Stay tuned....

While I am crazy, busy trying to get things together for our trip, I thought I would take a moment out to do at least one post in December. However, it's really not much of a post other that to let those who read this know to look for some updates in about 3 weeks or so. As I mentioned I am busy getting things ready for our trip. We are leaving this afternoon when the girls get out of school (early release) and headed to my parents for a few days to spend an early Christmas with them. Then we're off to California for a week to see family there as well as take the girls to Sea World again or to the SD Zoo. We haven't officially decided on which one yet. We'll stop back at my parents on the way home to spend a few more days with them again before making it home. We will spend the entire two week break on the road, so to speak, but we are all REALLY looking forward to it. We can't wait to see our friends and family that we don't get to see often enough. The girls are especially excited to see their grandparents!!

As we approach Christmas, my prayer is that you, my friends and readers, will have a blessed Christmas as you celebrate with your loved ones. May you reflect on the true meaning of Chirstmas....the birth of Jesus Christ. Many blessings to you all!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Thanksgiving, Anniversary, Black Friday

THANKSGIVING
The holidays always make me sad that we live so far from both of our families. It makes me think back to when I was a kid and we lived in the same town as all of my mom's family and my dad's parents. Holiday get togethers (as well as the "just because" get togethers) were always looked forward to with much anticipation and excitement. Gathering at the house of whoever's turn it was with all the family is some of my best memories. Ones that I truly cherish! It makes me sad that our girls don't get to have that with their grand-parents, cousins and aunts and uncles.

This Thanksgiving was, once again, just the 5 of us. Jeff had to work that morning, but thankfully just until noon which was perfect. I did what I could the day before to be a little ahead of the game and was able to have a slow start on Thanksgiving morning. I slept in...sort of and was able to enjoy my morning 5 cups of coffee snuggled up with the girls watching TV before getting showered and ready to get in gear for "chef" mode. I made our traditional Thanksgiving feast. Turkey (of course!), mashed potatoes, gravy, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, deviled eggs, relish tray, rolls and jellied cranberry. Y...U...M...M...Y!!!! Everything went off without a hitch. Couldn't have been more perfect! This was the first time I had done this and felt ahead the whole time. I even stayed caught up on all the dishes as I was preparing things. Very odd for me!! :) When we were done eating, the only dishes I had to wash were our dinner dishes. And can I just say...THANK GOODNESS FOR DISHWASHERS!!


ANNIVERSARY
Jeff and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Yay, us!! However, that anniversay happened to fall on Thanksgiving day so it wasn't filled with much fan fare about it. I spent most of the day in the kitchen, but we did remember it and we did get to spend it together and that's what is most important. To us, anyway!!


