Have a Knapp: December 2009

So I have a special family! Most families around this time do the traditional bundle up warm, go out and pick a tree (which is whole separate story I wont even go into!). Then upon securing the perfect tree they come home and make soft, warm Christmas memories decorating their beautiful tree.
Well not my family! Joe & Charrisa decided that instead of soft warm Christmas music, WE WOULD HAVE TECHNO! And once that started going...well it was all down hill from there....

Our tree... pre decoration :)

Joe may have been the first to choose the music...but Charrisa took it to a whole new level!

She made me do it!

Even Joe got into the beat a little :) hehe look real close at the hip jiggle :)

But dont let his lack of big movement fool you, you wouldn't believe some of the mean beats coming out of his mouth...move over rappers...here comes the white boy!

And then we all settled down to a nice, traditional, nostalgic holiday movie....NOT! Star Trek was the final culmination of our amazing evening! I love my family!

Sorry for the seemingly random nature of this post...had to take out some photos.
Some of you may be surprised that I have not yet posted our thanksgiving adventure, but as you go through the following post you will no-doubt understand. As many of you know, Joe and I can not just take a few photos...no that's i not in our vocabulary. We managed to come home from this weekend with 780 photos (and that's after me goign through and deleting quite a few off the cameras themselves). So the following are a "few" photos of our amazing thanksgiving weekend with my parents in Dixie, Idaho. I hope you have a while! Enjoy :)

Day 1-Driving

10 1/2 hour drive is ALOT with a baby...but so much fun with family :)

Our pilot

Co-pilot

Baby-watcher :)
Katey did great in the car and we did switch seats many times (Joe, Charr & I--not Katey & I) but there were times when only mama would do (I really do love it)

We're there (actually we got there at night...but this is the beautiful cabin)

We really missed Pappy and were VERY happy to see him!

Day 2-Playing in the snow

We really got some good play time in waiting for my two brothers, sister-in-law and nephew showed up.

Charrisa was VERY excited for her first snow-mobile ride :)

I think she liked it!

Then we came home to play for a while & wait. What an amazing place, this is the view from the front porch!

Katey was very helpful getting Daddy's boots off :)

Then it was time to relax

Finally they arrived in late afternoon, this is the first time Pappy has held both of his grand kids at one time! He was so excited!

When Katey met her uncle Ben it was Love at first sight, and she defintily perfered him the rest of the weekend. It was crazy cute!

He was the one who introduced her to "George", and for the rest of the time she would point to George and waive!

There was LOTS of baby watching and playing :)

Pappy LOVES his grand babies :)

My super cute nephew Connor playing in his jumper :)

He also got his yummy meals swinging from the 2nd story. I love this face, it usually came with a corresponding "ooo" sound :)

Everyone around the table! My fav family time :)

Nana & Connor

Katey holding tight to her uncle Ben.

She also was a HUGE help with Chess.

Then we got the books out & Nana read to her babies

Katey loves the "bawk bawk" book (Nana and Pappy taught her to make the chicken sound on the page with the chickens!)

It wasn't just the babies delving into the books :)

Day 3--Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving day started bright and early with babies who didn't sleep that well because they had fun "talking" to each other in the middle of the night. But even though we moved Katey down to the little cabin with us the next night, Pappy said it didn't bother him AT ALL to get up with them :)

The day then progressed to some "your younger and can do stuff" jobs...

This is my brother Ben hanging out the 2nd story window to take the sunshade down :)

No matter how old he gets he will always love being a monkey!

While the boys worked, we did fun stuff!

I love these eyes!

We all had lots of laughs :)

Katey's auntie Kelsey reading her her "bawk bawk" book again...it wasn't the last time, believe me.

Connor was definitive teething and thoroughly enjoyed chewing on WHATEVER he could find :)

This pic takes some explaining, Katey has learned what "Kisses" are and sometimes will give them to select few people, but has no problem giving them generously to her baby doll. This of course includes a fully opened mouth, fully extended tongue and 99% of the babies face! Its adorable!

