We're Home!!!

We finally made it back....a day later than planned. See, what did I tell you about me and plans? Luckily the Animal Nanny kept the key (she was going to lock it in the house yesterday morning). We woke up to this:

SNOW...and BLOWING SNOW...which means snow drifts....large ones! So, we stayed another night and enjoyed more of the fun we'd started. Here's a few of the pictures that my parents emailed me:

Kaden received a Guitar Hero for Christmas, and OF COURSE we all had to have our shots at being a star! I love that game and want it before new year's eve....what rockin' party that would be.
Santa brought our family the Wii. So, here is some of that fun....we can get the Guitar Hero for the Wii, and it is top on my list!

More STARS!

And, yes, we did the usual things....like....open presents!

Here's the kids with their cousins on the Trombley side!

AND WE ATE AND ATE AND ATE AND ATE.....!!!

Macy and Grandma made cookies for Santa too!

We had a great time with our family and wish that it could have been a longer stay. We're home doing the chores that come along with being gone....but it was so worth it! Thank you to our families for the fun times and the great gifts. We've made more memories this year!

Merry Christmas from Our Tribe!

We are eagerly preparing the house and all of the other fun things that go along with leaving for the Christmas celebrations down south. We are planning to head out early tomorrow morning. Stuart has been a wonderful help with getting things cleaned up and packed, and we will go pick up Macy from her last day of school in an hour. The two babies were up way too much last night, so I am hoping for some good naps today. The weather here has been a bit less than desirable for the holiday travelers, but we are praying for a saft trip. The presents are wrapped and the baking has long been finished and eaten up. This Christmas has come way too fast this year. I planned to have some time just to sit and enjoy it, but life had other plans for me.

We Wish You All a Very Merry Christmas!

Our Weekend...

Well, not too much going on here. We finally have had some time to calm ourselves before the BIG holiday trip. We started the weekend with a date. That's right, Grady and I went on a date. Our nice neighbors (the ones we went camping with) offered to watch our kids for us! It was wonderful. The roads were very scary (we had another bout of winter come through and saw 3 accidents in a short 12 mile strip of I-90 earlier that day), so we made it a quick one. Oh, the time together was fun.

Saturday we didn't do much. We made a family ordeal out of invoicing for the storage units while the two babies were napping, so that it complete! We also toured a display of over 100 nativity sets from around the world at the church. I went to bed early after a hot bath because my head was pounding.

Sunday morning I woke up with more aching, so I went downtown to the clinic. Just as I had expected....a sinus infection. Hopefully these meds will kick in and make me better so that I can go visit the Zent baby. Otherwise, I will try to get the gift to you sometime. Why is it that I am always sick when it is time to go home for a holiday? I stayed home with sleeping Myles while the others attempted church.

We also toured a house that had the Christmas lights synced to music. That was a very cool thing to watch. The time that was put into is amazing!

Well, I'm off to feed breakfast to babies, and wake the others up for a few more days of school. Have a great Monday....and stay warm....we're expecting some more white stuff here.

Preschool Program, Gifts, & TRAFFIC

Yesterday was a busy day for us. We had the Pet Nanny come over to meet Simon and Jordan and then we were off to drop Stu off at school. He was pretty concerned that we did not get his teachers anything as a gift, so we ran to Hobby Lobby and picked up a few crafty things for them. They also had Christmas cups on sale for cheap, so we picked some up for him to give to his classmates. I had to run the video camera so that Macy could watch his program, so the pictures were limited to TWO! Sorry. She tried to play sick so that she could miss school and watch Stuart. We enjoyed some goodies while watching his program and are now completely finished with preschool for the rest of the year.

In between all of the other things, I managed to get this made for Macy's teacher, Mrs. Joy. I figured that we could give her the four seasons this year, and when Stuart is in her class next year, we could make some center pieces for the holidays. We got them wrapped up and delivered today, so I'm anxious to see what she thought of them.

And, after yesterday, I am officially DONE with the holiday traffic on 24th street. It was enough to drive me crazy! I HAD to drive down this street twice a week and up it once a week between the two schools. I had to sit through one traffic light five times in a straight through lane. The picture doesn't look so bad, but I was too afraid of the other crazies out there to snap one while driving, so I waited for a red light.
We are now ready for Christmas. Despite a few obstacles, we managed to finish things up this week.....well, unless I find something that I've forgotten (I remember thinking I was ready a while ago). I hope that you all are enjoying these last few days before Christmas. We are getting hit with another winter storm and then the weather will stay cold, so we will be enjoying a white Christmas here....and hopefully in Wyoming too!

