The Gun Slingers December 30, 2011

Ahhh the joy of Christmas Vacation!!!  The curb just got pulled out, so Allison and DeWitt are smoothing out the dirt.

Just a different angle.

Scott is a crazy man with the sledge hammer!!!  The missionaries who have been begging Scott for work, said that they never have seen anyone crack cement in 3 swings.  They were laughing at themselves, because they got to 20 swings before they cracked it.  The missionaries are allowed to give service and sometimes it get hard tracting for so long.  We also have a newly baptized family moving into the apartments so the help works well all the way around.

Ok, gun slingers...DeWitt got a shot gun for Christmas and a Boy Scout 22 from his Scout leader Tommy Davis, and he wanted to break them in So we went to the rifle range to have us some fun!!!

DeWitt went to the store to buy ear plugs and bullets, he was so happy that he was 18 and could buy the bullets.  So here he is helping Polly be safe by wearing the ear plugs.

DeWitt's shot gun.

DeWitt says "Pull" and Scott throws the clay pigeon.  They were both so good at it.

Scott liked to send the pigeon in different directions to keep DeWitt guessing.

Polly wanted to give it a try.  It was much harder than it looks.  Dad makes everything look easy.

DeWitt's turn to "pull" and Scott's turn to shoot.

That's my man!

Ok, so Scott is the cutest dad ever.  He likes to give the kids a trinkets for Christmas.  So this year he found an Arizona store, and he got DeWitt this official Arizona Sheriff's badge.  DeWitt was extremely excited about it.  When we played bow and arrow Christmas morning he wore it, thinking that it would help him, and now while he is out shooting he has it on, he is one funny boy!!

I thought about trying to throw, but saw that it was going to be useless.

So I reminded Scott of one of our dates where he took me shooting and he would throw the clay pigeon himself and drop it, and then aim and shoot, this became the new exciting challenge

DeWitt's turn to throw and shoot, it's becoming a fun game for them.

 Polly and the momma!

Polly's turn to shoot

Ouch!!!  That hurt!  At least she is laughing!

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve morning.

The crocheters as they sit by the Christmas fire.

I love slow, quiet mornings like this.

Making breakfast.

Scott wrapping his presents.  He wrote a cute note on each one, that was my favorite part.

Allison made this Santa cookie and Lillian was so happy for her success. hehehe

Grandma Susan helping DeWitt finish up his slippers while Thomas looks on.

Christmas Eve tradition with the Bigges

All of the kids waiting to go on stage for the Christmas Story Pageant

The narrator and the photographers

The audience

Yeah, time for Santa!!!!

Boy, Santa sure looks familiar.....haheeeem, DeWitt

The Evans family wanted to take a picture with Santa

Our traditional pajama bingo game.

It looks like everybody won, and got their new pjs

This year I guess was movie theme for the boys.  DeWitt is Scrooge, and Scott's shirt says, "I'd rather be in the shire."  When he first unwrapped it, Lillian looked at the words, and said "wow, is that in Finish?" and then Scott said, "no is Elvish."  "Oh wow", she said.  She totally believed him, such a funny girl.

The girlys and their pjs

The parents waiting for their kids to go to bed!!!

Ahhh.  The lone stocking,  it was a strange year indeed to have Dallin gone.  We are so happy for where he is though.

DeWitt writing his letter to Santa

This is also traditional.  Allison and Dallin have always stayed in DeWitt's room on Christmas eve night, so this is no exception, it's just one less.

Another tradition, Lillian and Polly have always stayed in either one of their rooms, played games, watch movies, and sleep on the floor.

Dad contemplating his Christmas thoughts as he writes letters to the kids......

Wow, this is what it will look like Christmas morning.  What a haul!!

