What's going on with the Nuno's

Thanksgiving 2012 was definitely one of my favorites. It is the first time we have ever hosted and cooked our own turkey. I sent Carlos to get the turkey and when I mentioned it seemed big and the weight wasn't even on the cooking chart, he admitted to going through all the turkeys to find the biggest one. It was just us, my Mom, and Whitney and her family, so we still have shredded turkey leftovers in our freezer. We made Native American head dresses and Rivers made her annual Indian name place cards (she makes up an Indian name for everyone). We also made a thanksgiving tree this year that we put up the week before Thanksgiving to add leaves to with the things we are grateful for written on them.

We started the day watching Rivers run in an exciting kids Turkey Trot. She passed about 5 kids the final 300 meters and was closing on the boy in first when his Dad started yelling "hurry! hurry! she's catching you!". The kid got that panicked look on his face and barely held Rivers off for the win :)

The kids table! They loved the fruit turkey appetizer.

Halfway through dinner, Dre put on Rivers' old skates and put on a show for us.

After dinner we cleared the table and played speed scrabble.

After everyone left, the kids got out paper and wrote letters to Santa. I love that Dre asked for a notebook to write his "O's" in and Reagan asked for a flower. Top of the list for Rivers was a sewing machine and colored duct tape and CD wanted building toys. Later we went downtown for the Christmas parade.

Dreyton looking cute watching Rivers first basketball practice of the season.

The advent calendar I feverishly tried to finish before December 1st.

Showing the kids my "Rauchermann" from Germany that breathes out incense.

We got snow! You guys that are used to snow will laugh, but this 1 1/2 inches of snow delayed school for 2 hours. CD got up first and wanted help making a snowman, so we got our snow stuff on, went out and made this nice snowman....

Then Dreyton woke up and wanted to make a snowman, so I put my stuff back on and went out to help Dre....

...then Reagan woke up after we came in and wanted to make a snowman, so for the third time, I put my snow stuff on and went out to make snowman #3.

A friend of ours that owns a tree farm invited us up to use their wreath making machine with boughs from their trees and it was kind of addicting for me. I loved making them and how good they smelled.

Rivers' grade performed "The Grinch" for their Christmas program so she got to dress up like a Who.

And I got to have fun being creative with her hair.

A few days before Christmas I left my kids for 24 hours (for the 2nd time ever) and flew to Utah for the Rockwell Christmas retreat in Wyoming. It was a fun night and beautiful the next day for snowmobiling. I went for a run in the morning on some of the cross-country ski trails and was reminded just how hard it is to run in the altitude through snow. I got tired so fast.

The cabin

Christmas Eve!

We went to the Ericsons for Christmas Eve dinner and festivities. Here is Reagan at the front of the pinata line.

Rivers and Madison looking too old.

Acting out the Nativity.

Christmas morning we tried a crockpot breakfast that cooked all night. No one ate much though thanks to the looming presents to be opened.

Rivers favorite present was this Katniss, Hunger Games, doll that looks just like her (even though this isn't Rivers' most glamorous shot).

What a great Christmas!!! I love having a 10 year old, a 5 year old and two 3 year olds! Wish I could stop time.

This is a bad picture, but the best present came from Tanner and Alissa who made this awesome Teepee for the kids!! This is a picture of the kids asleep inside it. Rivers has slept every single night in it since we got it.

Tanner and Alissa came for Christmas through New Years, so I got to take a nice, muddy ride with Tanner up Dan's trail.

Can you spot Tanner? I'm so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world!

Reagan was obsessed with Alissa's baby belly! She would even bring toys over to her belly "for the baby".

Girls day! I hosted a long overdue girls only day during the holidays with my favorite ladies. This year Alissa and Diana are about to pop. Last year during this exact same time, Whitney and Amber were due the same week. I'm the only one not popping out babies!

We went up to Mary's Peak to play in the snow for an afternoon.

Sometimes I forget how close the snow actually is.

Tyler with his cute baby boy Riggins.

Gettin' good on the balance bikes. I think they've about outgrown them. Time for big kid pedal bikes this summer.

Fun ride - but a little too long for the twins. This cute covered bridge was our turnaround point and we went under it and threw rocks in the river while we rested.