California Vacation

For Christmas this year, we received tickets to Disneyland, Seaworld, Universal Studios, San Diego Wild Animal Park, and Legoland!  So here we are cashing it in!

For those of you who are not very familiar with Disney and its land, this the Little White Rabbit's house from Alice and Wonderland, with Packer, Benson, and cousin: Boo Boo in front knocking on the door.

Benson & Tigger
Here we are with Frankenstein at Universal Studios.
Boo Boo, Daddy (Ben), Packer, & Benson looking in the water fountain.
Mommy (Angie) and Benson with Mater & Lightning McQueen!  KaChow!
Here I am!  
Daddy & Benson on a Bugs Life Ride. 
Vacationing is Exhausting!  Sweet Dreams Pack-man!
Benson & Pluto!
Benson feeding the Stingrays.  Cool -- but a little freaky!
Benson at a 4-D movie!  SWEET!  He's looking good!
SEA WORLD:  Looking in the arctic at the Pilot Whales, Walrus, and Polar Bear.  Cool!
Mommy & Benson on a boat ride at Legoland!
"CAN WE BUILD IT?!"  Daddy and Benson with Bob the Builder.
Playing in the sprinklers in January... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Packer & cousin Lily beat after half a day hard at play!
Here I Am Again!  
Packer pushing a concrete ball -- keep up the good work!
Benson Sporting his awesomely cool sunglasses!  Hi Bud!

Christmas Morning

And yes, Benson & Packer both received matching PJ's from Santa's elves the night before Christmas. Aren't they adorable?!

Packer loved the Christmas goodies, and Benson loved opening presents -- In fact, he opened almost everyone's presents that morning. It was so much fun!

Benson: "Where is Santa?"

Dad: "He came and left the presents, then he had to go!"

Benson: "But I didn't see him! He's so sneaky!"

Winter Play

Benson loves playing in the snow! After several hours of sledding behind a 4-wheeler, he convinced Daddy to help him build a snowman! TADAAA!

Packer certainly didn't want to be left out, so periodically we would take him out to enjoy the cold snow! He liked it until he felt cold. Then it was time to go back in and get warm!

What's better than playing in the snow? TASTING IT!

Christmas Cookies

Benson & Packer are wonderful helpers. For example: Here they are helping me lick the spoons and beaters clean. Good work, boys!

Tree Decorating

It is time to decorate for the Christmas Season. Benson helped to decorate this year instead of undecorate like he has in the past. So many of our ornaments started off at the bottom of the tree.


However, Packer loves to undecorate. So, by mid-December (maybe earlier) the bottom half of the tree was undecorated.

Christmas Tree Hunting

A tradition for the Atkin family: Christmas Tree Hunting.

And if it's good weather, then the boys will pull out their guns and do some target practice, while the girls go 4-wheeling.

This year it was fairly good weather... so here is Ben & Clint practicing their aim.

And here is our lovely Christmas Tree! It's amazing how small they look in the forest and how HUGE they end up being in your living room!