A Beautiful Christmas!! 2011

Oh my goodness it really came, Christmas Morning.  It is actually Sunday as well.  I love Christmas on Sunday, it helps you remember the true and real meaning of Christmas.  We have our early Kimball 3rd Branch (Prison) meeting at 7:00am, leave the house at 6:30 am.  Scott was in charge this morning, so he spoke himself, so no one else had to worry about it.  The kids came to listed to their Dada give an amazing talk and testimony.  It was a beautiful meeting full of the spirit, and I was so happy that the kids could and would come.  We have the most amazing family.

The kids have to patiently wait for their turn to go down stairs with a flashlight and look at everything that Santa set out.  The first one to go is the youngest, and then the next youngest, and we end with the oldest, who when she is done goes back up, and everybody comes down with a flashlight and kind of pulls their stuff together.  You never know where you'll find things, a necklace hidden in the tree or a little trinket set on a table, or something hanging from the stocking hangers, it's a lot of fun, the kids love it.

So here is Polly the youngest doin her thang.  It is very dark right now, the flash just made it seem light.

Here is Polly checking out what goodies Santa left on the table.  She has to see it all with a flashlight.  Grandma Sherry got surprised by the flash.  We're so glad that she comes over early enough to watch the kids.  We started at 4:30 am.

Here is Lillian with her owl pajamas

She is reading what Santa wrote back to her.

Oh DeWitt and his Scrooge pajamas.

DeWitt reading the Santa letters

Oh Allison, just too cute.

Allison reading the Santa letters, this seems to be one of the favorite things to do. There was a time when only Polly and Lillian would write to Santa and Santa would only write back to them,  and the big kids didn't like not getting a letter from Santa so every year now, they each write Santa his own personal letter, and they each get their own personal letter back.  It's a wonderful tradition.  The kids can have pretty much whatever time they want while they are on their own with their flashlight.  It's dark and very quiet, and it's just an amazing time.

Here they are, everybody but Dallin.  He was sorely missed this year.  It really did seem different.  They are anxious to get down and get busy with all of their loot.

Checking everything out again.  See how there are things on the tree and on the mantle and piano and just everywhere.  So fun!

It's still dark, and they use their flashlights to start the  gathering.

DeWitt's new coat.

Polly found herself a telescope.

Dad and Allison both have "I'd Rather Be In The Shire" t-shirts.

The kids gave us a portable fireplace for the playroom, I am so excited, because I love the fire and I hate being cold.

Just after church.  We had a beautiful program in 3rd ward.  Grandma Susan wrote a Christmas program where the main characters of the Nativity spoke anyway it is mixed in with Christmas music, and Allison portrayed Mary.  She did a wonderful job.

Mom and dad came over for Christmas dinner, and to check out all of the kids things.  It was nice to have them there with us.

Here is mom reading the Santa letters, she always gets a kick out of them.

Just enjoying some fire time after dinner.

DeWitt gave Scott this bucket apron and he was teasing that he didn't know how to use it.

I'm opening one of the many gifts from Scott.

Allison and Lillian opening gifts

DeWitt and Polly opening gifts.

Oh no, watch out, it is the crazy, traditional bow and arrow shoot em up time!

I tell ya, it gets CrAzY!!

Every year Lillian forgets how to shoot her bow and arrow.  Oh Lil.

How did she get shot right in the back, I'll never know.

I told you it gets wild and crazy

I was looking forward to this time of Christmas day.  Dallin said that he would call at either 4pm or tomorrow.  So I carried my phone with me everywhere I went.  So at about 4:20 the call came through.  I could barely answer it, I kept crying, and Dallin kept saying "momma" argh.  So anyway I calmed myself, and we put it on speaker phone and everyone gathered around, so we all got to talk and we all got to listen, it was perfect!  We only got to talk for 36 min. and 12 sec. but I loved every minute.

talking to Dallin

Dad gets to talk.

Polly and DeWitt put together the ping pong table so by rights they got to play first.

and a new "Just Dance"  these are so much fun to watch.

I think that this is the Michael Jackson "Just Dance"

Dad and DeWitt get to play now.

Merry Christmas!!!  It was a beautifully perfect day, I would not have wished for one thing to be different!