random December ...

here's all the random, daily photos that I had up on instagram in December!!! 

(along with what I wrote with it)

in random order ...

 

"lunch time fun"

it should have said sauce fun - lol!  the kid is crazy for "sauce" - almost any standard type!!!

"he looks so small out there!!  #basketball #kids #sports #practice "

"teacher & school office gift time!!!  between four kids we have 11 teachers!!!  and we have to include the principal and 'office ladies', too !!!  #latenight "

"all done!!!  #teachergifts #christmas #seasonofgiving "

between the four kids, this is the breakdown:

Annicka has a "st" (I think that's what we call her - basically she helps us make

sure we're on track with the homeschooling); Jericho has his 3rd grade teacher and then

also has his reading teacher; Liam has his teacher and "para" (not sure what she

is technically called either, but she's a second teacher with the main teacher - I guess); the boys 

have their principal and two "office ladies"; Zoey has her lead teacher, two paras, two 

speech therapists, and an occupational therapist - plus she has her two bus drivers!!!

so that was fifteen "teacher" gifts in all!  phewf!!!

this one wasn't on instagram ... and I think it was taken in November - can't remember for sure!

it's Zoey's preschool photo ... I love her smile!  I was disappointed they took off her glasses

though - still a pretty adorable pic though!!!

"love the views we get waiting for the bus!!!  blurry moon - but in real life it's awesome!!"

"our bigger ghost shrimp didn't last long :(  our little one has found a spot he likes!!! 

 He's on there all the time!!"

*note: the other ghost shrimp, pictured here, disappeared a couple weeks later ... and the snails have

since died!  what are we doing wrong?  lol*

"making lunches!  I just can't resist making food cute - lol!!  #christmas #lunch 

#schoollunch #christmasfood "

"look!!!  it's the gnome mobile!!! #gnomemobile "

"I'm really getting a kick out of this ... our little Zoey still loves Caillou!  She has a few 'routines' for getting all comfy and enjoying her show - this is one of them!  On the floor with Bubby's kindle, covered with mama's blanket and munching on potato chips!  Living in the lap of luxury - my little princess!!!!"

"ha ha!  This is how I feel!!!  We came in here, then realized we don't have time to sit and eat ... Bummer!  Food to go it is!!!!  #applebees "

"Caillou time ... again!!!  lol #caillou #kindle #tinyfeet #hiding "

"snacky picnic lunch & #christmas #classic #movies #classicmovies #oldmovies #christmasmovies "

"... hoping my daughter will appreciate that I turned her story into a book!"

"nothing can compare to #fultanos #canby "

"my little artist"

"always love when the littles get so enthralled with a special Christmas decoration!!  #christmas #littlekids #decorations #treasurethemoments #dontblink "

Sunshine Award ...

so, it's been weeks since I was nominated/awarded (whatever) ... but I'm finally getting around to this!  Candice - my awesome "can do everything artsy" friend over at Measurements of Merriment awarded me!!!  check out her blog, seriously - she is so talented and so creative!!!

so, here goes ...

The Rules:

     Display the award on your blog, then give 7 random facts about yourself.  Answer the 7 questions I had to answer, then nominate any amount of bloggers you choose up to 11.

7 random facts about me:

1~ I love Jesus

2~ I am, once again, "debating" on if I should homeschool ALL my kids (really not debating, but praying about this ... I want to do what God wants me to do!)

3~ I can not hide this fact: I love Twilight!  I've read all the books, I own all the movies, I'm a pretty big fan!

4~ my "dream" number was four kids and I wanted two boys and two girls ... God gave me exactly what I wanted (that, or He planted the desire early in my life)!!!

5~ I am a shopaholic!  I love to browse, I can browse for hours!  I love that I am now living fairly close to a LOT of shopping!!!

6~ I'm pretty afraid of spiders!  and snakes, which I am hearing we have a lot of here - yikes!!!

7~ when I was little I used to sing at church - often!!  these days you have to be a close friend to hear me sing - lol!!!

my questions:

If you could go back in time ten years and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?

hold tighter to your instincts with parenting!  stay strong and stick with it!!!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

probably chocolate chip cookie dough ... but I've had plenty of flavors I like!!!

If you were to take me on a date, where would we go and why?

 the movies - because I LOVE going to movies!!!  that or a decent sit down and eat place!!

Above all else, what are you afraid of?

