A Wii Christmas

We had a nice quiet Christmas at home. The kids (and by kids I mean G&G and Sean) played Wii most of the day. I have really never played video games, but this is addicting!

Oh The Christmas Solo Drama

There are like people here.

Um, seriously, a lot of people

Maybe if I look this way they will go away

Deep breaths

I am saying a prayer.


maybe if I look at the ceiling

Or just look at my brother on the front row dancing to Silent Night





That wasn't so bad.

Seriously, I don't have pictures of her coming off the stage and I had to go talk her into going back up there. She stood doubled over for the three songs before her solo. Sean had to go on the stage to tell her she was ok. A teacher also went onstage to pray with her hoping it would calm her. The turtle neck was not a good choice. She about tore the thing off. (I guess the whole sweater dress, cami, tights and sherpa(?) lined boots while cute were very hot). I was very proud of her though. She sang the last verse of Silent Night and hit every high note. She really does have a beautiful voice. She received lots of encouragement from her friends on stage with her. Sereval people told me at school the next day that they had been praying for her. She needed it. I think the choir teacher needed those prayers also, she was very nervous when her soloist almost passed out onstage!

The Christmas Parade

Some families in our neighborhood got together and made a float for the parade and invited Grace and Garrett to be on it. Grace had a blast. Garrett wasn't all that impressed, until he saw some people he knew. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some more of our neighbors with children the same age as mine! I love our neighborhood!

Just take the picture

and cut down the tree so we can go, it's cold out here!!

We actually got the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Do you think it is decorated? Uh, no. It has lights and ornaments, but it is so tall that I can not reach the top(even with the ladder, I almost killed myself yesterday trying) to put the ribbons on. Sean will have to do that. I don't have the other tree that I can reach done either. I do have the trees in the kids rooms decorated. Gracie picked a red and silver theme this year and Garrett picked blue and silver. I have the weaths on the door and light fixtures and the mailbox. I made a button tree (it took forever!) and a paper tree, and I have some of my cards done. I love Christmas, but I love it a lot more when all the decorating and projects are done. I will post pictures soon (I hope it is done soon!)

Christmas Photo Shoot

This was so much fun!

Basketball Season is Here

Seriously, we tell what season it is by the sport Gracie is playing!LOL! We were in Kansas City last weekend for a soccer tournament then Thursday they had a basketball practice and she had her first intermural games today. She played 4 twelve minute quarters. She scored 30 points. They sat her out for a while to let the other team have a chance. She was passing it and letting other girls shoot, then she would get the rebound and shoot. She quit playing defense and just kinda stood in the middle. I think she felt bad for the other team. She did say it was a lot of fun to score though! This picture is from last season because I, like a good mom, forgot my camera. My brain just was not ready to function for an 8:30 game on a Saturday though. So get ready, I am sure there will be plenty of basketball pictures coming!

Eight Random Things About Me...

1. I have horrid social skills. I would rather sit in the corner and watch than to actually put myself out there and have people not like me. This is somthing that I have really really been working on. So if I see you out and about, don't let me run off without talking to you. When I see someone I know my first instinct is to bolt. The pressure of talking and actually having something to say is huge. Like I said, something I am working on.

2. This is my favorite picture right now...

3. I put things off as long as possible. Today, I turned in a take home test at like 11:53, it was due at 12:00, I have had it for a week!!!

4. I am a horrid speller. It is awful!!

5. I am six months older than my husband.

6. My right leg is literally screwed on wrong. My foot points outward. Long story short, I was born with a problem, had it corrected as an infant. When I started playing sports I had a lot of injuries to my ankle and knee. Hip was still screwed up(something the docs had not really ever seen) so a metal plate, some screws and bolts and my hip is still screwed up, but it doesn't cause injury to my knee and ankle. My foot just points the wrong way.

7. I read books over and over. Especially books that are in a series. I read them so fast that I forget details so when the next book comes out I reread the previous one. Sean makes fun of me for it!

