Sledding

Last Friday was a snow day for the kids. My mom called and asked if I wanted to take them sledding. Here are a few pictures from the day in no real order.

It is hard enough to walk up the hill on your own imagine pulling Isaiah.

Better get out of his way, he stopped for no one!
Grandma and Joshua

Grandpa giving a helping hand.

I know he is smiling here but he was not happy about being out in the cold. He gets that from his mom!

Jacob having a blast!
Full speed ahead!
Tyler and his snowboard have become inseparable these days!
All that work to drag the sled up the hill for the thrill of going down.

Our trip to the Festival of Lights

The Monday after Christmas, we packed up the kids and headed for West Virginia for the Festival of Lights. We have been looking for a new family tradition for a while now and I think we found one. Of course, our trip was not without incident. We were all packed, ready to go, and no shoes for Jacob...they are gone, vanished into thin air! So, we put an old pair of Tyler's (size 3) boots and off we went. now, our plans included a stop at the shoe store!

We stopped at Applebee's for a late lunch and it was off to the hotel to do some swimming, one of my kids favorite pass times!

Don't ever let Bill tell you he doesn't play video games!

I thought the advent candles were pretty.

I took a picture of the Precious Moments becausse they reminded me of Mandy. She had a collection of them.

Every boy loves dinosaurs!
Isaiah loved the drive thru Tunnel of Lights.

Nothing worse than...

a wet toilet seat!

That would have been another good name for my blog!

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there and because that is how I started my day. Those who have boys know exactly what I mean. Picking up the seat must be just as hard as putting it down!

So, while I am on the subject of those kids of mine...

If you read Delilah's blog you know that on New Year's Eve Isaiah, Elise and Avery (I am sure led by the infamous Isaiah) flooded our upstairs. I should have known it was too quiet! The water started leaking through the floor and onto our new bar. If you have read my blog before then you read about the first time it happened!

Last night, the kids and I watched the movie "UP!" it's a cute movie. I remember when Tyler was younger Bill took him "snipe" hunting. Now, the other three want to go. As we are watching the movie Isaiah comes and sits on my lap because he is afraid of the snipe. He pulls my feet up on the couch and says, "Don't put your feet down there, the snipe will get you." Then my tenderhearted Joshua runs behind the couch and I ask him what he is doing. He is crying and upset about another part in the movie where he thinks they are going to leave "Dug" the dog behind. And this morning Isaiah brings me a bag full of wooden blocks ("snipe food" he said). We go downstairs and he starts looking for that darn snipe again! And we had to watch the movie one more time.

After breakfast and a movie, I am sitting on the couch with Isaiah and he says "I want to give you a kiss" I jokingly say "No" and start moving my head from side to side and I am yelling for "HELP!" (No one came to my rescue, by the way). After playing around for a few minutes, he stops trying to kiss me and says "Stop screaming! You sound like a little girl!) Hmmm... I wonder where he has heard that?

Anyway, we are off to go sled riding with Grandma. Enjoy the snow everyone.

Christmas Break?

They must call it a "break" because it's a break for teachers (and they deserve it). I have a new respect for teachers and what they do since I have been volunteering at the school but that is a post for a different day.

We stayed busy everyday. We caught up with friends we hadn't seen in a while (the 23rd), had my family over for Christmas Eve, went to visit Bill's family in Mingo Junction for Christmas, had an after Christmas party at my uncles house, unfortunately, had a funeral back in Mingo Junction (the 27th), spent the night in West Virginia to see the lights at Oglebay (the 28th and 29th), had our pastor and his family over (the 30th), actually let all the kids stay up for New Years with the Millers, did some shopping on the 1st and 2nd (got some great deals), and then had adult game night with the Millers (the 3rd).

I tell you all this not because I am complaining because I enjoyed every minute of our "break." Being busy is not a bad thing when you spend it with people you enjoy to be around. I just have not been able to blog and as soon as I get my camera to download I will post some pictures and fill you in on the details of our busyness.

I "elfed" my kids

Isn't that wrong???

Status update

Facebook asks for a status update, well, there is not enough room for an update so I will blog it.

*First, let me start by saying, Bill has been out of town all week and isn't due back until tomorrow. So, that means nonstop fun for me.

*I have been so busy I didn't even make a birthday blog for Tyler so let me first start by saying...

HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY TYLER!

(I know I posted it on facebook but I needed to say it here)

*Jacob had his winter concert on Tuesday. It was very cute but, oh so crowded! How many people can they fit into the elementary school gym? It was packed! Jacob actually sang and did the motions...that is a big step for him.

*Wednesday morning Tyler started my car so I can take him to school and locked the keys in it! So, I call the police and you know it can't just go smooth! I was in tears when he told me the only way he could unlock it would leave a mark! When I called Bill after the policeman opened the door, I cried, he probably thought the car was totaled the way I was carrying on. It's fixable and only as big as this "O" but it's my car, my new car!

*Joshua got in trouble in school again (as if the car wasn't enough for one day). The boy loves to color and he keeps coloring pictures he is not supposed to color yet! Of all things to get in trouble for...coloring?!?!

*and on a different note, exactly how big does the hole in the toilet have to be before a boy can hit the target? GRRRRRR!

Goofy kids