Thanks to Uncle Frank, we did not go the WHOLE holiday season without a family picture. AND, the boys were able to get their standard goofy face picture with "Big Drew", Hey...nothing is better than that, really!! We ALL love Big Drew, he really is the best!

Christmas Catch-Up

Well we all survived the Christmas madness and are recuperating with Mike home from work for a few days. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve & Day and the Boys were blessed by gifts from "Santa". I guess they were good after all.

So here is a quick Play by Play on how the past two days went:

• cleaned up house over and over as boys entered and re-entered each room
• made soups and then swore that I would NEVER make soups again (as I do ever year)
• made red velvet cake, everything went fine

• made red velvet cake frosting

• called Karine (Mike's Mom)
• attempted to FIX frosting
• made red velvet cake frosting AGAIN
• called Karine AGAIN
• did not attempt to save, went to Frys and got tub-o-frosting

• am hiring out future red velvet cakes!
• set up hot chocolate bar

• set out dishes
• had family over
• ate
  
• played games and opened presents
• attempted to sleep
• Christmas Day- opened presents

• off to Grandma/Grandpa's
  
• off to Nonnie and Granddads
• off to BED
  
• recuperating and celebrating that Christmas is another 364 days away!

Does It Make Me A Bad Mom...

I ask you this...after playing around with "MAC" last night and importing some family photos. I ran into pictures that made me laugh and cry. There were events that I had totally forgotten and then there were events that I wish I could FORGET altogether!

So, tell me this, is is wrong that this makes me laugh:

And this makes me cry:



What is it with pictures that can tough at your heart strings and pee your pants simultaneously?

Here are some blasts from the past that I thought you may enjoy. We did.

Baker & Crate were able to be Hi Five Kids @ the Suns Game

Last year was Baker's first year running cross country. Out of 136 5th and 6th grade boys he came in 23rd place! It was his first race of the season.

Nothing like a little R&R at Oprah's house to make your worries disappear. A fun week in Telluride.

Easter 2006

Fish are friends, not food.
Sea World

Creighton's Baptism August 2007

Thought I'd end on a sweet note...not that he isn't sweet now, but ohhh...those were the days!!

Are You My Mother?

Once upon a time in a town Far Far Away...there live a Princess named Allison. She was the most Favorite of the King and Queen. One day she gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl that you have ever seen. All the town came to see this child and ewwed and awwed over her black curls and pink cheeks.

Because her mother was the favorite it was hard for everyone not to drive for HOURS to go see this Buddha baby. But...alas, it was worth the drive. Once arriving at the town hospital, villagers found that Princess Brynn looked remarkably like her BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS "AUNT LA", and they were taken back at her stunning BLACK HAIR. We have all fallen IN LOVE with our Brynlee? (and really, if it's spelled wrong, at this point, I DON"T CARE!) Both mother and baby are doing well and are planning on being home soon. All 11 pounds of them!! We love you Brynn and can't wait to hug and kiss you all over!!



The Queen has already come to "Val-con Suck" her sweet head so all can sleep.


Sleep well sweet baby Brynn for there is a sister and 6 cousins awaiting your arrival at home and there will be no resting then!!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the Fairest of them all?

Aunt "La", Princess Allison, Brynn & Queen Nonni

Leggo My Eggo...

Kellogs says there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them. The company's Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn. are closed indefinitely for repairs. Now tell me this, how am I to feed my children breakfast? It will take until the middle of 2010 before shelves around the country are stocked. How am I to keep up with my food storage now, I ask you?

Already customers are noticing near-empty Eggo shelves on the freezer aisle at many grocery stores. That is because my boy are needing to EAT OK. I'm sorry if there are no CHOCOLATE CHIP EGGO WAFFLES in your Wal-mart Stores, but you know, we all cant have what we want! Obviously, I'm having to go ALL AROUND town just to feed my children so they wont STARVE!

One more "Fa-la-la-la-la", and I'm outta here!

PHOTO'S from CHRISTMAS PASTS...this year?...NONE so far...


As this great time of year is upon us, I can't help but be some what of a scrooge. I didn't intend for this to happen, but really it's not my fault(as nothing REALLY is). I have found that perhaps I am just getting TOO OLD, TOO LAZY, TOO PICKY, TOO DEMANDING, TOO MANY to go on about!

BUT we are almost done. 12 days left and the hoop-la will be over. Not that I mind it so much, just this year has been particularly difficult.

I hope when Santa looks at his list he sees that I've been more NICE than NAUGHTY...

If this is all I get too, WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Is It Worth It????

OHHHHH YES....it is!!! How dare you have to ask. After I spent countless hours, ok, so maybe it wasn't HOURS, looking for a nameless item that HAD TO BE FOUND...(you can fill in the blanks there) I needed a small FIX. And...seeing is how I have ONCE AGAIN given up soda, where else was a girl to go? I ask you!! WHERE? SEES...there, with a 4 year old in toe, we stood, STOOD, in line patiently waiting our turn, THAT NEVER came to get a small bag, not box, not pre-made wrapped gift, not a sucker, not a trinket for a teacher, just a small bag of ONE mouth watering TO DIE FOR, ahhhhhh (take a breath) MILK BORDEAUX. Just the smell alone can make all your worries go away...well, until you leave the store that is.
Nothing is better. The sprinkles melting on your finger tips, chocolate on your lips, the crackling of the wrapper in your hand. It is HEAVEN...I have to tell you, HEAVEN!!! My shopping was not for nothing...Owen was content with the samples that they passed out and I was content because now I didn't have to share. The bummer...my ONE turned into SIX after a 37 minute wait. Oh-well...was it worth it....OHHHHH Yes It Was!!

Say "CHEESE"

Ok...by this picture I am NOW a mom of boys that apparently does NOT CARE how my child leaves the house. (sad truth is I don't)...I do, but I don't. He was fed, he has clean teeth, clean underwear, we prayed as a family, and I kissed him good-bye. He HOWEVER, does not match, did not have combed hair and we did not, as the picture so kindly points out, practice SMILING. I'm not exactly sure where Owen get's his photo face from but it's one that makes us ALWAYS smile.

Merry Christmas!

(Thanks Miss Tracy for the pic)

Better LATE than NEVER...

My dad brought to the beach 2 cakes for my birthday. I would like to think one was to share and one was for ME.

We downed one. And the one that was for ME, a 7 Layer cake, well, lets just say...we were heavy on the junk food there and it was not touched. Others asked (TYLER) but I was not about to let a fork attack my cake before it hit my mouth.

I managed to eat my cake. All 20lbs. of it and all by myself. Good, bad, not sure yet. Guess that's the blessing of having a birthday but the curse of getting old will, I'm sure, hit me soon.

Thanks Dad for my cake...It was ummm ummm GOOD!!!

Thanksgiving Beach Week

Well, after a long recovery...not so much due to the vacation, more due to the computer crisis, I am attempting to catch up on the blog.

I would love to document all wonderful events that occurred but time is of the essence (Christmas being in less than 2 weeks). So please enjoy our photos and our wonderful trip and we hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday.