Drew's Christmas program

Here are a few pictures from Drew's Christmas program at Options.  He's so cute!  He's come a long way from crying and screaming because he didn't want to go up front!!

Don't you just want to squeeze the cuteness?

Merry Christmas

Just a few shots of our morning before my memory card in the camera got too full.  And who's going to wait for mommy to fix that problem?  Haha!!  Also a couple of my handsome muffins dressed up for Christmas Eve.

Growing up

This little boy with the silly grin is growing up way faster than I'd like. Very considerate and compassionate to others, he is maturing and growing. I am usually mentally exhausted in the evenings and don't get much out of my Bible then. So I have made a new rule that I cannot start their breakfast until I have finished my reading. Yesterday I was getting ready to sit in the kitchen and read with my coffee, and try to keep an eye on puppies out of the corner of my eye. Drew marched into the kitchen and told me I could go sit at the table and read my Bible and drink my coffee and that he would watch the puppies for me. And he did. He did a very good job with them too!

Christmas cookies

This is the only holiday baking done in our house this year. The boys asked to decorate cookies, and they will use them as gifts for their friends. They did a pretty good job too! Gotta love these boys. They are getting so big.

School time

While Drew is working on school, the littles now have entertainment. They are all doing better and better with the puppies and just love them to pieces. As Drew concentrates on his new letter "o", the littles play with Snoopy and Molly in our makeshift confinement area. Once potty training is closer to done, they will have more freedom, but it works well for now!

Park days

I don't recall ever having a play day at a park in December. But this year we have had several. The weather is warm enough that no one freezes, and when we arrive back home after dark it has made us cold enough to enjoy hot chocolate or tea. I love this weather!

United States Air Force Band Concert

I took Drew and Ty on a mommy date for a Christmas concert this week. Complete with a visit from Santa. Ty loved everything about it, exclaiming over and over that it was wonderful and beautiful and the best surprise ever. The boys are here with some of our friends meeting Santa.

Really?

I think this picture should be in a "write a caption" contest!

A boy(s) and his dog(s)

Last week we expanded our family with two small puppies. Drew was the child consistently asking for a puppy. Ironically he is the one more nervous around them. His high voice and excitement don't match too well with a bouncy little puppy. Ty is the one who remains the calmest and does better with them. They are a brother/sister pair. The boys named them Snoopy and Molly. Pete tried to fight the name Snoopy, but the boys were insistent. In the comic strip, Snoopy's sisters were Belle and Molly and they chose Molly. Training using underway and they are effectively worming their way into the family. Jude loves them, his excitement doesn't go well with training either, but when they jump on him he thinks its funny, where Drew gets scared.

Random pictures from the last few months - just a few of my favorites

What a view!

The destination on a hike one day.

My silly boys!

These guys were fun to watch.

A different family day in the mountains.

The animal that we got so close to, yet eluded Pete on his hunting trip!

Smoke from a fire in one of our favorite hiking areas.

The smoke made the sun shine in beautiful shades of red.

Sometimes I wasn't sure I was still looking at the sun!

Those days

Sleep. It's something some people overrate, and it's something other people underrate. For me, it's one of my favorite things. With everything else going on in our lives during this season, adding sleep deprivation is not a good thing. I can see humor, now, in today's earlier events. And I am thankful for a very alert and smart son to make me aware of the situation today. I went to make a cup of tea. Nothing unusual. I turned on the wrong burner. Again, while I'd rather not admit it, nothing unusual. I started a fire. There was a cardboard container sitting on the "wrong" burner, and it got too hot. This time I can proudly, or not so proudly cuz it did happen, say that this IS unusual! The house, family, even the stove, are all fine. Thank you Drew,and thank you Jesus!