New Year's Eve

Everything about this was good.
Good people.
Good food.
Good fun.
Good year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Bored Christmas Girls

What do you do with three girls who say they are bored on Christmas break??  You let them bake cookies even if they eat more than half the dough and leave you to bake the rest!!  Or you just may want to take them shooting.  Don't worry, the guns were not loaded, they were on safety, they were not cocked, and fingers were not on the triggers when this pic was taken...they had to have their "lesson" first from Jeremy.  They are sure "armed and cute!"

 

 

Jeremy took me out shooting too.  I don't know if I loved it as much as the girls but it was fun to go for a few minutes.  It was a little more scary for me to shoot than I thought.  The first time it kinda scared me and tears sprang to my eyes.  I guess I was startled at the kickback!  But I will learn to get more confident the more I go out.  

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas morning is pretty much a pay day for me. We've waited, threatened coal, worried how to get the "it" toy, saved, spent and had sleepless nights all awaiting an early Christmas morning of giving to magic-filled faces and hopefully a handful of smiles. We talked a LOT about giving this Christmas.  We did projects as a family and I hope the kids can remember the spirit of giving and not just getting.  But getting is fun too. 

Poor Mason didn't know what he was in for at the 6:00 waking.  We were debating whether to wake him, but how could we not???  Santa must have known we had too MANY baby toys and brought Mason lots of baby food.  Maz was stoked!  The kids took turns opening gifts for Mason.



Livvy got a pellet gun.  She was super happy about that.  The gun, her Furby named Lemonade, and her doll horse were her favorite gifts.





Cohen got most of what he wanted.  I told him he couldn't change his mind so much becuase Santa couldn't keep up!  He did however get the watch he asked Santa for.  He was super happy about his Lego kits he got.  I wish I recorded his morning.  All I could hear from him was screams and shouts and lots of paper ripping.  "YYYEESSSS!!!" with his arms all up in the air doing jumps.  "I WANTED THIS!" And then he would move to the next gift.  It was soo fun to watch.  Cohen's favorite gifts were the Ninjago and Sponge Bob Lego sets and his watch.

Coy got the animals he desperately wished for.  He LOVES animals so it was not hard to please this little man!

Carter is a tech wiz and was able to help out everyone with the technical difficulties.  He is so stinkin' cute!

After opening our family gifts we all headed to Grandma's for Christmas breakfast and more gifts. 

By this time Mason was getting super grumpy and ready for a nap.  We had SUCH a relaxing day with family and cousins.  I think it was the first time I didn't go anywhere and none of my family was with me. It made me miss them but we had a very nice day.  LOVE Christmas!!

I do have to give Jeremy a little hard time for this gift, however thoughtful it may be.  I pulled this shirt out of the box and just kind of stared at it and then asked J if it was for me.  He said yes.  "This?" I asked while I held it for him to see.  Yes, he said again.  I then said, "I am pretty sure that Quicksilver is only made for guys.  Roxy is for girl."  He assured me it was on the woman's rack.  I assured him that it was a mens shirt and definitely not fit on me.  BAHAHAHAH! 

Other than that shirt, J got me tons of stuff that I totally loved.  He is the best!

Christmas Eve

Christmas parties and lots of fun activities all month brought us to the night of Christmas Eve.  I had the kids draw names so they could give each other a gift.  We let them open them that night.  They are all wearing the new jammies given to them by Grandma.  Cohen was so worried at our family Christmas party.  He kept asking to come home so they could go to bed.  He was real nervous he was going to be caught awake.  He was literally coming unglued, pacing Grandma's house.  We made it home so ....Bring on SANTA! 

Food Storage

It's been awhile since I've done a food storage post. This was an idea I stole off my friend Tiff.  She told me how she froze homemade burritos.  Much healthier than the ones from the store. So I decided to do it myself.  Cohen can't eat most frozen foods.  So I made him frozen burritos out of taco meat.  He loves them and eats the whole thing.  Makes me happy when my kids eat.  I also used our left over turkey to make yummy homemade soup.  I make the sauce a little thicker so that when I defrost it in the microwave, it is the right consistency.  Cohen loves this soup and it is quick and easy and healthy for him to eat.

