The After Party

The partying did not die down, once Christmas day passed. We played games, went shooting (guns and archery), spent a day in Seattle (Pike's Place, monorail, H&M, and the Ballard Locks), attended a family baptism, exercised, hiked, purchased lots of great children's books at Value Village, went after Christmas shopping, got pedicures, and took family pictures.

After a crazy week like the one we had, I have drawn a conclusion: I LOVE FAMILY!

Family members love you despite your quirks, mood-swings, lack of sleep, when you have a running nose, if your zipper is down, if you have bad breath, when you beat them over and over again at the same game, and so forth.

I don't want to imagine what life would be like without family.

I went through a family 'cleanse' the week after break. It was more like a week of withdrawals. Severe ones. I was SO homesick, lonely, tired, etc.

We left the kids at home and went for a relaxing pedicure. The two hours away was the only time the women were completely without children. Bless those children, but bless those two hours!

Visiting one of Seattle's hot spots-- the gum wall

On the monorail

A nice way to end each day

Robin Hood (my dad) took little Sean and the others out wandering through the woods, shooting cardboard animals. Apparently it was tons of fun-- I was on baby-sitting duty.

My FAVORITE picture from the week! I love Sean, Micah, Emily, my dad, and Eve's expressions. I also love Shane sneakily applying his mustache.

Love the mustaches and expressions on all of the men (and Ryder)!

I am Charlie's favorite person in the middle of the night. Sean and my dad are the favorites during waking hours. He is always reaching, crawling, or climbing up on those two. I get slightly jealous. They go out and have fun, I stay home to watch the little one and he STILL prefers the other two? Unfair!

Teaching Ethan to shoot

Couples' therapy.....

And we lived happily ever after.....

So did they!