BLACK FRIDAY
I am an idiot!! Last year on Black Friday, I went out to Kohl's at 5am, but with a specific purpose. To get our luggage and the digital frames for our parents. So worth it! This year, I decided to go out again, but this time had no real purpose. I decided to go to Toys R Us at midnight to see if they were having any good bargains on NERF stuff for nephews and anything else for our girls and niece. I left the house about 11:30ish for the 15 minute drive to the store. It turns out....I ended up just taking a nice midnight drive. :) I pulled in one side of the EXTREMELY PACKED parking lot and drove right out another side and headed home. It was INSANE!!! There were easily 100+ people standing outside the door waiting to get in. People that were parking across the street were running out into the traffic to get across. The car in front of me had to slam on his brakes so as not to hit someone. I got back home after my nice, leisurly, midnight drive and sat back in the recliner, set the alarm on my cell phone for 3:30 in case I dosed off (totally did) and sat back and watched TV. I had inteded on going to Kohl's again and this year they were opening up at 4 instead of 5. I had no specific reason for going other than seeing if I would run across some really great deal. However, when the alarm went off at 3:30, I decided that I was too tired, not to mention, too broke to go there...just because. I reset the alarm for 4:30 instead so I could be at Walmart by 5:00. Once again, I had no real purpose for going. Well not for anything for Christmas anyway. They have these reversible bubble jackets that the girls have been wanting and when I got their ad this week, it had them priced at $7 instead of the usual $13 so I figured I would go up there for that at least. Now, you may be wondering, "why in the world would you go to Walmart at 5:oo in the morning and deal with all the crazies for an $18 savings?" The only way I know to answer that is because that's how I am...a cheapskate and if I can save some money, even if it means going out at such a horrific hour, then I will. Plus, I thought I might run across some really great deal, but there were just WAY too many people in there so I paid for my three jackets and the NERF gun (at regular price) one of our nephews wants and headed home. Got home in time to throw on some sweats, wash my face and brush my teeth before the alarm went off for Jeff to get up for work. I fixed him some turkey sandwiches to take for the day, sent him on his way, got my coffee brewing (I was definitly going to need it) and as the aroma of coffee beans filled the air and my body screaming for sleep...the first child emerged from her bedroom. The day had begun! I tried to stay busy so I wouldn't crash, I even walked with the girls as they rode their bikes to the school to play on the playground. It was such a gorgeous day! I made it through the day, even watched my friends girls for an hour or so that evening, but I was so happy when my head hit the pillow that "Black Friday Night". Turns out, I didn't have to be at Walmart at 5:00 in the morning for those bubble jackets, that all three love, by the way. Kendal and I were in there this evening and I took her to see the variety of colors they had in case she wanted to exchange the one I got for a different one (she didn't :) ) As we get closer to them, I blurt out (causing a few heads to turn our direction) "SON OF A GUN! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!" There on the top of the rack with a big sign was the price.....$7.00!! MAN!!! Sleep deprived for nothing! I will not be participating in the insanely, crazy Black Friday festivites next year. Unless, of course, there is a specific great deal item that I am going for. :)

Until next time...

Funny Girls

Driving home one night, we were in an area that has apartment complexes on all four corners and in the grassy area by the sidewalk was a for sale sign. Kendal sees the sign and from the back of the van, we hear her (talking more to herself than us) say, "Why would someone try and sell grass? That is just weird!"

While I was fixing dinner one afternoon, I told Kendal to start on her homework and if she didn't know something then to skip it and we would work on it together later. She kept saying that she couldn't do it by herself and after her and I did the multiple back and forth with "Yes you can", "No I can't", she finally said in a very exasperated voice, "No I can't, it's multiplication and I can't multiplicate!!"

The five of us were sitting together watching an episode of Verminators (yes I know that's weird). They were in a house that had a mice infestation and was showing us viewers how bad it was because of all their poo and pee around the house. ICK! Payton was sitting in her daddy's lap and looked up at him and with total seriousness says, "Daddy, how do mice wipe themselves?"

Bransyn and I were in the car and she was in her seat way in the back and kept wanting me to see what she was drawing on her Magna Doodle, so I would look in my rear view mirror as I am driving down the street to see what great thing she has drawn. Each time was, of course, something that looked like nothing, but she had some great description for it. After one particular "drawing" that made me laugh, I told her that she was so goofy.
Bsyn: "I'm not goofy"
Me: "Yes you are"
Bsyn: "No I'm not"
Me: "OK, you're silly then"
Bsyn: "No I'm not, I'm cute!"
Me: "Oh, you're cute huh?"
Bsyn: "Yea, I'm stinkin' cute!!"
Me: "YES YOU ARE!!!!"

Yes, we tell her all that time that she is stinkin' cute.......I fear it may be going to her head! :) I absolutely, without question love being a mom. All our girls are "stinkin' cute" and I adore each one of them!!

Until next time...

Fat Lips

I gave Kendal and Payton instructions to clean the playroom while I gave Bransyn a bath. Kendal decided, for some ridiculous reason, to have a little plastic play picnic cup suctioned to her lips and chin the whole time she was cleaning. Little did she know what would happen by doing that.....

We got a really good laugh at her expense and I have a feeling she won't be doing that again. :-)

Until next time...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

3rd Grade Field Trip

I typically don't go on school field trips because they are usually on Fridays and since I really only work on Mon. and Fri., I don't ask for it off. This field trip sounded fun and Kendal really wanted me to go with her so I took the day off to go with her and I am so glad I did!

