And it was good...

Hope everyones Christmas' were filled with love, joy, excitement and smiles. Here is what ours was filled with...

funny sleepy but excited faces and the wonder of how santa really got down the chimney to fill those stockings!

pure excitement and joy over simple things.
lots of smiles for a very busy girl who got; paint, crayons, markers and a new little art desk/easel to let her creative juices flow!

and a super fast race track that not only travels the cars it came with but also boats, trains and anything else that will fit on it.

Hope you got the toys and wishes you asked Santa for!

Ooohhhhh...

...the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is sooo delightful.

So since we can't go where we want to go..let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Well, we are stuck at home yet another holiday. Not due to sick children this time, but ice. WAY Too slick to leave yesterday, better this morning but saw two accidents and slideoffs 5 minutes after leaving and deciding since we were headed north where it was colder we would forgo the plans and hideout in the burg until a later date. So Tim made a nice fire last night to keep us warm and cozy and we vegged out in front of a "opened early" movie.

And since I have yet to share any tree pics, thought I would show some pics of the decor that no one else will probably see besides us.

The sheer excitement of a simple Christmas tree by a 2 and almost 4 year old was amazing. It just warmed your heart to hear things like "Look Mommy! The perfect tree!" and then with each ornament..."Look mommy, a star! a snowman!" (you get the idea?) Too cute.

So far the tradition has been Lucas topping off the tree, I am sure next year there will be a fight.

And the final decor. I think I like my house better at Christmas.And just to let you know, Santa is happy that he no longer has to do breathing treatments twice a day. We did recieve word yesterday via a checkup that both children are finally healthy (still a residual caugh when they get running), but no more wheezing or infected ears. My Christmas wish came true!!

I hope you Holiday wishes come true as well. Enjoy the family, be safe in the weather, and Merry Christmas to all!!

Oh Christmas Tree...or Lilly

Both Lucas and Lilly liked to help decorate the tree this year, but Lucas was into the ornamets and Lilly was into the beads...which she used to decorate herself! She treated them like giant necklaces and would just dance around in circles. I did manage to steal one strand from her and put it near the top, but decided that maybe I shouldn't put the other beads on anywhere where they could be reachable by a really cute two year old...or she might just pull the tree down on top of herself! Enjoy the dancing pics!

How did she get so cute?

p.s. Pretty sure I lost the contest...but thanks for voting if you did!! (And if you didn't...well the guilt is on your shoulders and I am taking back your christmas presents!)

Classic

Oh the classic picture with Santa. Lucas wouldn't look at him at first, but then he warmed up, told him he wanted a big green and orange dinosaur and then smiled ever so sweetly for the camera. Lilly on the other hand wanted nothing to do with him and I think Tim barely got her on his lap...you could tell with that scowl that she was not a happy camper.

Some days they both deserve coal, but most days I would give them the world if I could. They are the best presents I have ever gotten and I wouldn't change that for anything.

Anyone else stir crazy?

It is kinda funny how the last few weeks every mom I have talked to has seen a bit stir crazy. They seem ready to go get a drink at the drop of a hat, more phone conversations and stir craziness then I have seen in awhile. I thought maybe it is the lack of Vitamin D from the sun, or the business of the holidays. I didn't really put it together until I was talking to a friend and I realized what it is...winter. Yes, winter (although not offiical yet) has kept us indoors, which has therefore kept the germs indoors, which has therefore kept our kids sick, which has therefore kept our kids crabby, which has therefore raised the stress level, which on top of typical "get ready for the holidays" stresses can really add up, which has therefore turned most moms I know into women who need a break. Well, at least I am speaking for me.

I was able to "get away" this past weekend. Headed up north to one of my best friends from highschools house on Saturday. We met up with a few of our other girlfriends, shopped at an insane mall, ate dinner in a bar where no children were allowed, found people from highschool on facebook, taped off a stripe to be painted on a dining room wall, went to a choir concert at our old highschool in the same auditorium we use to sing in, then I finally headed back home. It was perfect. Just enough time to relax, breathe, shop, girl talk, laugh (and then tried not to during the concert). Good times that were much needed, I did miss the kids but it was only 30 hours and they had great bonding time with daddy.

