hat better way to finish up Christmas Season than to go SLEDDING! We took Ninah out to see some real snow and try out our new SLED!

Chris and Elias looking rugged and snowy

Chris looking rugged and tired and the boys looking heavy!

The boys are sledding masters! We thought it was worth trying our first blog VIDEO just to show their mad skills!

WWWWWHEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The Goddard Family isn't serious about many things, but we ARE serious about snowball fights. The boys LOVE being pelted with snowballs -- they giggle and giggle until they can't breathe! And then they throw right back 'atcha!

Gabe is hindered in his snowball construction by mittens!

KA-Pow Ka-Bang!
Chris takes two to the head!

BooYah! Right in The Kisser
Kathy takes one where it counts!

THANK YOU to Ninah who took most of these and the previous post's photos! You Rock!

CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas number three has come and gone at the Goddard residence. Once again, the holiday just got better. This year's Christmas was marked by PRESENT OVERLOAD -- it took us all day to unwrap all the fun! We got an early start though.

Gabe (R) and Elias (l) opening their traditional Christmas Eve presents

Ta-Da! We love our new PJ's Aunt Diana and Uncle Bill!

Gabe is combing Elias' hair with the comb their great-great-grandmother bought on her honeymoon.

We've done a lot of Christmas reading over the past six weeks.
One favorite was definitely _'Twas_The_Night_Before_Christmas_. However, even this classic came in second to the boys' ultimate Christmas Story, _The_Grinch_Who_Stole_Christmas_ by Dr. Seuss. Every time we tried to talk about Santa coming and bringing presents, we were interrupted with adamant cries of "NO! That's the GRINCH"

So, we all got in on the fun and started preparing for the Grinch to come visit us. Since the boys have reached the age of ultimate destruction, our tree this year was pretty sparsely decorated this year...

....until Christmas Morning.

We woke up not only to TONS of presents, but also to a lit tree -- clearly stuffed up the chimney, then updated and brought back by the Grinch. AND...there were other signs he may have paid a visit...

Max!?!?! What are YOU doing here???

And the Toys -- Oh the Toys. It was TOYS, TOYS, TOYS, TOYS!

Gabe "fixes" the tree with his new tools

Daddy and Gabe work at the Tool Bench.

I sleepin'! zzzzzzz!
Elias snuggles in his new sleeping bag.

Do you remember that Fischer Price Doctor Kit you got for Christmas many, many years ago? Well, it hasn't changed much...

...and it is still AWESOME!
Elias is now accepting Blue Cross

Even Ruby got in on the fun!

I Love The Smell of Poultry In The Morning!

Many of the favorite toys were of the musical variety. Harmonicas, horns, and kazoos were fun, but all paled in comparison to...

...GUITARS!!!!
Elias (l) and Gabriel (r) get their strum on!

Happy Holidays to everyone!!! We hope you got all the love, peace, joy, and goodies you wanted under your tree this year.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

We are getting into the Holiday Spirit out here in sunny California! The Goddard Elves have definitely been busy.

YUM! Christmas decorations sure taste good!
(Gabe on Left; E on Right)

Of course, decorating with toddlers is different than decorating with adults or with babies. The boys can be both helpful and...well...let's say adventurous! Here's a great example. Elias is putting up the tree with Daddy. He is helpfully choosing the right branches for each section of tree and then unfolding them to make them look bushy.

Wow, I'm a great assistant! I should really get paid for this!

Hey...what's back there? I think I need to check this out...

HELP HELP!!! We're being eaten aaaallliiivvvvveeeee!!!

Needless to say the tree remained undecorated for a while... squirming toddler bodies are decoration enough!

We were also surprised to wake up to a terrific site last week.
Yup! That's 8 inches of snow out our window!!!! Horray! Now let's go outside!

Of course, first we need to put about 200 layers of clothes on the kids...

YEAH! SNOW!

And while we're at it, let's have a photo-shoot:

Gabe shows his softer side

Elias gives Gene Simmons some Competition
(and yes, that IS a Yuengling hat my child is proudly wearing!)

And finally, we venture out into the alien landscape!

Thigh deep in the good life!

We made good use of the snow while we could...

...before coming in and enjoying the view from the fire.

Happy Holidays Ya'll!

We Survived the Thanksgiving 2009 Swine Flu Epidemic!

So, Grandma and Gramps came from Boston for Thanksgiving! We were so excited, we gave them the Swine Flu!!! That's right. All six of us got a HORRIBLE, debilitating case of the flu just in time for the biggest eating holiday of the year. It was a gas! (HardeeHarHar!) We still had fun though and enjoyed recuperating together.

Gramps and the boys and their Dragon enjoy a long winter's nap.

Gabriel and Gramps get their chill on together

Just because we were sick doesn't mean we didn't still have fun! The boys still had lots of smiles to share in between the fevers and naps!

Gabriel giggles his way to the top

Grandma teaches us how to play Uno-Moo (Now a daily favorite!)

Sick? Who's Sick?
Gabe gets his giggles on

Elias and his froggy go a-courtin'

If this is us when we're grouchy, you should see us when we feel good!
Gabriel (L) Elias (R)

Elias shows Gramps how important dental hygiene is for overall health!

By the end of the week, we were all (sloooowwwwllllyyy) beginning to mend. The boys were also beginning to grow! Check out these teenager-wannabes!

Big boys!
Gabe (L) Elias (R)

Fall Fun

Wanna see the two happiest kids ever??? Here they are!

Grinning Elias (L) and Goofy Gabriel (R)

And what's cuter than two models posing for the camera???

Two models BEHIND the camera!
Just like daddy!

We were working hard at the park last week. Shoveling is our favorite job!

Gabriel: Future gravedigger? landscaper? professional sandcastle artist?

We work hard, but we always find some time for fun!

FASTER FASTER FASTER -- TOO FAST!!!
Elias (L) Gabriel (R)

We know how to relax too...
Gabe (L) brother snuggles Elias (R)