8. I don't really like chocolate ice cream, I like vanilla with chocolate in it. Is that weird?

Anyway, thank you Julie for tagging me. I think Julie tagged anyone who might read my blog, if you are reading it and not tagged by Julie, then I would probably fall over from shock!!!

You Growl at me

and I will growl right back. Garretts class went to the nature center for a field trip. Sean has taken the kids there to fish and stuff, but I had never been out there. I love it. We are going to start hiking out there more often, and there are several places for awesome pictures! Garrett had a blast playing with all the *stuffed* animals and watching the fish. Really fun place!

They are just too cute!

At least I think so! Fall is my favorite season! I tried to get pictures of the kids with the pumpkins and mums, but the sun was in their eyes so those pictures did not turn out that great, but I love this one. They are BOTH actually smiling! Not fake smiles, real smiles!! Anyway, we will be traveling the next three weekends with soccer. Last weekend Grace has a tournament in Springdale that was a lot of fun, I will post more pictures later. She did really well, they did not have any subs. THe coach tried splitting the team so the girls would get more playing time. Well they did!! They were supposed to have two subs, but one broke her toe and another went on vacation instead. So they got alot of playing time!! Needless to say, they were really tired when the games were over. Three games with two 25 minute halves. They are constantly running, and sprinting alot! The fact that it was not hot is the only reason some of them made it (including Grace)!

Just an Old Picture

So you can see how much her smile has changed.

A beautiful Smile

I know it is a bad squinty eye photo, but we didn't have much time and I wanted to show off that beautiful braces free smile!! She will have to have a full set of braces put back on in a little over a year, but she won't have to wear them very long. When I look at past photos it is just amazing the difference. I would have to tell her to put her teeth back in her mouth and there were a few girls who called her chipmunk, but now she has a wonderful set of straight teeth!! Now we are just crossing our fingers that she doesn't lose her retainers, those things are expensive to replace!!

My Other Soccer Player

Garrett is playing soccer also, but I have had a harder time getting any good photos of him. He is more of a defensive player. When the other team gets the ball he will run to play goalie, but the ball usually goes right past him!! His cousin Brandon is on his team again this year so they are having a blast playing together. Hopefully I will get some photos of him actually kicking the ball soon!

Express U11 Came in Second

But it was soooooo close! This is from the game with the winners. They tied this game, the point differential was exactly the same, so they had to go to shutouts. We had 2, they had 3. Gracie did score her first goal with her left foot! She was sooo excited and I think you could hear Sean cheering all over the field. Gracie is not supposed to be using her elbow like she is in this photo, but the other girl isn't supposed to use her hands like that either. Oh, and the girl (the blond in the photo) may be small, but she was the MVP of the tournament. She was a fast little booger! I am very proud of Gracie and the whole team. They fought hard and worked together. There were a lot of goals scored and by a lot of girls. A defender even scored an awesome goal in the first game. So we had a fun weekend of soccer, shopping, swimming, and PF Changs.

Just Because

I haven't posted anything about Garrett in a long time! He has had a busy summer with lots of swimming and teeball. He has improved so much at the pool. He has gone from having floaties and hanging on to the ladder the whole time to actually treading water and kinda swimming. He will go down the slide and jump in the pool all by himself! Such a big boy!! He is sooooo excited about starting K5, I think he is growing up way to soon. I go back and forth between being so proud of him and just wanting him to stay a preschooler. Don't let the sweet smile fool ya though! He can be a stinker!

This is your anthem

Here is one that I got done. This Superchick song is big in my house right now!

lyrics:
We are fire inside
We are lipstick and cleats
We are not going home
We are playing for keeps
We are girls with skinned knees
We are concrete and grace
We are not what you think
Can't keep us in our place

Softball Hair

It's Softball season, just thought I would share. I did this at a scrap retreat a few weeks ago. She is catcher so we really have come up with some cute ways to do her hair. With the helmet she cannot have just a ponytail, and it has to stay back since the helmet comes off everytime a ball is hit.