Thought I would share some funny pics. Reminissing in the old halls of highschool, next to the infamous art murals.

Had a great time ladies! You were a blast!

And if YOU still need some quality girl time (always a must to maintain the fact that even though we are moms/daughters/friends/sisters/wives we must take care of ourselves every now and then too)...feel free to drop me a line and we can get together!

Come one, Come all and cast your votes!

No, not voting for president silly, that is already done!

But you can vote for us, for that sure is fun!

We're one of the finalist for Christmas Out-takes-

And oh you can trust me, there are no fakes!

So go to my friends site and vote for us HERE!

Maybe we will win the Prize of the Year!!

And if you haven't seen the best out-takes of all...

Just scroll down one blog further and out of your chair you might fall!

For the kids are choking, and crying, and sad,

But once the photoshoot was over they sure were glad.

So if you chuckle a little or really laugh out loud,

Please go and vote to show us you're proud!

We sure would be thankful, it sure would be great,

if you could vote for us- just don't be late!!

Merry Christmas and happy voting!!

Christmas Picture OUT-TAKES...

These are always fun to post and just gives you a little anticipation what the final picture actually turned out to be and since I MIGHT finish Christmas cards this weekend, thought I should post these now. Also, my friend Emily is having a little contest for who has the best out-takes. I would vote for hers by far...but since she doesn't count, thought I would give it a try! They are definitely not the worst we have ever had, but are pretty funny.

The infamous choke-hold...

Only a little crying...but boy does she look pitiful!
And yes Lucas is wearing shorts (and a Halloween t-shirt underneath). Had to bribe him with a sucker to put on the sweater.

And this one looks like he is about to hurl, but you can see Lilly's great hairbow!

This one is actually one of my favorites, oh too cute even in out-takes.

I am definitely one lucky lady with two adorable children. Wait till you see the final pic! It will melt your heart! And feel free to enter the contest too! If it was based on cuteness, I would definitely win, but feel free to challenge me on how horrible it was!

Wordless Wednesday...How many kids can you fit on a couch?

All I want for Christmas...

Sickness Sickness go away. Don't come back another day.

Oh my goodness, I am so tired of everyone being sick. I think my house has been caughing for the last 4 weeks. Have been to the doctor, the ER, back to the doctor and will go back again in two weeks for a re-check. First it just started with colds, snot pouring out of the face, caughing, sneezing with snot to the floor...you know typical toddler stuff. Mommy started getting something too and that never helps. Went for flu shots/2 year check up and both of their chests sounded good and they seemed to be on the up an up. Then Thanksgiving week rolled around and we got hit by a stomach virus and croup. Then last week Lucas got croup and Lilly had an ear infection. Now at least one is on the pink yummy bubblegum meds and the other only starts caughing after running around in circles chasing Lilly or the dog. I got on some antibiotics for a sinus infection which I believe now has moved to my chest so I should probably go back.

Just when you think things may be improving, they both woke up this morning sounding horrible again...not sure if it was lack of humidifiers that we didn't fill last night, the air does seem extra dry and cold this morning, or what. Lilly was choking on phlem which ended up on the kitchen floor in a puddle and Lucas has green snot again. Daddy is trying to make it through the work day and should probably go to the doctor, but you know men. I think the only healthy one is Wrigley.

So needless to say the kids haven't been to school in a few weeks (mommy could use a break), and we have tried to stay pretty confined to the house although 4 days is about my max before I at least need to hit wally world or something.

So, all I want for Christmas...a healthy family please! So send prayers and some chicken noodle soup, I think a week on the beach could cure us all! (or at least me)

Wordless Wednesday- A Barbie Thanksgiving

Do you see the green and yellow turkey? Does not look appetizing, but seriously came with the kitchen. How do they stay so skinny?

