Holly Jolly Christmas

What a year! We have been on such a roller coaster, that this Christmas was a much needed break. Ah, I love being around family and good food and lights and music. Our program at church was exceptional this year. My favorite was a family of 4 boys and their sister that sang Silent Night a cappella. It was perfect and amazing. It was just a more peaceful and quiet mood this year. I started working the Monday before Christmas. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time Friday rolled around. So, I took full advantage of the hours after presents and before the big meal to take a very intense nap. "I did a pretty good job" - quote from Dennis the Menace :)

Dad made these ornaments. They look so great on the tree.

Papa had to kick Michael out of this spot so he could sit by Nana. Michael was reluctant...What a love bug.

Scott was pretty happy about his gifts this year. He was especially stoked about his RC truck. "Dad, look! It's a Ford."

Dallin loves green. I, on the other hand, look hideous in green. Mom and I knew we found a winner with this jacket from Old Navy.

I got some beautimous earrings and matching necklace from Mom and Dad.

Tom has been doing a ton of reading this last year. He just can't get enough of it. So, we set him up with 5 or 6 good reads to last him for a few months.

Charlie Brown Christmas at the Lunds'

So, this year we were invited to the Lund home to celebrate their annual Charlie Brown Christmas with them. All the children made homemade ornaments to put on the lil' spindly tree. It was fun to watch them all create.


Dallin was a bit hesitant, but he liked painting a snowflake. It was the most "manly" thing he could find to paint.

Then, they got to decorate some cookies. Scott...well, let's just say he went through quite a bit of sprinkles. YUCK. I don't know how he choked those cookies down! He had to stop mid-bite to take a deep breath and continue on.

Lego Man

Michael is such a creative lil' man. He has always been able to make things from memory. If I give him a new set of legos, he has it built in minutes, without referring much to the instructions. He can just look at it and build. This kid is my lil' artist in the making. This animal even has a moving tail and legs.

Update!

Yup, I got the job! Woohoo!

Momma's Graduating

I know this blog is about the boys, but I am too excited not to share. I finally finished the pharmacy tech program. I am all done with the school part, the national certification, and externship. Now, I just wait for the state to issue my license. I am so grateful for all the help I had along the way. I was so scared to go back to school...mostly because I didn't know how I could manage being a mom, wife, and student. BUT, with much help from my parents and hubby, I was able to get it done. My boys even helped me memorize the gazoozles of medications that I had to commit to memory. WOO HOO!! My first interview is next Wednesday...yikes. (Thanks for the funny face Scott!!:))

Lil' Squooooshies!

Gotta love these guys. I tried to get some good pictures of these boys, but they were so silly that it was hard to capture more than just a few good shots. Shortly after this shot, Scott started a dog-pile...it was all over after that. He is a tad too goony for this kind of thing. The boys all go to the same elementary school and Michael's teacher has also had Dallin. During conferences, she said, "Boy, your Scott has that special glimmer in his eye...like, 'what am I going to do next?'" She has him pegged!

Apples to Apples?

So, I thought we could just play a lil' game of Apples to Apples at my parents' house. What could be so bad about that? I had my camera in hand from earlier shots and caught these hilarious expressions!! The boys DID have fun...I promise!

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Michael is nine years old! My lil' squishy boy:) Michael wanted to get a dog from Build a Bear, so we "adopted" Russell. Then, we had a Mexican meal at Patty's house with all the family. Just a nice, simple birthday. His aunt Patty gave him a MP3 player with all his favorite music on it. Nana and Papa gave him a Painted Pony to add to his collection. If you have never seen these, they are amazing. I love seeing all the detail that they put into them. Grandma and Grandpa set up an appointment with a ranch locally to ride horses. Needless to say, he was in HEAVEN.

Uncle Tony's Shop

During our visit to NC this last week, the boys had a chance to play in Uncle Tony's workshop. He took the boys to a woodworking store and they bought the supplies to make pens. They spent hours out there making pens. The pens turned out sooooo cool. Some were made of wood and others were out of acrylic. The boys loved spending time with Tony and all the tools:)

New lil' baby toes

Don't you just love baby toes!!?? The boys and I got to go to North Carolina to meet our new neice\cousin. This lil' baby is so perfect! We've waited so long for her to join our family. We love you, G.!

Bike riding

Now that the boys hang out with my mom everyday, they get to ride their bikes on something other than dirt. They love how fast they glide down Mom's paved road:) I took them on some rides that I used to go on when I was younger...whew!!! It feels like the entire Harland Rd is a hill...well, only until it is our time to turn off. Then, it goes downhill. Pretty fun, though. I was really impressed with how the boys handled hills and tough parts of the ride. They are strong lil' guys. Ya know, I have always loved riding bikes. The wind blowing in your face and how fast your scenery can change...and how fast you can ride away from creepy houses or dogs:)

My pitcher

This was a few weekends ago. Dallin was invited to join a Gig Harbor select team. He did a great job, but we were really disappointed in the coaching and the overall level at which the team played. (can you tell I was trying to not dangle my "at":)) He always looks so grown up out there on the mound. I can't believe that's my lil' Dalliroo. He ended up winning the MVP award for that tournament, too. The coaches had to ask me if he ever smiles?! He's always so calm and shows no expression.

