Sweetness

Mary Did You Know?....love this song!

You'll have to pause my playlist to watch....

5 Question Friday

I have been reading others 5 question Friday posts for awhile...
So I thought I would join in this week...Here ya go!
Linking up here.......

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Both! We have a big celebration on Christmas Eve with my family, my husbands' family, and all the uncles, aunts, and cousins. Either Papa, one of the Uncles, or the Hubs dresses up as Santa and brings his big bag of toys to the kids (gifts are from the family--not Santa ha!). We have our big dinner on Christmas Eve and do all of our extended family celebrating that night...

On Christmas Day, Santa brings the presents. We spend time just as our "little" family in our jammies...I usually make a breakfast casserole and we just hang out and let the kids play with their new toys. Last year we went sledding that afternoon...but we don't often have a white Christmas.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)?

My favorite all time cookies are sugar cookies with frosting...yum yum...and for candy...FUDGE...

Oh my!

Dieting til Christmas so I can eat my weight in both ;)

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

I am TRULY not one of those people who gets upset about the gifts they receive and whether or not they live up to my standards...I truly believe the other person tried their hardest to get me something thoughtful....On top of that, I don't even care about receiving gifts...so I'm no fun for this question.

4. Christmas song that you love?
This would have to be "Silent Night"....It always makes me think about Mary . What was going on in her mind as she held my Savior in her arms, kissed his sweet little head, and breathed in His new baby smell? Tear up almost every time I hear it.

5. How many trees do you put up?

This varies from year to year....this year it is two...one for upstairs and one for down...We have our big tree in the living room and a smaller one in the upstairs loft for the kids....neither one of them have ornaments on the lower 1/3 ;)

and the stockings were hung.....

P-E-A-C-E

I can't remember what was going through my mind when I bought those "PEACE" stocking holders almost 12 years ago, but I obviously had more foresight at 24 years old than I gave myself credit for.... I bought them shortly after the Hubs and I got married.....I bought them before we even started discussing baby #1...but somehow,

I knew....

Every year I would take them out of the Christmas box and look at them. I thought about putting them up after Nathan was born and getting some stockings for the Hubs and I...

But I didn't.

I waited

I waited until last year, when we finally had enough stockings to fill them up.......I've always known I wanted a big family....I've always known one way or the other we would fill up each of those letters. Even way back then....before I knew where life was going to take us....I knew.

Those stocking holders aren't even my style anymore...I'm all about rod iron and dark wood...and these are a bright silver...( I have 4 AWESOME rod iron snowflake ones that I love!)...But when you have held on to them for close to 12 years waiting to use them.....well,....you use them. Maybe next year I'll spray paint them black or change them in some way....but for now..I love sitting in front of that fireplace looking at ALL those names and remembering the wonderful, exciting, fulfilling years it has taken to fill them up...

WW- Sweet and Sassy

OH MY---Look at those eyes!!!!

three

My littlest boy is three today....We had his party on Saturday...He loved blowing out his candles and really loved opening gifts..We had his favorites for dinner...Spaghetti and chocolate cake with m and m's!!
Brian has a very sweet disposition. He is our shy guy and takes a little while to warm up to people. BUT once he's warmed up, he'll love you like no other!!!! He is so calm and quiet and happy all, well, most of the time. Brian is very funny and has a contagious giggle. He is an extremely polite little boy...He very rarely misses a "please" or "thank-you" and often adds an "I love you mommy", or "can I have a hug" to the end. Brian is a little more cautious than his brothers (and his sister for that matter)....You won't find him climbing to the top of trees or doing flips off the diving board (which his brothers were doing by this age)... He enjoys the role of "baby" despite actually having a baby sister, and sometimes uses that to his advantage :) He loves his siblings like crazy. He has beautiful sparkly brown eyes, gorgeous thick wavy hair, and is definitely a handsome little guy.
Brian CAN recognize most of the letters of the alphabet and sing his ABC's. He can count to 15 and loves to do puzzles. Brian can hit a ball off the tee with perfect form and can hit a ball out of the air when thrown to him!!! He can punt a ball like no kid I have every seen. Brian writes and throws right handed, but does anything that requires sporting equipment with his left hand (ie bats left handed, golfs left handed)...He can ride his new scooter like a pro, catch a ball in the air almost every time, and throw a pretty good spiral with the football...Brian is totally potty trained (even at night)....

