Merry Little Christmas, Darlin'

Scotty on Christmas day! He was pretty darn happy.

This is the most beautiful cutting board that Scotty made for me with his Papa's help. I DO NOT think I can use this...too purdy.

Me and Bohunk. Love you, Baby!

My squishy boys in front of their work:)

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year. My favorite part is the little traditions that are continuing for our little family. Things that I did as a child and new traditions...LOVE THEM! We always get a fresh tree to decorate. The boys always do the decorating:) Christmas eve is always spent in new pajamas and reading the stories of Christ. Dad ALWAYS gets a new Christmas story that makes me cry...boys can't come out of their rooms until the music starts Christmas morning..Sharon's monster cookies that are as big as your head!...seven layer cookies for Tom...and (little known fact) getting my scotch tape for wrapping from my Mom. I don't think that I have EVER purchased my own tape for wrapping. Hmph. go figure. Thanks MOM!!!! Love you. I feel so blessed with the wonderful people that I get to share this life with. So blessed.

Michael's Christmas concert

My Michael is such a different soul than his older brother. Michael has no fear about getting in front of people and performing. He volunteered to play accompaniment for his friend who sang at their school's Christmas concert. He is also learning to play percussion this year in the band. That means he has to start on the bells, but he's really enjoying it. It follows closely with his piano playing, so it is reinforcing the notes and scales, etc. What a buddy! He finds such joy in music, creating, building, inventing....kinda cool to watch.

Cedar Heights Raindevils

Yup, he made both free throws!

Dal vs. his buddy from last year, Jeffrey:)

Well, it is deep in the basketball season around here. All three boys are on a team and it's getting a little crazy. Michael and Scott are playing Pee Wees and will start games in January. Dallin made the Cedar Heights team, so he's been going for a couple months. He started the season with a broken hand...he learned to shoot with a cast on, but the coach wouldn't let him block shots with it:) "Dallin! Go over there by yourself and work on lefty dribbling!" Ha ha ! He really got some distance on that ball:) Sooooo, he got pretty good at shooting with the cast. Then, he was able to take it off after a few weeks of basketball and ...well...he had to RElearn shooting with a wrist that could actually bend! That didn't take long, but then he got the flu. A really really really bad case. YUCK these boys had it for weeks. 103 fevers that nothing would touch. He missed his first game. The coach only let him play 2 minutes of his 2nd game because he still couldn't breathe without coughing. FINALLY, he got to play his 3rd game. It was so fun to watch him. His teammates and teachers really cheer for him. He's such a quiet, gentle guy. It takes a lot to get him to be more aggressive in sports. But he loves it.

During the game, Tom's dad noticed that the ref was his cousin....crazy!:)

Thanksgiving

Michael Stephen

Karen lookin' like she's ready to make an IV and Mr. Tom:) BOHUNK

Mom, Dad and DalliRoo

(Tom's tower that he built while waiting for the line to move:))

What a cruddy year for Thanksgiving...kinda goes against the title of the holiday itself!! I have to work every other Thanksgiving and this was my year to work. We had a hurry meal at my brother's house and off I went. Maaaaa! I sure hope my Christmas makes up for it! I even get Christmas eve off; so, here's to hopin'!

Why? How?

I noticed something very odd about all three of my boys. They are different in soooo many ways. BUT...there is something WEIRD that they all have in common. When they are tired, their ears turn red. RED. weird. dunno. All these pictures were taken at 8pm.

Look it!

Papa is playing with some beautimous woods that he found in Oregon. I can't wait to see this when all the finish work is done!

Cross Country Buddies

Every year the boys get to run in a district wide cross country race. It is fun to get together with the other schools and see some boys they play ball with. My boys have never been fast, but it is good for them to have this chance to run and finish a race. They usually end up about middle of the pack. This year, however, Michael has taken to running distance races. He spends his recesses running the track around their field with his buddies. He really loves running and can run for long distances...he kicks my booty. He did so great this year. Happy for my buddies:)

Michael and his new paint brushes

Michael gave up on painting because he couldn't do the detail right. Ms. Katie Lou came to the rescue yesterday and he's so happy! She got a pack of fine tip brushes...enough so he can have one for each color:) What a buddy. I love watching his mind create. Eragon's new book is coming out next month, so I guess his mind is on dragons.

Birfday boy!

The new "big thing" book that Papa picked up with a gift card for Barnes and Noble...He's a reader! He got to go use the gift card the next day with Nana and Papa...reserved his copy of the Eragon book comin' out in November.

