This little girl loves milk & scowling. I get the milk thing, but what is it with the scowling? Maybe it has something to do with living in a house full of rough, tough, mean boys?

Here's a glimpse of our Christmas...

The boys were glad to get some Bronco gear in preparation of their upcoming trip to Denver for a Broncos game.


Josh has had enough of dolls & spending a couple of hours putting a plastic kitchen together. Off to more exciting things like wrestling with t on the mat downstairs.
Our favorite...slush punch.
B ate a whole turkey leg!
E spent the day sneaking goodies out of everyone's stockings.
Riding in t's bus that is actually a book.

Hope you had a Merry little Christmas.

While the big boys in the family are asking for expensive gifts...B just wants an electric pan (for pretend cooking, he says), or a hug. I love that boy.

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/3a61632dae46e5b8ff263e353b6d6571

My husband got a message from the man in the red suit!

I am linking up with the Holiday Virtual Tour of Homes @ Tip Junkie.

I like to keep my decorations simple & kid-friendly

due to the rough-housing that ensues with 4 boys & a little girl.

The majority of my decor (not just Christmas decor) is 2nd-hand, homemade, or repurposed.

Welcome to my home...

My favorite ornaments are the clear 1$ store ones.

I put pics of Santa & the kids inside them.

My freezing front porch (-15 with wind chill).

Talk about staging a picture...I had to crop closely to the wreath

so as not to get the dead mouse my dog just caught.

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

This week in review

I took some family pictures, you know the kind where you hurry & push the self-timer button, run back to your family, squish yourself into your spot, set a child on your lap, and smile like you're having fun. t cried the whole time. Nothing brings the love out of our family like family pictures!

I have been having too much fun with photoshop (refer to above pic). I took this pic of E right before the "photo shoot." I just set her behind one of my old empty frames...she wasn't that interested. Anyway, I just added a random pic of roses from the internet & made the whole thing look like a painting. I could have erased her sippy, but that would be like erasing one of her appendages...she always has a sippy.

C's 2009 wrestling season came to an end, today. He got 5th place @ the state tournament. Josh said that he did great. He lost to the kids who got 1st & 2nd.

T's basketball season started Friday.

It has been so cold this week, I'm ready to move to Hawaii!

And there you have it.

Holy Moley, I almost left out one of the biggest things that happened this week. Josh bought a wrestling mat that arrived on Friday. Our basement is an official "beat the tar out of your brother room!"

I hope that your week has been fun-filled!

And there you have it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for all of my turkeys...

this one may be small,

but he's the biggest turkey!

FHE with an object lesson.

Halloween wasn't just a day of tricks & treats. It was the day of the boys' first wrestling tourney of the year. I know, I said it was off-season. I didn't realize the boys were going to wrestle before & after basketball this year. Surprise! I missed the memo.

T isn't going to wrestle until after basketball, so it is just C & B. This is B's first year, & he loves it! He especially loves his medal...he placed 2nd.

C placed 2nd, also. He wasn't too happy about it. He is as competitive as his Daddy when it comes to sports! He lost one match in overtime. The kid who beat him is a little brother of the SFHS state champ wrestler--Brock Banta. C is a champ, himself! I'm proud of my boys & their hard work & determination.

Tricks & Treats 2009

"I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, won't my Mama be so proud of me? I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, ow, she stung me!" I couldn't help but sing that song while I was getting E ready for tricks & treats.

The critters are ready for candy!

Happy Halloween from a Denver Bronco, grim reaper, ninja, big bad wolf, bumblebee, Pippi, & the death-eater!

playing photographer

Sunday was a beautiful day! I had to take some outside pics, before the snow starts to fly. We are supposed to get several inches tonight & tomorrow. Ugh...that's me not being excited.

We were hoping to get some outside family pics over a month ago, but our photographer friend's camera isn't working properly. Ugh...that's me not being excited, again.

Oh well, here are a few of my favorite pics. I love my critters.

goodbye football season 09

From hot & sweaty games to cold & icy games...football is over for this year. I have to say that I'm excited. I get to see my husband, Coach Josh, more often. No more chasing after my little critters on the sidelines. The boys can come home from school & not be rushed to practice. Breathe! I know basketball is just around the corner & B wants to play this year. It will be just like baseball with 3 boys on 3 different teams...pure craziness!

I love the off-season!

another pet

It's a cricket! B sure loves him/her? Checkerds is its name, not Checkers, Checkerds. It resides on top of B's bunkbed. B caught Mr./Ms. Cricket last week. It's still alive & kicking.

Happy Fall Ya'll

from the N. sisters

http://www.monstermashup.com/af6946

Sunday afternoon with E

E is an artist. The floor, walls... goodness, the whole house is her canvas!

She is just like her Dad. The ideas flow better when the hat is in place.

Get that pretty flower out of my hair! I don't see my brothers wearing those!

what's important

Remembering on 9/11

a large clock

One of my favorite blogs has a DIY (do it yourself) day on Thursdays. Those of you who know me, know that I love to buy things from 2nd-hand stores & repurpose those things. Thank you, Kimba, at A Soft Place to Land for providing me the opportunity to share my projects.

Sorry, I don't have a before pic. I found this large solid square frame fitted with an ugly landscape pic. I knew that the frame had potential. I ended up spray-painting the frame & the pic, added some clock parts and a ribbon with a white rose topiary top which I pulled off of another 2nd-hand-store find. I knew that frame was meant to be something greater!!!

real clogging

Another week of fine footwork from an ol' college dancing buddy, go Shaundalee!!!!!!

I have to post this one again, because I love it!

Last weekend, we took one last trip to Paris, before school began.

It was a quickie, but a goodie!

My whole family was there, so it was nice to spend a little time with everyone.

Here are some pics of my critters while in

Paris Canyon.

We hope your first school day of the year is as happy as ours!!!!