I'm not really sure!  the thought of living without my husband or children is somewhat scary, but more tear provoking and sad.  I'd say the main thing I'm "afraid" of is "messing up" my kids.  no joke.  (see first question - lol)

What would you do if you new you couldn't fail?

homeschool - for sure!  ha ha!!!  there's probably many things I could put here?  get some college under my belt?  go back to zumba classes (I am so out of shape again)!  foster/adopt children (something I've always had on my heart)!  open up a shop of some sort!  who knows?!!

What has been your favorite age to be and why?

oddly enough, a teenager!  it's funny I'd say that - cause I was a mopey teen!  but the part I love is your old enough to have some passions in life, but young enough to have fun and be free!  and dreams are endless - I love that part!  

Coffee or tea?

definitely both!  but coffee more often!

I would like to give the Sunshine Award to some of these great blogs I follow: 

I am awarding some blogs that I love and, therefore, miss - cause they have been so quiet :(

Laughing Family

The Anderson Zoo

Jenny Can't Cook

Halle, Sebastian, & Lucca

Boyish Charm

LIFE

Mommy Needs A Mocha

Our Quiver Full

and some I just love!!!

Jod a La Mode

Danette Kay Photography

Buddy the Elf ... way late catch up!

hey, it's still January ... I think I'm doing good! LOL!!! 

I have been making an attempt to do a better job as wife/mom ... which doesn't always

leave a lot of "extra" time for blogging ... of course I generally choose to use the

"extra" time I have to watch my DVR'd tv shows - but I'm trying to even lessen my tv time!

bottom line:  I need to work on my time management skills!!!

this has really always been a struggle for me, but I really do want to improve!

anyway, I'm hoping I'll be able to do some blog catch-up today ...

which will mean a few days of catch-up posts!

I'm trying to keep it either chronological or in themes/groups, so we're starting

with finishing up with Buddy, our elf on the shelf!!!

day 18

day 19 (goodies)

day 21 

(we did have to have a day where Buddy did nothing - due to some behavior!!)

day 22

day 23

day 24

 

day 24 - evening

Buddy surprised the kids with new stockings and a cool "night light"!

we had a lot of fun with Buddy!
who knows, maybe next year he'll come back with a wife?? 

four years old.

so, yes ... it's been a while.  what's new?

Zoey is four today!!!!

as we see here, she was thrilled about the mini photo session I had planned!

really I just wanted to get some adorable pics of her on her birthday, in her birthday outfit ...

before she went to school and potentially destroyed it (the outfit, that is)!

she has this little morning routine ~ it includes a diaper change, getting dressed,

having her "med milk" (that's her milk with her prevacid & allergy medicine in it - because

there's no way she'll take the medicines alone!), being offered a bit of something to 

nibble on - offered being the key word, getting socks & shoes on, and then watching one of

her favorite shows (Caillou or, her new fave, Mickey Mouse Club House) - all cozy in her chair - until it's time to get her coat on and go wait for the bus ...

no where in that routine does "mini photo session with mama" fit in!!!

in my opinion, I still got adorable pics of her ...

because to me the way she was so passionate with her cry was, honestly,

sort of hilarious!  doesn't she just look like a little princess on her throne, having a little hissy fit!!

yep, our princess!!

anyway, I could go on and on and on about how I can't believe she is four years old.

four years old?

NO.

she's my baby, how can she be a four year old?

I've even had a touch of baby fever as I look at my kids and how big they're all getting,

and it really sinks in that we are done with babies and have only years left of

even having little kids in the house.  it's weird.  right now I don't like thinking about it.

but - it is what it is.  I'm trying to focus on these four and fill in some of 

the gaps I see, as far as behavior ... all I can say is ... pray for me!!  LOL!!!

and now, a word about my lack of blogging ...

honestly, as far as this blog goes, I'm trying to remember that the whole purpose

is that we have these memories to treasure - ideally in book form, though so far I've only

afforded to get books printed through 2009!  that means I really need to find a way

to get 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 printed by the end of this year - that way I'll be "caught up"

and will be able to just print each year as it ends!  but I must remind myself that I

do not blog for readers ... I just happen to have a few people who seem to enjoy reading

this blog.  don't get me wrong, I'm totally cool with that - and I do blog for our family and friends

who like to keep up with us a bit ... but, as I was saying, I have to remind myself

that the point is to capture memories that we can treasure as a family!  that means that it doesn't

matter if everything makes it onto this blog ... it doesn't matter if the photos are

the best ... it doesn't matter if it's all in chronological order (ahem: Christmas, New Years, and

Jericho's birthday are yet to come - but today I blogged about TODAY!) ... none of it

matters ... I must repeat this to myself, often!  and so, there is my incredibly long "spout" on 

nothing in particular!  lol!  but, again, it's because I know I'll go back and read this

all one day - and will need the reminder, again!!!

