A Sneak Peek at our new addition!

It's far from being new. And it's definitely not a baby...

It's our 1950 Ford Custom!

We didn't get any pictures before all of this snow. So you'll have to use your imagination...

Yes, it's faded maroon which looks exactly like purple, but that's just for the time being. One day it will be a better color. And who knows, we might even be able to all squeeze in for a nice cruise one Sunday afternoon.........

Big Foot Tries Again!

It seems like a really long time ago, but really it was only a few weeks ago that Jon took Simon to a Monster Truck & Motorcross Show where he got to see Big Foot! They were both so excited about the time they got to spend together. They got home after 11:00 p.m. and Simon's face was black from his red and blue slush. :)

Here's the amazing Big Foot - in all his glory!!!

Yeah, he broke down before even getting into the mud!!!

Where I've Been...

To say that I can't post because every time I think of poor little Slimey, wouldn't be truthful. Though I am still pretty upset about it. We had to tell Simon last week. It was awful. He didn't believe us. But finally he did and actually cried. :(

So anyway, you guys won't believe where I've been.

Simon got a Webkinz from Grandma Betty for Christmas. Ben got one last weekend and me, the mommy, I am totally addicted to it! I mean really. It's BAD! But the kids LOVE it and and are having such a blast spending the Webkinz dollars I win for them playing the games. Not to mention feeding their pets (Simon's is a black lab named Smokey and Ben's is a "hippotominous" names Harry), making sure they sleep, checking on their gardens, etc........ So much fun. But that's where we are. We're in Webkinz World.

Uncle Peter, I promised you the pics and videos of the Monster Truck Show and I will post them soon. Really, I will. Maybe after one more game of Cash Cow.........

It's a...

MOTH!

Yes, I checked on little Slimey today after probably more than a week and found this.

He's not alive anymore. I'm having a really hard time with this. I am a horrible caterpillar keeper. I can't believe he came out of his cocoon and we didn't know about it. I just feel so sad. Like it was just a waste of time.

When I showed the boys Simon said, "So when is it going to turn into a butterfly?" I had to explain it to him that this caterpillar was made to be a moth, not a butterfly. So sweet though. :) I didn't have the heart to tell him that the moth was actually dead. Maybe tomorrow - or IF he asks about it another day.

So the Slimey Stats are over........and I'm really sad about it. I'd be a lot less sad if we were able to let him go in the gorgeous January weather. Oh well!

Ralphie & Randy

The boys got to watch A Christmas Story this year for the 1st time and LOVED it! Ben actually says "look, there's me!" when Randy comes on the screen. Could they look any more like those 2 though??

We had a really nice low-key Christmas! I'm not sure if I will ever post about it. I'm so over it now. The tree was out the door on the 26th! Please don't get me wrong. We had many fun parties and many very relaxing days but I am really glad it's all over! The stinkin' advent calendar just about drove me nutty! :) And our family parties were split up all over December so now that it's over, I'm not sure I can go back. Okay, maybe I'll post a few.....just so you guys don't think I'm a big old scrooge and we didn't have any fun for the holidays!

Making cookies!

I had such a fun time with Talon under the tree one night. The needles kept falling off on our faces and we were cracking up. He was shhhhing me and telling me about the train he heard outside and all kinds of other things. :)

I have MANY pictures of the kids opening their presents. They were so much fun to buy presents for and getting them all ready was just as fun. Thanks Auntie Susie for all your helping wrapping!!! It would have taken me days to get them all done.

Here's Ben opening up his cleaning set from Auntie Kristin and Uncle Paul and their kids. He wanted this so bad. Kristin felt bad buying him cleaning supplies but I assured her that he would be ecstatic and he was! He actually kissed the box...

then Dana started crying!

We love you Dane. You have a heart of gold! Ben is next to me right now and said, "Ohhh, there's Dana. She's crying because I kissed it." Then he kissed my arm. I love you Ben!
Then Ben started crying because Talon (apparently not getting any attention at that moment) decided it would be nice to go and lay on Ben's favorite thing. Real nice Tal! :) Not nice at all, but totally funny!

Look what I made...

I didn't actually make the stocking but I did stitch the names. They turned out so cute, if I do say so myself!



And it was totally therapeutic to do it. I enjoyed it so much I think I'm going to make bags for my mom to use for our stockings next year. Every year she says she isn't going to do much but every year we have our stocking and a bag next to it filled with stuff that she lovingly chose and wrapped! I love you Mommy! Yes, that would be 25 bags I have to stitch. But I have a whole year to do it so that's a whole year of therapy - for free!

Cowboy Ben

I love Ben. Of course, I love all of my boys. But they are soooo different and I love that! Ben is a riot! Hilarious. He gets me laughing so much throughout the day. I think the Lord knows I need that on a daily basis.
And check out Simon in the background. Moments like these are why I'm NOT crazy. I just have to laugh.

Dance Party USA

Okay, who remembers this? Get past the talking and get ready for some awesome 80's fashion and dancing! :) Right!

Yeah, well, we had our own Dance Party USA in the kitchen the other day. Which, I'm not ashamed to admit, happens quite often. :) First we were rocking to Hi-5's Christmas CD. Then we switched over to Angels & Airwaves. I was in the middle of making dinner (of course that's why I'm wearing my apron and Talon's wearing his pajamas!!!) and Bennett had the camera and he was quite happy snapping pics of us. Some I didn't even know about until I uploaded them. Too funny...

Day 12...a Rock Star and a Recap!

On the 12th day of December my mommy gave to me...

Push Pops with Ornaments!

Simon put his ornament on the tree right away.

Talon couldn't eat his fast enough! They were rainbow sherbet flavored. Can you blame him? YUM!
Ben turned his push pop into a microphone. :)

Here he is doing his "rock star"... (sorry it's sideways. i didn't think about that.)

And since it's the 12th, let's have a recap...I know you've all been singing along since I started posting these. Be honest! :)

On the 12th day of December my mommy gave to me

Push Pops with ornaments

Christmas shaped sponges

Chocolate Christmas characters

Shiny silver slinkeys

Peppermint candies
Red & green rice krispie treats

Spiderman cars

Chocolate golden coins
Baby bottle pops

Nutcracker ornaments
Yummy candy necklaces

and a Cars Movie bouncy ball

I love December! I love my advent calendar. And I love my boys! :)

the 10th and the 11th!

On the 10th day of December my mommy gave to me...

Chocolate Christmas Characters!

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And on the 11th day of December my mommy gave to me...

Christmas shaped sponges!
And amazingly enough it fit in the advent calendar - just barely. :)

Simon got a Christmas tree, Ben got a candy cane and Talon got a snowflake.

Oh the fun they had in the bath with these! Ben washed himself thoroughly. That's basically all he did except when it was time to wash the truck (the walls). The imaginations on these boys!
For the first time ever, Talon was "swimming" in the bath. You know, when the water is going out so it's really shallow. He was on his belly pretending to swim. It was adorable! Hard to get pics of it though since he's such a mover!