james bond

 

 

It is so fun having Kara home from college. 

 

It's fun because she comes up with something like this to do on a cold December night while mom and dad are out.

 

The kids were spies, the string was something dangerous (deadly laser beams, I think), the goal was the treasure box.

 

And the rest was fun.

The kind of Kara fun that we have really missed around here.

 

 

 

Mission Accomplished!

 

Say cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese

 

 

 

"Hey Ethan, smile for the camera and show me that key you just got."

 

"OK, now do it again and open your eyes."

 

"OK, one more time, open those eyes."
 

"Here we go, one more time.  Open your eyes really wide."
(Isaac got the point.)
 

I really think he as a disorder, or a disease or a tick. 

He has something because this happens every time we take a picture of this kid.

Thank goodness he's cute.
Thank goodness I'm patient.

And thank goodness for digital cameras.

I'm going to invest in some toothpicks.

wisdom

She had just finished all of her finals.  

She had just passed her dorm cleaning check.  

She said goodbye to her roommates, packed up her clothes and hopped into our waiting car.

  The car that took her straight to the oral surgeon.  

It was time for the removal of her wisdom teeth and it was a heck of a way to start her Christmas break.

They had me come back with her.  The only good thing about that was the pictures I was able to take.  I really didn't like witnessing her being anesthetized.  I know I'm a nurse, but when it's my own kid, it really bothers me.  She was talking to me one minute and then mid sentence her head rolled to the side and she was out.  Disturbing how powerful those drugs are.
 I didn't like it at all.

Before she was out I did manage a few pictures of her in that gorgeous blue hat.
  The surgeon tried three times to get her IV in.  His exact words, "I can't remember the last time it took me 3 times to get in an IV."  She has some very impressive bruises as proof.

That's my girl.  

Her comment right before this picture was taken, "Could it really get any worse?  I mean look at that zit right between my eyes!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that yes, indeed, it would get worse.

The next day she actually felt well enough to go play in the snow for a little bit.  Her cheeks were huge and she was quite bruised.    One of the things that I love most about Kara is her self confidence.  She took this picture of herself and then showed it around to everyone laughing right along with them.  That night she had several friends over, too. 

 Never in a million years would I have ever done that.

Overall, she did great.  She was happy to be home, happy it was Christmas, happy to play in the snow, and happy to take pictures of herself, her chipmunk cheeks and that lovely zit.

And I'm just so happy she's home, cheeks and all.

here we go again

After seven straight years of Pack Meetings, we had a little 2 year break.

 But now we are back.

 And we are excited.

Excited to watch this new little scout get branded and welcomed into the Pack.

Excited to start earning pins and belt loops and badges.  

Excited to make cars and rockets and regattas.

Excited to sit, once again as a family, and do silly cheers and eat cold pizza and play crazy games.

This is our last cub scout.  

And, I have to admit,   I'm a little excited about that.

His big day

It really is great to be eight! 

 Just ask this adorable soon to be perfect boy.

Ethan's baptism day was so wonderful. 

How grateful I am for this family of mine, for Ethan who is on the right path, for his choices and for his enthusiasm and for his desire to do what is right and make his earthly parents and his Heavenly parents proud.

 (I am grateful for Tyler too, who was missing from the picture because he was frantically finishing up the ACT.  He made it just in time for the baptism)



I was proud of him today and so were his cousins who look up to him, who  came to watch and witness this special event.

Ethan was surrounded by his family who love him and support him and who will always be there for him.

(Is wearing a Santa hat appropriate for a baptism picture?)

Ethan is a blessing to me.  

What a privilege it was to watch him today, to feel the spirit so strongly and to see the happiness in his sweet shining face.

It may have been a cold December day, but inside we were warmed by the spirit of this great day and by the spirit of this great boy.
This great boy who is now the newest and probably cutest member of the true church!

the festival

 

 

Sometimes I feel, as each year rolls around that I do the same posts over and over again.  But, that is because I am very much a traditionalist.  In our home it wouldn't be the holiday season if we didn't start the month of December off at the Festival of Trees.  We have gone every year since we have been married.  My kids really don't know any different.  So here we are again with a few pics of some of our favorites.

 

Can you say Pinkalicious?  My girls can.

 

 

This one was called 6 missing pieces.  It was all Lego.  It was done by a family that had lost 6 boys in their extended family.  It was so sweet and touching and it totally made me cry.

This one is sideways and I don't have time to fix it.  It was all made out of recycled soda bottles.

 

Globe snowmen, in honor of Kara who is off at college and couldn't be with us. 

She would have loved these.

 

 

Rudolph, is that you?

Oh, deer, I sure hope not!

 

 



 

We usually end our night at the gingerbread table.  Always a favorite.

The Lorax, or at least where he lives.

 

 

 

And, we will end with the Hobbit Hole.

