Sledding with Aunt Tara

a sledding train

A typical day at our house...

Click here to see "Anna's Spastic Locamotion". I think she needs dance classes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQlKqC72dWk

A Terrifying Sight

You never know what you are going to find living in the most dangerous city in the U.S...

and

Oh wait, that wasn't a drive by- just a snow angels attempt. Though these angels do look like they've been assassinated.

Here they are a little improved:

and

This was Abby making a snow angel last year:

This was her out in the snow this year:

I think she should probably settle someplace warm.

Living with Me

Living with me has its disadvantages. One of them being I am completely scatter brained and am consistently "misplacing" things. If Ryan says I lost something, I quickly correct him. I simply MISPLACE things- they always return, just not when I need them to. Things I frequently lose: my keys, my brush, my purse, the cell phone, my notebook which houses my life, pretty much everything of importance!




Well, the other day took the cake per say. I misplaced my toast. After looking everywhere reasonable, I could not find it ANYWHERE. Ryan nicely and a little naively insisted that Sadie, our dog, must have eaten it. I knew better than that though. I knew the culprit. I just didn't know the location. Are you curious?






It was hiding under my pillow. Yuck!

No, life with me is never dull. Frequently messy and unpredictable but never dull. Now, if anyone has seen my cell phone, please let me know- it has been MIA for about 12 hours now- And hollar if you find my other glove.

In case you all might be thinking it, "Yes, it IS amazing that God gave me children!" though I haven't MISPLACED one yet!

Endless Baking, Decorating, and Eating

We made all these beautiful cookies for the girl's bible study teachers. We had them all nicely wrapped with cute homemade cards on top. Of course we were sick the day of bible study! So we saved the cards and ate all of the yummy cookies :)

Oops! I forgot to rotate the photo! Oh well, the point is...we were decorating gingerbread houses so Ryan broke out his drill! .....a man and his tools!

This is mostly what Anna and Naomi did while Ryan, my sisters, and I decorated gingerbread houses

all of us with our houses

Emma

Tara

Decorating the Tree

A few of our favorite ornaments:


ONE of Dana's favorites (I just can't choose!)


Abby's favorite- it's got her photo from last year in it. It's a cute book that opens and your child becomes a penguin, a reindeer, etc. I got it from Discovery Toys and love it.



Anna and Naomi's favorites.

one of Ryan's favorites from when he was little

Our Little Tree finally decorated

The decorating process

Anna and Naomi took a break. (Anna reading to Naomi)

Naomi

Anna

Abby

17 Days, 400 Hours, 24,015 Minutes, or 1,440,902 Seconds

...until Christmas! However you look at it, Christmas is coming.


Here is what we have been up to:





trying candy canes for the first time- everyone liked them except mom who got to clean everyone's sticky gooey mess, including dog hair- yuck!




Anna and Naomi set up the Nativity. Anna insisted that all the people must fit in the stable. Something tells me if she was the one in charge of the inn, Jesus would have had a room! :) Apparently her philosophy is the more, the merrier.




Breakfast with Santa. Anna saw Santa and immediately said "I don't like him" to which Naomi replied "I like him"...always a competition!

Daddy and Abby on top of a borrowed mantel from Home Depot! Apparently Home Depot let the community center borrow a fireplace for decoration for the breakfast with Santa. Just below Abby's foot was a price tag and a detailed description of the fireplace! I wish I could get on the list!

We cut down our own little tree this year. Anna is having fun being pulled in the tree sled by various family members at the tree farm.

Here was Abby's vehicle. He looks excited, doesn't he? :)

Naomi and Aunt Ashley. This may be the only time that Naomi smiled at the tree farm. She was, of all things, afraid of the trees. I also kind of forgot her in the van- that may have had an impact just a little! But, really, we realized it within 20 seconds. She was mad at me when I returned for her. This one will be one to hold a grudge!

A family un-portrait. In our family of wee little ones, someone is always either crying or at the very least not looking at the camera. In this case...Ryan (not crying! but indeed not loooking)! And Naomi- still holding a grudge...or maybe it's our tree.