.

Monday, November 30, 2009

A Whole Lotta Nothin'

A lot has happened over the last few days, including, well, Thanksgiving and naturally, our brakes going out all together (fortunately with Jeff driving and in my parents' driveway, Thank God!). The other unfortunate thing about the last few days is that Tyler has decided that sleeping is for the birds and is for some reason getting up less than every two hours. Ugh. Can't rub two sticks together. (Other than that we really did have a nice weekend) So, until my brain cells get back in working order, I'll leave you with this embarrassing story. At about 11am this morning, there was a knock on the door. I was expecting a UPS package so I figured that's who it was. Good thing, since I hadn't yet combed my hair or washed off the previous day's mascara. I opened the door expecting a box and it was my neighbor. It was raining, so of course I had to let him in. There I was in all my scruffy glory with enough laundry to cloth an entire small nation all piled on my couch ready to be folded. As if that weren't bad enough, he was offering us an almost-new table and told me he'd watch the kids for a minute so I could run over and see it. So, I got to show off my unkempt self to the neighbor lady, too. Lovely. And I am sure all the while my neighbor was looking around my living room thinking 'Geez. Someone needs to have an intervention here.' Oh, well. That's the way it goes some days. The table was too small, but someone will be happy to get it since its very nice. Now off to take a shower and do something with myself. Or sleep. Hmmm....

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving

I realize its a bit early to do the year-end retrospective, but hey, its been one heck of a year and there is a lot to be thankful for. At the beginning of the year, I was hoping for a nice quiet year. Last year was filled with a lot, including Katie's diagnosis of hip dysplasia and her subsequent closed reduction/spica cast ordeal. This year, it was supposed to be a nice uneventful year. Not! The year started off with a bang when our tenants gave their notice. We soon discovered that to say they had trashed the house would be an extreme understatement. We spent from March to the end of June/early July putting in hundreds of hours scrubbing, scouring, fixing and repairing, and scrubbing some more. It was a nightmare. Then, there was paying two mortgages for six months. And did I mention I was also gestating a sweet little human being through the whole ordeal?? He arrived at the tail end of all the major projects. All this to say, it has been a CRAZY year, full of opportunities for stress around every corner. BUT! God has provided for us through it all, and we made it through relatively sane. ;) I am so grateful its all over, and we have a new year ahead of us! Hopefully this one won't be so eventful. Ha, ha!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Little Sibling Love


I captured this photo somewhere in between the fights over random bits of Lincoln Logs and Dr. Seuss books. I love moments like this.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving


This weekend we celebrated 'Pre-Thanksgiving'; Rach and Phil are headed for Texas so we had the big shin-dig early. And what does any self-respecting family do for Thanksgiving? Why, play with Marshmallow weaponry of course! In addition to last year's PVC model, Nate's father-in-law spent the entire year running through various models of Marshmallow Guns in order to perfect the idea. He decided in the end that simple was best: a straight copper pipe. (The picture above is the modified marshmallow gun, made for shooting around corners and behind you) After the men complained about the lackadaisical standards for marshmallows, the war began. Jeff and Phil holed up in the shed, which was a bit like cheating if you ask me, but they later got locked out of the shed and away from their ammo. Katie ran around dodging marshmallows and eating more than her fair share of ammo.




Uncle Nate and Tyler


Jeff and Tyler


Uncle Phil and Tyler


The kids got to make their own kid-sized pies with Grammy. What fun!

It was so much fun, as usual, to have everyone together. The food was fabulous, though I feel like I cheated since I made my stuff ahead. For more Thanksgiving fun, click here.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Simple Joys

We just so happened to become the proud owners of two pieces of bubble wrap, so this morning, I gave one to each kid and let them have at it. They loved it! Katie's new thing is to say 'Wah-me, Mama!' Which means watch me. She even tells me 'sit down, couch!' or 'sit down right here!' so that she has my full attention. So it was 'wah-me, Mama' while she jumped up and down on the bubbles. James saved one of his bubbles for Tyler to pop.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Random Randomness






The kids stayed entertained for quite a while by sorting out buttons by size and color. Katie picked red and pulled out every last red button she could find. James found all the black and white ones for me, since I needed them for the jammies I have in progress. Can you tell I have a thing for buttons? ;)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Somewhere there are angels singing

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I took a shower today, the first since Sunday. It seems that with three children it is much more difficult to squeeze in a shower. Somehow, I must make sure that all children are happily occupied. As in, quietly reading instead of trying to kill each other or swing from the chandelier. And, I have to keep the baby near me so that the older two don't decide to get a little overzealous with the babysitting! Almost always, my shower is brought to an end with someone screaming or hollering or otherwise just whining. Its about as pleasant a way to end a shower as when my dad used to turn the hot water off when he thought I'd been in the shower too long, but at least I am clean at the end of it. Someday, I suppose, I will be able to take a shower each and every day if I want, and to drink an entire cup of tea before it gets cold. I have big dreams, as you can see :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Shoe Box Excitement


Every year at church, we collect shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. This year we were able to collect 245 shoe boxes!!!! I am still in shock, as this is 109 more than last year. Very exciting! James wanted to put money in our shoe boxes so that the kids could buy houses to live in. I wish it was that easy.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Friday, November 13, 2009

Some Things Just Ain't Right

This morning I discovered Katie...........................


......................playing with Jeff's Neti Pot.


Eeeew.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

More Fun Old Pictures


Grandma Cheyney, Great-Grandma C.(I think...), and Aunt Lynn


Aunt Lynn, Dad, Uncle Ron


Aunt Sally and Uncle Ron (?)