What are they looking at?

I know, I know. I shouldn't dangle my participles (sp?). So, what should I have said? At what are they looking? :) The boys made rockets with their cousins. They were able to design their own with paint and stickers. Scotty named his "Blue Dart." I had to laugh under the table so he couldn't see me:) Then, for family home evening, a bunch of families in the ward got together and lit them off. Pretty fun!! Complete with dessert.

Dallin was invited to join a select team two weekends ago. He had so much fun! It was really hot, though. The coaches picked an MVP for the tournament. They said they lost count of the number of strike-outs from this lil' pitcher. Good job, DALLIN!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Of course we had another fiesta for Daddy's birthday! Enchiladas, salad, Puerto Vallarta SALSA!!, and tacos. NUM-OH!

I just want to squeeze him

Scott is 6 now. He is such a character. I got this shot of him on one of our "outings" and it just made me laugh. I want to just squeeze the stink out of that kid! Obviously this was a few weeks ago...hence, the jacket.

All-Stars Update

Dallin's team did so well. We sure enjoyed cheering them on. They ended up 3rd out of 15 teams from all around this part of Western Washington. Dallin really has learned a ton and I can see improvement even just in the three weeks that this lasted. He pitched as starting pitcher on games that he was eligible and played 1st base the rest of the time. I think it was a great opportunity for him to play with kids his own age. He is so used to being the youngest in regular season. Love that kid! Ooh, I even caught a shot of "THE COMBAT"...that is a whole other story. Let's just say that it's his pride and joy:)

Uh, oh. Momma Got a new camera

Well, it has been about a month and I LOVE it!! I am still learning how to just do the basics, but I have really loved the results. I can see that I need some more skills with taking shots in sunlight, but I'll get there. We decided to get out and explore a little bit and ended up at Joemma State Park. That park is WAY WAY out there:) It was fun, though. We ran through some trails and out on the dock. Tom even played with the camera. That means I might actually get to be in my scrapbooks from here on out....wooohoooo!

Dallin in All-Stars

Dallin made the all-star team this year. WOOOHOO! He was pretty excited. He totally didn't expect it, so it was really cool. He is pitcher and 1st baseman. So far, they are in the top 4 teams out of 15!! It's getting very intense. He is a great player, though. Someone saw him come out and take the mound. They called him the "intimidator." I laughed so hard...they sure don't know Dallin:) He does tower over all the other players, though. What a buddy!

Michael's Season

Well, Michael's baseball season is over. Whew! We made it. It was a tad bit crazy having three boys playing. His little team was first in our division. Pretty good for being the youngest team. Michael really improved this year. He was so scared of catching pop flies when he started. Now he does a great job catching the ones that make it to the outfield. He also was promoted to third baseman by the end of the season. Good job Michael.

Donuts!!

Yup, ya gotta love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. My friend, Katie, picked the boys up some hats to make the experience even more authentic:) These boys crack me up!!

Baseball Season is nearing a close

Well, it has been quite a long time since I posted!! My brother Tom reminded me that I needed to post. SO...here's a little update on our family. We sold our house in April and are now living with Tom's sister, Patty. It is a temporary holding pattern until we find somewhere to build again. It is going pretty smoothly...except I cannot find anything!! BUT, I am grateful that we sold our house instead of losing it in this economy. We've been plenty busy for the last few months aside from the chaos of moving. The three boys have all been playing baseball. Scott is in tee ball this year...and as you can see, he is very serious about it:) Michael moved up to the minors, even though he is only eight. He has done well and even caught an outfield pop fly yesterday to end the inning. Dallin moved up as well, but to the majors. He is the youngest on the team, so we didn't expect him to play much. BUT he has been the starting pitcher all season and the first baseman when his is pitched out. He has done so well. He is such a humble player...always hard on himself. His teammates have been so amazing, though. They see him down and cheer him right up. They are so supportive and kind. It is pretty amazing to watch such a great group of 10-12 year old boys act like that. Now we are in interleague playoffs for Michael and Dallin. Both teams are still in it. We'll see how far they go.

It's Pine Wood Derby Time

Oh, how I just LOVE (gnashing teeth) Pine wood derby time. Man, every year ya have the kids whose dad's order kits offline. They, of course, win EVERY year. So, why do we keep participating? Because the boys love to build these things. I like to watch them decide what to do. It also gives them one on one time with Daddy in the shop...oooh, every boys dream:) They each won a few rounds this year, so they both went home with a smile and a nummy candy bar to make it all better.

Sunday

Oh, how I love Sundays! Ya know? The world just leaves ya alone for one day a week. The boys were lookin' so dapper this Sunday, so I made them pose for a few quick shots. The sun was even shining! Scott was mad in his picture because he didn't want to wear a sweater, but it was in the 30's, so mean Mom insisted. Boy, life is rough, isn't it?