New bike from Daddy...bike rides will be MUCH easier because of this bike. We have some MONSTER hills around here:)

Cool "cowboy" leather pouch with collector coins from Grandpa and Grandma Briggs...made from one of their cows:)

Kickin' it on some new cowboy bedding. This kids sure loves horses and the farm life. Woah! You can really see the eyelashes in this one:) Nummy.

Mr. Michael is now a big ol' 11. I love this lil' boy so much. He is such a joy. He is by far the easiest kid to raise. He is so self-motivated and obedient. He brought home some "sample" problems the first day of school to practice for the next day...not assigned, but he just wanted to make sure he was ready. What a guy! He is fun, loveable, and very compassionate. He is so genuine. What a blessing to get to be this boy's mama.

ugh, here we go!

Baseball was a nice sport. What about basketball? BUT WHY FOOTBALL? I really don't get that sport. I don't understand the little rules and all the many ways to get injured. Dallin really wanted to play, so ...here we are. It was kind of fun watching all the boys across South Kitsap that played together in baseball meet on the football field. They were on opposing teams, but still cheered each other on. Kinda cool! Tom loved meeting up with all his ol' football buddies from "back in the day." Some were coaching, so he got his two cents in whenever he could:) tee hee. He's like a little kid when it comes to football. I can tell it frustrates him to no end to watch and not play. He was DYING to get out there and show them the right way:) This could be a long season for him. It has brought a new chapter for our family, that is for sure. We now go to the gym as a fam 3 times a week for weight and cardio training. Dallin has bulked up so much in just the short 2 months we've been doing this. His suit coat was too big, now, it's a tad snug. Crazy huggin my "baby" with such broad shoulders. Dang. Good thing I still have Scott and Michael for a few more years.

Padding? Why, YES!

So, Mr. Dallin has begun the trek into football world. He has had practice 6 times a week for the last 2 1/2 weeks. It is very demanding, but he loves it...well, he has chosen to stay with it. He likes it. He looks forward to it. Crazy. I asked him if he was having fun. "Mom, how could you call that fun?" So, one day, he decided to show his lil' brothers how it was done. What could they use for pads? hmmm....

no me gusta

Michael and his gorilla flotilla:) (I have NO idea why he chose a gorilla to draw)

Scotty chose "Knights of Right" from the books he's been reading...cute:)

This month's pack meeting for the boys was the Rain Gutter Regatta. YUCK. This is worse than a Pinewood Derby! My biggest beef is that the rules are NEVER enforced and the ones who bend the rules are always the ones to win....HOWEVER, our boys didn't seem too phased by all that. They just had fun racing. That is why I love my boys:)

The Big 6

Tom and Logan discussing how spoiled all his "bugs" are going to be because he got so many "rooms" for them to run around in...not sure about this:)

Michael about to be pelted with not one, but TWO water bombs! What a great way to cool off!

I had to sneak this picture:) I love when Betsy does her hair curly!

Oh, yum!

Tom played football with Dallin and Michael and Scott and Logan and Jackson, and and and

We enjoyed beautiful weather yesterday for the celebration of Mr.Logan's birthday. We all met up at the local park to enjoy some of Tom's sweet creation (he used Dots...it HAD to be good:)) and play with water. Logan requested water and Legos for his party and that is JUST WHAT HE GOT!

Happy Birfday, Papa

Dad and Dallin

Sca-booty!

Mr. Justin

Dad's birthday had PERFECT weather for an outdoor shin-dig:) We sprawled out in their front yard and enjoyed pizza, pop, salad, and DESSERT! I made flan (pronounced flan) from a recipe that we've devoured since I was a lil' girl. Mmmmm. Costco has perfect strawberries.

and flan (pronounced flon) from a recipe that my Dad's mom got while in Italy. It is so smoothe and creamy! I had one of her favorite potter friends in Twin Falls make this dish to serve the flan in. The corners that fan out from the platter are there so that an 8X8 glass pan can fit right inside to dump the flan in after it is baked. It is FAB! I didn't know if the kids would all like it...they all pouted when there wasn't seconds, so next time...I guess I need another platter:)Love you Dad!!!

BS is for Butterscotch!!

We just had a fabulous time at the Purdy Spit. What a perfect day for it! The sun was shinin' and the breeze was blowin'. Aaaah. We got to meet up with Logan and Betsy for a few hours. Scott was the only one brave enough to get all the way in the water. He's a wild man:) Next time we go, we really need to bring intertubes!! The boys searched for a lizard, played with Mr. Deadcrab, skipped rocks, read books, and drank the YUMMIEST milkshakes from Dexters. Mine was pineapple and it was delisshhh!