The Bigun's

Claire and Brody are my biggest grandkids (Bigun's).  Here's Claire in her Christmas dress!

And the fashionista on a school day.  She loves putting together outfits.  She has lots of tops, lots of cardis, lots of tights and lots of skirts to choose from.  Plus your classic brown boots and black boots to pull the outfits together.

Our big Brody looks so little when he gets on the ice.  I love this shot of him from behind.  It will be priceless once he goes pro!  He's on his way to the ice for his first game.  He does not like to steal the puck from the other kids, but he is a competitive kid, so I think he'll get it soon.  He has progressed so much with his skating skills this season.

Another generation of hockey player #3 - a Docken tradition!!  (Dave, Paul, Josh, Jordan, Derek, Jared, Ryan, Dylan and now Brody) (Nathan, Adam, Brenna & Mikayla had other numbers)

M & Ms

Max & Mara (M & Ms) are quite the duo.  They are together now every day while Claire is in
full-time Kindergarten.  We were baking cookies on this day.

They were quite good and careful with the decorations, but some pans were more colorful than others!

They both adore watching movies!  Here they are both wearing Christmas clothes!

Rock on, Mara AnnMarie!

They enjoy shoveling our deck.  This day the snow was sticky and Mara couldn't get it off her shovel, but it didn't stop her from trying.

She has the rosy cheeks to prove how hard she was working.  It was a COLD day.

Making Santa Claus with popcorn. 

Mara is outgrowing her fascination with stickers, but this day was convinced her colorful snowflake was so beautiful, so she kept working.

Papa is helping with the glue on ornament making day.  It took a lot of glue, and it had to stay sticky long enough to attach the tissue paper without the tissue paper sticking to little hands.

Claire got in on a baking project before she had to leave for school one day.  She gets on the bus at 8:50 a.m. and gets home at 4:00 p.m.  They are unwrapping caramels for Almond Caramel Delight.

Claire is very patient with Mara and they are playing Connect 4 the wrong way, but Mara's way!

In Virginia

We made a LOT of spritz cookies.  The kids hung in there decorating.....

Claire and Brody were playing fabric doll dress up.

Claire & Brody had their own cameras and took a LOT of pics.  A lot of selfies!  Cute one!

More new photographer shots!  This one of the adults.

It snowed in Virginia!  The kids had so much fun playing in it together!  Wet & sloppy!

Puzzles seem to be a new fascination for all the kids.

Cool shot of Brody by the Big Roanoke Star!

Cool shot of Claire by the Big Roanoke Star!

Maverick gets in on the action, let's get comfy!

Omi reads Christmas books to the kids before bedtime.

Tray after tray after tray of spritz!

Great thinkers...

Great readers...

 Papa measured the kids.  I don't think we noted the results, though!

Trip to Virginia to Visit the Park Family

Papa, Omi and Claire headed to Virginia on November 25.  We drove all day and got there at bedtime.
Claire was a real trooper on the drive, talked our ears off, snacked and did projects.  Not much napping!

The boys were SO happy to see her.  They had a wonderful vacation together.

Bethanie and Maverick search for the perfect real Christmas tree.

This is "the one".  We hauled it home on the top of the car.

Maverick helped Papa put together the tree stand.

We got to watch Brody practice and play hockey. 

 

 Unbelievable strength and stamina.  He loves it.  Daddy is a coach, so gets to be on the ice with him.

 

 Omi & Papa with hockey Brody.  We will repost when he's famous.  Claire & her hockey buddy.

Papa helped with the gingerbread house.

Omi helped too.  It turned out to be a real beauty!

 The Park Family Christmas card, 2014.  Maverick 2 1/2, Broden 4 3/4.

In December

Mara loves projects.  Especially tiny stickers.  And taking the paper backing to the garbage.

Let's be honest.  Max and Mara fall a lot and get hurt.  We have three ice packs on constant alert in our freezers.  Thought I'd post one of Max's recent spills off the chair.  Two teeth broke the skin on his lip.  I actually think taking the photo to send his parents made him feel better!

Mara, future rock star.

Mara talked Papa into helping with the large ornament project.  I'm kind of obsessed lately with making things from paper plates.

Our Advent (getting ready for Christmas)

Max and Mara are all dressed up in their aprons, ready to bake!

Cutting out gingerbread men.  Max loves eating gingerbread men!

Decorating gingerbread men.  Mara enjoys eating their eyes and buttons off.

All dressed up in holiday colors.

Expert spritz decorators!

Claire got in on the Almond Caramel Delight before school one morning.