Macy's First Concert...

Tears filled my eyes last night as we attended our first (of many) school concerts. Macy and I spent some time in the bathroom getting her all "prettied" up for the event. They were to wear a dress with nice shoes, and she came home saying that they could wear a small amount of make up. So, of course, she just HAD to have make up on.....but I applied it for her. We gave her a shower and dried her hair before hitting it with the curling iron. She changed her earrings and borrowed a necklace from me for the even......fastforward 12 years and we'll be doing this all over again for the prom....YIKES. Here's a few of the pictures that we captured....they are not very good, we were in the very back and I had to hold Myles while taking them because he kept running away...and we all know that kids is a active as his biggest sister!

The GRAND entrance of the class

They sang a song about reindeer...she was so excited for us to see her wearing these antlers. She could not put anything in her hair so that they would stay on.

The entire kindergarten and first grade classes together..small schools...I LOVE 'EM!

I'm not sure why we have dots off of everyone's eyes, but here is our dolly singing a song for all to hear.

And Stuart....he got very excited for kindergarten after this program. He was a bit wild, but I am just chucking that up to Macy having some special attention from everyone. The poor kid is fighting a rash on his face and is quite embarrased about it. The other day he told me that he hoped it went away soon because it was hideous. I think that it is getting better. These little spots start off as a pimple looking deal and then fester up full of puss before quickly going to a scabby spot. He keeps saying that it is the chicken pox, but they are not anywhere else. He had them on his legs a few weeks back, and I am wondering if it goes along with a cold he is fighting or if it could be some type of dry skin thingy. If they do not get better soon, we will go into the doctor....he's just not wanting to miss his last week of school for it. We head to a program for him tomorrow and hopefully I can remember to bring along the camera.

Not much else happening here....it's just flat cold outside and I am ready for some warmth...even if that means more snow.

I AM Blessed...

Yesterday Grady had another day of work and ended up staying in Wyoming overnight to get it finished up. I had a PTO meeting at the school and was pretty worried about dragging my kids with me to it. I had planned to cancel my attendance, but they were begging me to go AND they ate all of their dinner to be able to go....so off we went. It was well below freezing out, but we managed to get there. They weren't the best behaved, but we made it through. Mostly thanks to the acceptance of the three other PTO members. After the meeting we took a detour to view the Christmas lights around the area.

Amazingly Myles loved the trip. I was sure that he had fallen asleep since he was so quite in the car, but when we arrived home, he was wide awake. Macy was out. She was up way too early yesterday, so that didn't surprise me. What did make my heart smile was how much Stuart and Fiona loved that trip. We followed a trolley through one subdivision, and Stu said how he wished that he could ride one.... We talked about the pretty lights and we talked about the various Nativity sets that people had up. Stuart has been so into the Reason for the Season this year. He loves the Nativity sets! Fiona was very concerned that her Daddy wasn't there to enjoy it with us and has plans for another trip that he can attend. I tried explaining to her that he was "working his tail off" and she quickly replied, "Daddy not have a tail". What a bunch of smart children I have.

When we arrived home, we ate a slice of lemon poppyseed bread that a friend brought over and then we brushed teeth ontime for a quick story. I read one from the Christmas Dozen to them, and a small Alaska one for Fiona. As I was getting ready to begin the tuck in process, Stuart asked if I would read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey to them because it is his favorite story. Fiona asked me to tuck her into bed because she "not feelin so good". The older two and I sat up for 40 minutes past their bedtime reading and snuggling. What a wonderful evening it was for this momma.

GingerBread Houses!

