We Believe...The Polar Express

On Friday we packed up the car and headed across the mountain with the Iverson's to Sacramento where we rode an older locomotive that was dressed up for Christmas...The POLAR EXPRESS. There were dancers, elves, hot chocolate, cookies, the Hobo, and none other than the big man himself... SANTA CLAUS! We had so much fun!

Here we are...We can never get Tracen to smile on command...he has completely shunned that idea.

The Karrasch's and the Iverson's...we are hot in our matching jammies!

Lindsay, Wade and Brooklyn (maybe not Brooklyn's best picture...but Lindsay looks cute =D)

The Hobo came and visited our train car...seeing if we truly do BELIVE!!!

We stopped at the NORTH POLE and got to see SANTA CLAUS.  I didn't get a good enough picture of him to post, but it was sooo cute how Tracen and Brooklyn LOVED to see him.  It was MAGICAL.

The Hobo decided to play a trick on us and run through pretending to be Santa!  BOOO!!!

There he is!  The BIG MAN himself!  SANTA>>>He gave out the first gift of Christmas to ALL of the children.

Our family and the Elves...Check out our matching PJ's they are DANG CUTE!!!  I made them and then bought the matching t-shirts.  Chris was such a sport to wear such FUN PJ's!

The CUTE Iverson's

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Okay...and just for your viewing pleasure...at school all of the Med School Guys decided to have a beard growing contest for 3 weeks...so yes, I was married to a MOUNTAIN MAN!!! Then the last day, they had a contest for the most creative looking beard and this was what came about...REALLY CHRIS??? It was SOOO HIDEOUS!!! I am so glad that he shaved before our fun family adventure on Friday!

For Uncle Kenton

L-lovable little prince

O-0cho meses (8 months for the non-bilinguals =D)
G-gleeful little GUY (anyone who knows him, knows that he is full of smiles
A-adorable baby boy (& Amanda's little man =D)

N-nephew of Kenton =D  (his real daddy) j/k

You Better Watch Out...

You better not cry...better not pout, I'm telling you why...

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!

Today we went to the Scrapbook Cottage and got the boys' picture taken with none other than the infamous, Santa Claus!  Tracen loved him when he talked to him, but as with every picture moment in our lives, as soon as the camera reared its face...Tracen changed his!

Also, for the past few Saturdays, my sister, Amanda, and I have been rehearsing for the Spirit of the Season show at the Grand Sierra and today was the day.  We had performances at 2pm and 7pm.  It was so much fun!  There are many, many talented people in the Reno area.  The only problem is, all the people who performed in the choir, were all a bit older.  But they were fun!  I miss singing everyday and am grateful that I had this opportunity this year.  Music really puts me into the Christmas spirit!!!

Oh and did I mention that Susan Egan, the original Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast was our featured soloist???  AMAMZING!  You may know her better as the voice of Meg (Megara) from Disney's Hercules!

MY TOP 5...

MY TOP 5 Amazing things that my students do on a daily basis...(because they don't think that I went to High School)

5.  Sit and talk to their neighbor while I am teaching and when I call them out on it they look at me like??  WHO ME???  You are accusing me of WHAT???  I would NEVER...

4.  Put gum at the top of their mouths and chew it really quick when they think that I am not looking, then say, "I don't have gum, it's just my teeth"...really???  Why???  

3.  TEXTING>>>need I say more???  The stiff look they get when they are trying to text during my class so that I won't notice that they aren't paying attention, but even better, when I say, "Give me your phone" and they say, "I was just texting my Mom and there is a text message chain from Bobby-Jane about where they are going after school"  Really???  I HATE CELL PHONES SOMETIMES, but I have gotten a nice collection of them this year =D

2.  The GROAN-COMPLAIN-GROAN some more when the announcement of what their homework is going to be...As if they expected us to NOT have Homework when we have had it every single day so far this year...or if they GROAN just a little louder, I might actually change my mind and not give them any!

1.  And really the main reason for my ranting...When kids take a test and CHOOSE to "HELP" each other...nice!  REALLY??? I wasn't born yesterday...I might have two kids, but I am not deteriorating...

I HATE BEING THE MEAN GUY>>>BUT THEY MAKE ME DO IT!  =(