Birthday time again!!!

Here it is...
Another birthday!

Last year we went sledding for my birthday...
What a difference.
No snow this year...
******************
It was a good year. Life is good.
Really good.
Simple, and good.

Most significant to me this year would be the weight that I have lost. Over 40 pounds all on my own. Just diet and exercise!
I feel so much different...so so much better!

I still have some to go. Still working...and will finish what I started!
Having said that.....BRING ON THE CUPCAKES!

At about noon the kids reminded me what is important to them!!!
CAKE!
I wasn't going to make any....and they just about flipped out on me.
So make shift to Pillsbury!

Cupcake and cake.
Yummy!

My dad was in town, so that was kind of fun! He was there for my birthday, and came with us for the kids to go see Santa Claus which we did on my birthday. Then we all went out to lunch at QDoba, and later in the evening Tyler and I went Christmas Caroling with some kids families from school.

This year we went to MOLBAK'S nursery to see Santa.
I am sure we will never go anywhere else again...

It was great. There were SO many great picture opportunities!

So many families were there taking their (probably) yearly family pictures. There are back drops and hundreds of Christmas tress, and stuffed animals everywhere...as well as huge Poinsettas that you can move to your location.

We all, just loved walking around. It was BEAUTIFUL! There were carolers walking around, and there was free coffee and dessert cake...and it was just SO "Holidayish" for lack of a better word.

There is a GIANT Poinsetta tree in the center of the Nursery. It is SOOOO big. Beautiful!

Us and my papa....

The kids posed with every animal statue!

They don't ham it up too often...so it was kind of fun.

Finally, Santa.

He was great!

He just walks around and talks. THERE WERE NO LINES!

My kids went straight up to him for the first time ever, and told him the two things they each wanted...then he chatted with them about where to send their letter, etc.

What I thought was really nice, was after we were done, another family came up, and the little boy was too afraid to go to Santa, so Santa came to him. He knelt down, and talked to him...and then eventually picked him up and let mommy take a picture.

It was just really cool!

So...another wonderful day, in a wonderful year!

My love to all!

Time

I swear...it was JUST December 1st!

Seriously!

This season went SO fast!

At the beginning of the month, Kevin had year end close at work...so that is a LONG week for him, and we barely saw him (which also makes it a LONG week for me too)....then AS soon as he was done, he was home for ONE DAY, and left for almost a week on a business trip (Yeah, business.....a cruise to.......ARUBA--you do feel sorry for him, right.)

Anyway.....

BLAH

BLAH

BLAH

So we have baked some, and shopped some, and played some and spent lots of time together. Two of the kids had Christmas concerts, and the third played Santa at a fund raiser.

***************************************************

Tyler's Concert was great! I love that they can still sing Christmas music in our district, and that they haven't yet taken that away.

Tyler was picked to play the "gong"! He was SO excited about his responsibility!

He is right there, to the right of the Music teachers head.

They sang 5 songs, combining, singing, and music, speaking parts, and even solos. They sang Christmas songs, one about Hanukkah, and one about Kwanzaa...They ended with one about Peace. Oh it was so good!

************************

Makylie, had her very first concert with her preschool class. It was so cute having them all perform for the first time. They had a celebration during class, celebrating Jesus' birthday, and then a concert for the parents...

Here she is walking in. She was pretty shy at first!

They all memorized 3 songs, and then two more, which were sung to a recorded voice. (Those must have been songs they sing in class.) There were a lot of body movements with them!

It was so darling to watch them each slowly come out of their shells.

Until we finally got to this last picture where even the shy little ladies were doing all of the movements!

It really was fun to watch her in her environment...we never have had the opportunity to see her there.

****************

Karman went and did a fund raiser for her TATU club, which stands for Teens Against Tobacco Use.

They were to have a Football player acts as Santa in front of the grocery store where they would then offer to take pictures for a dollar. Proceeds going to their club of course.

The boys all backed out at the VERY last minute!

So guess who stepped up.

She doesn't make too bad a 17 year old Santa's helper. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I organized the class Christmas party for Ty's class, and it was really fun.

We really have another great group of kids. I am really happy that Tyler, being such a loving and NICE little man, is surrounded with kids that act very similar to him.

I love being in the classroom...I miss it from my past, and it makes me happy to be there.

So school got out yesterday and I am really excited to have 16 whole days to spend with my kiddos!

Tyler is SOOOOOOO fun this year! He is so into the whole holiday....it makes me smile, and he just brings that "childhood" to the season that we all miss so much!

I am loving this year...not that I don't love every year...

but this year the magic is present again,

and,

knowing it won't be that way forever,

I am reveling in it!

Time goes so fast...

It seems like just yesterday I posted...and here we are 3 weeks later.

