My bold move

I let Haley choose the new background for our blog. She examined many and finally found one she really liked. I think it looks cute - good job Hays! We hope you all enjoy!!

SANTA CAME!!

I can't believe that I'm blogging about Christmas Day - it's over, come and gone! First off I have to say that I took tons of pics on Christmas Eve and tons Christmas morning but not one single one for Christmas Dinner. I think I was all pictured out and a little foggy from lack of sleep. My head hit the pillow around midnight Christmas Eve. But Christmas morning started early for me. Luke woke up hysterically screaming at 2:30 am. I could not console him. I'll spare you all the details and just say he had an ear infection. He's had a cold and I knew it was coming, after all he is my child. Haley then came in my room at 4 and told me she couldn't find her slipper. Who wears slippers to bed? My alarm clock went off at 6 and we were up and running (besides Luke, I let him sleep). My brother is on his mission in Chile and we had to call him at 7 and I knew that my kids would not sit patiently while we talked with him so Christmas had to come before the 7 am phone call. My parents stayed the night which was lots of fun for the kids and for Judd and I. Nothing like two extra sets of hands on Christmas day! Thanks again Dad and Mom!! So here's pictures of our chaotic Christmas morning. Like I said no pics of Christmas dinner but it was deja vu from Thanksgiving. It was us, my parents and my Uncle Randy and his friend Kate. This time we had ham instead of a turkey. It was a great dinner and we were glad to have them all with us! Later that night Judd went with his family to a Blazers game and we (adults) played the Wii and a board game back at home! We hope you all had a great Christmas!!

Matthew got a fishing game and everyone tried it out!

Savannah checking out what Haley got

Savannah and her new baby "Lola"

This is a GeoTrax train set and I think this was the best thing Santa brought! For all of you with boys around this age it's great. My girls even love to play with it. FYI it's made by Fisher Price. Thanks Jill for the suggestion - love it!!!!!

Who the heck made this mess?!!

Matthew, upon seeing that the box was from my skillet pans, moved on to a different present. It was his Optimus Prime pillow. The beauty of recycling boxes!

Poor Luke, even when he did wake up he was grumpy and tired, rightfully so. I really hesitated to put this pic on because of me looking all hot Christmas morning (joke) but it was the only one with him and a present.

Here's Luke (staring Grandpa down) and Grandpa sitting in the only open and semi-clean space left - gotta love it!!

Christmas Eve Night

This is another one of our Christmas Eve traditions that we love! We head to Judd's parents house and have dinner, read The Nativity story, get a visit from Santa and have a pj parade (we all get a new pair of pj's to model). So here's just a few of our many fun pictures from that evening....

Mabel, Savannah, George and Matthew chilling on Grandma's couch

Grandma reading The Nativity story to all the attentive children

Every year Haley and Savannah try to guess who is going to be dressed up as Santa. Is it Daddy, Uncle Foster or Grandpa? Well this year it was obvious because as Santa comes in he sits down and says "Who wants to sit on Grandpa's lap - Oh, I mean Santa's lap?" I don't think all the kids heard but I did and I got a good chuckle!

Daddy and Luke reading the book Grandpa and Grandma bought him

Savannah reading her new book to Aunt Lauren

Here we all are in our new pj's!

Christmas Eve Breakfast

Every Christmas Eve we go to breakfast with my side of the family. We don't always go to the same place, it's actually lots of fun to "try out" different places! We're a larger group so it does make it difficult to squeeze our buns into some of the small cafes or diners we've tried. This year we went to Elmer's and I'd have to say it wasn't my favorite breakfast but as usual it was lots of fun! Anyone have any great suggestions for next year's breakfast location?

Here's Harrison and Matthew making mustaches out of their crayons

Luke ate the tag on his bib for breakfast

My mom and Dad

My happy little family - Yay! We love breakfast!

My new obsession (until it all melts away)

I know all of you from ID, UT and elsewhere think that those of us in the NW are silly when it comes to snow. I agree, kinda. It's unusal for us to get more than an inch or two (total) for a winter. So it's really been snowing alot (according to us NW people). And the trees are SO beautiful and I have a weird obsession with them and I'm okay with it. I hang my head, and sometimes my camera, out the window as Judd drives along. I feel like I'm in the middle of a painting!! So I wanted to share some of the pics of the trees around here. For clarification, the pictures don't do them justice and I'm not that great at taking pictures, I just love my camera and what it captures for me. Enjoy...........

