Christmas Card Reject...

Today we worked on getting the picture for our 2010 Christmas card done. Oh joy...

Here is a picture that we will *NOT* be using...

Makes My Monday...

Aren't they cute!?!

(picture stolen from fb...I hope that is ok)?

This is my cousin, Mike and his fiancee, Heather. They are excitedly planning their wedding for July 16, 2011. We are all really looking forward to it. We have not had a family wedding for a long time and they are such a sweet, energetic, young couple. It is really going to be a special and fun day!

"Crazy Hair Charlie" is even going to be their ring bearer. I hope they don't change their mind...we will cut his hair before the wedding. ;-)

But, that is not officially what "Makes My Monday" for this week. You see, July 16, 2011 is the day that I turn 40 (Yikes!). A few months ago, Heather started periodically updating her Facebook status with the number of days until the big wedding. Yesterday, Michael got in on the action and sent me a nice reminder on Facebook.

So, what officially "Makes My Monday" this week is knowing that I have 222 days left until my 30's are history. Thanks Mike...I guess!! ;-)

He's Back...

Much to the joy...and RELIEF of the little boys in our house, Nippy finally arrived tonight. He surprised us all by showing up with the pizza that we ordered. When we opened up the pizza box, there he was snacking on a little piece. Yikes! Jack said that he was so suprised to see Nippy in the pizza box, that he jumped right out of his seat.

We are very excited that Nippy will be spending a few weeks with us. Here is a link to some of stories about his prior visits. We can't wait to see what he is going to do this year!

Thanksgiving 2010

A week late, but at least I'm getting to it...

"Standard Holiday Pictures"

A little fun with the camera...

I think I need a ladder for this to work.

Jack and Grandpa...

just a friendly game...yeah righ!!

Aidan & Connor are budding artists.

Liam, the Engineer

Not the greatest picture, but a good Thanksgiving-ey picture to complete the post

...and Ben actually has his eyes open. ;-)

The Story of a Budding Engineer...

This is fun!!!

Oh no...

So sad...

Trying again...with a little help from Dad
not so bad... Not again...

My Thinker...

Well, I started to gather pictures to write a post about Drew's goofy Christmas list. The post would have gone something like this....


Spencer had the boys sit down last week to work on writing a list of things that they wanted to as Santa to get them for Christmas. There is nothing too exciting on there, a few DS and Wii games, a few regular games, some sports memorabelia, a few stuffed animals/characters, even a book or two...regular 8 year old boy stuff. Except upon closer look at Drew's list, we noticed that he was very specific about some of the things that he wanted, things we have never seen before....

"Ummmm....Drew, have you ever actually seen any of these things that you put on your Christmas list?"

Drew: "Wey'llllll no"

"Well Drew, don't you want to put things on your Christmas list that you are sure actually exist? You know, so Santa doesn't get confused?"

Drew: "Wey'llllll.....maybe they exist....and, you know, maybe the elves could...."

....OMG!! #2 of the week....

those poor elves...

Anyway, that was what my post was going to be about. But, in the search for Christmas-sey Drew pictures, I found this old video that was taken Christmas Day 2004. Drew was 2 years, 6 months...and 27 days to be exact. ;-)

Isn't he amazing!!

I could smack myself every day for not video taping him more when he was this age...reading signs that we drove by; writing whatever words popped into his head on his Magnadoodle at church on Sundays (much to the shock of the people sitting behind us, I'm sure); playing on the computer keyboard; reading his books; hanging over his crib teaching his brothers how to spell words during the bedtime-talktime...he would make them repeat the letters...funniest thing ever!!

So, Drew, if the things on your Christmas list don't actually exist and those elves can't figure out how to make them, then I'm sorry. The world is really looking forward to you growing up and using that fabulous brain to invent all of the things that you realize are missing in the world.

We love you and I'm sure Santa and his elves will do their best.

Separation of Church and School

Charlie has been working on rhyming at school. He's been rhyming for a while.... thank you LeapFrog Company, but since they have been working on it at school, he is really "into" it now. He is forever throwing words out there and asking for rhymes, or just listing off things that rhyme, or sometimes, his brothers get in on the action and things get really interesting...like the Bears vs. Eagles rhymes/poems/songs/chants/taunts that were flying around our house yesterday.

Anyway, last week, we were invited to see a play in which our neighbor's son was performing. The play was the "Birth and Resurrection of Jesus Christ" and it was at the local Mormon Church. I knew that a lot of work has gone into the play and they had been practicing for months. We had tickets to Friday night's play and it was 1 of 4 showings. It was a big deal and there were probably a few hundred people there. Our neighbor had managed to get seats in the first and second row, right in the center.

We arrived a few minutes early so, the kids were sitting in the first row, talking to their friends and we were sitting in the second row talking and answering an occasional question from the kids.

At one point, Charlie turns around, gets up on his knees and loudly starts the "rhyming game" with Spencer....

Charlie (in his very loud 4 year old voice)- "Hey Daddy, Daddy, DADDY...ummmmm....What rhymes with......BOILET?!?!"

Daddy (whispering)- "uhhhhmmmm..... charlie....shhhhh......"

Charlie (still loud and now very excited!) - "DADDY.... it's TOILET!!! TOILET rhymes with BOILET!!!

OMG....and that folks, is the last time the Mormons invite a bunch of Catholics to sit in the front row of their beautiful play.

Our little Catholic boy...gotta love him...