New Year's Eve and Into the Night

We spent New Year's Eve at the Gregory's with the Heiders, Wilkies, and Mays.  11 adults and 24 kids.

The twins

 One group (Ella colored her nose red so she could be Rudolph) 

 Tavis practicing for school....not!

 Sick cutie!

 Lots of eating and fellowship

 The kids played a lot of random games - Xbox

 Wii

 Legos

 The kids (and the big kid, Chris) playing Apples to Apples in the "pantry"

And the adults playing Buzz Word.  I took two pics with my phone and posted one of facebook.  I could have been nice and posted the one on the left, but I posted the one on the right. Hehehe.

 It was a great night.  Most smart families went home earlier, but we stayed until the ball dropped.

Happy New Year Reba!!!!

Indoor Pick Up Soccer Game

Played today with two other families.  It was fun to see some of my kids that have never really played enjoy such a great sport.

 Mollee was the only girl out there and held her own.

She probably played harder than we have ever seen her play.

 And the cutest goalie you have ever seen.

He had some moves with never knew about.

Such fun until one of the boys fell into the bleachers and ripped his ear.  We took the rest of that family to our house while Daddy and son headed to the ER.  He ended up with one stitch in the front of his lobe and three across the back.  

We can't wait to do it again!

A Lost Art

Thank you notes are very important to me.  I could care less if I receive any, but I will always send them because my mother told me to.  My kids are also required to do it and they know they just do it and get it over with.

Today we wrote some thank you notes and this one cracked me up, I had to share:

Please note the top note:

"Thank you for the chess set.  I can't wait to kick your butt" (to my dad) - Daegan

and the bottom

"Thanks for my gun.  I will enjoy shooting my brothers."  - Tavis

Yep, nothing serious in our house.

How brothers have to sit to watch a soccer game when they can't stop touching each other

Pleated Fabric Cuff Bracelets

You know there are some people that just make you feel better whenever you see them.  The forever friend that you can see a few times a year and it is like you are together every weekend.  That is Shannon for me.  

She does not live here, but her parents do.  Thankfully, that brings her to town often.  

I stopped by her Mom's today to drop off a few things.  Gran, Shannon and her girls were sewing these bracelets.  They invited Mollee and I to join them and we sent the boys out in the woods with Shannon's boys.  Thankfully, Gran is incredible at the sewing machine.

Made this today.

It was such a joy to be with them and make this bracelet, even if just for an hour.

My Minions

Philip and Sarah's

We went to Philip and Sarah's tonight for a low-key evening of pizza, games and cousin's playing.  

After Uncle Philip finished up a story.

 Kids watched a movie....

 I didn't love how my village looked on the table, but I liked Sarah's so I took a picture of it to keep for next year.

Christmas Morning 2013

The kids are always patient for Mommy and Daddy to get moving and get coffee started.

 Mac giving Daddy a mug he made at school - so cute!

 Love all these expressions --

 A box full of Xbox games Mommy got on a really, really, really good Cyber Monday sale = happy boys!

 And then the big reveal!

The boys have been asking for BB guns for many months.  I bought some on Black Friday, but Jason has told the boys, very sternly, to stop asking for them, we can't trust them and they just aren't old enough.  I heard Tavis tell his brothers the other day that he definitely didn't get a gun for Christmas because there were no boxes the right size.

Little did he know that his parents were sneaky (and somewhat cruel).

After all presents were open, I jumped up and said I had one more to give.  It was a bag.  I handed it to Tavis and he looked in it.  It was BBs.  He was confused and thought they must be silver airsoft bullets.  Then Jason came around the corner with three guns.

I think Tavis even got teary - he was so excited.

 Happy, Happy, Happy

 Notice the bare chest finally showed up!

Then the rest of the morning consisted of play and relaxation -

Mollee trying to lace up her new Converse boots

 Daddy and boys having target practice

 Mac building Legos

 Daegan and Mollee drawing and building

And Omar got a new bone!