Christmas Morning!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Halloween!

From our SPOOKtacular House of Horrors to yours.
Have a safe and fun Halloween!

INDEPENDENCE Day.

I am Proud...Thankful...Blessed.

I feel safe. I know peace.
I'm not hungry or oppressed.
My opinion counts and I can share it.
I am, mercifully, FREE to worship the one, true God
without fear of persecution or prosecution.
I have the right to choose.

I am Proud...Thankful...Blessed.

O Christmas Tree! - More Christmas Catch-Up

Hangin' with Rudy hopin' he puts in a good word
with his boss for them...

A Suburban Gothic - The Christmas Version

Ready to Cut!

Haulin' her in...


We and our tree 2008!

Starting Christmas Catch-up...

--Had a lot of fun playing with a sweet picture of one of
my favorite holiday memories this year...I thought
the result was pretty sweet...

Christmas Kisses are Magical...its fun to
post this picture of my boys and remember
their little puckered-up lips
FINALLY on Valentine's Day.

I got more beautiful kisses today...It's great to be me.

Thanksgiving Bonus

A Table of Thanksgiving

I think our favorite, collectively, thing about
Thanksgiving this year was the table.
Well, for some it was the abundance of pie
(there were EIGHT, we had 13 people.
You do the math...okay, lazy, that's like
more than half a pie each including the babies, SO FUNNY...)
BUT for most of us it was the table we had
set to gather our family around.

Our centerpiece and the reading for dinner
was unwittingly provided by Matt's Family
in Michigan with their kind, ever-faithful
invitation to festivities up there. Sadly, we couldn't
attend in Michigan but we enjoyed having part
of them there with us this way. (thanks, Barb...)

The babies, Lisa and I made napkins for everyone
with their little hand prints. (I'd bet you haven't lovingly-quarreled
with your baby sister about the length, size and placement
of a turkey's waddle.)

The place settings included
our Holiday dishes that we have been collecting now that
there are 13 of us and mixed pieces from the set of
Brown Toile Dishes that my Aunt Maudie passed on to me
once belonging to Judge Prime.

It's funny to me that we got better pictures of the dishes
than we did of the family...and even though the picture
quality is poor, I think it still shows the joy of our togetherness
around a shared dinner table at Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks

Bad Blogger...Remember Thanksgiving?

Ugh...once again I've gotten caught up in living life and
have gotten behind on sharing it with loved ones.

The HOLIDAYS...seems like it takes my household
until February every year to recover.

Well...during our virtual absence we've packed ALOT in.
Perhaps we should resume telling our story
at Thanksgiving morning 2008.

It was cold, it was early...we were in Broadripple
at an event with 7,022 other people that is being
touted as the 3rd largest race event in Indy, behind
The Mini and The Race for the Cure,
The Drumstick Dash...

Eli wanted to run it (we said no...the crowd was GIAGANTORIC).
SIDENOTE...he, Eli, also hates his picture below, I had so many
layers on him that he looked like a red and black version
of the Michelin Man. Everybody say, "Puffy Coat".
Isaac pedaled it (fell asleep on his
handlebars the last 1/2 mile or so).
Matt and I starbucks-ed through it.
It was a blast and it felt good to be
"moving" with a purpose.
All the proceeds went to Wheeler Mission Ministries.

We didn't see it, but a Fox News guy nearly killed himself
walking backward to film Isaac and his wheels. He filmed FOREVER.
Isaac was probably on the news but who in their right mind
watches Fox News? (That's a little shout out for all my
ultra-conservative family and friends...luv ya :))

The Potty-Mouthed Princess and Her Men

Okay so, after the big ER run last week, seemed
like everyone had colds and so I make some
really quite excellent chicken noodle soup
from scratch and it was yummy but
Zoe was over it by the second or third serving
and so here's the direct screamer quote I got on
Halloween Night after her dad had made
her eat soup before she could go trick or treating,
"I HATE your freakin, nasty soup Aunt Jeri!"

This is her main squeeze FrankenGus!

Here they are at the start of their evening of tricks and treats!

This is her and her "Big Daddy" after she lost her slipper.
Isn't it just like a princess to lose her slipper and have
to have chivalorous, manly help to get it back on.

Happy Father's Day 2008

For Father's Day we planned
a yummy lunch of grilled chicken, veggies
and cheese on flatbread along with fresh melon
and corn on the cob...Some of Daddy's
favorites and THEN...

We made Daddy a special spot
on the red couch with all of his favorites...Eli
calls this the "classic dad treatment" because
we had the Sunday paper, the remote, his slippers,
and other stuff he LOVES like...

An icy cold root beer and the comics...
(we also had him a gift of his favorite
coffee, chocolates and a card at his spot.)

AND hockey...he LOVES Hockey!

Then he took the FAKE nap we had at his spot
so we could take a funny picture for the blog.
We made sure to call Papaw and Grandpa Will...

LATER, a cuddle bug (wearing winter pj's in 90 degrees)
crawled up in his lap, ransacked his spot,
cried for the chocolates which he did NOT get,
and they both took a REAL nap.

Happy Father's Day to a daddy whose
ALWAYS serving his family with all that he has!
We're so VERY blessed. Thank God for good daddies.

Belly Buttons and Boo-boo's

Well, gosh...don't YOU ever show yours off?
The outies have it in this group.

Zoe's Hickory Nuts

More of Zoe's backyard treasures...
She found these and exclaimed,
"My daddy will say these are lovely!"
Looking at her little hands, I quite agreed.

Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed

Chez Eli's Mother's Day Pancakes were FABULOUS!
My little chef was up early and
had em' served hot to me as I woke up
before we had to get ready to leave for church!

Am I spoiled or what?

Anyways, eight thumbs up from us...
DEEE-LICIOUS!

Halloween 2007

Our fun all started with a Halloween Party at School!

Cookie Monster goes tail-gating...
(party animal)

Cookie and Beckham hanging out, waiting for the fun.

Cookie Monster and Honey Witch try to
pose for pictures but they're chomping at the bit
to be out the door...Honey Witch isn't happy
at being delayed.

Cookie Monster smiles for the promise of candy.

Honey Witch wants to know,
"Ugh...Are you serious, come on!"

Cookie Monster completely breaks down under the pressure
and has a snack, "Cookie, COOKIE, COOKIES!"

Honey Witch is supportive.

Cookie Monster in the throws of his cookie obsession.

Honey Witch begins to worry, "Oh, baby, are you alright?"

Honey Witch Kisses

It's a miracle!
Honey Witch's Hat stays on...FINALLY.



Getting the swing of it...



Work it...WORRRK IT.
Own it...OWNNN IT.



Hey there Honey Witch,
Did you end up trailing candy all over the neighborhood?
Should you have been Hansel and Gretel, Honey?

(Okay...when the bag got heavy, she drug it until
there were holes in the bottom and she was losing candy
like an old car leaks oil. This after she told half the
neighborhood that chocolate rots her teeth out.
She actually turned down candy at the first three or four
houses because she was worried about her oral health!)




This guy...doesn't turn down anything.
Trick or Treat is his favorite freakin' thing EVER.
I think it beats out his birthday.
He kept saying, "Okay...let's go to the next house!"



Big Guy Beckham (LA Galaxy Soccer Guy) here
ran into the famous Mr. Drake who is known
for his exemplary care of children. (Mr. Drake
is the director of our church's Early Childhood Program.)

Anyways...Beckham got a little longer leash than
Cookie and Honey so there's not a lot of pics
of him as he was usually a good five houses ahead of us.



Happy Halloween!