While I could have followed the buses there, Kendal begged me to ride on the bus with her so to make her happy and to save on gas, I did. It occurred to me as I was walking up the steps of the bus that it has probably been about TWENTY!!! years since I have been on a school bus. After the horrible flashback of high school that I had, I thought to myself, "Man, I am old!!!" The ride could have been worse, we had to pull over on the highway because a kid on the bus behind us threw up. Thankfully, that didn't happen on our bus! I don't do vomit unless it's my own child's and even then it's dicey! I was able to have some adult conversation with some other moms on the bus, but that is a little hard when you're crammed like sardines (3 to a seat) on a bus with 40ish 3rd graders. I was more than happy when we reached our destination!!

The field trip was at Elm Fork Education Center at UNT and it was a lot of fun.

The trip started in their Sky Theater which was a room with theater style seating and a domed ceiling where they went through the solar system and everything astronomy. Of course, in a dark room with your head laying back against the seat so you can watch the "show" on the ceiling makes one (this one) very sleepy. :)

Next, they went on an archaeological dig. The kids were taken to a room where a grid was taped to the floor and they were told how it is labeled and what to do on an excavation site. Then they were taken outside where there was a grid in the sand and they were assigned a grid square to dig for an artifact.

she was very meticulous in her digging

writing in her journal where in her grid the artifact was located

examining her artifact to write down important info about it

Next, they went to a room with a bunch of fun crazy kind of stuff in it.

brain teaser puzzles

triangle mirror where there are hundreds of you

thank goodness there is just one of her :)

pedaling the bike to turn on the light bulb

Next they were sent on a "Crow Creek Quest" which involved finding 12 different statues, like the Northern Bobwhites or the Black Tailed Prairie Dogs or the Black-tailed Jackrabbits, and reading their plaques about them and answer the question in their journal about each one.

girls being silly

Their last adventure of the day sent them on an Aquatic Invertebrate study. After discussing what invertebrates are and seeing some, they were given little nets and sent off to find some. Their options to search in were a pond, stream, waterfall and wetland.

Searching through their muck to see if they found anything. They ended up finding some form of a snail (I thought it was a pebble HA!) and a dragonfly nymph.

Kendal holding the dragonfly nymph. EEEWWWWW!!!!!!

bus ride back to school

The kids were well behaved and everyone in Kendal's class seemed to really enjoy it. I even had a good time, but I was definitely glad it was over and ready to get back to the school.

Until next time...

Pumpkin Patch and Football

Because of the ridiculous amount of rain we have gotten this month, we didn't get to do our traditional bazillion trips to the Pumpkin Patch. :( We probably wouldn't have gone at all were it not for this spontaneous trip one Friday after school with some friends. I was hoping that it wouldn't be too messy muddy since we had gone a few days without rain, but it was still pretty icky. We couldn't even do the hayride, the girls fave, because the ground was too mushy.

house of pumpkins

they had a lot of fun on the merry-go-round, which is where Kendal and Keely spent the bulk of the trip

the haystack maze was a lot of fun for them as well, but it was very muddy in there and the slide they were supposed to go down to get out was a MUUUUDDDDYYY, nasty mess so I wouldn't let them go down it so they had to worm their way through a very awkward space

Bsyn got a shoe in the face...can you tell!?!

the whole motley crew when leaving, they were quite filthy (although it's hard to tell here)

I'm glad we got in at least one trip to the patch, but bummed that that is all we got to do. Hopefully it won't be so rainy next year!!

We got home to clean up some, change out of the muddy clothes and clean as much mud of their sneakers as I could (they went in the washer later) so we could go to the HS football game. Kendal has been asking to go since she started Kindergarten, but we never seemed to make it to a game so this year we said we were going to go. Our first attempt to go to one got rained out, but our second attempt...no rain (yay!), but a little chilly.

yummy football game nachos (bleh!)

