thanksgiving

We went to Claine and Julie's new house for Thanksgiving. We all had a great time, Gentry wanted to break in the new house as soon as she could. She wet her pants in the first 20 minutes that we arrived. (ahhh..) Being the prepared and organized mother that I am I had NOTHING. Thanks to Jake for lending us his chop,chop pants and some cars underwear. We have never had underwear with a door before! Fortunately, it didn't affect Gentry's confidence and she "just danced" all night long! We played band hero and just dance2. We laughed, sang, and danced till way past the sun going down. Oh yeah, and ate terrific food till we were sick.
Thanks to Claine and Julie for hosting!!

tommy

This is Tommy.

We have been gathering tail feathers of gratitude all month. It has been fun to see what the girls come up with, flowers, lights, smiles, sleep.... As you can see we are truly blessed at this house. The trick is to remember all year! I am so glad that Thanksgiving does come around to help us stop and take note.

Hope this day is filled with love, smiles, and above all gratitude, for ALL that we have been given!

Happy Thanksgiving

a gift

In preparation for our upcoming trip, Jenn gave Gen a treasure!

Thank You.... as you can see we love "wipstick".

Especially Cinderella "wipstick"!

cruel and unusual

Strep throat and throw-up, doesn't it just seem mean?

seriously...

1- sinus infection
1- strep throat

1- seems OK,  today.

Can you tell which one has what?

Casey 37

What can I say....Happy Birthday to the one who puts up with my crazy the most! Thanks for working harder than anyone else I know. Always, making sure us "girls" are taken care of. Always, being patient, forever playing princess games and knowing more than most men do about hair bows, barbies,and nail polish.
Hayli: "I like it when we play the wii, I like it when he helps me with my homework. I like it when Dad plays his ipod, loud. I like to help him build things. I like his chocolate shakes. I like it when he does Family Home Evening. I like it when he takes me out to dinner."
Kate: "I like it when he bees nice, and gives piggyback rides. I like it when he comes home early and when he helps me. I like it when he picks me up from school and dance. I like it when he helps me clean up. I like it when he plays with me and tickles me."
Gentry: "Daddy's home!"


Love you.

success

One happy little girl over here! Thanks to everyone who made, well the whole month, a celebration!

kate lorraine 5

Kate you love Pink but you tell people your favorite color is purple. You are obsessed with being older, You ARE my baby despite how much it bothers you when I call you that! You adore friends and school. In fact you must make contact with at least one friend a day. Your self confidence is impressive, something I hope lasts a life time!! You love to "help". You will do anything in the name of helping. This year you helped Dad make jerky every night for a week. A really yucky job that you did happily because it made you and Dad a team. You love Barbie, Barbie dolls, Barbie movies, Barbie books....If it is Barbie you love it. You only wear dresses. You hate anything that might reflect "boy clothes" but most important you can't have anything restrictive. NO tight waistbands, NO pooching zippers, NO seams in your socks. In fact you hardly wear socks. You can make putting on socks and shoes a hour event, trying to avoid the "tickling". You would prefer barefoot or flip flops so all can see your painted sparkly toes anyway. Makes the winter months a fight....everyday. You do love sparkly things, jewelry is a favorite too. There is no such thing as over accessorizing to you. You can't wait till you can change your earrings even though you already picked the most sparkly earrings they had. You have the energy of two, during the day but that is OK because once you hit the pillow you don't move for at least 12 hours. Sleep is very important when you run all day long!

Dance is a favorite too, you love the idea of being on stage. You love the make-up and the spotlight. Even though the costumes "tickle" a little too much for your taste. You still call the computer a cuter. You often mess up your pro-nouns. You love any type of sugar treat. You love that your hair is the longest. But you can't stand it in your face. You always make a silly face when I try to take your picture. I had a friend say once that your "personality runs over." I agree, I love your energy, your happy face, and the love you have for your sisters. I love that your are MINE! I love you Katie bug...Happy Birthday to you.

(All pictures are Rock Love Photography)

7 days

I know I am complaining, I know in the long scheme of things it is just a week, a blink, and we will not even have long term affects. I know this post should be about how grateful I am for humidifiers, Vicks Vapor rub,and a warm home to be locked up in. So grateful that I am home and can be the one to lather them in said rub. I know others have harder, heart breaking trials they are going through and for me it's just a week.
I know, and I am grateful. I'm just saying....7 days.

By the way have you checked out Kate's first black eye? I have been meaning to get a picture before now and it just hasn't made "the list" but here is the last little bit of the bruise hanging on.

I'll go to bed now, there will be less complaining tomorrow.

share

Share your toys? Share your treats? I can never get my girls to share UNLESS it is germs, snot, yucky coughs, and low grade fevers.

Enough cranky to go around if you know what I mean....

Happy Friday!

yeah, these pictures have nothing to do with the post but every now and then the light shines perfectly through the window and my heart skips a beat. This is Gen watching mickey mouse and trying to ignore me.

box

"Genny, what are you doing?"

"sit in a box."

"why?"

"my nuts!"
Apparently, it is perfectly normal to sit in a brown box in the front entry eating trailmix.  Why didn't I know that?

magic

Remember when the first snow was magical? I guess to me it still is that is why when I saw the first of the flurries we ran outside! I love the silent blanket, the feel like it is only me out there. Summer has it's own sounds that I love, but winter has a cozy, apple cider, quiet feel. And as you know my house is rarely quiet. After a few minutes of running in the snow flakes Kate's hands were cold we went inside to get gloves. We finally found the perfect pair (Kate is VERY particular) headed back out and......it was gone. No more snow, nothing on the ground to even prove it had come. Kate --- "Wow mom, I guess we should have got gloves faster!" And just like that the Magic was gone...,

so what...

"...'cause I'm a rock star!" I was able to spend a few days with fantastic friends this last weekend. Hayli asked what I did......We talked for HOURS, laughed SO hard, and played Rock Band. We never knew what time it was, just for a moment, we stopped being "responsible adults".
I learned from others humor and hurts, was inspired by their strength and determination to do the right thing. Mostly, is was good for my soul......my "rock star" soul!

These pictures are for Hayli, as she could not believe I could possibly "rock it" like a rock star, (in a leisure suit! :)) I needed to show her sometimes mom's can be fun. The benefits of vacationing with a photographer.....there is proof! Thanks again, Tracie.

big day

Kate had a big day today. She decided she was ready to pierce her ears! I love them, I would have pierced them when she was a baby but I wanted her to be able to choose. She was a little nervous but in the end she choose the most expensive earrings they had, (takes after her mom!) and not a tear was shed. I did laugh to myself a little when the lady told her to eat her sucker and it would make her ears feel better......then in the car when her sucker was gone she started to complain that now her sucker was gone her ears hurt. The power of the mind, eh?
Ready...

Set...

SMILE!

She is so proud and excited for everyone she knows to be surprised! Get your surprised looks ready ...

pweese!

Gentry loves to paint her nails and has been asking for days to "paint toes". I have to admit I just didn't want to. I feel like have be constantly running just to get the minimum accomplished lately. I just didn't want to take the time. But this morning I did, finally, mostly to stop the whining...."PWEESE"! I sit on the floor and Gentry sits on the couch, as we faced each other on eye level Gen grabbed my cheeks and said "I lobes you, pink!" You thought she was saying she loved me, for a special ahhh moment, but no she loves her "pink toes"! It did however make me smile to be able to make her smile today, may we all find something we love as much as Gentry LOVES PINK!