Winter Wonders

So a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving we could have worn short sleeves. This morning we wake up to SNOW! The boys loved it and played outside until their Dad made them come in. They would have stayed longer! I don't know how, but they would have. So I took some pictures to share with everyone. Here they are having fun in the snow!

Loving every minute of it!

Feeling much better with his hat and mittens!

Always making funny faces!

It was just great with the Christmas decorations up!

Photo shoot

I am no where near a professional photographer, but I have always loved taking pictures. I had the opportunity to take some of a close friend and here family during Thanksgiving and it was great. They are so cute! So here they are!

Worst time of day to take the pictures, look at all the shadows. My bad!

We were keeping it real!

Miss Katy!

Miss Ruby

Katy on the tractor

The happy couple

All these pictures look better in their real size

Before

Things are moving slower than we had wanted them to so I only have the before shots. What am I talking about? Our yard makeover! We have finally decided to put sod in the backyard and to make a flower bed in the front. So we took a Saturday and tilled the back and pulled up sod in the front.

What's the hold up. Weather! Sorta! We have had to find the best price first, then figure out the best way to do it. So we are laying the sod ourselves. If the weather holds out for us the guys will be here tomorrow to rake the back and place stacks of sod all over the backyard so we can lay it. As most of you know, money always plays a role in these things too. But we really found a great deal and the family that runs the company has been great to us. As far as the front yard goes...I have the bed ready I just have to decide exactly what I want and where I want to place it. So, I am heading to some nurseries and such this week.

But since the after pictures could be a while I will go ahead with the before ones. Here they are!

The yard after 6hours of tilling...poor Danny!

The other half of the backyard

Before I had completely finished pulling the sod.

How it will look when you walk up, dirty now!

Hopefully it won't be much longer before I can show everyone the finished product! I can't wait!

Monster Bash!

We had our Halloween Party at church last night. So we always take costume pictures before that so they don't have to endure it before the real trick or treating! Jack took a minute to warm up to it, but loved the experience. Also, I have to say I am not above recycling previous costumes. So if you see some repeats that maybe the other boys wore in years pasts I hope you like them! I am keeping a costume container full of all our old costumes. So here they are!

The super buff Spiderman is Brett. He's really been hitting the gym hard for this costume!

Our first attempt at trying to get The Hulk to calm down for the picture.

That's better, we calmed him down before he destroyed the house!

All of them together. To keep Jack calm and in his hat I had to hold him!

Just too funny...to me!

So Jack is just always trying to help. In his own way, of course. He loves the vacuum cleaner, always has. The mop, the cleaners, dusters, etc. he loves them. So yesterday after dinner he had to be stripped down, as usual, since he is a mess. And I was in the middle of doing about ten other things at the same time. So getting clothes back on Jack was somewhere in the mix of "things to do". But Danny and I look over and see him "cleaning" the kitchen floor just as happy as can be. Singing to himself with a big ole smile on his face...and this is what we see.

All I could see in my head was an old man in boxers and socks and his tummy!

What? I wasn't singing!

I'm just a big boy!

Fall Break

This week is Fall Break for the older boys. So far they have been good! They slept in yesterday morning and for us that was amazing! Today we have baby Zach and heading to Birmingham this afternoon to pick up some friends from the airport! This post is mostly just an update. Not really anything exciting or "slap your knee" funny going on here. Danny is in LA, and will be home Thursday. Hopefully Friday will be a girl's night and Saturday an old (wonderful) babysitter is taking the boys for most of the day so Danny and I can have a date! It's been a while. We were talking about it the other day and realized that when we were newly weds (or the first couple years of marriage) we didn't have the money. Now, that things are a LITTLE different (cause trust me, we ain't rolling in dough) we have a more money to do things but it seems like the time never comes. We can never find a sitter at the right time or Danny has a deadline, or I have a PTA meeting or something with church.

But I've gotten distracted. Back to the update. We are coming to the busy time of year! The Holidays. We have a birthday in there too, so we get a little extra busy. I know there are other families out there with December birthdays too! Then there is making sure all the family time gets worked out around the Holidays too. So bring on the joyful stress of the peaceful holiday! LOL! I am super excited that both my sister Lacy and her husband David will be in town for the Christmas season this year!

New, plans we have for the new year. Well, Danny has decided he finally wants sod in the backyard. And that finally means we will be getting that swing set the boys have needed and wanted for a while now! We are going to see how much of the work we can do ourselves. Also, my sister Sara gave us a great idea for an entertainment system in the living room. Isaak, is now in the middle bedroom that use to be Jack's so we are going to paint the walls in there. There may be a few other small things but for the most part that is all we have planned. We will do well to get all that finished!

I know this is not the most thrilling post but I wanted some sort of update on here. I have been a slacker. I just felt like there hasn't been much news worthy things to write about. Hope it hasn't been too boring!

My week at a glance!

So remember all that stuff I was talking about. Well here comes SOME of it! To begin with I have started a nutrition plan. We have a super nice girl in our ward (church) who has gotten her undergrad, and masters in Nutrition. You know those people you go and pay to help you eat better and lose weight or at least be at your healthy weight? She just had her second baby and decided to start an enrichment class at church for all the women who wanted to join and get healthy. So she got a plan going for each individual lady. We weighed and measured ourselves, and then she explained how the servings for each day were broken down. The hardest part for me has been the lack of chocolate. So, to keep from waking up one night with my face in the freezer having half eaten a carton of ice cream. I am letting myself indulge A LITTLE on the weekends. I am keeping my eye on the prize! But I really have enjoyed the new foods. They aren't really new I am just eating a more well balaced diet! Things I should be eating! Then, I am also hitting the gym, three days a week and working out at home the other days I don't get in. Why don't I make it everyday you ask? Because I am helping a great friend out with her little baby. Two days a week I watch a cute, and I mean cute, baby boy named Zach! We just love him. His mom commutes into Huntsville two days a week and on those days she brings him here while she works.

What else, have I been up to? Oh, you know just volunteering to be a chairperson for the Fall Festival. Am I nuts? Why, yes, yes I am! But I have to admit it is so much fun, and I am really excited about the whole event! There are going to be a TON of things for the kids to do and it's only $10 for the armbands (which is what we are selling instead of tickets to get in) in advance. At the door it will be $12. But I am in charge of the 5th grade hall that has things like the cake walk and the fear factor room, etc. It will be fun! I just have to get all the rooms staffed with parents for different shift times! That is the hard part! Moving on!

Danny, has been busy at work, traveling and volunteering his services at church. Oh, and he is an official member of the PTA. He is off with the Missionaries now and is helping a new family move into their house on Saturday. He also helps Isaak with his homework, and plays with all the boys when he gets home from work! It's a huge help!

The boys have just been busy with school. The just had their church program so that is over for a year. But Brett has a Birtday coming up and he loves every super hero ever thought of. He doesn't choose favorites. So my solution is to get a plane cake, or cupcakes and put inexpensive action figures on the cake myself! That way he can have the toys too! He also loves food so he told me the other day that he wants that thing that makes and decorates cupcakes! I just have to convince his dad...might not happen! Maybe? Jack, is a great sport running around with me while I do all my busy mom stuff during the day. He loves playing in the daycare while I work out and if finally starting to use some words instead of pointing.

So that's about all in this neck of the woods. We are busy and rushing but doing really well. I hit my pillow each night hard and have to drag myself off of it each morning but it's worth it.