NATCA Party

Nate's Union's Christmas Party was all about the kids this year!! (did you love my "All about the Base" reference :).  I don't know why but I love that song :) )

We got there and saw Santa, got in line to sit on his lap, then everyone started thinking and talking about how he's not the real Santa and they all chickened out!  So we ate instead.  Then while we were eating the kids noticed that when someone sat on Santa's lap they got to pick a prize out of the basket next to him, so guess who wanted to sit on his lap next!!!  You guessed it- all of them!!  (except Jack of course)

Kelly was our professional photographer

My kids will do anything for a cheap dollar store prize :)  haha.  Even sit on "Santa"'s lap!!  

After dinner and free prizes, we got to go out on the ice.  This place was really cool, I had never been there before.  It's a building called, NOAH'S, which is cool for obvious reasons, but they have all these rooms to rent for company parties and such.  There was a theater and kids room, and of course this awesome ice rink.  They had more than enough ice skates for everyone that you just grab out of a bin, and you're off!  It was so much fun!!  This was a first for all of our kids except Charity.  It was fun to watch them all experience it.

Erika was very brave and wanted to be skated around by Nate or I over and over again.  She had to take turns of course, but she got really good by the time we had to go.

Did my heart skip a beat when I saw these two hand in hand???  You bet it did!!  I love these sisters.  They were both really good!  I was impressed.  Probably all the roller blade practice.

awwww, my handsome man.  I love him :)

He's such a fun Dad.  I am so glad he caved and let us go to that party.  I know it's risky, mixing family and work, and especially with the experiences we've had in the past with work parties mostly involving drinking.  But he did!  I think he knows it was worth it :)

Bradley was really good at ice skating!  I was glad because the one time I tried to take him around I almost fell over!  That would have really hurt.... him!  He was pretty brave and got really good.  I think he was watching Noah :)

They didn't have skates small enough for Jack, but that didn't stop him from wanting to walk around on the ice- we did that lots.  He loved it!  And he loved the chips :)

Luke struggled a lot in the beginning and like with Bradley, I had a hard time taking him around.  He is getting too big.  But he stuck with it!  Didn't give up!  I think he even enjoyed it a little toward the end.  He got really good.

This is the only picture I got of Noah!  Yep, that's him, not even facing the camera- in the cammo coat.  He was amazing!!  I have to say he was the star skater that day- if I had to choose :)- He was so good!!  He was all over the ice!  Even skating into the splits!!  I think we need to get him into hockey asap!  The kid is a natural!  Those roller blades he bought himself last year have paid off!

Slowly the family scene started to end and it was opening up into the alcohol scene, so we made our exit.  I was glad they had something family-ish for us to enjoy.  Nate's going to be spending more time working with the union real soon here, so I'd like to at least enjoy some of the benefits :).  Good times.  And now we've been ice skating and know we can do it!!  Wahoo!  Rec Center here we come, I'm sure :)