Jeff laughed at me when I packed up three blankets, but us wimpy girls put them to use

Bsyn made it through half-time, which I think the girls enjoyed more than the game itself, but fell asleep on daddy soon after the third quarter started. Kendal started having a meltdown because SHE dropped her Sprite under the bleachers so we left before the third quarter was over. Overall, everyone had a good time and want to go to another game. Maybe next time we'll make it to the end of the game. :)

Bransyn starts back at CDC

This past Friday, marked the first day of "school" for Bransyn. She was very excited to get to go back to school like her sisters. The night before, she was pulling her backpack out of the closet and wanting her lunch box. She couldn't wait until morning!!!

the weather was a little uncooperative for our first day back to school, but she was happy to wear her rain boots and jacket

I AM A PEAPOD!!!

Best of all, her teachers from last year moved up with her. She was very excited when I told her that she was going to be with Ms. Renee and Ms. Gloria again!

Until next time (now that I'm caught up :])...

Bransyn turns 4

The morning of Bransyn's birthday (last Sunday), I asked her where she wanted to eat when Daddy got off work. Her first choice was Chick fil A, but unfortunately for her, her birthday fell on a Sunday and CfA isn't open on Sundays. I informed her of that and asked if there was somewhere else she wanted to go. Her next choice was Red Robin which is a family favorite! Chick fil A would have been cheaper! :-}

waiting for our food...our yummy, yummy food!!

Bransyn got her bday sundae and got sung to

she got shy (or embarrassed) when they were singing to her

not to shy to dig into that sundae that she shared with her sisters though

HELLO CLOSE UP!!!!

What a cute birthday girl!!

Birthdays and the Zoo

This year, Payton's birthday was on a Saturday (Aug. 22) and Bransyn's (Sept. 6) was 15 days later on a Sunday. Jeff had to work both those weekends, his off weekend fell the weekend between their birthdays. It actually worked out well because Grandma and Papa W were here for that off weekend as well. We had asked the girls if they wanted to have a party with friends or if they wanted to go to the zoo. Both, very enthusiastically wanted the zoo! YAY!! I also asked them if they wanted to have birthday cake and open presents on their birthdays or with Grandma and Papa here. Both again, very enthusiastically wanted to celebrate with their grandparents here. So we went to the zoo, opened presents and had birthday cake on the Sat. between their birthdays. It was great!!!

I let each of them open the present from Kendal in case they wanted to wear them at the zoo.

everyone's got their shades on, now off to the zoo...

Sun Bears have unusually long tongues.....so does Kendal!!

We had told them that there was going to be no stroller, that everyone would be walking, but when we got there and I saw that it was a $9 rental (considerably cheaper than Disney and Sea World), I changed my mind. I didn't want to have to listen to the whining by Bransyn that she was too tired to walk anymore. I know...I'm a sucker!!

for some reason they loved running back and forth on this

Papa and the girls taking a breather...

wonder what she's thinking.... ???

checking out the penguins, where Payton informed me that she still knew her penguin fact from preschool last April.....chinstrap penguins are the most common penguins.....why yes, she does still remember it

just thought this was pretty

Kendal is a little freaked out in this pic because there was a bee that took a liking to her and wouldn't leave her alone :)

Fun time at the zoo!! Even if the bee kept following Kendal everywhere!

back home and ready to open presents

Payton with more Littlest Pet Shop to add to her "collection"

Bransyn with Tinkerbell and her house that she would have to inform me EVERY time she saw the commercial for it. "MAMA I WANT THAT RIGHT THERE, IT'S TINKERBELL!!!!"

more fairies so Tink would have some playmates

Bransyn hugging the money that she got from Grandma and Papa.

I got a tub to store the growing Littlest Pet Shop and Tinkerbell collection so it's a little more organized and each of the girls had to take turns getting in it and putting the lid on

Bransyn

Payton

Kendal, we ALMOST got that lid pushed down on her

"Happy Birthday to You...!"

mmmm...good, even if it wasn't decorated very pretty :)

It was a fun, between birthday celebration that was even more special because Grandma and Papa were here to help them celebrate. I just can't believe that they are 5 and 4!! :( Love you bunches sweet girls!!!