Christmas

Christmas was so fun this year!!  The kids got less than they have gotten in years past, but they all got everything they wanted, except David who's list was money, iphone, & an xbox.  

My black Friday deal was a new trampoline!  We have had ours for almost 5 years and this last summer the springs started popping off making it time for a new one.  When we moved into this house 11 some years ago, there was already a swing set in the back yard.  Same thing, this last summer it started falling apart, to the point that the kids wanted to play on it so badly I made one of the swing backs stay on with a zip-tie!  Definitely time to replace!  So, Santa being super awesome brought both this year!!  And even had time to assemble them (thanks to Keith & our friend for being out there all day & night Christmas Eve setting it all up!)  Silly Santa wrapped up the empty trampoline box with a note in it to go look outback.  Thomas & Nathan were quite happy with a big empty box to play in until David read the note to them!

 It's funny what kids like.  Nathan LOVED his slinky!  Thomas & Nathan also got a smart cycle to share and they have been taking turns on it and are loving it!

David got a pitch back that also has a catcher on the other side that he can practice pitching with.  Thanks Santa for setting that up before hand too & again wrapping an empty box.  Nathan got a big boy bike!!  He is doing SO good riding it & is now "one of the boys"

 Keith got a UNR hat & shirt since he is starting grad school in a few weeks! 

Christmas Eve traditions are great!!  This year was no exception!  We went to my parent's house for Christmas brunch (yum!!)  went on a photo scavenger hunt, played Christmas games, decorated gingerbread men, and Santa came and gave everyone their Christmas Eve jammies.  I don't have a picture of Nathan with Santa or me & the kids with Santa (I need to steal it from one of my sisters) Nathan didn't like Santa this year, which really surprised me since he has been loving Santa these last two months.  So I had to take him to get his jammies from Santa.  Oh well, there's always next year!  The picture in the bottom left, of Thomas cracks me up.  He found a roll of masking tape and wanted to tape himself up, so he did!  He spent a good amount of time starting at his ankles working his way to under his arms.  We had a good time with him having him walk around all taped up.  He said he walked like a penguin!

 Don't look past Nathan at my messy room, but I love this picture of Nathan, I took it Christmas afternoon.  Nathan got a big green trash truck for Christmas and he LOVES it!!  It is still sleeping with him.  He brought it into my room to show me his dump & just has the cutest little face!

Bear-y Winter

Wednesday was Tommy's kindergarten winter program!!  He did SO good!!  I am so proud of him!  He told me that morning that he wasn't going to do his performance because he was to shy to do it, but he got up on the stage, and sang the songs and did the dance moves!   Their theme for the program was Bear-y Winter,  they were polar bears.  I have video of the performance, but I keep getting an error message when I try to load them :( so hopefully I can get it figured out & put on here, they are hilarious!!

Thomas & his buddy Joey

good times

We have had a fun middle of December!  We are fortunate enough to have more than enough Christmas activities to be able to do around here!  

I LOVE this picture of Thomas.  This little boy is constantly making me laugh.  He is hilarious and he knows it!!   We went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner with some friends & Thomas went into the photo sketch booth and came back with this picture.  I asked him what kind of face is that that he made?!  His response, mom that is my happy face, I am smiling!!

 We went to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to the Gift of Lights display.  I had light scavenger hunt for the kids to find different things in the light displays.  The boys really liked it and there were some really fun displays.  One of the favorites was a shark and then the lights we drove thru that reminded the boys of space mountain.

And we pulled out the Disney Christmas train to put around the tree!  A few years ago our Polar Express train caught fire while running under our fake tree, since then I have been a little more paranoid with fire possibilities.  The last two years we have had a real tree, and I refuse to let the boys put lights on it, just in case, and we haven't had a train around the tree for the same reason.  But this sweet little boy absolutely LOVES trains, so while he was napping we set it up!  I don't think Nathan has willingly left the train since it got set up!!  He even fell asleep for the night next to it.  