Brian is, without a doubt, the sweetest three year old I know, and he has his mama's heart wrapped around his finger! I am so proud to call him my son! Oh how I love my littlest boy!!!!

ww-almost 3

Sweet brian will be "3" on the 7th...he shares a birthday with one of my best friends Christy and of course with Pearl Harbor Day...which will forever make me laugh because it's the first thing my Daddy told me when I spoke with him after Brian was born...he also shares a name with my brother....more of a tribute to come later!!!

November (30)

I did it...i DID it ...i did IT!!!

30 days, 30 posts
they weren't all great, or even good,
but they are ALL there!
....and because I am exhausted
...and having nothing else brilliant to say, ahem.
....I'll leave ya with.......

"That's all I have to say about that"
Forest Gump

Christmas Card 2010--finished!

Finished my Christmas Card...and for free! well..minus s/h...I love how it turned out, and love that is a folded card so it's easier for people to display. I never know what to do with flat cards...Kate has a little snot in one of the pictures...but I have gone beyond trying to be perfect...:) Just glad someone is smiling in most of the pictures! Now to get them here and address them and mail them....ugh...my least favorite part...maybe I'll make the hubs do that job this year :0)

Many Memories Tree Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

NO MORE LEFTOVERS!

Please Mom...I can't eat turkey and stuffing any more!!!!

Holy Cow

BOOMER SOONER BABY!!!

.....that's all I've got to say today!!!! woot woot!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

We may be able to eat for a week with the leftovers we have from yesterday's extravaganza........But the real leftovers? My family...They are all flopped out on my couch watching a little football....eating the leftovers, and being funny. It is one of my favorite days of the year...After all the craziness of the holiday is over, this is the time where we can all relax just be together and enjoy each other.....So...going to enjoy my family...Hope you all have a great day!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

and pumpkin pie, and cornbread stuffing, and corn casserole, and sweet potato pie day!!!
yum yum yum....

I hope your day is wonderful and full of love, family, friendship, and thanksgiving....
May God Bless you and yours!

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

WW-Take it or Leaf it

My poor children....raking leaves with snowshovels (again)....One day will get them "kid sized rakes"...The snow shovels are left over from when we lived in Nebraska....we haven't spent a fall in frozen "Huskerland" in 3 years....maybe it's about time we invested in some rakes :)

this looks very safe....ahem.

Hooking up with:

Proud

So proud are we of my nephew for his second place finish in the 11 and under leauge...They played this past Sunday for the Championship and just barely got edged out.

I've blogged about this before, "P" is a hero to my boys....They talked all the way home about how many times they heard is name on the loud speaker, and "did you see that catch". etc etc. etc....glad his season and Pee Wee career ended on such a high note....on to Middle School football now!!! Great job buddy!!!

Don't just Grab things Willy Nilly

As I passed by the T.V. this morning I heard a woman say....

"Don't Just go Grabbing Things all Willy Nilly"

Needless to say, it caught my attention. Maybe or maybe not for the reasons you think.......ahem
.
Turns out, it was a very serious segment on the "Today Show" about "How to Survive Black Friday"
(You Know, because "Grabbing things all Willy Nilly" can be a life or death situation ..AND you definitely need a whole segment on the subject AND and a survival guide to make it through! The unfortunate woman assigned to do the report actually used the term "Willy Nilly" TWICE during the interview....poor thing....somebody should have given her the "Cut it out" sign after the first time she said it....)

I digress...

I didn't have time to sit down and listen to all of the brilliant advice, so I went to the "Today Show" website ( I like to be thorough) and found an article called "Brave Black Friday Wisely", where the author gives you 10 tips for how to survive Black Friday unscathed.

