Big Bear Lake
We went up to Big Bear Lake the day after Christmas and stayed in a cabin! We had a great time, although we ended up coming home early. It was just too long for the boys to be up there, and Colby really didn't feel well..I got so many great pictures..I'll put up a link to Shutterfly with all of the others! Enjoy!
Cutie Colby all ready to experience the snow!! It is 22 degrees today!
We are so excited to be at our cabin finally!
We went out to play in the snow with Charley & Karen...Jack cried almost the entire time, because his hands were cold :( I guess his gloves weren't shielding the 22 degree weather very well...
Here is a family picture in the snow...Jack was still crying of course!
Colby & Uncle Charley built a very tiny snowman together!
Colbers found snow on his gloves & got really excited! He started clapping & watching the snow fall off!
Uncle Charley & Aunt Karen in the snow...are we warm yet??!!
The three big boys ready to go sledding! It warmed up to about 33 degrees on Friday, which believe me, is almost warm compared to the day before!!!
Uncle Charley, Aunt Karen, and the boys right before they left to go home!
Here the boys are this morning with their Big Bear snow globes! I had to get one last picture in front of the tree, before we took it all down today :( I hate taking it all down...it is a little depressing! I love the whole Christmas season...

Christmas Day
The boys on Christmas Day...They had fun playing with all of their new loot!
Our family on Christmas morning!
Here is the boys' stuff all set up...It took Santa about 2 hours to put it all together :)
Boys going down the hallway on Christmas Morning...Daddy is video taping :)
Jack found his stuff!! He didn't even notice the bike at first!
Colby found his stuff! He liked the basketball/baseball toy the best!
Grandpa puts together Colby's Lion rider...
Colbers found Princeton's collar....he gets a new one every year!
Jack riding his new Spiderman bike!
Colby thought his Little People Garage would be best used as a climbing apparatus!
Look at me mom!!! He did this about 5 times, and it was making Grandpa really nervous, so we put an end to that game :) This kid will climb on anything!

Christmas Eve
We hosted Christmas Eve dinner at our house this year, and Grandma and Grandpa came to join us...Here is our table all set..I finally got to use my Christmas dishes that Kaleb's grandmother bought for us when we were first married! I've decided that I like Christmas Eve better than the actual Christmas day..It just seems like that evening is more about the reason for Christmas, and I love our traditions of church and Christmas lights and baking cookies and eating!
Our family on Christmas Eve...we went to church for the Christmas service, then on to look at Christmas lights!
My blue eyed boys....
The Thompson Boys....
Mommy & her precious boys...
My dad & I...
Dad, Zee, and the boys...
After church, we took the boys to walk "Candy Cane Lane" near our house...It is a street where they go all out to decorate their yards!

This was the highlight of the night for Colbers, since the lights have been his favorite thing this season (as well as hiding things in the tree, such as a ball, and coming back to get it the next day!)....He loved looking at all the lights :)
Ready to go home & get cookies ready for Santa!
We have enjoyed doing the Advent Calendar each day this month of December...Here is Jack on day 24--we finally found Baby Jesus! This has been a fun way to teach the story of Christmas to Jackson :)
Here is the final calendar! It is the neatest Advent calendar I've seen...it is magnetic & puts together the scene of Baby Jesus' birth!
Daddy & the boys "tracking Santa" on the google earth website...Last they checked, he was in South Carolina :)
The boys having fun & playing in their Christmas jammies, right before they went to bed for the night!

USC Campus Visit
We went up to USC today to exchange a couple of things in the bookstore...We hung out on campus & watched the boys play golf....It was neat to see our boys at the place Kaleb & I love so much! We showed them where we used to live (which is where we met!)...It was fun to imagine our boys there someday :)

Golfing at Bovard....
Pictures with the kids in front of Bovard Auditorium...The first place I fell in love with USC & heard the band play!

Romantic Evening with My Hubby
Last night Kaleb & I got to go out on a date! We've been looking forward to it for weeks...We ate at TAPS, and this lady walks in with a bag from Ben Bridge and says, "Mr. Thompson?" and hands it to him. I was so confused!! So I opened up the bag and this big box came out! My mind was racing as to what it could be! I opened it and this beautiful amethyst and peridot necklace was there!! It is beyond beautiful! The stones are the birthstones of our boys...amethyst for Jackson, and peridot for Colbers....What an amazing & romantic surprise!! I guess Kaleb had gone there after school, bought it, and set it up to be delivered to me at the restaurant!! What a love my handsome hubby is!!

Christmas Cookie Decorating
We had some friends over this week to decorate Christmas cookies! We had a great time!
Mama and Colby read a quick book...Colby's favorite pastime...
The big kids and their babies!
Jack had his two best buddies over....Luke...
...and Kylie!
A rousing game of Elefun, one of Jack's favorite games!