This time of year, it seems like time is short, goes so fast, and that there is always something to do...So...for a moment of catch-up...

Thanksgiving came, and was wonderful! We had two dinners. Our best friends, Mark and Erin and family came over for dinner. This is our second annual Turkey day with our two families...last year actually WAS Thanksgiving day, but this year we did a pre-Thanksgiving. It was great. We all had a good time.

(The kids made these shirts, and wore them for the last day of school before the break.)

The turkey was overcooked, because someone, (who shall remain nameless), was LATE...VERY LATE! But in the end, it didn't matter. We all have so much to be Thankful for...and that is never far from any of our minds.

I asked the kids what they were thankful for...

Tyler said "The Earth, and the trees that help the Earth. My mom and dad, and sisters, and football." :)

Sean said "My family, my brother, and when I play the Wii cause I play so good."

Makylie said "My mommy and daddy."

Mason....well we will ask him next year...but we know he is thankful for a lot!

So then...for the actual holiday...we went to Kevin's parents house, as we usually do.

Makylie was all dressed up for the occasion!

She looked SOOOO cute!

Ahhhhhh, so so much to be thankful for....

I feel so blessed, at every turn. I really can't even put it into words...as there is absolutely so much emotion behind them.

But these people.....

They just warm me.

They make me feel fulfilled, and happy.

They are so much a part of everything I choose to do, so much of my soul. Everything I do, is for the benefit of them. I try to make them proud, because they...they make me better...stronger

...they make me whole.

They are the best things I have ever done!

I am truly THANKFUL!
***************************************************
So.....just like that, it was time to play and try to get some pictures for Christmas cards.....

And here are a few of them...

Now, in the Christmas season...I feel good.

The tree is up...the lights are up...most of the shopping is done...

I am happy...right here...right now!

Happy Holidays!

Inspired...

I "stole" this from my friend Lisa's blog.

It hit me in a profound way. In one of those moments of...well...pure naked truth.

We live...as human nature has dictated...to always want.

We desire more money, in order to get more possesions. A larger house, another car, more clothes. It is what we have learned to be...bigger...better...the American Dream.

I seriously find myself falling into that trap far more then I would like. Making a "TO-DO" list, or a "TO-GET" list, that gets longer far before it gets shorter.

Why?

I long for that not to be the case.

I remember a day, not so very long ago...when I was still dreaming of meeting a boy that I would fall in love with. Wondering what my wedding would be like. Imagining the beauty that would be in my life because of my kids. Longing to have my own apartment...and then when I did...longing to own a home.

There is always something. Sometimes, it seems that the "American Dream"...is never ending...that it is never truly reachable, because there is always more to want. I suppose that is different for everyone...but that is how it seems at times.

There was a day, not so very long ago...

when all I did was hope for a life JUST like the one that I have.

So...here we are...in November...

It is a Thankful...Grateful...month...

And I am.

Very Thankful...Very Grateful...

I am OVERFLOWING with gratitude!

I love my life...I love my family...I love our home...

**************

So now...at this minute...I am thankful for what I have...not what I have not.

Number 9...soccer star!

I am a little late, but a couple weeks ago was Tyler's last soccer game.
It was GREAT!
We made cupcakes for the party...and the coach brought pizza.

Tyler was a STAR at the game!

He knew it was the last game and he played like it!

It was MUDDY, and SLIPPERY, and at one point RAINING...and he just played and played.

In fact, he played in all but one quarter, because there were a few kids not there.

In the second quarter...TYLER made, what would end up being, the ONLY goal for the whole game.

Here it is.....He had a clear shot and he TOOK off!

Yep...that ended up being a goal. He was sooooo happy!
Just look at the pride on that face!

The kids just played and played, slipping and getting filthy!

They had so much fun.

yep...muddy.

So then, for the last quarter, Tyler was sent in as goalie. He used to love being goalie, but now it is "boring". Today however, he SAVED his first goal.

The ball was coming right at him, and he was paying as much attention as most 6 year olds pay when playing goalie (which is next to none)...but everyone started yelling, and so he took his stance JUST in time to totally catch the ball mid-air. It was awesome. Everyone screamed, and high fived him.

I didn't catch it on camera, as I was too busy yelling and screaming :) but...

He was on top of the world.

The game ended...1-0.

Then it was party time!

They did a final team cheer...got their pictures and their trophies.

Ate pizza and cupcakes...

Great season!

Sad that it is over, because this year I learned that our son has a love and a talent for soccer, and it was SO much fun to watch him play...

Next...

Basketball...starts December 14th,

Hopefully we will get the same coach we had for soccer...
Hopefully he will have as much fun.

We are so proud of you Tyler...you are an amazing boy, with so much to offer the world!

We love you!