WOW!!!!

Really? We need a survival guide for how to shop...and how to be "brave" while doing it? Don't get me wrong...I like love to shop, and I definitely like a good deal....BUT, Not even once have I asked God for bravery before a trip to "Toys R Us".

Maybe the survival guide should read a little more like this:

"How to avoid being trampled on, or thrown over the toy aisle as you dive for the last Zhu Zhu Pet"

Now that is something I could use.

I for one am going to avoid the long lines, rude, pushy people, and overcrowded, claustrophobic stores....In fact I am going to participate in the "Buy Nothing Day" on Facebook sponsored by AdBusters

How about you?

Shopping?....OR....Not?

There were 7 in the bed and the little one said...

waaa,waaa!!!!
and the big one said, "Stop touching me"
and the middle one said, "He punched me!"
and the third one kicks me in the ribs,
and the second one knees "hubs" in the chest........

BUT

before the wrestling match begins in our bed on Sunday mornings, there are about 5 minutes of the most wonderful sweet snuggling bliss....with all 7 of us in the bed, cuddled up together, enjoying each other. A baby girl's head on my chest, 4 boys snuggled up next to and between the hubs and I. Laying there

.....in complete silence......

for about five minutes...

and these are five of my favorite minutes of the week...
no other day do we have the time.
every other day we are up out of bed early and going and moving...like an army of ants.

but on Sunday's, before it's time to get up and ready for church, we get 5 of the sweetest minutes of my week....and it makes me wonder why we don't take the time to slow down more often.....

and then somebody elbows me in the nose.

Who Dat?

Alex's football team ended up in 4th place. 1st place through 4th place got trophy's....Needless to say the boys were VERY excited!!! They had a party to celebrate their season and accomplishments!
Yay Saints!!

Alex #2...(closest on the right)

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I'm so excited for Thanksgiving week! It is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. My kids are out of school on Wednesday, and it's just enough time to enjoy them and not so much time that they will all be fighting! :)
I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year. I love to entertain...I have become much less stressed about it over time. Perfection used to be my motto....now I've decided that I'm too busy raising my kids to be the ideal mother/wife/hostess. :)
The Hubs Gramma is in the country and will be here for Thanksgiving day...My baby brother and his girlfriend are flying in from Rhode Island, and we can't wait to see them! Plus we are getting to see relatives on my dad's side of the family we haven't seen in Years! It's going to be a WONDERFUL week....

PLUS...bedlam football is on Saturday....
Boomer Sooner!

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The hubs and I are going to try to do some remodeling in our laundry room over the next couple of weeks. We need a better system for the kids bags/coats/lunchboxes, etc. than we currently have now. I have gotten some inspiration from some other blogs and I'll take some before/during and after pictures so you can see....I'm so excited!

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I think potty training is DONE!! Brian is doing awesome...no accidents in 3 days!!!! woot woot....not even wet in the morning...Brian ROCKS!!!

Christmas Dresses

A Couple of new dresses for Christmas in my Etsy Shop....

Sweet Snowman Apron Knot Dress

Sassy Santa

Thankful Thursday---Shutterfly

Today I am thankful for Shutterfly and their "50 free Holiday Cards Promotion"

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you will know that I am a Shutterfly fanatic. I do all my prints, Digital scrapbooking, calendars and Christmas cards through them. Here is one example of the scrapbooks I make, and have printed through Shutterfly. I actually make my pages using another program, but have them printed through Shutterfly because, in my opinion, the quality of their product is superior!

I also love to use their calendar program and make holiday gifts for my mother and mother-in-law. They have a bunch of new calendar options I can't wait to work with this year.

They have a variety of holiday cards, Christmas cards and birthday invites that I use every year. They have a price point for everybody and again the product they put out is exceptional.

Here is the card I am currently working on for Christmas. I love the colors and options I have available to me....