Winter Blast

This past weekend David's baseball team was in the Winter Blast tournament.  They are a fairly new team,  they played with the 12U team for fall ball and now there are enough boys to have full 11 & 12 teams.  It was the first tournament for the 11U boys.  That being said, they did fairly well and I am really excited to watch these boys the next couple months as they fine tune playing as a team and learning each others strengths.  It was also David's first game experience/tournament since his cast came off.  He got walked every time that he was up to bat this weekend, with the exception of one time, he hit it just over second base & got to first, and eventually scored. He also caught two really well hit balls which made me nervous with his hand, but he is good.  

 We were surprised at the first game Saturday.  Steve, Lidia, Abby & Jake came to the game!  Nathan took Jake for a ride on his baseball bike.  It's so fun & nice to have a cousin his age in town to play with, if only we were on the same side of town so they could play together more!  We appreciate you guys coming though!

November in review

I just realized while I did blog in November, I really only did some of the things I am thankful for.  I didn't blog our life!  So, here's my month!

David got his cast off and within hours was back on the field at pitching lessons.  Which means lots of evenings holding bundled up little boys in front of the propane heater while sitting on the bum warmer drinking hot chocolate!  He is thrilled to be able to play again.  He is a great ball player and is fortunate enough to not know how good he is & to have some amazing coaches. 

 We went to Bass Pro Shops and saw Santa.  Thomas talked to him but wouldn't get to close and Nathan screamed as soon as he had to get near him for a picture, but loved to look at him from a "safe" distance.

David went with me Black Friday shopping.  He is loving that he is old enough this year to be able to help with Christmas Eve setting up & black friday shop.  We hit the stores early Thursday morning & didn't get home until about 2am Friday morning.  He held our spot in line at Sports Authority while I ran next door to Toys R Us.  Next year we are bringing the baseball heater & chairs!  We had fun and got everything on our list!

 We finished our month making a gingerbread house and then going to the movies.  The boys got along decorating the house & had a lot of fun together. More candy went on the house than in their mouths! And I actually, proud moment, built the house instead of buying the prebuilt one this year!  When we were done with the house I took them to see Wreck it Ralph.  Of course they all loved it!  It is so nice to go to a movie and not have to take a crying baby out!  After we got home from the movie I was in the kitchen doing dishes & the older boys were playing and Nathan was at the table sneaking candy from the gingerbread house.  All of the sudden Nathan starting screaming!!  I asked him what happened since no one was near him.  He said owie me and pointed to his nose.  I asked him  what hurts where is your owie.  He pointed to his nose and said my yellow and my green owie me!  I looked up his nose and sure enough, the little stink had put a green and yellow candy up his nose!!  I tried to get it out and think I might have shoved it up a little more,  tried having him blow his nose, nothing worked.  I ran him to quick care to have them use the nose pliers to pluck them out, they told me I would need to go to the ER for it!  Not wanting to sit in the ER for hours & since he wasn't screaming anymore and since I couldn't see the candy anymore I took him home.  We had an appointment with his ENT in a couple days anyway.  When we went to the ENT sure enough, the candy had caused an infection and the side he put the candy in was all pussy.  So, after a week of antibiotics, his nose is clear and all is well.  Hopefully that is the first and last time Nathan decides it would be fun to shove something up his nose!  On the plus side though, since that happened he hasn't picked any more candy off the gingerbread house to eat!

 

for some reason I can't get this picture to rotate...but this is their gingerbread house finished

November wrap-up

I finished up November being thankful for 

my parents

my vacuum~funny thing...Thomas and Nathan were collecting worms out back and brought them inside in a bucket to show me and oops!  dropped them all over the floor!  One of them was found, turns out it was a caterpillar and Thomas wanted to keep it so we put it in a tupperwear container with grass and a leaf. After a few days it cocooned!  Never raising caterpillars before, we left it in the container.  Thomas would check on it every day and see if it changed at all.  Last night it came out!  Just as Thomas was getting his last drink from the refrigerator it came out of its cocoon, flew & landed on the wall! 

thankful for everything being ok, I don't have a six digit bank account, brand new cars, big fancy house, etc but I have my head above water and life is good.

very thankful for my trials

for good days

living where I am able to wear short sleeves & flip flops at the end of November

naps on the couch with my little man