Christmas Vacation Part 1

As usual, we have a truckload of pictures we'd like to share from our Christmas vacation so I'll break it up into more than one post. We'll cover the first week for now.


The day before we left for NM was a fun day for all of us. I left work before lunch (yay!) so I could watch Cameron's class perform their Christmas play. I think what happened was that a group of reality TV producing penguins invaded Santa's place and insisted they would take over for the elves and reindeer. They quickly learned the work was a lot harder than they expected so they gave the jobs back and Santa and everyone lived happily ever after. Cameron was a penguin and had a few speaking parts. He wowed and dazzled the audience with his stunning performance!



Here's my little penguin buddy. Cute costumes, huh?

After the show we went back to his classroom for a Christmas party. NOT a "holiday" party because that's stupid. That was it for school so we brought Cam home and we both started our Christmas vacations a little early.





Here are our decorations for the year. With only ONE dumb plug on the entire front side of the house, I had to get creative with the cords so we weren't able to put up too many lights. I also gave up on putting lights on the house mostly because of the ridiculously steep pitch of the roof. Regardless, the lights you see here probably outnumber the rest of our entire neighborhood combined. That's too bad. By the way, remind me not to bother with the tree next year. I was hating myself when I was trying to get those darn lights unwrapped from all the branches - and we were in the middle of the cold spell so the temperature was, like, 20 below or something. Felt like it anyway.


Dana said we were leaving the house at 4 am on Saturday to get started on our trip to NM. I laughed because that's pretty cute. But I wasn't laughing when I backed the Expedition out of the driveway at 4:01 am with my eyes out of focus and a serious case of bedhead (not really but that's how we all felt). She's a drill sergeant, that Dana. So then we drove and drove and drove and all the while we were packed in like sardines. Have you ever tried to pack for 5 for 2 weeks with Christmas gifts and still allow enough room for the kids not to be touching each other? Not easy. Finally, 14-1/2 hours later we arrived in Amarillo where we spent the night with Dana's aunt Pat. (Thanks!) Dana's cousins came over while we were there too so we had a great time visiting with everyone. Then the next day we got in the Expedition and drove again. (You'll start seeing a recurring theme here.) After a quick 5 hour jaunt we arrived at Inlow. Shoot, we were just getting the car warmed up at that point.


As usual, we had a great time visiting with everyone while we were there. I'm always amazed at how well all the kids really do get along when we're all together. They pick up right where they left off like they saw each other just a day earlier.

It snowed a couple of days before Christmas so the kids had to break out the sleds. This is Kevin collapsing from exhaustion after pulling the sled about 20 feet up the hill. Poor kid has acclimated to the Alabama elevation and can't breathe in the mountains anymore.

Cameron and Jeremy riding double.

I love this shot of Cameron!

Cade still didn't want anything to do with the sled. Maybe I can get him on one next year.

If you ever want to go 4-wheeling with Ron, my advice to you is this: Don't. Dana and I followed him in the Suburban (with chains) and Ronney in the Tacoma (with chains) in our Expedition (w/o chains) just to see where they were headed. About the time we were ready to turn around, Ron tells us if I can make it up the first hill it will be easy from there. Dana says, "Let's try it." So we tried and we chugged and churned our way right up. Cool! We continued on back down the other side and across this meadow and then we got to another hill. It's longer and steeper and narrower and we didn't make it. The rear end stepped out right next to a tree and we were done. They came back around and pulled us back on track but the damage was done. My ego deflated, we backed down and headed back to the house with our tail between our legs. Not really, it was fun and more importantly nothing was damaged.

And then it was Christmas!!!

As the presents kept piling up (and I mean PILING up), the kids had carefully placed them all around the tree and behind the tree. I don't think they thought about someone having to get them. Look closely and you'll see Kevin back there trying to get those in the back corner.

Santa gave Kevin the Halo 3 ODST game he's been wanting.

He also got a robe in hopes that he'll quit dragging his comforter around with him when he gets up in the mornings.

Cameron got a camera from Santa Claus. He loves taking pictures and making videos of himself goofing off and of his action figures.

Cameron's robe. Same comment about Kevin applies here.

Cade got a Leapster game from Santa. He loves it so far.

And another robe.

No idea what Ryan is doing here but he sure did like his footie PJs.

I told you there were a lot of presents.

Tyler, Galena and Papa.

Unfortunately, we never did take a family photo. But we do appreciate everyone taking the time and making the trip to Inlow to see us (and Ron & Sandy for having us).

A couple more pictures of Cade before I call it good.

We're cleaning up all the magnets Cade stuck on the refrigerator. Funny how he was able to reach high enough to put them there but had to climb on me to get them down.

What's a trip to Inlow w/o playing in the gym. The pictures of Cameron and Kevin were too blurry so here's a decent one of Cade near the top of the climbing wall.

Anticipation, excitement, a little of everything as he awaits the "go" to start opening those presents.