Grady and I stayed up way to late last night watching (or listening) to Saturday Night Live, wrapping a few presents, and baking gingerbread houses. Stuart has been begging me to buy one at the store, but I couldn't find it in my heart to spend the whopping $10 for the kit. I found some recipes online last night and just HAD to bake them. I'm kicking myself for not keeping the gingerbread house stone that was given to me before we moved. I had some fear about doing this, but it was quickly gone with excitement last night. The house smelled so yummy and it was fun for Grady and I to do somethings alone. We let them harden overnight and then "glued" them together today before church. I used the Royal Icing for the glue and it was a pain in the rear. NEVER again. We whipped up some buttercream frosting for the candy since I knew that the kids would want to eat the candy off and I was a bit scared of the raw egg whites in the royal messy stuff. We decorated after a bowl of yummy beef stew tonight. Here's the fun: Macy and Stuart shared the one that I cut out last night. A piece of candy fell off and this was their reaction before replacing it.

Fiona and Daddy did the one that he cut out last night. She loved having her own since it was a bit too much for three kids with hands full of candy and a mommy with the baggie (my frosting bag broke today with the royal mess) of frosting.

She started licking the frosting and eating candy off before I could get a picture of it all finished.

Myles went another day without a good nap. He fell asleep right before we left church and woke up to us busy decorating. Here's how he spent most of the time, poor guy.

The finished duo yelling "I love gingerbread houses"!

I guess that our fun wasn't so much fun for these two. They were down and out before we could get the houses done. Looks like they both needed the sleep though.

My kids are now saying that we are the best mom and dad ever. I hope that they are absorbing these memories.....that's what this season is all about. I really want to give them some fun to remember Christmas for. I know that I get very stressed and that is why I was determined to have the shopping over early...just so that we could have a great season of fun.

Enjoy the rest of the season!

Paper Doll Nativity Set

Stuart and I spent the morning cutting out a Nativity scene out on the Cricut. He made something to that sort yesterday at school and has been very into it. Once we found that we had a cartridge that would make them, the fun was on. Fiona helped cut the papers down to the right size for the machine and Stu manned guard over it. I cut out a stable and sprayed it brown. We rushed to the UPS store to have them laminated because Stu wanted to take them as show and tell for preschool today. He said that they used these pieces to act out a story that they listened to! Here is the finished project:

The sad part is that the lamination process really hids the details that were cut into the robes, and manger, but Stuart is already telling his sisters that this is HIS because it is special to him.

The kids each wanted to show off their favorites:

Stu with the Three Wisemen and Joseph.

Macy with Baby Jesus.

Fiona with our red headed angel. She was made with red hair after some other pretty red head that we know (Jasey)! Stuart gets a bit funny when you mention it, but it was so adorable today when I asked what color of hair to give her since her halo and necklace were yellow.

So, Jasey...you are an ANGEL to us!

Santa's Visit

Up on the housetop reindeer pause
Out jumps good old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones, Christmas joys
Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go?

We attended a cookie swap this morning at Jasey's house. What a great idea to share what you've made and save yourself baking ten different things. And... Santa made a surprise visit to see our children. This is the first time that they have seen Santa since we lived in Ten Sleep. Wow, it is so sad to think of it like that. Santa even knew their names, and that amazed several of them....how could he know our names??

Stuart was thrilled to see him and grabbed his ear first thing to whisper what he wanted. Stuart would not tell me what he asked for, but Santa gave me the good sign language of three fingers (W), and then two short one finger blinks (ii)! Yes, I managed to brainwash into him that we (urr, I mean....HE) wanted a Wii for Christmas! He's actually gotten pretty excited since we've shown him what it is and what goes with it. I wasn't quick enough with the camera, but here's the tail end of it...

He rushed to be the first to sit on Santa's lap!
Myles was fine with sitting there, until Fiona came along and started screaming on the knee next to him. They both had a small fit, and I quickly took him away.

Which left Fiona to do this....

I think that she was more embarrassed than scared. She tried to tell him that she wanted roller skates from about 10 feet away, but I am sure he did not hear it. Oh well, he can bring the Wii for EVERYONE!

Oh, the magic that came along with Santa....I wish that we could capture it in a jar and only let it escape when we need it. The twinkles in their eyes and the smiles that lit their faces, it was definately priceless! Thanks Brother Shepherd!

A box of kleenex please....

Okay, I've got to let you all in on a secret.....I love Classic Hits My 92.5. It is now becoming Stuart's favorite too....he love to air guitar to it! As I was baking cookies this morning for our cookie swap tomorrow, I was listening and heard about a poem that was emailed into one of the DJs. Instead of deleting it like he does most forwards, he posted it on their blog. I've swiped it from there, but am warning you that you will need a box of kleenex or a long sleeve for it. Please take the time to read it...