Olivia is the queen of bean burritos.  She eats them almost every day.  So we labeled them and vacuum sealed them and put them in the freezer.  YAY!  We made 60 burritos and it came out to about .30 a burrito to make.

What really happens...Christmas Sunday

The true story behind taking family shots... First I have to remind them that getting a good picture is important to me so I can always remember them and their cute little faces. Then if that doesn't work, I bribe them with a little bit of candy. And FINALLY if that doesn't work, I give J that "do something and make our kids smile" look and it happens. Beautiful kids. So grateful for them I have no other words than that. Love my family with all my heart. So blessed.

 Focus kids!  Focus!  Smile! Coy look here, MASON!!!!  Livvy? Come on Coco, let me see that cute smile!

My friend Patrica ran over here to take the family shot.  I just kept telling her to keep ...on...snapping!!

"COHEN! Don't bug Livvy.  Livvy look here and SMILE!!"

"Here Coy, hold this present I got you for a picture.  Now SMILE."  That was easy until I realized that he thought I was going to let him open it.  I had to tell him what a prop was and he was NOT happy.

Then he thought he could sneak and try to open it.  It's tough being a kid!!

Then we had to talk about it.

Then we made up.  LOVE Coy.

"Head down a little, smile with your teeth, look at me...ah perfect!"

This is about all I could get from Mason, but I think it's a keeper.  Such an adorable baby. 

Like I said, it's worth it.  All of it.  Oh man, I do have a lot of kids.

Christmas Performance

Livvy had her cute Christmas performance.  She has been exited about it for a long time.  Livvy and some other students got chosen to sing a special musical number, "I'll Have A Blue Christmas."  She practiced a lot at home and couldn't wait to show off.  I kept trying to hint to her on stage to smile and she would nod her head at me but then I realized when I put Mason in her line of sight a big smile would appear on her face.  Seriously, who wouldn't smile at this handsome guy!  BLONDE BLONDE hair!

When the performance was over Averie and Livvy came home to play.  They knocked down all the icicles from the house and were freezing.  I tried to get a smile out of Averie but she was in the mood for silly faces.  Love these girls!

RIP Curtis

It was very unexpected. Very heartbreaking. A lot harder than I could have imagined. Curtis passed away a few weeks ago. We had just finished up with Cohen's allergy testing when we got the call. Jeremy let him out when he got home and called him back in a few minutes later.  He didn't come so J went back inside.  Then went out to call him again and Curtis made it back to our porch and died.  Needless to say Livvy was especially heartbroken.  I got him as a gift Christmas morning from Jeremy and his parents our first Christmas together.  He was 10 years old. 

Curtis was loved.  I always claimed him as a nuisance but I knew I could never be rid of him.  He lived and played with all my kids.  Mason just barely started noticing Curtis and tried to pull him to eat him and I meant to get a picture but the house was a mess and Maz was still in his pj's for the day so I was going to do it "later."  So sad I waited. 

Livvy really like to play house with Curtis.  He has been dressed up, dolled up, and tied up to do whatever Olivia wanted at the time.  He was willing most of the time.  He slept with her every night.  Livvy has had a hard time with the adjustment.  She just starts crying at times she knew Curtis was supposed to be with her.  She wrote a letter to express what she felt.  It made me cry.   Love her tender heart.  It reads:

To Jesus:
From: Olivia Lyman
 My dog died yesterday.  He was ten. Yesterday was December 4th.  His birthday was October 17.  Can you send me a letter back saying why he died.  He's white with short hair.  He's small. My mom and dad got him a year before I was born. I won't stop crying.   Love, Livvy

Curtis liked to sit under my chair to hide from the kiddos.  haha.

Coy with Curtis.

This is baby Olivia and Curtis. 

Baby Cohen and Curtis.

We will miss you Curtis!