EAT MY WORDS

Okay............. last week I blogged about how we all LOVE snow days.

Well, enough is enough.

I think we are all ready to get back in to our routine and are ready for warmer weather!!

We heart Snow Days!

Around here we just happen to LOVE snow days because we all LOVE to sleep in! (and love to stay up late)

With me working from home anyway and Jake teaching we do enjoy the occasional snow day!

Although I am sure I am not going to like having to go to school in the spring when the weather is nice but for now we just enjoy....................

After sleeping in until about 9, having breakfast, and then playing some Rock Band, the boys headed outside to play for a little bit. I went out just long enough to snap some pictures!

Reece and his big burley hat. He goes through about 2-3 hats when he plays in the snow. i think he gets face fulls of snow when he sleds.

i made them pose for some quick pictures. i love the big pine tree in the background w/the snow on it.......so pretty

We already got the phone call that school is cancelled again tomorrow. I am sure the boys will venture out again!! Enjoy :)

B-ball Games

On tuesday night, dec 22nd, the boys went to an IU basketball game. The boys had a good time. I didn't go so no pictures were taken!!! We did DVR the game, we played it back and could see the boys 3 different times on TV. They thought that was pretty neat!


Then on Dec 26th we took the boys to a Pacer game. Here are a few pics from that game.daddy w/his boys...

mommy w/her boys....

we were up pretty high but the boys liked that! actually before the game started we got to go down on the floor and watch them warm up and get autographs. (we didn't get autographs though.....) Anyway, the boys had a really good time!

Oh and while we are talking basketball both of the boys start playing through the YMCA this weekend. AJ has practice Thursday night and a game on Saturday morning. Reece just has a practice on Saturday, his games are in February. They both have fun playing, gives them something to do in the winter for exercise!

Christmas Gatherings Galore

I have NO pictures from our first Christmas. It was at Grandma Eileen's on Saturday Dec 19th. The kids had a good time playing with their cousins and opening gifts.

The next Christmas gathering was at my parent's house last Wednesday night (the 23rd). The kids went over early and made cookies and the table decorations. As always the kids had a blast! (the adults did too!)Reece and Blake are dancing, looks like Frosty is getting trampled!!

Aunt Kim and Uncle Trent got the boys games. We have been playing lots of games over break!!!!

AJ with his little cousin Blake.

My wonderful parents, aren't they just so cute?!?!?!?

Mom is passing out more presents! Lauren and Reece are checking out their goods.

This is the whole table of kids and food!!! We did have a little mis-hap with the turkey strips and the grill but it all worked out in the end!!! (funny funny story for years to come, my poor dad!)

Then on Christmas Eve day we went to Jake's parents house for Christmas.

AJ and Alex are opening up their stockings.

This is Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa. I have a picture of AJ when he was 7 months old with the same little plate and mug for Santa. EVERY year I have taken a picture of the boys next to the plate. They are SO much bigger than the plate and mug now, can barely see it on the fireplace.

Sleepy reece getting ready to open presents. AJ had to wake him up at 845, he was still snoozing. He is my little sleeper!!

This was the year of Jersies for AJ. He had about 10 jersies (sp?) on his Christmas list this year. He ended up getting 3, pretty good I thought.

This is him in his Adrian Petersen Jersey. He also got a Notre Dame #23 and Dallas Clark (colts).

Reece got a dry erase board for his room. He loves to draw and do spelling words on it. (love it!!).

The day after Christmas (the 26th) we headed up to Indy to spend the next couple days at my Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins'. We had our Christmas there at noon that day. My mom's brother and his family from Maryland, my mom's sister and husband from Arkansas, and my cousin Carey from Florida all flew in for Christmas. It was the first time we were all together in 5 years. It was great to visit with everyone. That night me and Jake took the boys to a Pacers game. They really enjoyed that! (will post pics later)

Well, we had a great Christmas. It seemed to fly by. We have another Christmas in Odon on Sunday afternoon and then they are all done.

Happy New Year!!!

making cookies......yummy

This afternoon me and the boys made homemade sugar cookies. They love to cut them out and then decorate them. Reece is trying his best to get the dough just right, he got it a little too thin so we had to start over! For some reason every year when we do this he is shirtless. I guess the shirt gets in his way! Thankfully these were just cookies to make and keep at home, Reece kept licking the icing.....

AJ only decorated 3 cookies this year. While we were doing our traditional cookie baking the doorbell rang and a friend of his stopped by to play. They rode bikes for a little bit then went to the basement to play XBox. So, I only got half the time with AJ. Oh well, guess I better start getting used to that!! Reece stayed with it the whole time! He and I decorated most of them.

This is the finished product! They look pretty good and taste very good!! Now I've got to clean up the kitchen and figure out what is for supper................maybe cookies?!?!?

Brrrrr

THIS is what my boys are looking forward to............................ playing in the snow and then coming in for hot chocolate!

Can't Wait!!

Give Thanks

I am Thankful for...........

my sweet and healthy little boys.

my sweet and caring husband.

my family & friends.

During this busy busy season it is easy to overlook all the important things. We are busy getting ready for holiday parties, christmas shopping, christmas decorating, etc. Sometimes I am too busy with all that stuff and I don't take the time to just relax and enjoy my family. A lot of that is my personality, I want everything to be just perfect, the house clean, the laundry done, perfect, perfect, perfect. I am working on letting things go a bit and just enjoying them while they are young and are at home and want me to play games with them or color with them. I know too soon they will be grown and out with their friends and won't really want mommy around all that much! Until then I need to slow down and enjoy them more!

I am also thankful for my salvation. For a God who loves us, cares for us, forgives us, and sent His son to die for us. This past summer AJ made Jesus his 'Forever Friend'. He was saved and baptized in June. Jake and I were able to baptize him. Jake had been baptized when he was younger so he talked with my dad about things and decided he would like to be baptized in our church. It was so awesome. Me and my dad baptized Jake, then Jake and I baptized AJ. That was definitely the highlight of 2009 for our family :)

I am so thankful that AJ came to the realization that he needs Jesus in his life. We have gone to church, prayed with him, and read the Bible with him his whole life but the day he came to us and said he wanted Jesus to be his Forever Friend and wanted to be saved and baptized was just awesome! I am sure Reece will come to that realization soon...... although after AJ and Jake were baptized he said he wanted to be baptized too so he could swim in the water. SO--until he realizes the meaning of it all we will wait a bit with him!

Happy Thanksgiving!