This tree is actually in my parents yard, it's always had character but with snow, even more so!

This was a "hang my head out" as Judd stopped at a stop sign

This is actually my neighbors and I think it's hilarious! What would they think if they knew I was taking a picture of their Charlie Brown tree and blogging it?!

Behind my house

This is the view when I look out my back windows, LOVE IT!

A close up of my favorite tree out back!

Also out back and these are far prettier in person!

Love 'em!

I need to clarify that behind my house is a big, big field. I don't own it, I simply enjoy it! And someday when they put a million homes in those acres I will be very sad, until then I will enjoy!

Baby Violet

Judd's sister, Marie, had a baby last month. Her name is Violet. Because they live in Tacoma we've yet to see this baby girl. On Saturday Violet and her family (no she did not travel alone) came into town to spend Christmas here. We finally ventured out of our house and over to see baby Violet. My kids (especially Haley) were so excited to see her. Isn't she a beautiful baby?!

This is the face Matthew gave when I told him to say "Cheese"

Look who's awake!

Sweet baby Violet and Haley!

Gingerbread houses

I realize that this is something like blog #6 for the week, either we have too much fun or I'm addicted. Hmmmm...... maybe a little of both. On to today's fun event. For a few weeks now we've planned on getting together with our friends the Allen's to make gingerbread houses. The kids have been anxiously awaiting! We were supposed to do this last night and it just didn't work out and both of us Mom's heard all the complaints so despite the inches of snow this morning we knew we had to get together. So there was gingerbread houses, gingerbread trains or sugar cube igloos to make. Don't worry they only got to pick one. I'm not that nice of a mom (or that crazy)!

Here's the whole clan of 8 anxious kids. Jill and I could have had 4 arms each and it wouldn't have been enough!!

Matthew would lick each piece of candy then put it on his train. Some candies never did make it to the train!

Haley and Savannah were taking this very seriously

This is Matthew's train. Can you see the red blob right there in front? That would be a cinnamon Santa that got thoroughly chewed and strategically placed - yummmmmm!

What is with my kids, concentration and tongues? Of course I think it's cute, I'm the mom!

Savannah working hard to make it the best gingerbread house!

Once the kids were done with their creations the Wii came out. There's nothing like a friendly competition! Thank goodness we have 4 controllers so they can all race each other!

I love this picture! Look at those faces of concentration!! Oh, that's (from left to right) Savannah, Haley, Makenna & Nathan

Thanks again Allen family for a very fun day!!

Snow day

Guess who had no school again today!? This time there was actually something to show for the snow day, like SNOW!! Of course we had to go play in it - they had breakfast and out they ran! Luke was taking a nap yesterday when the kids went out but today he was awake. He got his first glimpse of snow. I don't think he cared whether it was snow, rain or sun he just enjoyed watching the kids run around being crazy!

These trees are behind our house, aren't they beautiful! I should have put on my telescopic lens and gotten a closer picture.............maybe I'll crop it and blow it up (later)

My cute little Matthew with a red nose and rosy cheeks!

Haley helping build Frosty Jr.

Luke and mommy

Savannah was playing a carnival game known as "bean bag toss" into my letter "O", lucky for her it's still standing!

Matthew was really interested in Frosty Jr.'s nose. I don't know why but he kept taking it out and talking to him (Frosty Jr.) then putting it back. Don't ask......I don't know.

Here they are with Frosty Jr. They named him that because we already have a Frosty (from a few blogs ago) I think with the Strawberry Shortcake mittens and Bratz hat that it should be Frosty's wife or girlfriend, but that's just my silly little opinion!

Yummmmmmmm

Today was sugar cookie day! We really only pull out the cookie cutters and rolling pins a few times a year. It is an all day event and sometimes we all don't make it through this ordeal. We sometimes loose a team member or two due to sheer exhaustion! But we made it and not only did we make it but after the cookies were done the girls were huge helpers. I had to feed Luke and they willingly dried and put away the dishes, swept the floor and wiped off counters - true sugar cookie troopers! I don't know why it downloaded the pictures in a weird order and I also don't know how to fix it so try to follow me here!

The bottle of sprinkles could not be any closer to the cookie and Matthew's face couldn't be much closer to the bottle of sprinkles

Haley displaying her green gingerbread house

A true team effort!

Gosh this frosting looks good! Who needs a cookie?!

It must be helpful to stand on the chair and have your tongue hanging out - that's how the good ones get done!