Christmas Clapp style

Christmas morning 2008
Aric, Brittany,
Dylan (19 months) and Clayton (3 1/2)

We had the best Christmas thus far as a family! The boys are at such a fun age, Christmas is so magical, and they are easy to please. Santa has finally become such a real concept, and all the rituals that come with it. Clayton has nearly mastered the Christmas story, he loves the nativity, and is learning the true meaning of the holiday. We were very blessed!

Checkin' out his brother and Daddy's stuff!

snuggling in for a naptime story

My Mom and Stepdad, Clayton with his jack-hammer from santa!

Santa brought Clayton his very coveted "docking station" for his planet heroes! He was very certain that Santa would be bringing it for him!!

Playing with the new toys, one of my favorite times of Christmas, sitting back and enjoying!

Checking on the rain-Deer food Clayton left out on Christmas eve. It was all gone, the deer and some birds ate it all up.

It has been snowing for a week.....

Not much has been happening around this week, it snowed last weekend, melted and life was normal again for monday and tuesday. Clayton had pre-school on Tuesday, and with fear that it would be the last time b4 Christmas we took the teachers their gifts (part of it in picture) We have been able to be out and about in the weather from wed. on. I worked on Friday before it got bad, and we have been stuck at home all day today and it looks like it will be the same tomorrow too! These are some pictures of us... hanging out!

It actually snowed!

We have been hearing the weather people tell us that it was going to snow.... since friday and today is sunday! It hit a bit earlier around the metro area, but nothing stuck out here until this morning around 9:30 am. Church was canceled so we laid low, watched Christmas movies, wore our sweats around (ok that is every-day) and had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. My parents braved the weather to keep up our sunday ritual of dinner and hang out time, they bundled the kids up to check out the snow, it only lasted a few minutes as it was 26*.

Dylan the skateboard pro!

Tree Farm with pre-school

Dylan is standing outside a cage of ducks, that is him using sign language and signing bird.

This morning we got up bright and early, 8 am, ok early for this house! Layered up the clothes, mittens, scarfs, and boots to head out to the tree farm field trip with pre-school. I drove the boys this time, as I chose not to chaperon so I didn't have to find a babysitter for Dylan whom is not old enough to ride the bus. 3 boys in tow we stopped at the local starbucks drive thru for hot coco, as we were out of milk, and yes $8 for coco was more convenient not cheaper than a gallon of milk this morning. I got down the road and after handing out the coco to the boys, I slurped my peppermint and realised yuck gross there was espresso in it!! ARgh. We were running late and I was down the road- so i ended up without.
We arrived at the tree farm in time to have snack, enjoy a hay ride, feed the animals, and hunt for a christmas tree for Clayton's class-room. The boys all had fun, it was a quick visit, but that was all i could handle keeping track of the 3 boys in a wilderness setting!
.... and yes on the way home I got my hot coco fixed and am a happy camper.

Desperately overdue

Just some random cuteness I have been hogging. Sorry for the lack of sharing as of late.

Obsession is the slightest

K. Trying not to sound like a total teenager, but I can not gab enough about my devotion to twilight. I was way late to jump on this wagon... did not read the first book until halloween weekend, and was so addicted that I finished all 4 books in 7 days. Yeah for no sleep! Camped out with my sister and her friends (they are 14, so please don't tease!) to see the first showing on thursday night. I about DIED. Trying not to barf between the 2 giant popcorn tubs we downed in 4 hours along with the 5 refills of the 52 oz mr. pibb we all shared.... and my ridiculous excitement/anticipation. I found myself giddy when the movie finally started and, picking it apart... urgh at myself now. I left with chaotic emotions... equalling a 2:30 am run to walmart to purchase the soundtrack to aid in my debacle: Loath the movie for all that it did not, or embrace the Twilight spirit and allow myself to be truly madly deeply obsessed and in love with said cult classic. Thus the later has come to pass.....
I am begging my husband to take me... or provide child-care so that I might partake of once more...
(Sigh)
I wanted to share one of my favorite movie pictures, I am not sure if this appeared in the actual film.. but for you nw natives they are in front of Multnomah falls!

Twilight

YEAH!!!!!!
I just bought my tickets for thursday night showing of TWILIGHT!!! I am so excited, I get to take my little sister and Aric will be off work and home with the boys! I am seriously going to loose sleep over this, I think this might be better than Christmas.......

If you are happy and you know it clap your hands

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Thankful

It seems that these late hours of the night are the ones that I am most thankful for what my Heavenly father has given, I have time to sit in quiet (a rarity in this house) and think....

I am thankful for a wonderful husband who drives me equally insane with passion and love as he does flat out insane! I would not trade a day with him for one-without. I feel like he is the best partner I could have ever hoped for, Aric puts on a great game face to navigate this crazy life we call ours! Together we have a very blessed life, full of family and friends, a beautiful home, the gospel, and our 2 wonderful boys.

I would not be a mother without my two monsters. They are truly my morning and my night. Without them my world would not turn. I love everyday that I am given to watch them learn and grow, and sometimes I like to think that I have had something to do with their greatness! I am living my dream, I will not lie about that. I have wanted nothing more than to be a Mom, and manage home and family. Yes, some days are hard, and sometimes I don't sleep ( due to reading twilight....) and yes sometimes there is poop on my floor (today...) but Clayton's big eyes and Dylan's cheesy grin make it all worth it.

I am so blessed!

Clay came up with this on his own: He was wearing his new bathrobe around this morning and asked for a santa hat, and he had been wearing the lights around last night... he put the white lights around his neck to look like santa's beard!

Trick or Treat

Clayton and Dylan of course were adorable trick or treating, we only made it down one street because they were so in love with the decorations and the other kids, and holding onto each piece of candy in their hands, not buckets! We even stopped in the middle of the road to play with a very friendly feline! My Dad and step Mom, and sister joined us for the trek!
Funny side note: Clayton barfed when we got home because we thought that he had eaten too much candy, but come to find out after a trip to the ER we took later in the weekend, Clayton has some gastro-intestinal problems to sort out. (nothing serious just tummy aches for awhile for the poor kid!)

I have to tell you, that we have had the chance to do so much Halloween stuff this year it has been great. I have definitely gotten my $20 out of Clayton's costume and luckily Dylan was ecstatic to wear either of Clayton's previous costumes!
Colby and Carter came over for a play date the Wed. before halloween and we decorated cookies and let the boys play play play! We found out about this great thing that they do in down town Camas called the BOO BASH. They do it every year and it is from door to door in the shops... Anyways, we decided last minute to catch up with another friend and her boys, down town. So of course we didn't plan ahead enough to have Lyndsey bring costumes for her boys, or one for Beck who I had that day as well. So Colby and Clayton shared clay's pirate costume, Beck wore Clay's jean jacket and cowboy hat, Carter wanted to have nothing to do with Clayton's 2nd Halloween Dino costume, but Dylan fell in love with it so much that he was ok with Carter wearing nemo. So we pulled it together last minute and had a blast!

Halloween has come and gone

Pics from my girlfriend Ann's son's first birthday party: Buddies Clayton and Liam, Adrianna and Dylan