Best of 2010...a year in pics

The best of the best starts here with our Annual Tea with the Queen.  The Queen of course being my mom.  Requirements:  goofy hats and cucumber sandwiches...and tea.  You must also go by your royal name:  Queen Mum, Princess Consuela, Lady Abby of Boz, Countess Kelly of the House of Richmond, ect.  This year tea is on Feb 5th...can't wait.  And of course we'll be there for the wedding.  We just can't miss the royal wedding.

So then we had the unsettling discovery that Payton couldn't hear.  That was unfortunate.  He had moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears.  But then we met some incredible people such as Dr.Pop, the district's audiologist and Dr.Mary with Children's Miracle Network.  Turns out Payton's hearing aids met their criteria and they picked up the bill for him.  Hearing aids for 0 dollars.  What a miracle.  Now he can hear better (although he doesn't listen better).  School is going a lot better for him and he's now a leader in his class.  

His first music performance.  Xylophone extraordinaire. 

In the spring we went up to Salina to see Uncle Chris (Maddie Godfather) run his train.  They were doing test runs before the summer began and they start giving rides.

It's a really neat scene and such a cool sound.  I love that we're able to give our kids all these cool experiences. 

Finally summer came and we spent all day outside riding bikes and going for walks...and racing tricycles.

And going to Grandma's for swimming pool time and eating dinner outside.  Best ever.

We also headed to Spencer, Missouri for some Route 66 fun.  Every summer Payton gets to ride his bike up and down the Route while Tim and I fish for the world's smallest fish off the bridge next to the filling station.  How lucky are we!?  We spent the day at Table Rock too...have to do that again this year. 

We're also lucky enough to have family close by that will watch our kids so Tim and I can take off and go to Grand Lake, Colorado.  Our mornings were transformed from kids yelling at us to fix breakfast and changing dirty morning diapers to waking up peacefully on a cool Colorado morning and heading out for a morning canoeing on the lake.  It didn't suck and that's all I should really say.

We took drives through Rocky Mountain National Park and saw caribou on the ridge and took walks to see moose hiding in fields.  Definately didn't suck. 

Then we came home to our kids and normal life and set to getting rid of the damn pacifiers.  We had the Great Paci Roundup and threw them in the trash.  Yea...that's not how we should have gone about that.  The girls were devestated and I felt like the world's worst mother.  But at least they're gone.

In August we were blessed with the birth of a new nephew, Tucker.  Tim uses Tucker to keep my baby needs at bay. 

Ella is quite smitten with him.  Every baby in this house is now called baby Tucker.  Even the girl babies...well whatever.



Ella and Maddie had their birthdays.  It was an awesome evening with crab boil, whoopie pies, and giant cupcakes. 

Finally fall came.  It's my favorite season...favorite favorite favorite.

We went to a football game to see Granddad's band and had Apple Day.  Maddie was a mad apple picker.

And Halloween fun.  I love this blurred picture....it's my nieces Abby and Bean running in their Snow White and Belle princess dresses. 

Hang in there...we're almost done.  I'm tired just writing this blog....I must be exhausted from living it. And here we go to CHRISTMAS!! 

Quiet moments where my children peacefully coexisted.  It had to be documented.  I didn't move for an hour for fear that I'd disturb it.

Finally we finished with Christmas at my folks house on New Year's Eve. 

We had Jesus' birthday cake which quickly started being called Jesus cake.  Again...well whatever.

How freakin' beautiful is this picture?!

Payton got a scrapbook of garage doors, hanger doors, and crossing signals.  His Aunty Erin knows him very well.  It was such a peaceful evening...until...

The dart board came out.

Okay now hold the board and let the two 6-year-old's throw darts at you.  Yea...just like that.

Then things settled down again...until....

The dart gun came out.

Then it just was never the same.

And the Jesus cake....was served on "big" 80's plates and Sweet Sixteen plates.  My sister and I haven't been 16 in...well...awhile.

Thank you mom for always making us smile.

So that's our year in a nut shell...or the world's longest blog full of picutres you've probably already seen.  But it was nice going back on what a great year it's been. 

I do have one warning for this next year however....a new blogger has been born and she has TONS to say...