The kids making themselves at home in our room. I wish we could have stayed for several nights. There is quite a bit to do in Breckenridge, but Pat couldn't take the time off. 
We went with some good friends of ours Jeff and Michele. The block of ice behind us is the beginnings of an ice sculpture and you can see the ski slope in the distance. Good times!
Camille's first Christmas and Santa. She was oblivious of the whole experience.
Caleb was actually very excited to talk to Santa this year. He wanted Legos. I think he is too young for them, but he just plays with the Lego guys. The boy version of Polly Pocket I guess.
All Paul wanted was bubblegum. Santa came through and he was one happy kiddo.
So we bought a new van and we drove to Baton Rouge. Yes, I think we were not thinking too clearly at the time. Driving it instantly aged me 10 years, but it is such a practical car. It took over 20 hours each way to drive. It was funny when we had 4 more hours to go it felt like we were in the home stretch, "We are almost there!" It is all perspective. The DVD player in the van was a huge hit. This is a picture of the kids washing the car while we were in Lousiana. Note: the weather was fantastic!
:) If you could just sleep another 10 hours that would make this whole experience a little easier.
We went to a nature preserve center near grandpa's house (also near the Baton Rouge LDS temple). Caleb touched a couple snakes. He was proud of himself. 
Our nature hike. The kids kept asking if we would see an alligator. Thank goodness alligators are dormant this time of year, or I would have been a wreck.
Maisy, Emmy, Paul, and Caleb. Speaking of wrecks, if you will notice on the right side of the photo there is no guardrail below the upper one. Bekah and I were constantly worried that the little ones were going to walk right off the boardwalk and into the swamp. As soon as we were off the boardwalk we sighed relief, and then Maisy instantly stepped into a patch of poison ivy. Relief dissipated.
It is tradition to visit Mike-the-Tiger the LSU mascot whenever we visit. The kids love it. 
Mike was very playful that day and the kids were hyper. I dare you to run in 100 circles.
Then we took all the kids to see grandma. Emmy, Neela, Grandma, Maisy, Paul, Camille, and Caleb. Merry Christmas!
I guess we can't all be happy all the time. 
She did not care for the swing. What kid doesn't like swings?
We went to the New Orleans Children's Museum. It was a lot of fun. The kids liked to shop in the grocery section.
Paul enjoyed shopping for crab and all the other types of sea food they had there. The museum had an entire nautical exhibit. I thought it was cool.
There was a restaurant as well. The kids prepared what I ordered and I was served in the dining area. They had a good time.
This is an example of what a color blindness test looks like to someone who can see colors normally.
This is what it might look like to someone who is color blind. They can't see the number 5, just dots. We have had Paul tested in the past with these, but was still learning his numbers. 
At the museum they had a section about the eyes and had a LARGE picture in one of these tests. I took Paul over to it because this would be his first time doing the test with objects he can for sure recognize like a car, a plane, a smiley face, etc. This is a rough depiction of what the picture the New Orleans Children's museum had in color blindness dots. Paul could only see the squiggly lines at the bottom corners (the control that everyone can see). Caleb could see all the pictures. So Paul is for sure color blind and Caleb is not. Paul understands that he can't see colors correctly. When he gets a color wrong he'll say, "that's okay because my eyes see colors different."
The white on white looked awful for starters and my camera kept over exposing, but most of all I couldn't even get all three to smile at the same time.
Nevermind. I give up. I have 10 more months to pull something together for Christmas next year.
This right here is the opposite of helping Camille. She was picking off the color tabs on the limbs that tell you where they go on the trunk.
Good job! Emptying the Christmas lights.
Yes, very helpful.
This is what we live for. Moments of peace and tenderness.
Grandpa and Camille. Sweetness
Camille's first licorice. I just love watching babies explore messy foods. 
A messy face is a happy face.
The kids did surprisingly well on the 9 hour drive to Wichita from Denver. The drive home was a little more eventful with Caleb puking and Lucy choking and kids saying things like, "Mom, Harrison is looking at me." 
Liz, Monae, Tracy, and I went to visit our good friend Leslie that moved away from us. While we were there we celebrated Monae's birthday. And yes, the candles are matches.
It was also a good reunion for all the kids. 
"Come on Tracy!" It is amazing what our bodies can and can't do as we get older.
The Air Force Base that Leslie lives on was doing a Trick-or-Treat activity for the kids one morning. Caleb was a cowboy, Paul was the Tin Man, and Camille was Tigger. 
I can't believe that Leslie had enough costumes and dress-up clothes for all 16 kids. The rest of the trip was full of sugar; the best kind of vacation!
The kids had a good time hanging out at night.
The kids played all day and when the drove us nuts we sent them outside. Here is a picture of the kids one night in the backyard with glow sticks.
Just Dance girl's night. Let it be known that I suck at Just Dance, but love it all the same.
We went to a corn maze. They had several activities for kids and the adults enjoyed them equally. 
Leslie and I bushwhacking to keep up with the kids in the maze. Despite our efforts we still lost one.
Even better than a hay ride.
Caleb and Harrison in the 50 gallon barrel train ride.
Cute Camille
They had a huge slide that Caleb lived on.
A tricycle track
Monae in the middle of the coolest fall from the zipline any of us have seen in a while. What grace!
The Coolest part of the Corn Maze Place was the huge trampoline thingo! What a good looking group.
The chaos that followed.
Meet some of the most amazing women I know. Me, Tracy, Leslie, liz, Monae
Monae has all sorts of moves that would impress you. I think she could have been casted in that new Footloose movie. :)
Next stop on our list, Tracy's flat tire. We know what we are doing, right?
We piled the kids into Leslie's car to watch a movie while we changed Tracy's tire. Thank goodness for modern technology.
We totally have this under control. Okay, we need someone heavier than Tracy.
Or how about just someone different. A nice man stopped to help us. That left us with a lot more time to goof off and take pictures.
Hey!
We are so helpful.
Then we were put to work because the van kept wanting to roll off the jack. 
Let's put the kids to bed early tonight.
What a fantastic trip. Thanks Leslie for a great time!
