Getting it all in before Christmas!

We have been on the go these last couple days. I wanted to get this out before Christmas so I won't have the length be triple in size.

The boys were getting Brielle to copy them. I know they love feeling like big kids when she decides to look up to them.

The boys decided it would be fun to jump over the clothes basket, so I snapped a few of them in mid air. They had a lot of fun!


The kids had a Live Nativity they were in for their school. It was very sweet. The school had recorded the kids singing and narrating the Nativity story and they acted it out complete with live animals. I got choked up at times watching the sweetness of the story of Christ's arrival to this world. What a way for a King to arrive...quietly and really only the Shepherd's in the fields being aware that their savior had finally arrived. The school did such a beautiful job of putting this together. I forgot my camera so my gracious friend Maxine snapped some pictures of the kids for me. Thanks Maxine!
Micah as one of the towns people.

Christian was in the "multitudes". This is him by some of the stable animals.

Ruthie trying to stay warm.

We took a trip into Boise to see family and friends and also pick up a truck for Wes. Brad had to head straight back home to ref basket ball games, but the kids and I stayed behind and visited. We were blessed with a snow storm and the boys headed out with Simon to build a snowman.

They used ores for shovels.

After fun in the snow they got to play in the hot tub...I'm sure they were miserable.

Micah, Simon, Christian

Simon's big sis Hailey dumping snow on the boy's.

This is Hailey...she didn't want me taking any pictures...so I did!

The kids and I also visited my family, and we got a bonus because Drew flew into town for his break.
My Mom and Drewyn.

Grandma and Ruthie

Kisses for Drew

Kisses for Papa

Helping Drew with his computer.

Posing in front of the Christmas tree.

When we got back into town we stopped at Brad's Great Aunt Marilyn's house for dinner. It's nice having family here.

Micah, Josh, Sue, Ruthie, Christian, Marilyn, Brielle, Dennis, and Mary.

Solomon came home covered in burrs yesterday...I've been trying to cut them out...not easy.

We woke up to a lot of beautiful snow. This is the back side of our house looking at the shed and coop.
The front yard.

The dogs begging to come in...I let them. :)

Potties, homework, dates, & angels.

Preparing for Christmas is a lot of fun around here! However we are also preparing for a little girl to start using the big girl potty. Brad brought home a little toilet for Brielle and she loves it! Of course now when someone in the family toots she looks at them and says: "Poopoos?". I am hoping to have one out of diapers in the next few months. Pray for us. :)

Checking out the new "big girl" potty

She's shocked there's a hole in the middle!

Trying to finish homework...it's hard when all you want to do is talk.

I love this picture of Ruthie! She was so very tired, probably because she kept me up all night!

Daddy and Ruthie working at the computer.

Working together to get the job done! The boys are so great at done dishes and helping around the house!

Brad and I had a lot of Christmas parties to go to...It was fun getting out of the house!

At Micah and Christian's school they have Chapel every Weds. morning. It was Christian's class's turn to lead so Brad ans I went to watch. They recited a Bible verse and led us in a few Christmas songs. They were all dressed as angels. It was so sweet!

Thanksgiving and things...

It's been awhile since I updated this. The kids have been keeping me pretty busy. Brielle is in the "please don't be more than a foot away from me" stage, and of course that coupled with Ruthie not being old enough to even roll over yet makes for some interesting days.

This Thanksgiving was just our family of six. We decided that since we had no other family coming we would just have a day of relaxing in our PJ's and playing games. The boys were more than excited.

The night before Thanksgiving Brad started a fire and we played a couple games of Yahtzee. It was nice to finally have some down time with the family.

Not to close...

Micah doing his impression of Esther.

Mom and the kids.

Micah teaching Dad how to do the Bunny Hop.

Ruthie watching everyone do dishes after the big meal.

Pumped up after watching the Thanksgiving games.

Brielle loved dessert!

Happy, full baby.

The day after Thanksgiving we got out the Christmas decorations and went to work, well Brielle had better things to do. (see below)

Putting the tree together

The lights go on!

And she's fine reading her paper.

Travelin' Fools

What a whirlwind! On Wednesday Brad, the kids and I took off for Boise. He had meetings and the kids were out of school so it was definitely a great chance to visit friends and family. Brielle is always happy to see her Papa.

We arrived in the evening, but on Thursday we were able to visit with friends and see more of my parents. Grandma makes sure she gets extra time with the kids and she took the boys swimming before they went to play at their friends house.

She woke up after I snapped this..

Not happy to be woken up.

Brad and I went out to dinner at PF Changs with a group of his coworkers and the girls stayed with Grandma and Papa. The boys were with their friend Simon...we also call it heaven.
On Friday we took off for Montana! It was quite the drive and wasn't without car sickness. Christian mentioned one time that his tummy didn't feel well, and before we knew it he was blowing chunks in the backseat...Not pretty. We didn't get in too late, but we were so tired it felt late. We went up for several reasons; Brad's cousin is a senior this year and we wanted to see him play in his last football game, some of Brad's family had not met the girls, and we had not met Cate (Tawny's baby).
Dylan (Brad's cousin)

Sweet Cate

Tough times...

It got better.

Grandpa Wes and Ruthie

Great Grandma Dorothy and Ruthie


Four Generations!

We were also able to visit my Uncle Joe and Aunt Jackie while we were in Missoula. The kids were very impressed with them since they have a Wii, and the admiration grew when they discovered Joe is a clown with The Shriners. Give boys clowns and video games and they are in heaven. It was great to see those tow because they had never met the kids, and I myself hadn't seen them in almost 10 years!

Me, Jackie, Joe, and the kids.

Halloween!

What a beautiful Halloween! Micah only had a half day of school so Gabby and he rode the bus home and hung out for awhile. We started to get everyone ready pretty early because downtown the businesses were giving away candy, and there was no way we were missing it. :) Gabby was such a help when I was trying to get the kids ready, she loves to take care of the girls. Micah and Christian were pirates, and this was the first year I was able to draw a goatee on Christian without him having a meltdown after it was on his face. For whatever reason it would absolutely wreck his day to see hair on his face, but this year he survived.

Ruthie was a flower, and this costume has now been worn by all the kids. Brielle was a bumblebee, this costume was also worn by both her brothers, and next year Ruthie will have the honor of being the family bee. Gabby was a cheetah, and she let me do her make-up...I was honored, and she looked so cute!

After downtown we went "Trunk or Treating", and then the dads and kids took off for the neighborhoods, we are stocked up on candy for quite a long while!

The weather held out, when we started it 65 degrees! It rained a little, but it never got the cold it was great!

A cheetah, a pirate, a bee, a pirate, and a flower!

Ready to go!
My sweet smiley flower!

A bee and a flower, how appropriate!

Little honey bee!She loves chocolate!