Finally, I would like to talk about their customer service. It is exceptional. Several months ago I ordered my Spring album from them. I messed up (late at night) and sent the order in before I was actually finished (and didn't realize I had done that). The book came with several blank pages. I called Shutterfly fully expecting them to say, "Sorry, your mistake, too bad." But they didn't say that....They said, "Send the album back to us and we will print out a new one for you, no extra cost, no questions asked." They were totally understanding and KIND....It totally SHOCKED me (which I have to say is a little sad---I had very low expectations going in based on other experiences with OTHER companies)....I didn't even know what to say...the lady on the phone probably thought I was crazy..I just kept saying, thank-you, you are amazing, wow I love you!

If I wasn't hooked before, I am now!!!!

Go check out the promotion and get your own 50 free cards!

WW-Curly Kate

Right after Kate's bath her little ringlets are really, well, springy...

I LOVE them.

I LOVE her...

Funny funny Brian

Brian is a funny little guy with a contagious laugh. Nick made a headdress at school while studying the Incan culture. Brian decided he was going to wear it (in his underwear) and dance around the house....He was hilarious, and thought himself so hilarious he ended up lying on the ground belly laughing....I love when they are still young enough to not feel self conscious and can dance around in their underwear in a paper hat without holding back. :) Wish that time lasted longer!

Halfway there.....

Happy Monday!

This blogging every day things has been a challenge, but I have made it halfway through the month of Na Blo Po Mo and haven't missed a day!!! It's been great getting back in touch with my blog and keeping up with some of my bloggy friends!

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TMI warning: (skip this part if you don't want to read about potty stuff)

We are in the process of potty training #4.....halfway there with that too :) He has become consistent with #1, but #2 is a whole 'nother story!....He has gone a couple of times in the potty and once he even went and sat on it by himself and pooped (but he was naked at the time, and we think that is why)...but more times than not, he is going in his underwear......
Any ideas as to how to encourage the #2 thing??....We have never really had one that went past a couple of days before getting the WHOLE idea, (as a matter of fact, Nathan pooped consistently before pee)...anyway, any ideas would be fab....
sorry that was way too much info....but you were warned! :)---and hey, I did spare you any pictures! HA

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Alex and Nick had their football playoffs last week....Nick's team got second place, and Alex's team lost in the semi-finals.....Alex was a little disappointed (more that the season was over than anything else)....and Nick got a trophy...so he was THRILLED!!!...Now it's on to basketball!

Sweet Nick!

a

Alex #2

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The hubby and I got to go to Parent teacher conferences last week....We feel so blessed to have three AMAZING teachers instructing our children this year.....Each one of them has such special gifts...I think we were most pleased by how well each of the teachers knew our children....not just academically, but they had a real understanding of their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses, and just the little nuances about them that many don't take the time to learn......I know from experience that is not always the case, and thank God every day that He put our children in such outstanding hands for the time we are away from them!!
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Alex was in his school music program last week....It was on Nov. 11th (Veteran's Day) and was a tribute to Veteran's...It was a really marvelous program. (Yet another reason we love our school....stupendous music teacher!!) Alex had a line and sang and danced on stage with his class. We have pretty much decided he should stick with sports..(not that he didn't do a great job, he did remarkable)...but he looked at me during the performance and rolled his eyes at least 4 times while dancing.....HA!



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Well I think that about covers last week....needless to say it was a busy week....(4 football games, a school program, parent/teacher conferences, and I finished two Christmas dresses for Kate! shew!!!)....Good thing it was daylight savings and I felt like I got an extra bit of time every day!!!

OH...and I almost forgot!!! Got a call from school last Tuesday and Nathan had fallen and split his head open....had to take him for staples..gotta go have them taken out today.

Ready for this week to start!!! Yippee...here we go!

Wake up sweet prince

Brian fell asleep during Alex's music program at school....
totally zonked out!!....
so Kate took the opportunity to give her big brother some kisses while he can't complain! LOVE THEM!

DAY IN FALL

wait for me guys!!