Pre-Christmas Pictures

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas too. We sure did. But we'll discuss that later. Right now we're way behind on pictures and obviously have a lot of new ones to share from the Reynolds' Christmas Vacation but I haven't even downloaded those from the camera yet.

These first few were taken the weekend after Thanksgiving when we drove out to a tree farm to get our Christmas tree (NOT holiday tree!).


It isn't quite the same as driving up in the mountains and gasping for air as we hike up and down the hillsides. Instead, we could have driven a Civic out to this place. When I refused their offer to cut the tree for me, we were given a saw and a measuring stick and told to have at it. This is the tree we picked.

After cutting the tree, Cade wanted to help me drag it back to the truck. Apparently, this behavior is exceedingly rare around here as they all acted surprised that I didn't have them get it for me. They even insisted on helping me load it! Sheesh. You'd think we picked out Griswold-size tree. Anyway, the people were super friendly, they offered free hot apple cider and Santa Claus was even on hand to talk to the kids. Cade like Santa because he kept his distance and didn't invade Cade's personal space.

On the way home, we stopped at a city park that advertised a huge light display and a train ride around the park. Well, it sounded really cool. It was actually pretty neat but half of the lights weren't turned on and the train wasn't running. In this shot, we're waiting for the sun to set so the kids passed time by quacking at the ducks and playing on the playground.



I know this blurry but I was trying to get a quick picture of Cameron and Cade holding hands.

We hung around after dark because the city also advertised a light show with the water fountains. We waited and waited and when it did start we were more than a little disappointed. It wasn't much of a show at all and was hard to distinguish from the normal operation of the fountains. Oh well. We had a nice evening together.



Dana and the boys decorating our tree the following evening. Cameron may be shirtless but at least he's not running around in his underwear.



They're all smiling and not making funny faces!!! If you look at our tree, you'll notice the top half is heavy on ornaments because all 3 boys wanted to use the step stool as much as possible. Quite the change from a few years ago when they were short and all the ornaments were within 3 feet of the bottom.



Christmas cookies!!!



I like this picture of me and my littlest buddy.

And finally, we had a snow day here in Athens! Not much snow and it wouldn't pack but it was still fun to play in.

Cameron

And Cade. No pictures of Kevin because he took off to play with some friends that live near here.

Marshall Space Flight Center had a tree lighting ceremony in early December so I took Dana and the boys to see it (and to get free cookies and hot chocolate). Santa showed up on a (Kawasaki) mule instead of a reindeer and the kids from the on-site daycare were on hand to sing some Christmas songs. Cameron and Cade even got their pictures with Santa for free! That's what I'm talking about! Kevin thought he was too old to get a picture with ol' St. Nick.

We took the boys to see Santa at the mall too. After waiting in a relatively short line, Cameron got up on Santa's lap and turned into Ralphie from "A Christmas Story". He went completely blank and couldn't remember what to tell Santa to bring him for Christmas. Cade sat on Santa's lap too. He later told us that he didn't think that was the real Santa because his hair was too short (it was real) and the Santa we saw where I work was also not the real one but he thought the one at the tree farm was the real deal because he was nice and didn't bother Cade.

And finally, I'll leave with this shot we took on the way back from the tree farm. Safety is obviously very important to this guy. Notice he took the extra precaution of tying the front end to the tree in case it falls off the 2x4s. Alabama engineering at its best!

Elf Yourself

We posted this on Facebook too but here it is for those of you who don't have a FB account. We've been elfed!

Before clicking the link, scroll down on our blog to the black music player on the right side of the screen and press "Pause" to stop the music.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/3fRDsox7YLaDZ7dHgKtV

Fall Pictures

A couple of weeks ago we drove to our favorite state park to take some pictures of the boys with the Fall colors. Unfortunately, it looks like the weekend before was the best time to go as most of the leaves had already fallen. But we still got some good pictures and had a good time.

These first few pictures were taken on the way over there. Not bad considering Dana took these while I was driving. She didn't even roll the window down!




Postcard #1 - This is the Tennessee River down by Guntersville



Postcard #2 - Cool shot, huh?




We still can't get used to seeing the vines and undergrowth covering EVERYTHING like it is in this picture.




Playing around with the camera.

Again.

Kevin & Cameron completely unaware of Nature's beauty.

My good lookin' Boy #1.

My beautiful family. I love the background in this shot.

Candid shot of Cameron. These types of shots are my favorite.

The handsome Boy #2.

And the stunningly cute Boy #3.

He's NOT HAPPY but it sure made a cute picture. Too bad it blurred. I was having a hard time with the lighting (and dying batteries).

This photo speaks for itself.

My boys headed back down the boardwalk.

Another one where the light got me. Darn it. I like the shot.

Just chillin'.

We're wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!

The Expedition's Expeditions and Soccer Finale

Our Expedition hit 100,000 miles last weekend on the way home from Cameron's soccer tournament so it got me thinking about where we've taken it over the 9 years that we've owned it (as of this month).

Hey, I have motor oil running through my veins. What do you expect?

