The Mowles Family

Christmas Eve 2009

This year we celebrated Christmas Eve at Eric and Tanja's house. It was really fun this year, because Ryan especially totally "got it." He had a blast through the whole thing and was even a good boy during church. Sara got more into opening presents as the celebrations progressed.

Sara and Ryan by their kids' table

Eric and his baby boy

My baby girl, one of my precious baby boys, and I. This was the first time I had done my hair and put on makeup in a long time. I look so good! LOL

The boys sitting down to an Italian-themed dinner

So many presents

Daddy and his cheesy-faced girl

We all think Blake looks like Grandpa Frank (Eric's dad)

Family portrait attempt #6. This is as good as it's going to get, folks.

Christmas lights

On Christmas Eve eve we went over to the Masterjohns' house for some pizza followed by a tour of the Brea Christmas lights. Zoey and Brian came, too!

Dinner at the kids' table: Eliott, Sara, and Zoey

In front of one of the houses

Eliott is a super social kid. He's really good with Sara.

Baby Isaac kept wandering in and out of the frame, but he's not in this shot.

Carla's birthday

Alex's wife Carla's birthday is also a few days for Christmas. We got together on the Sunday before Christmas to celebrate. We went to Mexico 1900, a popular Mexican food restaurant with the locals. After dinner everyone came back to our place.

Daddy and his baby girl

Ryan, Eric, Tanja, and "Beakers"

Mowles family (I desperately need to go to the eye doctor so I've been wearing my glasses a lot more than usual)

Carla, Kyle, and Alex

Onkel Eric and Baby Kyle

Tante Tina and Baby Kyle

Baby cousins Kyle and Blake. They are only about seven weeks apart.

Big brother Ryan gets in on the action

John's birthday

Larry's brother John's birthday is just a few days before Christmas, so we got together on the Saturday before the holiday to celebrate. We all enjoyed lunch at Benihana. Happy birthday, John!

Cousin Miranda was loving playing with Sara's hair

Our big group!

Gramma Daisy with her three great-grandkids, plus Billie, John, and Christal

Vicki and Megan

Fun outings

On the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend we took the trailer down to the beach for the day. The Tyners joined us for a cold but beautiful day.

I love Sara's hair like this. It's so ridiculous but so cute.

Ryan was shredding on Sara's trike

A week later Larry signed up for his annual Disney passport. The park was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful!

A few days later Tanja and I took the kids to the mall for Santa pictures. The mall has a play area which was teeming with little kids.

Ryan loved the monster truck!

Sara loves her Tante Tanja and "Beak"

Cookie baking, 2009

On Thanksgiving evening I got into Larry's car and trekked out to Imperial, CA (near El Centro) to bake cookies with my good friend Karen. This was our third annual cookie-baking event, and we might have outdone ourselves. We prepared four different varieties and did a ton of decorating! I enjoy this so much every year. It's a wonderful bonding time, and it definitely helped to put us both in the Christmas spirit.

Look at all those cookies!

Karen did an especially beautiful job with the snowflakes this year

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

Thanksgiving

We did not decide on our Thanksgiving plans this year until the day before the holiday. At the last moment, my siblings and I all decided to get together at our place, and we actually pulled off quite a lovely day!

Baby Kyle and I