Snow Day

Yes, you read that right! We had a snow day!! So much fun for these boys, they loved it! And it's still snowing as we speak! Too fun!

Who cares if it was half mud slush half snow angel! The did it anyways!

Star Wars inspired snowman!

Looks like Sam found a special snowball!!

My handsome boys!

This one looks like a cow to me! LOL!

Snow ball fight!

Happy Birthday Ben

Happy Birthday to my Benny boy! Thank goodness we celebrated the Friday and Saturday before his birthday because he was sick and didn't even go to school on his real Monday birthday. He is such a trooper though, no skin off of his back.

I love you Ben! I can't believe you are already 7 years old! You mean the world to me. You keep me on my toes and make me proud. You are such a special little boy! Soon enough I won't be able to call you 'little' anymore.

Translation

Just because I've heard that picture won't open larger. Here is what the newspaper clipping I posted below says:

"Oh heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Help me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and ask their forgiveness, when I know that I have done wrong.
"May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment. Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal. So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
"Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things that they do. Give me a ready word for honest praise.
"Help me to treat my children as those of their own age, but let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adults. Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think, to choose and to make their own decisions.
"Forbid that I should even punish them for my own selfish satisfaction. May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable and have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.
"Make me so fair and just, so considerate and companionable to my children that they will have geniuine esteem for me. Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children. Oh God, do give me calm and poise and self control."

Finding Gems!

So I've been put in charge of scanning in some old photos for our family and I'm just now getting around to it. It's a slow day at work so I'm getting started! Me, Bec and mom had the best time going through so many old pictures of our Granny, Papa and their children. I ran across this article/prayer that my Granny cut out that I thought was amazing. I'm glad it was saved all these years because I think it is pretty powerful. You'll have to double click to get it enlarged to read but I hope you do. I need to read it once a week if not daily!

We found 142 pictures of Granny dressed up as a witch for one Halloween at good old CB&T

Isn't it perfect she picked a character with a broom?The lady standing up in the back is the reason that every last one of these girls and women on the couch (and even more girls not quite born at the time of the photo) grew into women that can work circles around most people and have the strength to get through whatever life throws at them.

Happy New Year!!

It has been a rough go at blogging for me lately! I'm sorry but the Twilight series and facebook have been taking up my spare time. I have been spending lots of family time too as we were so lucky to have the Carruths (Erica's family) with that new sweet precious bundle named Collin, and the Drydens (Deidras family) here for the holidays and even a visit from Pop Pop.

I will catch up soon! I promise but just so you don't forget what we look like and a big horn blow from Ben, and we all say........HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Sam's school parties

So since I'm running late on Thanksgiving, I'll just make a quick double post! Our little Indian sang his heart out at the Thanksgiving Feast and then turned right around and jingled and sang with his Mom at the Christmas sing a long!

He says his name is 'runs like the wind, with scissors'

Most of Sam's class

Mimi and Poppa came for the festivities

Such a stud he is!

Pre-K, Mrs. Lucy's class Tickle, tickleI was in charge of games and Mick was in charge of pictures so we only got one game and one kid, Sam. They loved stick the nose on the reindeer, big hit!

Just about in the right spot!

Boys will be boys!!

So what is more fun than playing tackle football against your brother? Playing tackle football with another set of brothers, duh!! We had B and A over on an early release day and the boys had a blast! First they did their homework, then had 45 minutes for video games and then it was ON! They started up a great game of football.

It was 'original' friends Ben and B vs. the little brothers A and Sam. You can judge for yourself but don't ever count the little bro's out. They are so much tougher than the average guy!!

Little bro's tag teaming B!

I would like to say that no one was hurt in this football excursion. T, you know I wouldn't let them get too rough and as you can see.....they were all smiles!!

Sammers is FIVE!!

For Sam's birthday weekend we had a spend the night party with some cousins and a great friend. It included pizza for dinner, a competitive game of HyperDash (thanks Grandma) and a SpongeBob dance party! It was so much fun. I had as much fun as the kids.
I thought it was hilarious how many make shift beds we had in here! 3 twins and a queen!

In our house you get to pick every meal for your birthday and Sam's birthday breakfast was bubble gum!! LOL! He LOVES gum. After that Daddy brought some donuts in for 'substance'. Sorry to dentist everywhere but we brushed thoroughly!

Look how happppppy his gum makes him!

Cheese bubble gummers!

Here we are getting Sam's fish tank ready!

Silly smile! How happy he was!!

Then we actually went and bought fish, cardinal tetras, 3 of them, freddy, bubbles and gravy. ....and well, may they rest in peace. They didn't make it a whole week which I'm pretty sure is a pet store defect. I cried. Sam was pretty big about it, he was happy for the 5 days we had with them. Mick, he says dump the water and get a lizard!

I worked hard on that dern tank though! I dechlorinated water, washed rocks, got live plants to make a great eco sysytem in our tank, got the filter going, used the thermometer to get the temp right for our new 'pets' so I was BUMMED. I loved watching the fish too. They really are calming. Oh, but anyway this post is about Sam's birthday.......

Cake time!

Make a wish baby! (make a wish, of the things i do for you, make your wish now, baby our love rain down on you....sorry, michael mcdonald moment?, who is that anyway, and I'm sure my lyrics are wrong!)

YES! A mini mag flash light and gummy worms from Uncle Willie!!

Thank you Sam! You are the most amazing 5 year old I know. You complete our family so well. You always make us smile and laugh and you are sooooo smart. Smart beyond what I can even gauge right now. I am impressed with your love for us! I feel so privileged that you picked us for your parents!! Thank you!