Thanksgiving Festivities.

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to invite ourselves down to Ryan's sister's house in Denver. We had such a good time. She is such a fun host. She always makes us feel so welcome, and comes up with so many fun things for us and the kids to do. The kids can't stop talking about all the fun crafts they did. (I've really got to step up my game in the craft department)

Thanksgiving day was great. We all had a good laugh (or 2) in the cooking department. This is kind-of my first Thanksgiving with out a "mom" present (or at least an experienced mom)
let me start out by clarifying that the Turkey was excellent.
I was in charge of 3 dishes. all of which turned out a little "off" something was weird about each one. My sweet potatoes were drowning in butter, my green bean caserol was bland (Fyi I was the only one who tried it so who cares) and I have no idea where I went wrong in the fruit salad, think I got carried away with the marshmallows.
My favorite dish was what we liked to call mashed poravy. (as pictured below) you might think you are looking at mashed potatoes but nope it's just gravy. LOVED IT!!!!






Here are a few of the amazing crafts we made. we almost forgot them but luckily last minute cousin Dirk reminded us we needed to take ours home!!!


Bowling was one of my favorite things. I always forget how much fun we all have when we go!!!

I love these 2 pictures they really showcase what an experienced bowler I am.


Darling!!!






serious coaching going on.


I love when Bailee is around girl cousins. it's the only time she will let me braid her hair because she wants to be twins. Her and Livy played so cute together. Actually all the kids played so good together.

writing a Christmas list to santa, another great activity.... Tyson was cute, he wrote "I wish for santa to have a good time" I think he was trying to butter him up for more presents.


Davis started writing and then decided it's funner to pick his nose.



My kids had such a good time, they still haven't stopped talking about there cousins and would like to move in with them. Thanks for the awesome Vacation Linds and Chris!!!
ps black friday was also amazing but that is a post in it's self!!!

Warning Debbi downer alert!!!

I love when I find activities that can bring the true spirit of Christmas into our family. It seems like they are so hard to come by. so I was so excited when I heard about this live nativity seen. I have been before and it is really neat.
well I wanted to go tonight for family night. I talked to Ryan about it and he really didn't want to go (he hates lines and cold) so I decided I would take the kids and go myself. I thought I was being very prepared. we go all bundled up in hats, gloves, coats, and even snuggies wrapped around us. I even brought hot chocolate to help keep us warm.
(mistake #1) genius me thought my boots (AKA slippers boots) would keep me warm. about 2 minutes into the line they were sopping wet and 15 minutes later my socks were literally frozen.
(mistake#2) I thought Davis would be warm and old enough to enjoy it.

the kids were being SO good and I was so proud of them. but about an hour into the line they were both crying that their feet hurt (while I was wanting to cry that mine hurt too.) Then Davis completely loses it and is full on Bawling saying mommy I am cold and tired!!!! I can't calm him down, but I don't want to leave because we are about 10 minutes away from getting in.
Everyone in the line was so sweet. offering their phone that has a movie on it to distract Davis, or hot chocolate, or just to hold a warm bottle. Finally one of the volunteers told me I could just come up to the front. at that point we just sped through the whole thing and I was thinking "get me the heck out of here".....as we go through Bailee is still being so cute, trying to calm Davis down and show him the chickens and other animals. Well we finish and get to the car and all of us (including me) start crying. I feel so bad that I've blown a special experience for not only my kids but everyone by us that is hearing the bawling baby. and I feel so bad that we were all so cold.
Bailee was so sweet, she sees me crying and keeps saying "mom it was so fun, I swear"
While Tyson is crying quietly, and Davis is bawling "my tootie toes are cold" . I kept asking him is he wanted a doughnut and he said "no, bath tub" or "mommy I tired" (so sad) about 2 minuted away from home Davis is knocked out asleep.
well Bailee and Ty went to get into the shower, and Ryan went to ask how their night was, he comes out laughing and tells me they said "dad you are so lucky you weren't at Family Night tonight." again I start to cry and tell him I am in no mood for gloating....

So moral of the story.... NO CHRISTMAS OUTINGS IN UNDER 30DEGREE WEATHER! IT RUINS THE SPIRIT AND THE FUN OF IT!!
and moral #2.... my kids can be really sweet.

First snow fall.

so we had our first big snow for the season this morning. The kids woke up and were so excited. of course at 8:00 we had to put everyone's snow clothes on and go play outside. I actually love the first snowfall, it makes me feel so excited for Christmas. It's usually the snowfalls that come after Christmas that make me cry...











