Finally Complete!

The floors are finally done! 2 months and counting no longer:) I love my husband and I think he did an amazing job on our new kitchen and dining room floors! They are so beautiful and new looking! I just had to take a couple of pictures for everyone to see. Don't I have the most handy husband ever????

This One is Juuuussst Perfect!

I make my kids trudge through many stores. They have to go to Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Old Navy, Walgreens, Sams, and many more on a monthly (if not weekly) basis. Some of these trips, this one was to Garden Ridge, Will just has to find a highlight to get him through the female shopping. Sams has the massive 72 inch TV's that take him away and the free sample food people. Walmart has the free cookies in the bakery. Target has the Starbucks and the chocolate milk.

Garden Ridge. Let's see...to a 4 year old boy, what does Garden Ridge have that can take Will to his "happy place" while he is there? This. Give the boy his beer (I mean sippy cup) and a newspaper and he is set.At least he decided the recliner was much better than the first one he tried out:

Good thing. I don't think Daddy would have gone for the pink.

Monday's at Momma's

Monday nights are bowling nights for Steven. Yes, my 32 year old husband is in a bowling league and has been for about 5 years now. I guess I can say I am old that I drive a Buick and my hubby plays in a bowling league. Oh well. I choose to accept it and move on.

Tonight was an extra special Monday since Kasey was off and Jan, Jack, and Jared got to come along for the ride as well. Will has so much fun with his cousin Jared. Whatever J does, W does. Doesn't matter what it is. Bad, good, wise, not wise. Will will copy at all times. Of course, Jared decides to take a bath and little cousin follows.


Owen doesn't care much about the baths. He would rather run around the house wearing out the adults, throwing mulch from the trees, and chasing the other kids even though he is the smallest and youngest one there. Did I mention eating? Yes, he would rather do that too over most anything else:


Like I said before, my cousin Kasey got to come along tonight for the entertainment. Or as I like to call it...birth control! Four boys under the age of six will do that to a person! Kasey is always fun to have around just to simply talk to another adult as opposed to a one and four year old. It's never bad to have an extra set of hands around even though we still were too slow from stopping Owen from throwing two full rolls of toilet paper into the bathtub. Oops. Those were not flushable but rather just had to be thrown away in the trash:) We were too busy taking Glamour Shots in the living room. No really, I think for Glamour Shots maybe I should have tried to fix myself up some and at least gone for some lip gloss or make up or something. Oh well. This is life. This is life of a mother of two boys. This is 8 at night after working all day with said boys, chasing, bathing, playing, and overall everything else that has to be done in my household. I give you a mom.....

Murder Mystery Weekend

Here we are....Dr.Wallis Paine and Forrest Lawne. Nice, huh? The Stone Lion Inn in Guthrie, OK is known for being a huge 4 story house, hosting murder mystery weekends, and being HAUNTED. Nice! Seeing as how we have already lived in a haunted house once that didn't really bother me. I didn't see any little girls running around or sneaking in my room in the middle of the night to braid my hair. (These both happen all the time at the Stone Lion). We did get to tour the basement and the 3rd floor (which the owner won't even go into due to all the personal experiences she has had up there!). Spooky stuff! We had a lot of fun though and enjoyed playing our parts of the doctor and the lawyer. Denise was a secretary:

A very British and personable secretary at that. Everyone thought she worked there since her acting ability was so excellent:) There was also Rachel and Charles. Rachel played two people throughout the night since one of the main characters never showed up. Weird because she was actually the victim for the night and was accused of being the murderer also. Strange? Her hubby, Charles, was a silent and deeply religious chemist. We all thought this was funny because he really is a chemist in real life!


After the mystery was over and Rachel killed herself (basically) we all posed together as a family for a portrait. You are looking at Steven the family lawyer, Jackie the family doctor, Bob the Russian Father Bussard, Denise as the secretary Margaret Thatcher, Charles the chemist and cousin of Rachel, and Rachel as Viska/Pipka! Quite the group:)

Before the mystery Rachel and I noticed that Steven and I's room had a vast collection of dreadfully ugly sweaters. We were curious! Who wouldn't be? These things were horrible. Think Bill Cosby on crack! Of course, we had to try some on and model to allow everyone at home to see how terribly bad they really were!

Note my awesome duck sweater! I believe it is circa 1986. Rachel and I were able to convince all the family to try on a nice sweater after the mystery ended. I don't believe I have EVER laughed as hard as I did when I watched my sweet husband attempt to put on his sweater. I purposely gave him on of the smallest ones in the bunch because I wanted to see if he could do it. I seriously fell to the floor laughing. Tears were pouring out of Rachel and I's eyes:) Here is the family sweater pic:

Overall, everyone had a nice time. Neither Steven or I had any ghostly experiences, and that was fine with us. Maybe next time???? Boo Hoo Hoo!

