Bad Hair Day???

Ever just have one of those days?....

You just can't bear to look....

Don't let it get ya down...

You have a lot to be thankful for!!!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Progress As Promised!

Once life settled down a bit after the holidays, it was time to start construction on the inside of the barn. The plans are drawn up and we are fully committed to finishing out part of the barn as living quarters. The plan: build the "barndominium" (as we like to call it), put our house in MO back on the market, and as soon as the Loma Linda house sells break ground on the house. Anyone that knows us knows that our "PLANS" are made to be changed...we like to keep everyone on their toes! Construction of the "barndomium" is proving to be going a bit slower than we had hoped for...THE BLIZZARD, has not helped, but oh well...as long as it's livable by May 1 then I'm good!


Brock's dad, as always, has been a big help. Along with his expertise, he loaned us the Bobcat the trencher, and extra man power. Best of all the boys love when he's around!

We all know who the big boss is!



Cash even got in on some of the action...not sure if he was throwing the rocks or eating them, but either one is a safe bet!

I think most men will think of any excuse to run heavy equipment. When we built our first house, I got to run the skid steer...I haven't gotten a turn since then...I wonder why?

The electrical lines are ran and the plumbing is in! Exciting stuff, I know. I told Brock that all I wanted for Valentine's Day was a concrete slab...maybe a card if he could squeeze it in, but most importantly a slab!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy New Year!!!!!!! (that's me shouting it out like everyone does when the clock strikes midnight on NYE!....at least I think that still happens. I'm pretty sure I haven't really celebrated/stayed awake on NYE in the past five years!)

So, anyway, it's a new year.

What? I'm a week behind? Everyone else started a new year over a week ago?

Oh, well, not me...and that's just the way it is! No one is going to tell me when I have to start a new year, wipe the slate clean, get organized, start a diet, right my wrongs, change bad habits, quite cold turkey!!!!!!

I've made it official that from now on I will not start a new year until at least January 8th...it is essential for me to have what I am proclaiming as "Transition Week". This extended year end allows me to gently transition from one holiday to the next at my own pace and not that of others, or the media, or the calendar as far as that goes! It's sort of like tacking on week 53...or better yet, week ZERO!

The end of a year is a very busy time for everyone and the past five years for our family have ended with some events that could be categorized as, well, eventful (ok, some might say stressful, but since I started a new year today I am committing to be more positive!) I tend to have a bit of anxiety around the holidays (some that know me VERY well might say "more than a bit", but I'm staying positive!) and the thought of turning over a new leaf right in the middle of winding up Christmas activities and preparing for Tytus' birthday and all the fun and family and traveling and tonsillectomies (okay, that doesn't happen every year) that is a part of this time of year tends to make my head spin!

From now on there will be no leaf turning until Transition Week is complete!

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I'm looking forward to sharing all of the goals I've set for this new (just now beginning) year!

Flashback Friday!

Since Tytus' birthday was yesterday and we are celebrating it through the weekend, I thought I would dedicate another post to him! This picture was taken the first time I was able to hold him exactly five years ago to the day...barely! It was almost midnight on January 7th, 2006 and I remember it like it was yesterday. I hadn't gotten to hold my baby yet and he was almost two days old, so I convinced Brock to go with me one more time to the NICU before trying to get some sleep (it was a long walk from my room to the NICU and since I had a c-section I wasn't really suppose to be walking that far by myself). When we got there the night nurses had just started their shift and one of them asked me if I wanted to hold him. Of course I said YES! I only had a few minutes to love on him because I was technically not suppose to be holding him yet. We were the only people in the NICU other than the nurses and they were all busy checking on babies and getting organized for the night. Brock and I just sat together and held our first child for the first time...and cried. It was a moment I will never forget and one of my favorite of my life.

Happy 5th Birthday T-Man!

Your twinkling blue eyes...

Your mild temperament and quiet confidence...


Your thoughtfulness and attention to all that is around you...



Your wittiness and creativity...




Your kind heart and sweet spirit...



are just a few of the things that have made the past FIVE years so AWESOME!


Thanks T. for being the blessing that God made you to be.


We love you,
Daddy, Mommy, Beau and Cash

Christmas Time Festivities

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG ONE!!

The month of December flew by as it always does, filled with parties and baking and shopping and decorating. It seemed as though Christmas kind of snuck up on me this year. I have to admit that my glass of Christmas cheer seemed to be half empty this season, but even in spite of my internal "Bah-hum-bugs" we managed to squeeze in some festive fun!

Because we live in The Less-Than-Spacious Rental on D. Street and all of our Christmas decorations are in storage, we kept the hanging of garland and tinsel to a MINIMUM!

I let the boys be in charge of putting up the (three-foot) Christmas tree and all of the decorating. And for the first time, I relinquished all of my decorating control!! A big step for me, and the joy it brought to the boys made it totally worthwhile.