So the kids have been begging me to put up our Christmas decorations so last week we broke them out. I love how homey our house feels with them up. it's funny how it gets to be earlier and earlier, I love it. it's Ryan gets who little embarrassed.

Shelby's wedding/

So one of my favorite cousins got married yesterday. I was so happy for her and it was such a fun day. We have some of the best memories growing up together. This girl can always make me laugh. I have great memories of sneaking in the car so I could spend the night. and calling and just sitting on the phone for hours so we could feel like we were together. Her sisters also came into town and it was such a fun reunion. One bad thing about being a grown up is you don't get to see all the people you love as much as you'd like but it makes such a great reunion when you do get to see them. Happy day!!!

I got to catch up with some old friends.... it was so fun to see them. and here are My aunts and Grandma, they are such fun people.


Here's some of my cousins. I LOVE having a big family.

Go Tyson

'
So cute little Tyson won an award at school for having Courage. each month they have an Assembly in honor of different qualities, and this months quality was courage. Tyson's teacher told me he always has courage to do what is right. We were so proud of him.
Tyson has always been such a rule follower. he makes me laugh, at the start of the year he would always tell me that he got thirsty at school so I tried to get him to take a water bottle in his back pack and he refused to because he thought it was against the rules. I thought it was so cute His teacher even told me some of the students will say "today I'm going to have my "big manners" Just like Tyson does." I'm sure proud of him and how well he's doing in school.

Last night he came up to me shaking so bad and told me his front tooth was loose. (I think he was shaking so bad because he was terrified that Ryan or I would try and pull it our) so I told him to pull hard, and it came right our. He was so excited. that night at 10:00 he woke up and came into my room bawling that the tooth fairy never came. Luckily he fell back asleep and the tooth fairy was able to make it with $1.00. Ty was pretty excited.


A couple funny Tyson stories

Tyson is really good friends with some twins (Boston and Brock) so he's known these boys his whole life. and the poor guy just can't tell his best friends apart. so the other day we were all at chick filA Ty says to Brock "hey lets go hide from Brock..... Wait? are you Brock... (Brock says yes) ok then lets hide from Boston. it made me laugh.... He's such a funny boy...
the sweetest boy in the world but definitely not the most observant. (he gets that from me)

at the school the principal's name is Miss Durrant..... so Tyson says to me one day
"mom today the principal is coming to our class and I'm not sure if she's a boy or a girl but it's an ant." finally I figured out that every time the teacher said the name miss Durrant Tyson would hear Mr. Ant. so he thought the principal was an ant. it made me laugh....

last is a funny Bailee story....
So for as unobservant as Tyson is Bailee is insanely Observant (she gets that from Ryan)
Last week I decided to hire someone to come and clean my blinds. (Justification time... My friend got him for cheep and I figured I'd do hair to pay for it otherwise it would never get done)
so anyways I decided I'd just keep the cleaning boy to myself and take the credit from Ryan. (justification time again, what's the difference if I"m cleaning or doing hair, it gets done regardless and in less time.) anyways I left for a few hours while he cleaned p.s he did amazing he did my blinds, scrubbed the bathrooms and vacuumed the floors all for $40.... Bailee came home from school and saw him for about 1 second and then we left... so Ryan calls me when he got home to tell me the house looked and smelled amazing, and I tell him "I know I"ve been hard at work... (he didn't need to know I was hard at work doing hair not cleaning)
Later on that night I was doing my moms hair and I tell her the countdown is on to see when Bailee spills the beans about the cleaning boy. again she saw him for half a second while she threw her back pack in the house.... so right when I say that to my mom, Bailee comes barging in the room "mom dad doesn't believe me that a boy was cleaning our house... My mom and I both burst out laughing and I had to break it to Ryan that technically it wasn't me....
so Ryan says I thought that vacuuming seemed fluffier than yours I wonder what kind of vacuum he has. Bailee bursts out oh I know dad it's a Dyson only his is the orange one not the purple one like ours. (again saw him for 2 seconds)
I don't know why it kills me.... she's so darn observant I can't get away with a thing. As opposed to Tyson who I did all of his Easter shopping with him sitting in the cart and he was still as surprised as could be on Easter morning. it's so funny how they are both so opposite. They definitely keep me entertained.