Happy New Year! it's 2014!!!

I know, it's been a while.  I promise, though, this time I really do have some good "excuses"! 

 let's see, I left off on December 18, a wednesday ... thursday was both Zoey and Liam's class parties - both of which included little songs, so I had to be there (don't worry, there's photos)! 

 then friday was the last day of school - for a whopping three weeks!!!

I know, right!!!

well, for all but Annicka, that is!

with the last weekend before Christmas I was busy and lazy - both of which continued right

up until Christmas day!  grocery shopping for a nice Christmas dinner, running out

for things I had forgotten, new stocking at the last minute (Christmas Eve, like - literally

last minute!) ... there was Buddy the Elf to keep up with, stockings to hang, gifts

to wrap ... there were kids to keep busy, crafts to do, cookies to bake!

phew!!

we had such a nice Christmas!

and the day after I left on an airplane, Oregon bound ... to see my grandma for one last time.

sadly, she passed less than two hours after I landed ...

I didn't make it to her in time.

 that is so hard for me.

never the less - I got to see my parents, my aunt, my cousins, my best friend, 

Yaya (aka: Melissa - who fixed up my hair for me), and even one of my brothers!

I ended up having a good time ...

a hard time, it was definitely not an "easy" week ...

an emotional time, I have had to say good-bye to few people I love ...

but, overall, it was what I would call a "good" time, if that makes sense.

here's a quick little recap/sneak peek in photos ...

I decided this year to the angel my Grandma made on my tree!

I believe it is the start of a new tree top tradition!

on Christmas Eve the kids got to decorate sugar cookies!

well, except sleeping Liam - he had crashed out!

it was really fun and yummy too - I even made the frosting!

in fact, my hand mixer decided to poop out while I was making the frosting/icing ...

while in Oregon, my aunt gave me my Grandma's - so special!

our little spunky, sweet Zoey!!!

refusing to just stay still & smile for a pic!!!  ha ha!!!

Santa had come - Christmas Eve 2013!!!

so much fun watching them open their gifts - and love them!!!

we did learn, this year, that teenagers are hard to please ... what?!!!

with their new treasures!

even managed to get a smile from the teenager!!!

the day after Christmas I woke up at 3am for my 5:55am flight!

my man drove me to the airport, we got there about 4:15 ish ...

long lines, me panicking, I made it to my gate at 5:30 and couldn't believe

they hadn't started boarding yet!  thank goodness I made it ...

I had a row to myself, thanks to the 18 people that didn't make it (it was supposed to be full)!!

*insert sigh here*

dopey me, photo taking me, can you believe that I forgot to get a pic with my parents!!!

I could cry.

seriously.

I especially wanted a pic of my dad with his goatee!!!

still can't believe I forgot.  grrr.

my grandma's service was on monday, December 30.

tuesday I got my hair colored & cut and then my most bestest friend/sister came to town to fetch me!

I got to spend New Years with her and her beautiful family!

I am still pretty amazed by where we were ... 

oh yah, just partying with the fellas from the show Gold Rush!

pretty awesome!

there was karaoke, yummy food, a bonfire, even fireworks!

awesome time!!!

it was a very late night!

amazingly I was one of the first to wake the next morning (it was me and one of the kids) 

at nearly 9am!  slowly everyone awoke ... it was just a slow start to our lazy day!

I got to just sit around and visit with my friend, watch movies with her,

have yummy food - thanks to her hubby who cooked for us ...

so nice.

another early morning, this time waking at 3:45am for a 7am flight!

I am in love with taking pics from up in the sky ... 

I couldn't get enough!

home to my family greeting me at the baggage claim!

all those sweet faces!

all those snuggly, lovely hugs!

yummy breakfast at IHOP!

then a day of being chauffeur ...

not exactly what I had in mind - we went to the mall and then to Walmart,

the Christmas money was burning holes in little pockets!

so, now I am home.

Annicka is back to school at home tomorrow.

Jericho, Liam, and Zoey have one more week of playing and being home.

I have put away Christmas and started working

on some early spring cleaning/organizing.

2014 is off to a good start!