Scenes from our Christmas celebration

Our family had a great Christmas celebration for 2011!  We were busy as are most families, but looking back, we got in everything we wanted!  We decided to do a real tree for the first time as the "boy" tree - and it will forever be remembered as the year the tree fell.  Reading the posts on Facebook, it seemed to be a common problem this year!  Below is a pic after I got the thing propped back up.  Did I mention we were hosting a Christmas party that evening??

JT was able to participate in the children's choir for the first time this year and was given a speaking part and a small duet. He did a super job - we just wished we could have lowered that mike a little!

 Andrew's class was to dress in costumes of children around the world.  I found this fabric and knew immediately it would be a perfet Chinese costume for him that would "transform" into pjs after the performance.  The hat was just a piece of posterboard and yellow duct tape.

I spent  A LOT of time in the kitchen this year!  Here was one of my favorite projects.  I stole the missing part idea from an old college friend who is really a cookie diva!

Christmas morning and they were so excited they could hardly contain themselves!  Christmas falling on a Sunday found us rushing a bit so it was great that Andrew's teacher had said the kids could wear pjs to church!  JT got to choose his outfit, too, by the way!

Best Wishes to you all for a great 2012!

Halloween Costumes

It may be easy to tell that JT is a Power Ranger, but Andrew's costume would have been a mystery to me a year ago.  He has introduced us to the world of Pokemon and this year wanted to be Pikachu.  The boys once again scored big at the church Trunk or Treat and then several of our neighbors had special treats for them!

2011 Birthday Season

Between September 19 and October 16 we celebrate 3 birthdays.  First, Andrew turned 4.  This year he wanted a blue monster cake and we had his party at the pumpkin farm.  It was a very chilly day for the middle of September, but the kids, and Andrew had a blast!

I am so thankful to the Internet and all the other blogging moms when I start looking for ideas for cakes!

And this is why I spend so much time on these - he just looked at the cake for the longest time!  His only critique, it didn't have any hands. I made hands!

Everything was about Pokemon this year.  We don't even let him watch the cartoon!

Next, Bill turned 39.  He had been wanting a caramel cake, so he did not get his tradtional cake with super sweet icing. 

Last, we celebrated Joshua's 6th.  He got hooked on the show Wipeout this summer and so he wanted a Wipeout party.  We did the best we could with backyard obstacles.  All the boys really seemed to enjoy it.  Joshua's #1 wish this year was for a goldfish.  I thought I was getting off easy because they're only 38 cent each.  I bought 2 and both were dead in a week!  He now has a blue Beta named "Cut-tail".  All things Addidas and sporty were also cherished items.

The course started with a zipline out of the treehouse.  The most popular event!

The Stump Jump

Our attempt to simulate the "BIG RED BALLS" - hay bales and the sprinkler.

Happy Birthday to all my boys!!

Summer Flashback #1

Back in June I competed in my first triathalon.  I had gotten a bad case of shin splints so I had been biking and trying to swim a little anyway - plus it was something I had always wanted to try!  This was an all female sprint tri with a 300m swim, 11mi bike, and 2.5mi run.  I was so nervous for this event and at one point Bill told me I needed to get myself together!  With running, I know what to expect, but with this, I had no idea! The swim was my "weakest link", but even there I did better than I had expected! All in, I finished 17/98 ladies even with my chain poping off during the bike ride!

1:11:55, very happy with that!

Bill rides Bridge to Bridge

Mid September our family packed up after an afternoon soccer game and headed to the NC mountains for Bill to ride in the annual Bridge to Bridge cycling event.  The ride starts in Lenoir, NC and snakes around, up, down, around, and 101.8 miles later, finally finishes at the summit of Grandfather Mountain!  

The start - he's back there somewhere!

And there he goes!  I was so excited to have actally gotten this photo.

The boys and I had about 6 hours - and what to do?? There wasn't much in Lenoir, but we found a WalMart and found JT's Halloween costume.  I let the boys spend about 1 hour in the toy isles while I read a magazine! -And Bill was concerned about what we would do for all that time!

   

Maybe this is the cow-bell dance - not sure, but another 1/2 hour spent here dancing around!

Winding up Grandfather Mountain we spent some time viewing the animals and eating samples at the Fudge Shop.

It was a dreary, rainy, misty, cool day.  We even had to eat our picnic in the back of the SUV.



At the very top - the weather was beautiful! The boys even got a little sunburned.



We finally spot the correct red jersey!

Looking good!



Last stand up the very last incline.



Finish line!  Only 75% of riders finish this race and he finished 74 out of  332 finishers!

First Days

JT is starting his second year homeschooling and I am happy to report that things are going well!  Andrew is in preschool 2 days a week.  The teacher always rewards the well behaved students with stamps or stickers each day, but Andrew is the odd child that doesn't like either and refuses... Aren't they each sooo different!

No, it wasn't cold - he just really likes this shirt!

Spray Park

We visited the local spray park before "regular" school got out this year, hoping to avoid some of the crowds. Wouldn't you know it - one of the local 2nd grade classes was having a field trip to the spray park that day!!  The boys still enjoyed it and we hope to visit again.

Spring Soccer

JT finished his 2nd season of soccer with his dad as coach!  He still hustles after the ball very well even though he is not the star of the team.  We're just glad he wants to continue playing!

Buzz Cut

JT had been wanting a buzz cut like dad's so finally, the weekend before Memorial Day, he got his wish.  I'm sure it is much cooler, but he just likes having it like dad's. Andrew wanted no part of it - he said he liked his hair!

Mother's Day

We made our rounds for Mother's Day this year, but sadly, I didn't take any photos when celebrating with Bill's mother.  Here's me and my gang!

Celebrating Easter

Easter celebrating (& candy eating) started with an egg hunt at Andrew's preschool.  Joshua could not understand why Andrew got to take his Easter bucket but he didn't. It all worked out when I told him if he helped put eggs in Andrew's bucket, he could help eat the candy!

 



Glazed spiced sugar cookies - this batch vanished quickly!



After about 4 months of me searching for a pop-up camper, this is what we ended up with.  I think we made a good call to give us a little more flexiblity.  We tried it out the Wednesday & Thursday nights before Easter at a local park and we had a great time.  The boys really enjoyed it!

Look at all that candy! After our church egg hunt.

Easter bucket treats, and no, the Easter Bunny didn't bring it.