Have you been at the edge of your seats?

Well last week I gave you a mission to guess the number of leaf bags. Since then we were attacked by birds and snow has fallen. Which means that I have failed my mission. I did accomplish the three (flattened by Lucas) piles you see above but there were still probably about 4 bags yet to be raked, so sad,...not really.

I am not one for excuses...BUT on Tuesday I was sitting at my desk (I am sure I doing something that useful) while preparing my mind to bundle up and grab the rake and all the sudden heard a thousand birds right outside the front window. You know how when you are driving and you see a field completely covered by a flock of birds or what seems like 80 billion filling a tree all at once, well that was my front yard. I could hear them on the roof, their claws on the gutter, and they were literally covering my front yard. By the time I got the camera out they were all taking off. If you could have heard the sound to go with the photo that would have been nice. But needless to say, that did tend to sway my thoughts that maybe there was something else that needed done that day instead of raking leaves (you know, in case they came back).

Anyway, I did fill 28 bags before the snow hit. Tamara was closest with guessing 30 and to the winner I was going to give a pumpkin pie. Unfortnately this is kinda like salt in a wound b/c Tamara is my mother-in-law and pumpkin pies were the only thing I was suppose to bring for Thanksgiving...so needless to say (if you have read the blog below), she was sad that we didn't come. Soooo...anyone that lives closer want a pumpkin pie? I've still got 2 in the fridge!

And your next mission: Guess how many birds are in the picture above! Just kidding!

Still Blessed

Well, our Thanksgiving did not quite go as planned.

We were suppose to head North but that got canned.

About 12:30 Lilly woke caughing and did not sound good.

We tried breathing treatments and did all that we could.

We decided to head to the ER about 4am,

She was diagnosed with Croupe and there went our plans.

Home for the weekend is where we would be,

but what would we do without a turkey?

Thank goodness for Wal-mart who was open all day,

for folks like us, (or for those who delay).

Tim decided he would take on his first Turkey quest,

so a recipe he found and headed out for the rest.

A fresh turkey was bought, potatoes and stuffing too,

His family would not go hungry and all he had to do...

Was wash and butter and season and rub, it turned out to be some amazing Thanksgiving grub! He mashed, stuffed, and carved for his family, but when it came time to eat no one was ready.

Lilly was crying because she was ready to sleep, Tim was tired from making the feast. Lucas wanted the turkey out of his sight, but I think the table looked beautiful, right?

The turkey was moist, the potatoes were lumpy, (I don't know about you, but I like mine kinda bumpy). And of course there was no room for pies in our tummys, which was too bad since there were three in the fridge that were yummy.

We did miss good cooking by mom and spending time with family, but we are so blessed that our weekend was pretty happy. Besides the caughing and puking (did I mention Lucas had the flu?), we spent most our time playing games and watching the tube.

Still blessed with the snuggles through good times and bad. Still blessed with the friends and family we have. Still blessed by the Lord who provides it all. Still blessed by all we have, both big and small.

So remember that Thanksgiving is not only about food, but to also give thanks for all that is good. I hope your weekend went well, wherever you are, and we send our love to those near and those far.

The Mission

So last week I started a mission. This was a mission that required mind over matter. It required brawn and endurance. It required precious time taken in order to accomplish the task. I chose this mission, executed the mission (and am still trying to accomplish the mission). The mission was to rid the acre yard of the three inches of leaves that had accumlated and for some reason not blown away. The difficulty of this mission was timing. The kids both had caughs, and due to cold weather and (proximity to the road) this mission needed to be accomplished during nap time. The window of opportunity was narrow, but it could and would be done. Good snowmen with no leaves stuck in their bodies depended on it.

