Christmas 2010 family photos

I know this blog has been chocked full of many adventures of late.  If you are looking for more, you will have to wait for the next post.  This Christmas entry will not feature food, presents, wrapping paper and the like. This year, I put down the camera and simply enjoyed the company of family. I did, however, ask everyone to take some family photos. This blog entry is mostly for posterity for my kids who will undoubtedly cherish these photos in years to come. 
Christmas this year was a bit out of the norm.  Chris had been travelling a zillion miles (actually 200,000 but who's counting?) and Ashley and Jason bought a new house and began moving in the week before Christmas!  And don't forget that temperatures hovered between 0 and 20 degrees for approximately the whole month of December.  As a result, we were unable/unwilling to do any travelling into the mountains this year.  Mom and Dad came up for Sarah's birthday party and we decided to make an early Christmas of it.  This way they could celebrate with all the kids and grand kids and get back home before the next snowstorm which was to hit Christmas morning (how exciting!). We used this time to catch up with one another, grab a bite to eat (thank you Cracker Barell for keeping me from cooking and cleaning), and open some presents.  One of my gifts to Ashley this year was a collage picture frame with family photos.  While compiling photos, I realized that I had zero good photos of Ashley and Jason to display.  I decided to fix this problem with a mini family photo shoot!

Here is the exhausted couple.  Two kids under 18 months, and a move in subfreezing temperatures the week before Christmas.  They are putting on a pretty face, don't you think?   I think I would be crying in this photo!

Leah and Alena took the opportunity to bounce away on our "jumpolene".  This was Sarah's three year old "Santa gift".  It has been one of the best purchases to date.  Aren't the girls so cute together?  They light up when they see one another.

Our three bigger girls.  Aubrey is too little to climb up just yet.

Sarah decides to hop off to make sure Aubrey doesn't feel left out.

The impossible photo.  Four girls under the age of 5 (3/4 under the age of 2).  Will we ever get that magic photo?

Maybe when they are 18, 13, and 12!

So they tell me to hop on Chris's lap for a photo.  Of course I am going to hate this one.  Does anyone ever look good sitting in some one's lap who is older than about 7?

If you are wondering what Sarah has chosen for her Christmas attire, we are fresh off a visit to see the Nutcracker.  She HAD to dress up and put on a Christmas show for the family.  Good memories.

Our big girl.  I can't believe we held her in this very chair on the boppy just 5 short years ago.

Silly shot time!

Bring on the baby.  Now the family is complete.

Isn't it true that when you take multiple photos, each person looks good in the photo where someone else isn't looking?  Photography is difficult indeed!

Mom and Dad posed for a photo as well.  I think it turned out great!

Jason, Ashley, Alena and Aubrey.  All that brown hair.  Where is the red in our family?  I bet it will show up with the arrival of our grandchildren some day.

Now for the fireplace shot.

Jason and "Aubee" as Alena calls her.  She looks just like Ashley.

Sarah getting lovin from uncle Jason.

Now, on to Chris's house.  We had our Christmas with them on Christmas Eve.  Chris went down a little early while I cooked and cleaned.  We had a great dinner thanks to Joann.  Then we decided to take a few family photos there as well.  This level of cooperation happens so rarely, I just couldn't resist.

As you can see, Leah is giving her tired pose.  Whenever she is sleepy, she plays with the hair.  She has had so much hair since the very beginning, it is like an old friend!

The Coleman clan.  A very rare photo indeed.

Joann, Charles, and their oldest.  I can't believe our kids will be this big someday!

Joann, Charles, and their oldest grandchild. 

We had a wonderful Christmas season filled with food, fun, laughs, wonderful gifts, and awesome memories.  I call Christmas 2010 a success by all accounts!