To give credit where credit is due, the original image came from http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/tech_support_cheat_sheet.png

One of those traditions is to give the kids something small on Christmas Eve. This year they got pajamas.

Another tradition is that on Christmas morning we let the kids go one at a time to see what they have in their stocking.

Madelynn had a lot of fun opening her presents and seeing the surprise inside.

Candy is something that they always get in their stockings

It is also very satisfying to see the expressions on the kids face when they get a gift they have always wanted.

Madelynn got a lot of clothes, she has been out growing so fast that it is hard to keep up.

The older kids got a new computer so they will keep off of their moms.

Sidewalk chalk was also something that the boys got.

Raelynn got a new doll.

The all got roller blades which will help them play outside more.

The kids have wanted Guitar Hero for a long time and we have borrowed it from Jared a couple times. So we decided to get them instruments of their own. We now have outr own little band in the house.

Madelynn certainly is not one to be left out.

The big gift of the year is a Nintendo Wii.

Anna had us this year and she was very creative and generous.

The night before the wedding we all participated in a nice dinner.

That evening all the McLaughlin boys and Jared “Best Man” had little Bachelor party.

The day of the wedding both Jared and Danielle were very happy and anxious.

After the wedding we all traveled to Tuscon for the reception. They had a clever little table setup with several jars of candy. Each guest was suppose to fill up a bag and take it with them. As you can see it was a big hit.

We stayed there for a couple days and on the first day Raelynn slept over at the Marshel’s. That next morning Seth and Raelynn made breakfast for everyone that was at their house. Unfortunately, Jennifer and I were not there until later. I had to borrow these pictures from Anna.

For Thanksgiving we had a very large dinner and a lot of people. As you can see from the pictures there were also lots of kids, and teh mothers were hovering over them, providing for their every need.

The blessing took place on Saturday morning so some people could get home for Church on Sunday. We choose to stay and go to church in Idaho and leave for home right after.

Just after the Thanksgiving dinner Madelynn got her first haircut. Anna was kind ehough to do this and as you can see it was very cute.

Well it was Keaten’s birthday recently and he turned the magical age of 4.

The kids are very excited to begin opening the presents. Often the other children are more excited than the birthday child.

This year we tried to keep it a bit more practical by giving him some needed cloths

I really love this picture. while Keaten is showing off his gifts, Madelynn is in the background having a blast with a box. I think next year we will just give he boxes.

Despite how much fun cloths are we also wanted to give him a few toys and moves. He specifically asked for Curious George and Caillou movies.

We have a tradition of going to a particular pumpkin patch and picking out pumpkins.  At the place they have a corn maze, slides and other activities.

Picking out pumpkins is also a lot of fun. We let the kids pick there own.

This year Jaren and Raelynn got to dress up for school. They were suppose to choose a costume that related to what they were learning. Jaren choose to dress up as a mummy because he was studying Egypt. Raelynn dressed up as a pirate because she was studying the War of 1812.

We reused those costumes for Trick or Treating and we dressed up Keaten as a leopard and Madelynn as a Lady Bug.

Before the baptism Jennifer’s mom sewed a beautiful baptism dress for Raelynn.  Jennifer took Raelynn out in the yard to take some pictures.

On the baptism day everyone wants pictures, so we posed for a few. Jennifer also snuck in a few pictures of Raelynn and I after she was baptised.

After we got home we had a little lunch for everyone.

Raelynn received a few gifts from friends and family, including her first scriptures, a scripture case,  scripture markers, and two journals.

Then we had a pancake breakfast–IHOP style.  I made the pancakes while Jennifer helped everyone decorate their pancakes with whipcream, chocolate chips and cherries.

After that they played a game where each girl got blindfolded and had to find a teddy bear that they had brought from a big pile of teddy bears.

Then Raelynn opened her presents.

And finally they decorated breakfast bowls.

Last but not least, we all sang Happy Birthday to Raelynn and ate cake–except we didn’t have a traditional cake, instead Jennifer made a cake out of doughnuts.

Here is a short video of the surprise wake up and some of the activities.

After the party with friends we had a small family party where Raelynn opened some gifts from us, Jaren, Keaten, and Madelynn.  

After all the presents were done we went to the annual Town festival, called Harvest Moon, for some additional activities. The kids always love riding the horses, bowling with pumpkins, and going on a hay ride.

Jaren did a great job building a tall Lincoln Log home.

We had a lot of fun at a kite festival put on by the city in honor of the small windmill farm.

Keaten is contemplating taking a bite out of a lemon.  He decided to go for it, and is now thinking about whether or not he likes it.

Raelynn, Jaren, and Keaten had an opportunity to participate in a one day karate class.  They had a blast!

While mom had the drawers off to put on new baby proof latches, Madelynn decided to sneak into the opening.  Unfortunately, she got stuck and it was quite a challenge for mom to get her back out.

Madelynn thought, “Well, if I’m not allowed to play in the cupboard, then maybe I’m allowed to play in the sink with the dirty dishes.”

Raelynn had fun dressing up as a 6o’s housewife for spirit week.