A Day in the Life of Owen

My little 18 month old wrecking ball has had a busy day today. A visit to Aunt Angie's house, a good nap, a trip to Sam's, several hours playing outside, followed up by dinner and a bath. He is so busy. You always have to slow down and revamp though when given the chance. My escape would be a good bubble bath and a book. His escape is obviously a good TV show at Sam's. Look and see:

Once you have totally shopped all there is to shop at Sam's, it is time to come outside and play. Owen loves to play outside. What 1 1/2 year old boy doesn't? I am just so thankful that it was 80 today and he was able to indulge in his love of fresh air. Here are a few shots of him doing just that. Gotta love my little ham:)

Randomness

Okay, this is totally stolen from my friend Amanda. She makes me feel normal. She makes me realize that I am not the only one with a million thoughts running through my head on an hourly basis. Sometimes, she just sits down on her blog and vents all those things going through that pretty head of hers. Here is my list. I am not crazy. I am just a mom/wife/sister/daughter/friend who has lots of little people talking to me at all times (in my head and in real life). Okay, I do sound crazy now. Anyway...here it goes:

1. I am sick of hearing Thomas in the background. I like the new songs on the show though.
2. I still don't know how I feel about a boy band singing on Thomas over the British children.
3. Why am I still talking about Thomas?
4. Owen is a tornado.
5. Seriously, an 18 month old wrecking ball.
6. He laughs more than any baby I have ever met though.
7. I want my kitchen floors done.
8. NOW.
9. I wish Steven didn't have bowling tonight on Valentine's Day.
10. The sheets are done and now I need to find all the towels that need to be washed.
11. I need a pedicure.
12. What's the point? I still have to wear my snow boots to just get the mail.
13. I am done with snow.
14. My back hurts.
15. I hear the tornado. Once he finds me in here, this post will be over.
16. Steven is now whistling the new Thomas tunes with the boys in the living room.
17. I wish I had more things to do with the boys today.
18. I am sick of being inside.
19. I hear the wrecking ball making his way down the hallway. He has arrived.
20. And, I am done.

Happy 30th Birthday Angela!

She is old. So very old. That makes me older every single year:( Boo hoo! I don't remember thinking 30 was that big of a deal. As I near closer to 35 every birthday becomes harder. Oh well, at least I have 3 more birthday's before I hit that 35 marker (which to me will be much harder than 30). This post is not about me though and how hard birthday's are becoming. It is about my little sister. My baby sister. My kid sister. My friend. One of my very best friends. Sure, we are different. Very different in almost all outside and inside personality traits. But isn't that what makes families such a beautiful deal?

For her 30th we all got together to eat at one of her favorites, El Tequila. Hello Mexican! Super yummy. All the kiddos, hubbies, and cousins (only Kasey) were there to join in the activities. Angela had to make her rounds of photo op's with all who were willing. Here she is with her favorite and only two nephews: Sorry. Can't figure out why this picture is so small.



I think Owen is saying here: "Do not bother me please I am eating. If you are going to continue to insist on taking a picture with me you are only going to get the bare minimum which is me actually looking at the camera. Anything other than that, you are out of luck. It's dinner time." At least, in my head, he had manners and said "please".


Two VIP people that love birthdays and all they stand for are Ava and Will. Will sang the birthday song no less than 10 times on the night of Angela's birthday. They love each other. They love birthday's. Can you feel the love???

Happy 5th Birthday Ava!

5 years ago you were little. Super little. Not really too little. I think you were right around 9 lb's. That's not a little baby, but you were the only one and we were all (and still are) in love with you.


You grew....and grew and grew. Then you were about 1 1/2 and man were you ever active. Your momma didn't know if she could keep up with you. Hence your nickname...Monster. You were a monster but your cuteness kept everyone from doing any bodily harm to you:) You could talk and yak anyone's ear off and had an amazing vocabulary even at this young age. You loved to play and when your Mom wasn't freaking out about germs she would take you to the park. You loved the park and still do when Mom allows it:)

You continued to grow and amaze everyone with your ability to communicate anything you wanted with practically anyone you met. You loved to talk to anyone from QuikTrip, Walmart, Target...it didn't matter where you are.

Then little sister came along and you became a "little momma". You took great care of Emma and loved her as only a big sister can.

Several summers and falls went by. You loved to play outside in the water, in the sand, and play around inside when it was too hot or too cold to go outside. You never seem to have a lack of things to do with your energy and your imagination!

Now you are 5 and in school. You are such a big and beautiful girl. You take care of others around you. You smile. You love. You love Jesus and your family. We are all so proud of you and I love you with my whole heart. Jesus didn't give me little girls. He gave me Ava, and for that I will always be thankful:) Happy birthday my sweet Ava. I love you, Aunt Jackie

What to do on a Snowday???

Become pirates of course! Boys-check. Daddy that's like a boy-check. Massive 3 foot snowdrifts-check. Pirate attire-check. Sorry about the flowers on little Owen. I am a girl. I don't have a multitude of male headbands! When this is what your front porch and yard look like you have to do something with the little ones to keep them from going crazy.


Yes, that is snow blocking our way out the front door. Check out the massive drift on our neighbors garage door. Ours could very well look like this too but I have no idea seeing as how I can't even get our the door:)
Steven set up a pirate for Will to find in the house. The boys were using bowling pins as swords to "kill" the pirate. Sometimes you just have to improvise you know? Will found the pirate in record time. Let me give you a play by play.

Pirate found:
Pirate stabbed:
Daddy somehow becomes pirate and you attempt to kill him:
Daddy the pirate gets both arms cut off and Will claims victory:
The joys of having boys and snow days! Now, what to do for the next 84 hours of the week????