Celebrating 50 years!

I have often said that I hit the jackpot when it comes to in-laws, I truly adore this couple. These two got married 50 years ago....can you believe that? I guess when you have a lot of love and whole 'lotta faith -getting married at 17 during your senior year in high school is the right thing to do! I know I'm sure glad they tied the knot.  In celebration of this monumental occasion we wanted to do something fun and a little out of the ordinary. We chose a weekend in Leavenworth with all the cousins.

The happy/freezing/gracious couple..

Our sweet digs...very Bavarian and very cold.

Grandpa and Grandma with Nate, Sidney, Sophie and Jack having some anniversary dinner!

Except for cute Elder Coty..the grand kid gang was all there! I do believe that Kate was most excited about the entire picture taking experience.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, totally picturesque. It warmed up to balmy 6 degrees...just in time for our horse drawn sleigh ride.

My thoughts exactly....it was that cold!

Brody...too cold to speak....

I LOVE these pictures..totally in the moment. Aunt Lorri always makes things better....whose up for another song??

Cute Bella and Sophie...no complaints from the front row!

Bob and Wish..our beautiful and fearless leaders/horses.

She literally froze to my shoulder just for a minute...o.k., that's a little extreme but I did wear my scarf around my head like a turban 'cause my ears were burning so badly I truly believed they were turning black or were just gonna fall right off my head. Either one.

Isn't that a lovely sleigh....a two horse open sleigh in fact!

Frozen Brody had HAD it....no more anything!!

It was such a fun weekend to do something different and special. Celebrating 50 years of marriage on a wintry adventure was perfect ..thanks for saying "I Do" grandpa and grandma. You are loved! 

The Christmas post of 2010

I am fully aware that reading about other people's holiday adventures can be a big fat trip to Boringville.  However, this was my beautiful Boringville that will someday be transferred into book form. Therefore ...it must be properly documented for my reading pleasure.

THEE Christmas shot for the season. Blast that dang finger!

We had a huge windstorm right before Christmas that left us in the dark and cold. Another reason to appreciate a good lightsaber.

We threw caution to the wind and had grandpa and grandma plus the Mark Thomas' over for a little holiday game playing and eating fest. The two really do go hand in hand quite perfectly. Just fun family times with some good laughs!

I discovered my deep love for eggnog cupcakes.

And hot cocoa at the ready....



Sweaty chasing  cousins....




Quirkle...our new favorite game.



By far Jack's favorite moment of the season...scoring a real Red Rider BB gun from grandpa and grandma. He was bummed that his lame-O parents made him read the entire owner's manual out loud before a single shot was fired.  Imagine that!



The little lady with her first real doll baby AND polka dotty puppy purse....are you kidding me?!  I could seriously watch her push this baby around with her puppy purse slung on her arm for hours. -And come on now.......look at her tongue!



My favorite gift...a new stock pot in a totally fun color.... Kyle chose wisely! You know everything does taste better when it's prepared in a lovely colored pot... just my theory.

Oh and my cutting board...beautiful bamboo....my checklist was complete.



Kate won the "freshest face" straight out of bed award.

Cole won the "happiest kid to play dress up Santa Clause with his reindeer brothers" award.




The stockings were hung! Kate's is my personal favorite.



Jack finally read his owner's manual and passed his oral examine. It's tough to be a Thomas kid sometimes.



Overall......a big red puffy coated THUMBS UP to this 2010 holiday season!



Going full circle....

If you give this gal an Ipod..she will eventually dance.

Dancing will remind her of happier, lazier... more care free evenings that didn't involve providing anything for anyone.

She will even dance and sing along to "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus.

Upon this display of crazy.... two of her sons will stare in stunned disbelief.

Her middle child who has been home sick from school for the previous THREE days will exit the room with disgust.

Dancing mother will continue to clean up mess from delicious dinner she loving prepared.

Dancing mother's cracked winter hands will continue to sting with throbbing pain with every drop of water.

Middle child will begin coughing uncontrollably upstairs.

Upon hearing MORE coughing, dancing mother will stop dancing, roll eyes and pray that it will STOOOOOOOOOOOP! (I apologize after every eye roll...I know he's sick and I am quite compassionate.... however,  I'm just a bit done with hearing coughing every BLASTED minute of every BLASTED day).

Coughing upstairs turns to crying and moaning which dancing mother knows means only one thing: Vomit

No more dancing.

Middle child will cough himself into a vomit inducing frenzy which lands him into the bath tub.

Child # 3 and #4 stare in shock and awe at tubside.

Mother is now thrilled with the thoughts of drenching her cracked and stinging hands into bath water as well.

As coughing/vomiting child calms in tub water, sheets are removed and put in the washing machine down stairs.

Back upstairs, child #3 and #4 proceed to make themselves at home in the bath water..fully clothed.

Mother's night keeps getting better and better.

Child #3 gets pjs on...admits his lack of judgement on bathing fully clothed, takes out wet clothes from hamper and hangs them out to dry. Awesome.

Child #4 receives fresh clean bath by herself..minus clothing and prepped with sleeper suit.

Child #4 's hair is an anomaly in itself. Genetics from her father have produced fabulous curly swurly locks that only a little lady could pull off. With a little love and styling from her mother, she can pull off quite a do.

Freshly bathed hair with zero product, bow, or tiny barrette yields quite a different outcome. I give you the Tears for Fears curly mullet: 



Tears for Fears...80s classic and personal favorite.




18 month old Kate...also a classic and absolute favorite.


As the little lady sipped her warm milk... getting in the sleeping mood, I thought to myself, man, she's rocking a serious Tears for Fears mullet tonight. I turned back on the Ipod... next song on rotation....

Tears for Fears.....I kid you not.

And this mother began dancing again.

True story.



Magic Strings..........

I really love that my boys are learning to play the violin....at school in fact, it's the greatest opportunity. I debated all summer on whether or not to transfer them to yet another school this year but the chance to learn violin won out......I had to.  


Their first Christmas concert: Cole learned 2 songs- a rousing rendition of Twinkle Twinkle and thee best Jingle Bells I've heard to date.

Always deep in thought holding a perfect waiting position...it's the cutest thing.

Two handsome fellas after the 1st grade performance...

The cousin shot with darling Sidney...who is currently tackling the cello...

I've always had music in my home growing up so it's a big priority to me to keep that going with my own family. My piano skills are limited at best. I stopped playing too soon.....ugh, how I wish I would have just stuck with it as a teen. I'm reeeeally hoping that my boys dig this thing because their mother totally loves every squeaky//off key/sour//complete wrong note that comes out of that tiny little fantastic instrument.  

I made the right choice.