I swear Christmas will be my next post

This is what I get for being so behind on blogging. I don't know how to download pictures from our new camera so I always have to wait for Adam to download them (and we all know how that goes...) so here is what you get until I get my Christmas photos downloaded. And mostly because if I don't blog this, I'll never get around to it. But just for a sneak peek, my next two blogs are Christmas and Madelynn's birthday (she's 2! Holy cow!). We also had our 9 year anniversary on December 28, but I didn't take any pictures. We celebrated by buying a new lens for our camera (a telephoto one so I don't have to be so dang close to everything when I want to take a picture). I am super excited to use it! Adam came home with purple and white roses for me and then we went to dinner at BJ's Brewhouse in Tacoma. It is so yummy there!
Anyway, my mother asked me to take a picture of all the grandkids for her Christmas card. I obviously didn't know what I was getting myself into when I said yes. I have a hard time getting my three kids to sit still and smile for a camera. Why did I think I could do it with nine? Well, folks. It's called lowering my expectations. I just figured if the majority of the kids were looking at me and smiling, it would be a victory. And, for the record, I did not like the setting. The stairs idea is really cute when there are lots of kids, but the walls were really white and the teddy bears bugged me, but I just do what I'm told.

I think this is the one my mom liked the most. I ended up cropping it for her, but you don't get that edit :) I don't remember where I saved it on my computer.

Five weird smiles and only four kids looking at me. Sigh... this was just the beginning too.

Rix looks like he's on a roller coaster, Olivia isn't looking at me, Hayden is showing me all of his teeth, Jack is mid-talking, Roman isn't looking and is half-hidden, Bryce is looking at me (!) and smiling (!!), Madelynn is just about done with saying "cheese" and is using her finger as her binky, Cole is giving me a you-better-be-done-soon smile, and Aubrey isn't smiling (maybe it's because she isn't wearing socks? or shoes?). Whew.

We found out this is what happens when you discipline someone at the top of the stairs.

We finally found a way to make them smile... but not while looking at me. With the exception of Bryce and Roman who actually, with Olivia, were the easiest ones to deal with.

And we're done, folks. Madelynn, at least, is done. The others just stopped smiling or started acting goofy or got distracted by the dog or something else.

My dad was appointed the president of the Pierce County Master Builder's Association for 2011. There was a really nice dinner and program for us, and then they had a "Dessert Dash" and whichever table donates the most money gets to run to the dessert table first and pick out a cake or cheesecake, etc. that is up there. You have to literally run because the next table is called right after yours. We got first, so one of the guys at our table ran up and got the coveted orange creamsicle cake. It was so yummy! And my dad being preseident is  only for a year, which is nice since he will have a lot more meetings to go to. But it's something he loves so we were proud of him.

Getting sworn in (he's on the left). The theme of the night was "Black Tie, Blue Jeans" so we all wore nice shirts and jeans. The out-going president was wearing blue jeans shorts. It was a little weird.

My dad gave a little speech afterwards. Go Dad!

Afterwards I was a little bummed because I had wanted a cupcake from the Hello Cupake in Tacoma, but I was vetoed in favor of the creamsicle cake, so Adam went up to the table that got the cupcakes and asked if he could have one for me. They were more than happy to give him one and he got me a red velvet cupcake. It was really good. Thanks Adam for contributing to my massive calorie intake that night!