This is all that was left as the beautiful signs that fall was coming to a close and that the time had come for action. So almost every day last wekk I would make sure the children were snug in their beds (and actually sleeping...which could take awhile) and then I would venture out with a rake and monitor in hand. Each day I would slowly build large piles and fill big bags of leaves. I would only have about an hour before I would need to return inside to waking children. And I would always look back to see what I had accomplished...and it was good to see giant piles with green space around them, but there always seemed to be more piles than before (b/c I would tend to rake vs. bag), but the thought of knowing that I did accomplish something was good. That maybe I burned some calories, that maybe the sweatshirt and coat that soon became a sauna was working for me, instead of against me. I did enjoy my time outside, even with numb fingers. It was a nice break from the typical computer glow of work (which seems to be in short demand as of now). And then on Sunday the weather was finally warm enough, and the kids well enough that everyone got to enjoy the piles...and soon destroyed the piles of leaves that I had worked so hard to create. But hey, the more you jump, the most the leaves are crushed and the less space they take up in a bag...right?Lucas tried to show Lilly all the correct manuvers for pile jumping, but she really didn't get that into it. Tim called her a princess.
She seemed content to just run around and around.

Lucas was in heaven. I think it is one of the best joys of fall and for those who don't have big trees in their yards, or enough leaves to make a pile, well feel free to come on over. I will admit that even out there by myself I fell into a leaf pile or two. It is just too tempting not to do!

So here are two missions that I leave you with:

1. Find a pile of leaves (weather in your yard or not) and jump in them!

2. Guess how many bags (the big brown paper leaf bags) did we fill this year?

Your mission has begun....GO!

Throwback Thursday- Sock Puppets

We made sock puppets awhile ago, thought I would share some funny pictures!

Oh too cute and fun, and we sewed them together so we could use them over and over! What have you made lately?

Tuesday early preview

So, thanks to my sister we got some early Christmas pics of the kids this past Friday when I was up North. I won't show the finals since that would be copyrighting to scan them and send them out for christmas cards which I am sure that I would never do...but thought I would share some pics of the ones I snapped while we were waiting.

This is how they stayed entertained while we waited, Lucas pulled Lilly round and round and back and forth.Lucas showed off his dance moves.
And Lilly hammed it up for the camera. Final pics turned out very cute- but you'll have to wait for your Christmas Card to see them...I mean, you will have to come over to our house and see the framed version. Right, now I just need to actually make the cards! Maybe Lilly's artisic skills and new crayons will come in handy!

The weekend...what a zoo

The crazy weekend began late Friday night picking up some special visitors at the airport and then Saturday morning we put one of them to work making the animal cakes for the party.

She had LOTS of help (as you can see) and did an AMAZING job!

Thanks cousin Kristin!

The cakes were the hit of the party! Kids were screaming "I want the lion!" or "I want the monkey!" I couldn't cut them fast enough!

I love this picture, not only b/c Lilly knew exactly what she was doing and was so excited but because the looks on the other kids faces just says it all.
She was an expert present opener and of course looked so adorable!

And the best part of the weekend was that we finally got to meet Miss Rita!! She was adopted in February from Russia by or cousins out in CA and we were so excited that they were able to come and visit us for the first time. She is a bundle of energy and fit right in with our little ones. We went to the Children's Museum on Sunday but I forgot my camera, so when I figure out how to upload pics from my new phone (or get some from someone else...hint hint), I will blog more about the great weekend. Thanks to all who came- especially the SanDiegoans!

On Lilly's actual birthday (Tuesday) she got to open her present from us...a HUGE doll house! Hopefully this will last for years to come! She was very excited and Lucas thinks the elevator is pretty cool and has already taken his hot wheels for a ride! I am sure that Barbies and Superman will get along well in the house. Everyone is welcome to come on over and play!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

1 week old
6 months old

12 months

19 months

2 years old

Miss Lilly turns 2 today. It doesn't seem that long ago, but looking back through all of the pictures and seeing how she has turned into such a beautiful little girl is amazing. I was pretty convinced that I would have all boys, and that would have been ok too, but so glad God has blessed us with this little one who always keeps us laughing. She is our little lillybug and we love her very much. (Will post pics of the party tomorrow).