Thumbs and Broccoli

First, Avery really does like broccoli! I don't have a picture, but when she's done eating the top off of it, it looks like a plague of locusts got a hold of a tree. Just picked bare...

Second, Erin was dancing the other night to Guitar Hero at her parents'. See if you can tell who she's impersonating without scrolling down. It's all in the thumbs...

Did you guess? Sweet Fancy Moses!

Guitar Hero World Tour

Eddie and Sue (that's Erin's parents for the uninitiated) got a Wii for Christmas, and Eddie picked up Guitar Hero world tour a couple of weeks ago for it. He's got the guitar, microphone, and drums and is eyeing a second guitar for the future.

Sometimes the screen can be kind of hard to see. Um, right, Suzie?

I dedicated this one to Erin, my beloved photographer.

We really didn't plan the green shirt thing...

Suzie got into the Rocky theme of Eye of The Tiger with her neck wrap. Dude, rocking out is hard work!



Cayden was the rock-solid rhythm section.


And Avery showed her diversity on the mic, not just belting out the ballads...

...but also taking care of the rap, rock, and metal numbers.

Playing Outside

Taking advantage of the warm weather last week, the kids went outside. Avery rode on Cayden's old "bike," and it was one of those bittersweet milestones. I'm posting a picture from May 2006 of her brother doing the same thing (complete with streamers still on his brand-new birthday present). We must have blinked, because they've both gotten so huge overnight!

Cayden drove his remote-controlled Buzz Lightyear car in the driveway. Apparently the tongue helps him operate the controls. Avery thoroughly enjoyed trying to catch the thing, while Cayden made it his mission to prevent just that from happening.

Bubble Bath Beards

There's really not much to add to this. I'll be honest...I wish my goatee looked more like Avery's.

Letters and Laundry

It's been a few weeks, and we've got lots of pictures to share. I'm just putting a few here and will be back in the next few days to post some more.

First, yesterday was laundry day. No amount of detergent could get this load clean...

This morning we had a spitting of snow on the ground, and Cayden got out in the driveway to run around in it. We keep telling him that someday he'll get to see real snow.

In a letter that came to the house today I finally have the answer to what I should name my future punk band...

Finally, Erin got a chocolate craving this evening, and found an "easy" recipe for little molten chocolate cakes. After getting started, she realized that she didn't have enough Hershey bars for the recipe (details, details...), and so she scraped together all the chocolate from the pantry. The picture below is a pan of melted butter topped with milk chocolate morsels, white chocolate morsels, mini hershey bars, and a bunch of unwrapped Hershey's Kisses. I tried to talk Erin into dumping all the mini Snickers we had in as well, but no dice.

After she got all of it melted, she discovered that it wanted egg substitute (she used real eggs instead) and was supposed to chill for 24 hours (it sat on the counter for 5 minutes) before cooking. Yet, at the end of the day, they turned out really good. And as I type this we watch Biggest Loser and I just feel dirty...

Christmas Pictures

If you know our family, you know that at Christmas time we bounce around to about 12 different places to see all of our family in this area. This is pictures from all of the get-togethers so that you can take the whirlwind tour with us. And one disclaimer: because Damon is still not smart enough to operate this site correctly and it takes too long to try and rearrange all of them once they've been uploaded to the page, all of the pictures are in reverse order of how they actually happened. But we know we have the smartest friends and family in the world, so you'll be okay!

All the kids on the Turner side finally got to exchange gifts on New Year's Eve!

Eden and Avery enjoyed Papa's collection of singing and dancing stuffed animals (and Terri and April enjoyed the girls!).

The annual Cookie Tree was a hit with all of the kids, and a few of the M&M's even made it past their mouths and onto the tree.

Making a cookie tree requires focus.

Cayden played his new Gator Golf at the Wests'.

Working our way through the presents.

Nana read to Avery...

...and she helped Papaw (and everyone else!) open gifts.

I can already tell you some of those things under the tree don't have a return policy, no matter how hard you may try at the Wal-Mart counter.

One of these things is not like the others.

Momma and Cayden

GG got her turn opening with Avery's help.

There's got to be more in here!

As soon as that box opens, you know Avery's grabbing whatever's inside!

Modeling Papaw's new hat

It's mine...all mine! Mwah ha ha!

Watching TV, trying to pretend those stockings aren't sitting there, because we can't open until everyone's here!

If a Christmas ornament slept with its rear end sticking up in the air, this is what it would look like.

Andi & Avery...I'm venturing that Avery hadn't gotten her morning coffee yet.

Hugging Papa's head

This is the end of Cayden's Wii Bowling release...excellent full-body extension!

Papa, Gammy, Avery, and the bug.

Usually the team work lasts about six seconds, then the squealing and fighting begins!

Just waiting patiently. Right...

Here I come!

Aaaaahhhhhhh!

And after she finished the cabinets, we put her to work washing the windows...

...while Cayden earned his Christmas dinner by snapping green beans.

No free rides around here!

Contrary to what the sticker might lead you to believe, you can't remove her batteries to turn her off. And she doesn't like it when you try.

Avery got a stroller and doll. Cayden enjoys setting land-speed records with it, and Avery's not old enough to know she's supposed to get mad at him for such things.

Avery loves to hug her doll, and Gammy loves to hug her Avery.

Helping Papa

Let's get this open!

Team effort on getting through Momma's stocking.

Cayden's face here says it all on how much he enjoys Sister's helping hands.

Avery welcoming her new bear

And Cayden got Curious George

Santa's cookies and milk will quickly become Avery's cookies and milk if she has anything to do with it.

We celebrated Jesus' birthday the night before we did our Christmas at our house.

Sitting on the sleigh at Vintage Township's Santa Land

Cayden loved getting to see Santa...

...Avery, on the other hand...

...might have enjoyed doing something else.

Going for a horse-drawn carriage ride at Vintage Township

We hope you enjoy these pictures; we know there are quite a few. Thanks to all of our friends and family for a wonderful holiday, and there are still many of you that we wish we got to see more than we do. If you 'd like copies of any of these pictures(they're not the greatest quality for printing here) just give us a shout!