Then it was time for lunch...Katey was seriously eying his baby food but finally settled for some of Nana's canned cherries. Big hit for Katey...not so much for mom & dad later.

Durring all of this the boys were workign away. They went out and fell a tree to cut adn stack firewood.

Someone didn't seem to even notice them throwing huge logs on the front porch just feet away from her head.

Kelsey & Connor came out side to join in the fun

Then Pappy came inside to do the most important things!

Thanksgiving dinner was AWESOME, but I was too busy eating so this is all you get :)

Then after dinner we continued in a Mehaffey (my maiden name) tradition of playing poker with candy, this year it was starburst as one, almond kisses were worth 3 and snickers/milky ways were worth 5! I lost quickly (because some how my "chips" kept disappearing!). hehe

Then it was bath time for the babies...

Day 4--Nana's Birthday
My mom's birthday was actually the 28th (the next day) but we decided to let her open her presents early and treat friday as her birthday since we had big plans for the next day.

It was just gorgeous outside and the gently falling snow was very inviting..

So we went out!

Katey's second experiences with snow (but her first was at 5 months and she wasn't that interested)

It was a big hit, but after a few runs in the sled she decided she wasn't that fond of being cold and demanded to come inside :)
So Katey went inside and down for a nap and the rest of us decided to go get the Christmas tree! This is another event i don't have any pictures of because of the nature of searching for a Christmas tree with my family. It includes LOTS of snow balls, LOTS of hiding behind tees, LOTS of sledding....and very little ACTUALLY looking for a tree :) I love it!

So my older brother had volunteered to stay home with the babies so we could venture out without them, and this is the scene we came home too.

Is that not one of the most adorable things you've ever seen!
ok back to the tree :)

So I actually don't have any pictures of the decoration of the tree either because an intensive RISK game took place at the same time and I was too busy trying to defend North America from the invading Asians...who won by the way, I'm sorry I failed everyone :)

After the game ended and North America fell we all decided to get Pictionary out. It had been a while since any of us had played and, oh my goodness, it was awesome!

Lots of help from babies!

Day 5--"Christmas Day"
Because we are only with my family one of the two main holidays we traditionally celebrate both when we are together, therefore Saturday was our Mehaffey Christmas.

Katey cuddling with her uncle bright and early

This year my parents were all about making and giving keepsake gifts too all of us! These presents were amazing.

Opening the blocks Pappy had made and Nana had sown a bag for, such an awesome hand-made present!

Connor got his very own set as well, and thoroughly enjoyed them

But even with all the awesome gifts, Katey still had her favorite place!

Somehow I didn't get a picture of Katey's new dolly that my mother hand-made for her with clothes that come on and off and bright red yarn hair, we named her "Anne" (with an E) because she reminds us of Anne of green gables. Picture to come!

Connor got a cute little teddy bear...and he LOVED the tag :)

Aunt Kelsey & Uncle Ben got Katey an awesome foam interacting book, both babies were very impressed

Joe got an old 1960's Polaroid camera that was my great grandpa's, so much fun!

My Dad built custom display cases for my grandpa's old drafting tools he had in highschool!

Then it was out into the snow!

Pappy and the boys gathered fresh bows for us to make our own original wreaths and center pieces! So much fun :)

Just some snap shots of my gorgeous sister-in-law i had to throw in :)

Then back out to the snow for some sledding fun!

I had to explain our sledding techniques a little. First of all you can personally see that this sled is not exactly top notch....but we made due :) We realized that the more weight you had in it the faster it went down the hill...therefore you could maximize your speed with 2 people in the sled! One laying on top of the other! Need I say more :)

Nana & Pappy's thoroughly enjoyed their time with their grandbabies

My curious little girl

She also decided to take this weekend to really begin venturing out in her new way. Katey now walks!

Joe labored all day at perfecting our 11.75 lb prime rib! He also made mashed potatoes and rolls that could have been served in a restaurant! I love my husband!