i'm so glad...

when Daddy comes home!

Casey spent last week in Orlando, Florida. New disney clothes for all the girls! Kate Loves her Tinkerbell dress has worn it everyday since. We are all so glad the Dad is home!

paige

Happy Birthday Sis!   Hope you have a great day!

 ( repeat picture sorry.  I haven't got all the pictures off the old computer.)

survival

staying alive:   the fact of remaining alive or in existence

On a positive note I opened the blinds today, Hayli and Kate both went to school.  Gentry's ear popped and now things are "too Loud"  :)  Gentry stopped throwing up.  My really nice neighbor shoveled my driveway.  (we have a really long driveway it is a big job.  One I was saving for Casey.) 
We have had a lot of bedhead over here but hoping it is on it's way out.  All three are on antibiotics and showing improvement.  Today is going to be a better day...working the positive thinking here!
(A little blurry but I love that face, the hair, this is my Genny.)

blah

My head feels like is weighs 45 pounds, Gentry has a ear infection...again, Kate has a snotty nose, Hayli has a yucky cough. Casey? He is snowmobiling. I guess it is good that its the weekend but mostly I just want to lay my heavy head down. What happens when mom's head is in a fog? Forts made from every blanket we own, plus the laundry basket to hold "collections". I did manage to wash the laundry, but who is going to fold the clothes piled on the dinning room table? Movie after movie, sandwich after sandwich, a week of only doing what was absolutely required. Good thing they seem content being lazy with me. :)

alice in wonderland

The girls had their winter concert this weekend. A highlight for our house! Kate LOVES the stage and wishes we had one in our home :) Hayli loves to feel grown up and like she has important tasks to do. She really loves it when you tell her how much older she looks with her make-up on! The actual show was cute, The Dance Conservatory always does a great job. The hardest part is keeping Gentry off the stage. She just wants a turn, "my next" she said, "I dance". Gen really wants a costume and had to go dance on the stage after the concert was over both nights. The second night she had to wear her tutu. Spring concert might put us over the edge. :)

crafts

The girls love crafts, I have a love/hate feeling towards them. If I find something I think the girls would like, plan for it and prep my patience button we usually do fine. But most often the girls are bored and looking for something to do they come up with a craft. At first I am generally behind it but soon ink is everywhere, glitter is stuck to my table, and not to mention the 4 to 5 tantrums of "she ruined mine" or "I can't make it work".

Hayli asked me why I was taking pictures. I answered her honestly, "I take pictures so I can smile at the mess, instead of lose my temper." works for me.

eyes

Have I mentioned that I have bad eyes? I have worn glasses or some sort of corrective eye wear almost since I can remember. I remember the first pair of glasses I don't remember how old I was... trying on frames for what seemed like forever not sure what "they" were trying to accomplish. But the day I got new glasses, I remember very "clear", we drove to Pearl Vision just a regular day and drove home a totally new life! Details that I never knew existed. I have Never had good vision except for a couple of short years after lasik surgery, but I will now get to the point. I put my contacts in this morning (granted Jenn makes me put them in VERY early :) ) after exercising I came home showered and by the time I was flipping pancakes for the girls I realised something was a miss with my left eye. Low and behold contact gone. Did I drop it? Lost it on the elliptical in my sweat? Washed it down the drain? I have no idea just gone.
So emergency eye doctor appointment today and that fits in the already too tight budget how?
Way to go MyKel! Happy January!

yoga

For Christmas Casey got the P90X program. Apparently, it is getting harder to keep up with the 14 year old boys, he feels like he should kick it up a notch. :) Anyhow, to best use this program you need some equipment which Casey has been gathering. Last night he brought home a yoga mat. Of course the girls were very interested in the purchase. He opened it right on the spot and had a little yoga class right there in my kitchen. He takes this very serious but I couldn't help but grab the camera and have myself a little giggle. I have also been instructed that his best yoga moves would not be in my"post". (see Genny crawling under Hayli's downward dog? You would have giggled a little too!)