My intention was to pull over to take a good photo instead we found ourselves in an area with no where safe to get off the road. I took this quick shot without looking at the camera so excuse the dust and reflection.

The Expedition has been to the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and from Montana all the way down to Florida. It's been camping at 10,000 feet and we've slept in it at the lake. It's been stuck in the snow (don't ask) and played in the mud. It's lived at 4 different houses and brought 2 new babies home from the hospital.

So far, it's been to at least 19 states and we plan on going to the Gulf of Mexico next year so that will complete it's tour of major bodies of water.

We love this thing!

Here are a couple of pictures that pre-date our blog.

Leaving Montana and heading towards Yellowstone. Cade was only 7 months old!

Playing in the snow at Cloudcroft. I just like this picture because Cade is so cute. Again.

Camping at Grassy Lookout. Again, Cade makes the picture. I think any pictures we have of Kevin and Cameron when they were little are on film.


As I mentioned, Cameron had a regional soccer tournament in Albertvl last weekend. His team was the unofficial Athens champions as they tied their first game and went undefeated from there on out. They finished their season by handily beating the team they tied.

They saved their best soccer for the tournament! On Saturday, they played 2 games and had to win to advance to top 4 and play on Sunday. They beat the first team 5-2 and Cameron played a great game at goalie. The second game was against the best team they had played to date. Actually, the team was ok, but they had one really good player. We were able to mostly shut that kid down by putting our best player on him but he still got some good shots at our goal. And that's where Cameron really started to shine as goalie. He blocked a couple of shots that were the difference between winning 3-2 and losing. The refs came over after the game and commented on how our goalie won that game for us and how good he is. Funny thing, he really wasn't all that good the rest of the season but he was outstanding on Saturday.

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On Sunday, we played another team with one player that was incredible! Our team played hard and were tied at 2-2 at halftime but we had a mental breakdown or something because they scored 3 goals in about 5 minutes. On those shots, Cameron just had no chance of stopping the balls. They were either too high to reach or perfectly placed on the other side of the goal. Cameron didn't give up though and late in the game he singlehandedly stopped the kid TWICE by charging out of the goal at him. I know I sound like a typical pee wee parent saying this, but that game was so horribly refereed that I honestly believe it cost us a good chance at winning that game. I had several conversations with the officials after the game was over about it. Either way, I was really proud of Cameron's team.

The Goalie of the Year (as far as I'm concerned) diving for the ball.

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And here are the champions!

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We found an old pre-Civil War cemetary in Albertville. This guy was the person that the town was named after. Born March 31, 1796!

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Some really old, weathered headstones. Couldn't read them.

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Dana's getting Cade started on what will likely become a new chore every Fall.

Fall

Ok. You asked for an update and you're gonna get one or three. We've taken a lot of pictures and several things have been going on lately so I'll have to break it up into more than one post.



We'll start with a picture taken from our backyard. It's actually the area directly behind our (recently deceased) neighbor's house as seen from our house. Beautiful fall colors around here!





When I first saw this picture that Dana took I immediately thought of...






this one.



Cade's ready for soccer!



Here's a shot of Speedy Reynolds. This dude consistently outran bigger kids all season long. He's running so fast here he's warping the space-time continuum. Or, maybe that's another kid behind him, but still, he's fast. He also took after his big brother and played goalie in just about every game.



Air Cade! Hard to tell, but he's shooting a basket here.

As usual, we waited until the last minute to get our pumpkins and carved them on Halloween. Kevin is starting on his masterpiece.

Cameron gutting his pumpkin. He and Kevin designed and carved their own pumpkins.

Even Cade got in on the action. Last year he wanted nothing to do with the slimy insides. This year he wanted to help "get the junk out".

And here they are along with the extent of our last minute decorating (6 plastic ghosts for $2 at Walgreens!). Cameron's alien pumpkin is on the left and Kevin's is on the right.

Even Dana dressed up or make-uped up, I guess. It might be hard to tell here but she painted a butterfly on her face. When I first saw her I was kind of like "hubba hubba" but I was also scared at the same time. I'm not sure what that means.

We spent the late afternoon of Halloween helping with a mini-carnival of sorts that our church does every year. From there we came back home to go trick-or-treating with the Williams (the family that went to Cade's b-day party with us). We all had a great time.

Kevin's first concert - and I missed it! I had to fill in for Cameron's soccer coach because he couldn't be at the game.

Speaking of soccer - Kevin's team started off well and fell apart at the end. Blame it on his dumb coach. But we made some new friends and I learned several things while taking the mandatory coaching classes. We even improved Kevin's place kicking technique. Cameron's team on the other hand, had a coach that didn't know the first thing about soccer and killed as much time as possible during "practice" because he didn't know what to do. They tied their first game and won all the others - and even beat the team they tied! What the heck? I guess I took the wrong approach with Kevin's team. Anyway, Cameron's team will be playing in a regional tournament this weekend. Wish us luck!