about half way up the hill. She didn't listen to any of my advice.
Dana also made her one and only run later in the afternoon when the sled run was getting faster and faster. Here she is at Mach 2 with her hair on fire. She looks just slightly nervous.
Dana and I wrapped presents while the 2 older boys were in school. Cade was our official present put-under-the-tree-er and insisted he do each and every present. Dana moved them before this photo, but he had carefully stacked the presents on top of each other right up into, and on, the tree branches.
Cade and I visited the Santa in the mall a week or so before this photo was taken. Of course, I didn't get any pictures, but Cade walked right up to Santa, hugged him, and talked to him like an old friend. When I took all 3 boys to have breakfast with Santa, Cade wanted nothing to do with him and refused to get anywhere near him. Go figure.
We spent Christmas with Dana's family at Inlow this year. Follow along on my photo journal of the several days we spent there.
It snowed several inches the day before we got there. Cade loved playing in the snow. Here he is picking up snow balls and throwing them at me or in the fresh snow.
As you can imagine, all the kids were about to pop with all these unopened gifts around. The presents were sorted and stacked more times than I could count.
We spent a large portion of our Christmas Eve sledding down Ron's Suicide Run. The hill is about 30 miles long at about an 80 degree angle. Right about the time you break the sound barrier you launch off the dreaded Jar-Your-Bones Jump before crashing down 1/2 a mile later on Spinecrunching Slope. At least that's how I explain it. The kids didn't seem to think it was all that bad.
Kevin says his hand slipped off the handle on this one. I think he was just trying to pull a motocross inspired nac nac. Watch the video below to see how this one ended. You have to click on it twice to get it to play.
Here's a sequence from one of Cameron's better jumps. The look on his face was even better in another picture but it was blurry. This rather mild "Mommy!" look will have to do. I especially like the way he bends his legs backwards and flattens his nose on the sled on landing.
If you can't get a good shot of a good jump, get a shot of a good crash. Here's Kevin hitting the eject button.
Tyler jumped out of the track and almost took out Ron. I love the look on both their faces.
I'm not as flexible as Cameron. I also kept my head up. I thought I was going to die during the run on this video. Those trees got awfully close.
Speaking of nearly dying, check out these photos and video of Dana. She thought the sledding looked like fun so she wanted to try it. I told her to go on her stomach and use her arms to absorb the landing. I also told her to start from about half way up the hill. She didn't listen to any of my advice.
Dana also made her one and only run later in the afternoon when the sled run was getting faster and faster. Here she is at Mach 2 with her hair on fire. She looks just slightly nervous.
Fortunately, Dana couldn't hear everyone laughing because HER EAR WAS PACKED WITH SNOW!!!
Ah, here's a photo of me showing what a loving, supporting husband I am (I'm showing her the gnarly picture I got as she came off the jump). That isn't a smile of laughter on my face. No sir. That is pure grimacing. I was in pain after seeing my lovely wife crash. Watch the video and I'm sure you'll be in pain too. Everyone else just about wet their pants from laughing, er, from being so frightened.
Poor Dana dug a 5 foot trench with her face on that one.
Here's a nice photo from before "the incident". It would be the last time Dana smiled all day.
Ron says, "I'm getting too old for this."
It's hard to get a good photo with everyone smiling when you have this many people.
OK, so now it's Christmas morning. The Samp and Reynolds boys were all in one room and weren't allowed out until someone came to get them. As I approached the door (shortly after 6 am) I heard some muffled talking and movement. When I opened the door it was dead quiet. After a moment, I bellowed, "Rise and shine!" There was an immediate explosion of energy. I blocked the door while we waited for the Slugas to get up and the boys were about to pass out with anticipation. This was an unposed picture but I think it shows the excitement in that room.
Santa brought Cameron a new bike!
Kevin got that Ripstick he's been wanting!
Cade got a wagon! How did he fit all that in the sleigh and how the heck are we going to fit it in the Expedition to get it home?
Let the carnage begin!
It's amazing how easily some people are fooled by cubic zirconia.
We came home the day after Christmas. The boys had a few more presents to open when we got home. Kevin finally got that darn Xbox 360 and Cameron got a Nintendo Wii. Sheesh! Later that evening, my parents came over to exchange gifts. The gave us a new camera! I guess they were tired of us borrowing theirs. ;)
3 comments:
Oh, I wish we could have gone sledding with you! It looks like tons of fun- My boys are just GREEN wit envy!
Thanks so much for sharing all the pictures and the videos! What fun to see all of you guys! I especially loved the family picture -- what a crew!
Aunt Jo
What a blast-Dana-I missed Sandy's and Karen' rides and of course Grandpa Larrys. what a blessing to have family to share such a joyious occasion. bob
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