ear infection

Fourth ear infection, since November. There is talk about re-doing tubes. Really? I never knew you could do it twice. Mostly, I would just like her to feel better and NOT be on antibiotics. Not to mention, I would like to sleep a little more. :)

dancing

The girls Love to dance, They love it over at TDC, but the love it just the same with some loud music here at home. For Christmas Kate got the movie 12 dancing princesses. She has really liked the movie, but it is so fun to watch them act it out. Through the whole show they are all calling which princess they are. This time Casey got to be the shoe maker and dance too. Too bad we don't have a tutu to fit him! (This was also Lucy's last night with us.)

in gen's world

What can we say, She is a super star! She sings all day, so getting her own microphone only seemed appropriate. This microphone lets Ariel sing right along with her. These pictures just make me smile.

new toys

I know Christmas is over, but in spirit of new years resolutions I bought myself a new toy yesterday.  I know, again, welcome to this century but this is my first ipod.  Yea me!!  Somehow, I thought, I would love to exercise.  Well, I at least I hope to enjoy it a little more now.

The girls sure love my new toy...Isn't that how it always goes?

three girls

Three girls in a tub.  This is Lucy's favorite time of day.  She only has brothers at home so bathing is usually a solo sport.  At our house nothing is done solo. Trust me I try everyday!  I love their matching top knot hair and spaghetti faces.

oh, the weather outside..

...is frightful!  Don't let the sunshine fool you.  I did find these icicles pretty cool outside the window.  I opened the door to get a picture and wow, "Baby it's cold outside!"

lucy

Lucy is here to visit while her parents are cruising the wild seas. We love to have her with us we have learned so much so far like...

Lucy: you don't take good care of your car.
Me: Yeah, it is kinda dirty.
Lucy: You could clean it.
Me: Yeah, I could.

Me: vaccuming under the couch
Lucy: WOW!
Me: does your house get dirty?
Lucy: No, my mom doesn't let us get dirty.

Lucy: lets watch Harry Potter.
Kate: what? Let me see.
Kate: We can't watch that, can't you see it is scary?

Me: taking Gentry to the bathroom
Lucy: Is she potty trained?
Me: yes
Lucy: she is kinda small, she should just wear diapers.

Lucy: can we go get Kate now?
Me: well, she has one hour of school left.
Lucy: I like your house better when Kate and Hayli are home
Me: me too.

Thanks for keeping us smiling, Lucy!

new years eve

New Years eve we had a impromptu party with a bit of our family. Last minute we realized that some of us had no plans... so we made some. With not much planning, we are lucky that we enjoy just being together. A "rockin' party" I did not throw, but we laughed, played a couple games while juggling kids,and the boys watched hunting movies. I feel lately, like my age is constantly being thrown in my face and this night was no different, how many times did I look at the clock? Not that I didn't enjoy my family, but midnight? I felt like I could feel my wrinkles getting deeper as I realised I can not play like I used to!

We played a little rock band, kids watched a couple movies, Jake brought his train track and Bridger thought that was hit! But I have to say the memory that I will take with me.....Close to midnight Casey and Cameron went out to light the fire works. We gathered all the kids to watch out the window as it was BITTER cold. Casey had the fire, Cam had the works. They couldn't get anything to light. Casey came in to find a lighter, saying is was too cold the matches were not working. Finally, after the kids had fogged up my windows and wrote their names and such, Casey came running in Laughing (gladly) I had bought a package of poppers. Not a firework to be found. No gun powder to go boom! So the bravest of the kids went out to pull a popper and that was our grand finale of 2010!

A little, like the whole year, as we have had some difficult and frustrating (for me) times it is so easy for me to focus on the things that go wrong. Gratefully, Casey and the girls are helping me realise it is OK to laugh it off and have fun even though I thought there should be fireworks. We have our little family of 5....We are happy, We are healthy, and We are trying to follow the plan together.
So here's to 2011, May WE laugh and enjoy life, especially when we end up with poppers!