They carefully hung each ornament and ribbon (and stuffed animal and Dr. Seuss book).

Once something was put into place then that is where it stayed...at lease until the next day when they would rearrange everything!

Tytus took this picture of Beau next to the tree (and vase??). He was obviously very proud of his work...he even fixed his hair for this photo session (I guess wearing a shirt was optional!).

I bought the boys this Nativity scene to which Tytus so precisely placed each person and animal admiring the baby Jesus!

And we colored Christmas pictures for our friends and family....

he can't color worth a darn yet, but he's as cute as can be...and he always wants to be a part of the activity.

T-Man takes it pretty seriously...

but not as serious as Beau...yup, you saw it...a PURPLE Christmas tree...the boy still LOVES purple!

Cash really likes to color...just not on the paper (oh, well).





Tytus had a Christmas assembly at school...

The Pre-K class led the other grades in songs and poems. Tytus line was something like, "Please join us in a moment of silence. Ready, begin."...you couldn't hear a word he said, but he's come a long way from crying hysterically like he did at the VBS program! He did a great job and sang loud and proud on "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Tytus with his "best friend" KC.



And we made gingerbread houses.....

Projects like this are serious business to Beau...constructing something with sugary, delicious treats...what could be more important to a three year old than that?!

Thank goodness for Tytus or I would never be in a picture with my children (not that I'm that eager to be on the other side of the camera!) And on a completely unrelated note: someday I'd like to count how many photos I am in wearing that beloved O-State hoodie that I somehow managed to steal from my sister and hang on to it all these years...I'll get back to you on this one...I know you are waiting with baited-breath!

Not sure Cash was that much help with the house construction, but once again..."How cute is this kid?!!"

The finished product! Next year......Daddy is in charge of the gingerbread house construction!!





And Beau had a preschool Christmas program...(which lasted all of seven minutes!)

He did a fantastic job! He walked around for weeks with his "I'm way too cool to practice singing this song" attitude, then surprised us as usual by knowing every word! He seemed a little confused as to why Mrs. S. felt the need to clutch onto his shoulders during the performance (as did I), but he shrugged it off and kept on singing!

We worked for hours making cookies for the "cookie exchange." Then as soon as it was his turn to choose which cookies he wanted to take home...he ran straight to the cookies we had made rather than "exchanging" them for others brought by his classmates! We were in and out of there in 25 minutes flat!!


And Tytus had a Christmas Pajama party at school...

they had a book exchange, which seemed to confuse and frustrate most of them as they really just wanted to keep the book that they had brought!

and he got to sit and Santa's lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas...thank goodness I was there for this! I had no idea all he wanted was a "Slinky-dog" from Toy Story 3! Thankfully my sister was not finished with her shopping either and could join me on the "dog" hunt.

At this point I will refrain from sharing my Scrooge-like feeling towards Santa!

We saw Santa again...Man, that guy is EVERYWHERE! Beau and Cash wanted NOTHING to do with him, so this is the family picture with Santa this year!


And we went to The Christmas Train with the Becks...which is officially going to become an annual Holiday event for us.

IT WAS COLD!!! and it's impossible to get a good picture of five kids.

Look closely...yeah, that's Kyle on the carousel!

Look at those chubby cheeks....have I mentioned how cute I think this kid is?!?!

The Boys with their best bud, Eli. Those three have so much fun together!

Ahhh, how sweet! We love these two.

and Journey Faith came too!

The Gang loved The Christmas Train. It will definitely be a family tradition from now on, as well as the coloring pictures for friends and family and making gingerbread houses and baking cookies...I may even allow the boys to decorate the tree again. Okay, let me clarify...I will let them decorate their own three foot Christmas tree again next year and keep the big one all to my controlling self!

Naptime Hide and Seek

I can see why you might think that this is a comforter wadded up on the floor (the dirty clothes next to it certainly don't help in leading you to believe otherwise!). Sure at first glance that's what I might think too. And, indeed that is what I thought when I went looking for Beau one recent afternoon. It was naptime and as usual his instructions were to go lay down and I would be in to tuck him in and give him kisses a few minutes later. But when I went to fulfill my duties, he wasnt' in his bed, he wasn't on the top bunk, nor was he in my bed, the bathroom, or hiding in the closet!

Thankfully, Beau is a snorer...his "log sawing" led me to this pile of bed covers. He had sneakily hid under his comforter, but was so exhausted that he fell asleep before he had a chance to jump out and surprise me! I'm telling you this kid was completely covered with covers!! I couldn't see even an inch of him.

I gently lifted him onto the bed and uncovered his face. (How does one sleep with a blanket over his face anyway?) But not until I snapped a picture! Trust me, I made sure his airway wasn't blocked first!

He napped all afternoon as usual (and then we had a little chat about when and where to hide from Mommy).