Christmas break!

We took full advantage of our Christmas break and tried to do lots of fun things to occupy ourselves. After our first big snow, one of our really nice neighbors plowed all the driveways so everyone could get out. Jerry piled all our snow in one area and the boys were super excited to go out and build a snow fort. It was super cold still, so they hollowed out a part so that they could sit in it. I thought they were going to make a tunnel through it, but they decided not to.

Travis on top of the fort.

 The older boys all got a few sets of legos for Christmas. Travis had his two done in the first few days following Christmas. Carson had 8 sets to put together and he logged a lot of time in his room putting together 6 star wars sets and two other ones. He finished his last set the night before they had to go back to school.

Carson with his star wars legos he put together during the break.

Carson wanted to go sledding over at the golf course during the break. We didn't make it over until the Friday before they had to go back because it had been SO cold! It warmed up into the 20's so we took advantage of it. There was still plenty of snow for us to sled and the boys had so much fun!

The boys tried to do a train down the hill with the two sleds but they ended up breaking up and crashing. After sledding, we went home and enjoyed hot chocolate.

One of Carson's gifts from santa this year was a chemistry set. He did several different experiements and the two other boys loved to watch.

One day, we put together a paper chain as a count down to our trip to Hawaii. Each day someone tears off a link so we can see how much closer we are getting to our departure date! We are so excited to go and I know it's going to come quick!

Grandma Foulger invited the boys over for a sleepover on the Friday before they had to go back. Christian and I took them over to Powell for the night and then went out to eat for an early anniversary dinner at Lamlighter. We ran a couple of errands after and then came home and watched the Magnificent 7. Saturday morning (New Year's Eve), I made our traditional oliebollen dough to rise over night. Christian worked on putting his tools in his new upright tool box he got for Christmas and then we ran to get some Champs chicken and a soda for lunch. We watched another movie while we ate our lunch. The boys got back around 2, Landon napped and then we went out to Grandpa and Grandma Asay's house for New Year's Eve dinner. We played a few rounds of telestrations and visited until about 10, and then came home and went to bed. We didn't even make it to midnight because we started the new year with 8:00 church (which means Christian has meetings at 5:30...happy birthday to him!). After church, I fried up the oliebollen and we enjoyed it. We celebrated Christian's birthday with ham and beans soup and apple pie!

This year, I coated the oliebollen with the traditional plain sugar and some with cinnamon sugar. I think the cinnamon sugar is a new favorite!

Christian was given the Monday after New Year's off from work. We fired up the 4-wheeler again and pulled the boys around the neighborhood until they were frozen!

Landon loved the sledding a little more this time than the first time we didn't it. This time he wasn't getting a face full of snow!

 

Snow play on a winter day!

Landon enjoying some snow.

 I think Travis could have gone all afternoon  being pulled behind the 4wheeler! He is a die hard!

On the verge of wiping out!

 Carson taking a turn. I think he only went a couple of times and then he went in to work on his legos. He had gone out in the morning with his primary class at church to shovel walks around town and was ready to be warm and work on legos.

We also made a trip to Billings to exchange a few items from Christmas, met up with two of my best friends from high school for lunch in Powell, watched movies and played with all of our fun new things from Christmas!