Quick Hit/Merry Christmas!

know....I owe yall a story and trust me, I will update that soon. For now, just trying to get through the holidays in one piece and trying to figure out why when we just start to get well, someone breaks out a new fever. Have I mentioned....I HATE WINTER!!!

Wanted to post some cute pics of the kids from last night. We were invited out to Memaw's house for dinner and the kids got their gift from her and Carl. They got this adorable Crayola art easel and they just love it! I even found washable dry erase markers today but found Keaton eating the chalk like it was a candy cigarette. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

I promise to update soon and the hell that is transitioning to toddler beds and about my new camera! Yep, I upgraded and cannot wait to play more with my new toy. More on that, along with lots more pics to come!

Merry Christmas everyone! Take some time to remember and reflect on who we are celebrating this holiday season and the magic that was the birth of our Redeemer!

So 2007 but still funny!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving Recap

The holidays kicked off with us heading to the Lighting of the Ozarks with the kids and the Buschlen's for some Tim's pizza and some holiday festivities.

Our attempt at a family photo...

This sums it up...E couldn't contain her excitement and KG kept waiting for them to "pop" (thinking they were fireworks)

The week of Thanksgiving we got to spend the first part visiting with Adam and B as they were in town for the holidays. That means gathering with the whole clan for the annual xmas card pic. KG was beyond a bear that day (should have known something was starting to be up then) and luckily stopped crying for the pic. We couldn't get him to look but sitting still and not screaming was a win in my book after the fits he had thrown all day.

We headed home to my parents for Thanksgiving and to have our Christmas with them. It was SOOOOO good to be home for Thanksgiving for the first time since Ryan and I have been married. Oh how I have missed that food and was it as ever good as I even remembered!

Her new "smile"...

Miss E helped her Grammy with the clean up of the mashed potatoes...

Girl LOVES her some mashed potatoes!

All the little cousins were there and thanks to the warmer weather, they all got to play outside and eat on the picnic table for their Thanksgiving feast! After dinner and a buffet of desserts, we enjoyed our family tradition of playing some games. It was so fun to finally initiate Ryan into the world of spoons! Unfortunately he missed the true experienced and long nails are out and I didn't see anyone bleed this year. E LOVED it and I think will be in for a round next year!

The Boys...

KG immediately spotted the slide.  Yes, the same one you've seen before that we grew up sliding down on with wax paper.  

Does this child need a trim or what???

We surprised my grandparents by putting up their tree and each family member bringing an ornament with their families names on them. I think we ended up with 55+ ornaments on the tree for them. I know, how could I not get a picture of that?

We also celebrated Christmas with my parents on Friday night...after the amazing Razorback victory over LSU! GO HOGS!!! We got my parents a webcam so that they could video chat with all their grandkids now. I think you can see my mom was excited about their gift this year!

Yes, football was on at all times!

Opening stockings and slightly tired (we let him go with no nap that day and he did not crash...stubborn like his daddy!)

I'm pretty sure somewhere we have this same picture of my dad explaining a toy to me!

KG got the cutest remote control choo choo train and literally sat there for 20 minutes waiting for it to be ready to play with...only to have it not work...down with Toys-R-Us!

He was so disappointed but Grammy bought him a remote control car and has mailed us two trains to make up for it!  He LOVES trains and sat and watched most of the Polar Express today.  

We had a wonderful time at home and are looking forward to spending Christmas in our own house, starting some of our own traditions. E has already started hers by indulging in "daddy's candy". Ryan makes KILLER peanut butter fudge if you've never tried it. We got new cookware from my parents and he used it last night to make a batch of fudge and it was the best by far! If you are in the area, stop by. We'll have fudge all through the holidays!

One last photo for your enjoyment....

E or Pedro. Nice Oreo stache sister!

(the girl loves cookies so much that when you ask her what her memory verse is for church she says "God Loves COOKIES!"....every single time.)  Guess it could be worse.  When I was in the 1st grade at church we had to tell what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said either a Solid Gold dancer or a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader!  Oh yes....guess I fell short of that goal!

So now we are back, dealing with no MDO until January and boy do I have a story for you...but you will have to wait until next post! Oh its good. Just you wait!

Fall Backlog

Once again, I fall behind on posting fall pictures. I figured I would atleast try to post fall/halloween pics before we leave town for Thanksgiving! Enjoy the following pics from the past month...

Oh those kids love to spot airplanes!



This is too cute! One day they'll figure it out (hopefully soon because my triceps are killing me!)


This gorgeous tree was in front of my friend Allison's house. I just loved looking at it everyday!

Sweet Eva...love the hat!!!
What's fall without playing in the leaves?
Ready....
Set....
Go!!!
He's in there somewhere...


Oh that sweet face!

This is a rare shot of some post nap snuggling!

The week of Halloween, several of us headed over to Kathy's house to make Halloween Tshirts for all the kids. It was a blast and I believe a new tradition has begun!

Oh yeah....wait for it.... ORANGE TIE DYE!!!
Emma helped me stir the tie die mix.
Look how cute...and they're not even finished yet!

Our amazing friend Mandy painted spiders for the bigger boys using their thumbs!

This girl loves to paint. Here she is telling Mandy "My turn, my turn!"

Just a sample of the crowd we had...
Here are the kids on the day before Halloween, wearing their new shirts to school.
KG loves all the cars and books at school.
EE modeling her new threads!
Then we got to get a sneak peak of the box maze. The kids were obsessed with this!
Well, obsessed with that or the flashlights one.



KG got a new Tball set for his Halloween surprise. (EE got the Tinkerbell movie). Do you see a potential accident waiting to happen?
OH....just missed her. Good aim buddy!
The boy LOVES and I mean LOVES baseball!
Miss Avery showing off her scary teeth.
Halloween day...heading to see daddy at the office.
I love this one!

Yes, KG actual stopped to pick a dandelion!
Trick or Treating at Daddy's office. They racked up!

Checkin' out the goods!
Off to see Nana & Papa

They're not proud huh??? Look at the excitement on those faces!


EE with her 5th & 6th suckers in hand. (She ended up eating 7, a bad of M&Ms, and a jumbo pixie stick with no dinner. Somehow she still fell asleep on time!)

Yep, there's the pixie stick...
The group about to head out.
Kyra's castle is always the hit of the neighborhood! This is where the handmade pixie sticks originate!
They actual first trick or treating experience.


Playing downtown at the square with the Matherly's