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
Mydaughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!
"For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,
"Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

"PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction RegimentOIC,
Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq


...and SHARE IT! It sure makes me think again about how stessed I am over the small things this holiday season. My heart goes out to all of the soldiers, spouses, and children right now. May God Bless them all .... they're the reason for so many of our blessings.

The Hunt Was On!

We headed up above Red Lodge yesterday with some friends in search of the "perfect" Christmas tree. Grady and I never agree when it comes to these, but the chili was made, the hot cocoa was packed, and winter gear was in tow. It was raining pretty good here, so we were sure that we would be stomping through some beautiful snow up there. BUT, to our amazement, it was the PERFECT day for us to do this. The weather was so warm that we used sweatshirts and no snow pants. Well, Myles could have used the snowpants....his others would have stayed drier, but we had a blast.

Here's a few photos from our adventure:

Setting out with tummies full of yummies!

While Grady was scoping out the prospective tree, the kids were warming up and settling down:

Here's the one..... from across the creek.

Yep, it was within the height limits and within our ceiling limits (well, close enough), so....


...it had to come down and HOME!



Jasey and I were concerned with it sticking so far out of their truck, but we managed to get it to the candy store in town and home!

She's All Prettied Up!

Grady spent hours last night placing strands and strands of lights on the tree while I sorted ornaments for the kids to hang today. They were so excited when they woke up and it was all lit up this morning....remember, we are up before the roosters around here!

The older two were very excited to hang their ornaments, and Fiona really had no desire until I started in on hers, then she did a few and was done. While we were trying to put them on someone else thought that it would be fun to take them off....

..after several successful stops, he finally snuck away with one, and had to show daddy. Check out this smile....kinda like, "ha, momma, I got around ya!"

Then the ladder came back out and so that the top of the tree could be pretty too.



Macy had to take a trip down memory lane before she would part with her ornaments for everyone else to see.


And, she's done! All 15 feet of her!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

An Early Christmas

WE'RE BACK UP AND RUNNING WITH A BRAND NEW MONITOR! I WAS HAVING SOME MAJOR ANXIETY PROBLEMS WITH THE TWO SECOND MONITOR SHOW WE HAD GOING ON, SO I WENT OUT SHOPPING WHILE NANNY WAS HERE!

Gramma Rose left early this morning. She brought out a load of Christmas presents to have an early celebration with the kids since she will not be trekking back out this direction next month. We had a few for her, so the exchange was on! Even without a tree, we had fun. Here are a few pictures of the evening:

The kids made her a gift from Build-a-Bear. They all gave a little talk into the recorder and now she can hear them any ole time she wishes just by pressing Ariel's hand. She also got an MP3 player from Grady (he stood in line at 4 ish on Black Friday for it!) and he helped her learn to load it up with music. She loves it and used it a few times while she was here.

Stuart was so excited to get into his new toys, he just started tearing into them before everyone else was done opening theirs. Myles and Fiona had a time with a few of his and broke them, so Gramma went out and bought him one more thing....some Diego legos that he loves!

Myles had a great time tearing the paper off and into shreds. His musical toy is a huge hit and we often have to send the kids away with the noise maker.

Fiona landed some great Dora legos and they have entertained the entire family busy building and playing.

Macy was full of Bratz things. She is in heaven with all of the beauty stuff!

The kids all got some super soft larger blankets that they have been sleeping with everynight and then lugging to watch tv under during the day. She taught me how to play Rummy and they had a heck of a time convincing me that there was no possible way you could make a run out of a 2, A, K. I am still convinced that you can make a ring out of it, but those are only my house rules. I came out with my American Express card and told them it was a bridge card just for that purpose.....my spill was, "I googled it while I was in the bathroom and they said you could!". It is now known as the BRAMEX card around here and we laugh about it tons. Just wait until she pulls it out at home and bursts out laughing.....people will think that she is crazy! We have adjusted to the real rules and had tons of fun playing together.

We are heading up the hill tomorrow to cut down a Christmas tree with some friends. I am making some chili, cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa for it! We'll post pictures later.