 

Another great night.

Another great tradition.

Another great festival.

 

 

 



Down Set Hike

 

 

Ethan's birthday party this year was seriously one of the easiest ones I have ever done.  He wanted a football party.  And so, on the last day of November, the greatest month for football, we gathered a group of rough and tumble boys, and we had ourselves a party.

 

 

 

A good old fashioned football party.

I didn't have to plan much really.  After they arrived we played one game.  Racing helmets.  They each had a card with their name on it and they placed their card on the helmet they thought would win.  I then rolled the dice and moved the helmets according to the dice roll.  They cheered and clapped for their teams and we played it over and over again.  I had to make them stop, because we had other, more important things to do.

 

Like scarf down some cake and ice cream. 

I think they were done in less than 3 minutes.

 

 

These boys couldn't wait to get outside.

These boys were ready for some football.

I really don't remember how I used to do parties without my older kids.  I sent the boys outside and my older boys totally took over.  They lined everybody up, divided them into teams, passed out the flags and of coarse, explained the rules for safe play.  And I just turned around, walked into the house, and sat on the couch and visited with my sister.  It was the best party ever.

And then they played football.

 

And despite the rules and the refs, I have to admit there were some injuries, but, these were boys and this was football and they were tough so they played right through the pain and the tears. 

And wouldn't you if you had cute cheerleaders, like these, cheering you on?

They played football until the sun went down, literally.  They were having so much fun.  When their moms came to pick them up they were red faced, sweaty, dirty and smiling ear to ear.  And I hopped up from my comfortable position on the couch to hand them their goody bag and thank them for coming. 

 

 Like I said, best party ever. 

 

 I think the boys would agree.

 

 

 

eto is eight

  There is someone or something that doesn't want me to blog.  Every day I say I am going to blog and then a million other things come up and it is always the thing to get pushed aside.  But, I am determined.  And I am not going to let this someone or something stand in my way.  This is the story of my family. These are the things I will forget if I don't write them down.  This is for my posterity.  These stories need to be told, for me and for my kids.  And so I will tell them.  Even if it takes me forever and a day.  I will tell them.  And so I am going to skip right over June-November, start with Ethan's birthday and then go back and catch up. 

 

I really will.

 

Watch me.

 

 

This is the first time in history (OK, at least the short 8 years of Ethan's history) that he got to go to school on his birthday.  Every year since he has been born his birthday has fallen somewhere over the Thanksgiving break.  But, since Thanksgiving was so early this year, Ethan found himself at school for his big day.  Luckily, he is only in second grade so to him this was very exciting. 

 

Something else that was very exciting (besides those great Phineas and Ferb dolls that I found at a garage sale for $1, thank you very much) was that Ethan had his very first Wolf scout meeting on his birthday.  He could hardly contain his excitement after school, and went running out the door with that little yellow bandanna flapping wildly in the wind behind him to his Den Leaders house. 

 

He came home from Scouts to his requested homemade chicken noodle soup, "you know mom, the one with the little balls in it" (acini de pepe) and some fresh out of the oven rolls with honey butter. 

 After he gobbled that down, he went straight to his presents.  There is nothing quite like the look of excitement on a birthday boys face as he carefully opens each present.  It wasn't really much this year, but he didn't care.

I love this boy. 

 He is a good boy.  He loves his family.  He has good friends.  He is a good friend.  And he tries so hard to do what is right.  He is so excited for what the very near future holds for him.  And he is ready.  My baby boy is growing up, right before my very eyes.  And I really like what I see.

 

Happy Birthday sweet Eto!

 I sure do love you!

 

 

 

 

 

up with the lights

It's nice to have Silas around. 

Because every year around this time I get anxious about getting my Christmas lights up.  I need to get them up before the first big storm.  I need them to be all ready and secure and waiting so that all I need to do is flick the switch on December 1st.  And to get this, I need a husband who is not afraid of heights due to an unfortunate ladder incident from his childhood. And that is something I don't have.  But I do have Silas, a roofer, a man with knee straps, a man who has absolutely no fear of heights. 



Now, I have to say, my ground bound crew isn't so bad.  While Silas was leaping around on my roof, they were busy untangling, testing, screwing, unscrewing and shouting directions up to Mr. Roofer.

At one point Tyler even ventured up there to assist.  He looks like he might be taking after his dad all crouched up in the corner.  But I need him to take note and learn from the master.  The master who will not be here for me next November.

Please don't fall off my roof and die right before your mission. 

Please.

Okay, now Tyler is standing up and it even looks like he might be helping.  There is hope for next year after all.  And now, thanks to my crew, my house is ready for Christmas.  So, bring on the storms, bring on the snow and the wind and the deadly icicles that threaten every year to pull down my beautiful lights. 

Our house, the outside at least, is ready!

Thanks Mr. Roofer.  I will miss you!