Christmas At the Bolthouse House:-)

 We celebrated Christmas early since we're headed back to the midwest on Friday.  I was just sure the boys would be up at the crack of dawn, but they actually slept in:-)

 There was no time for breakfast....they went straight for the presents!

 John demonstrating the stomp rocket--they haven't broken anything....YET:-)

 Kenny showing John how to work the monster truck track....

 It's so fun, except the trucks keep escaping and hiding under furniture!?

 Jacob decorated his vinegar & baking soda rocket (looks better than it performs:-).

 John had help searching for geodes.  What fun....and what a mess!

What a fun day....and BUSY!  Mom & Dad will need a nap for sure:-)

Santa Loves Us!

Santa Came Early!

Little helpers!?

The boys were a BIG help vacuuming this morning.  Do you suppose this counts as a bath?:-)

Time to head home....

 The week in Iowa passed too quickly!  We packed up for the long journey back to Colorado...

....and created the perfect place for misbehaving boys:-)

5 Generations of John Deere Drivers

 Grandpa brought his Great Grandfather's tractor out for a ride and to display for Christmas!  Kenny, Jacob and John all loved riding on this late 1930's model.

Darin even got in on the action and took it for a spin!  What a fun family heirloom:-)

Finding the Perfect Tree

 We had a great time hunting for Grandma & Grandpa's perfect tree.  It didn't take long to pick it out....and everyone elected Grandpa to do the sawing! 

Riding on the trailer behind the big John Deere was the highlight:-)

Erb Thanksgiving in Iowa

 Grandma & Grandpa Erb are ready to go dancing!

 Jacob and John didn't waste any time identifying who would give then treats--Grandma & Great Aunt Janet were top of the list:-)

Uncle Nate is always up for wrestling (must have been half-time of the football game:-)

Boy Bash at Hudson Gardens

 There's a beautiful, outdoor event center about 15 minutes from our house.  They have trails & gardens on about 10 acres.  It's a great place to let the boys run off some steam:-)  We invited our friends to join us this week!

The best tree climbing tree ever--if only it wasn't over water:-0

J&J's Performance of "Five Little Pumpkins":-)

Fall Sledding

The boys came up with this ALL on their own:-)  Darin and I were inside fixing lunch, and looked out the window to see this new activity. 

Trick-or-Treat!

 We started our Halloween night out with pizza & "It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" at our friends' house.  The Jasperson boys were dressed as Scooby Doo & Shaggy (Jacob kept singing the Scooby Doo song:-)

 The 2-year-olds actually cooperating (or was it the TV they were watching behind me?)

 And the older guys!

 We swung home after supper to pick up Darin for Trick-or-Treating.  The boys had a great time, but didn't last as long as I expected.  We still have a HUGE bowl of candy to show for our efforts!

 The fireman, policeman, and Spiderman--I've never felt so safe and secure:-)

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving!

 Sunday afternoon was the perfect weather for carving pumpkins!  Kenny took his very seriously, and completely understood the process from previous years:-)

 John liked the idea of scooping everyone's innards back into his pumpkin!?

 And Jacob just REALLY wanted to use the knife!

 Sarah did the majority of the work, with artist direction from the boys.

They turned out great!  We did a trial run, lighting them once it got dark.  We're ready for Halloween:-)

The Bolthouse Boys take on A-Basin!

 Kenny is in his second year of skiing and is one big chicken!  We were hoping that being out with his little brothers would make him more confident.  They showed him up today!

 I was hoping wearing a helmet would encourage Kenny too--maybe next time!?:-)

 John was incredible.  It took him about 20 minutes before he wanted to do it all by himself--and could!  He was able to navigate onto and off of the magic carpet and go down the bunny hill all by himself.

 Future Olympic downhill team?

 Jacob did really well too!  He was the fastest of the three--ran into the fence at the end a few times before he figured out how to turn:-)  He also tried jumping off the end of the magic carpet.  This one is going to give us a run for our money on the slopes!

Thursday Fun!

 A box arrived from G&G Erb yesterday.  It proved the perfect motivator for everyone to get ready this morning:-)

 We made it out the door on time for a fun fall festival with friends.  Four mommies and seven boys (2 were in preschool). 

 Dancing on this rock became quite the entertainment!

And thankfully, Miss Jodi packed extra sandwiches....what a fun morning!

Best Buddies

Jacob has been sneaking into Kenny's bed in the middle of the night.  On Wednesday, he had made his move by 10:30, so we were able to capture the sweet brothers. 

SUPER fun with Grandma & Grandpa Erb!

 Grandma & Grandpa flew in for a weekend visit.  They managed to squeeze some superhero costumes into their carryons, which were a HUGE hit!

 John as Spiderman

 Between adventures, the superheroes liked reading books with Grandma.

 We love celebrating Grandma's Birthday in person, even if it was a week late. 

Thanks for visiting Grandma & Grandpa!  Love, Your Avengers Grandsons