Dad


Dad...he, he, he! This picture makes me giggle.


Grandma and Grandpa


Dad (I love this picture!!)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Jeff + Webcam



Really I can't explain such things. There are no words.

(We got a web camera this weekend so we can 'skype' with Rach & Phil, and Jeff's sister and her family.)

Dress-Up! (And a few bonus pictures of a beautiful baby!)

When James went for a 'sweep overs' at Grammy and Chappy's house this weekend, I pulled out the dress-up clothes I had stashed away for Katie. It was the perfect time! She loved getting dressed up and clomped right around in her sparkly little shoes. I can see the beginning of a lot of fun dressing up! I loved dressing up when I was little and have fond memories of Mom donating some of her old dresses to the cause too.


This is the 'I can't believe Grammy took James and left me and I think I might be a little miffed' look.


Does the cuteness know no bounds?!?!


And speaking of absolute cuteness, deliciousness, scrumptiousness and all that is beautiful in this world, check out my baby! (How's that for bragging, Candi! :)

I love taking pictures of Jeff holding our babies. His hands always seem so big in comparison to the baby.



And this one is the boys snuggling on the couch!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Curtains to Dress

Remember when I bought a whole bag o' curtains at a yard sale? Well, here is the first thing I've made from them. As curtains, they must have been hideous. Pink micro-suede with pink beaded dangles. As a dress, I like it better. And I took the opportunity to add a little rick-rack, which is an obsession of mine. I love rick-rack. Glad I got that one out. Moving on, the hideous pink curtain has found a new useful life as a dress, and I still have enough for another dress or two.

The Green Belt



We are fortunate to be close to what people around here call a 'green belt,' a nice strip of green between the neighboring section (subdivision). Its not exactly expansive, but it is very nice to get outside and enjoy it. As you can see, the kids love running free and collecting every stick and rock and leaf they see. We have fun looking for fish, and even identifying a few flowers growing along the creek. And isn't that last picture sweet? They were holding hands too.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Friday, November 06, 2009

Sweep Overs

James is having a 'sweep overs' today at Grammy and Chappy's house. Thanks to Chappy, he has been asking every day this week if it was Friday yet. I was going to keep it a secret but Dad let the cat out of the bag. I guess its paybacks for 'are we there yet? I have to go to the bathroom. Are we there yet?' If all goes according to (James') plan, he'll have mac n' cheese, eggs, toast, the dollar store, the bakery, water play time, a little Mary Poppins, a flashlight next to his bed 'for if he has to get up and go to the baf-room at night,' and who knows what else. Hey, the boy has an agenda. What can I say? Oh, and he wants me to get a suitcase out of the attic for him.....

Thursday, November 05, 2009

This week I was at the grocery store with just Tyler (thanks, Mom!!!). I was carrying him in what I think is the best baby-carrying-contraption-ever. There in the cereal isle were two rough looking road crew workers painted in tar and grime. One of the men was a big, tall guy, the kind you wouldn't want to meet up with in a dark ally and who spends his off time on a Harley. The other guy was a bit ZZ Top-esque. As I navigated my cart between them and the Raisin Bran, ZZ Top says 'Awww! Look at the cute baby!' Now that right there was enough to make me have a internal fit of giggles, but it didn't stop there. He looked admiringly at Tyler and asked how old he was. When I told him, he said 'Wow, he's a really new baby! Wow!' Then Mr. Burly Man asked me if it hurt my back to carry him around all day. (He didn't see that Tyler was in the wrap) I showed him the wrap and he said 'Well, that's pretty handy if you gotta carry them around all the time. That's nice!' The whole thing just made me laugh. Two tar-covered macho men oohing and ahhing over my baby. He is pretty cute if I do say so myself ;)

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Why is this so funny?????



Jeff and I have watched this video so many times and it never stops being funny. Even though it really shouldn't be. Our poor kids. By the way, the video size is a lot bigger than I normally post and I'd like to know if y'all are able to see it. Our new camera has a different format which we haven't figured out how to edit yet.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Now that its getting cooler, I decided to put all my canned stuff in the garage. Boy, was I surprised to line it all up! I have canned almost 150 jars of stuff, but when I saw it all together I was a little surprised. We have already eaten a lot of jam. Next up, Mango Jam and Cranberry Jelly and another cranberry recipe I want to try. Mmmm....

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Two Lobsters and a Fisherman Walk Into a Bar...


OK. I just had to say that. Doesn't it sound like the beginning of a bad joke? Well, you'll be happy to note that we didn't take our little lobsters and fisherman to any bars. Rather, we took them took them to a select few neighbors to go trick-or-treating. While most kids were out dressed like super heroes and giant babies, I conjured up some lobsters out of an old blanket, and dug out some of James' old clothes for Katie to be a fisherman. Like her lobster trap? :) Its a bird feeder with a plastic lobster in it. While the kids loved their costumes, especially James, I know it won't be long before they'll want to pick what they wear for Halloween. Oh, well. I did refrain, for the record, from making pats of butter out of yellow felt to sew onto them. That woulda' been funny!




OK. I just had to say that. Doesn't it sound like the beginning of a bad joke? Well, you'll be happy to note that we didn't take our little lobsters and fisherman to any bars. Rather, we took them took them to a select few neighbors to go trick-or-treating. While most kids were out dressed like super heroes and giant babies, I conjured up some lobsters out of an old blanket, and dug out some of James' old clothes for Katie to be a fisherman. Like her lobster trap? :) Its a bird feeder with a plastic lobster in it. While the kids loved their costumes, especially James, I know it won't be long before they'll want to pick what they wear for Halloween. Oh, well.