Happy Birthday Jesus!

What a fabulous day! I don't have the time to "really" go into it tonight, but it was so much fun!

The kids helped make this Birthday Cake for Jesus. We had a potluck at church for anyone who wanted to go. We go every year.

It is so wonderful how much God gives to us. He gave us his son. And on his birthday, we get to open the presents and play with them.

We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus several times today. How cool is that?

Christmas Eve

I am SO excited about tomorrow.

Here is a picture of the kids making cookies for Santa. They are fool proof cookies that 3 year olds can do all by themselves.

They are getting excited too!

They got to open 1 present tonight from us. And they are the jammies they are wearing. They have not had PJs with feet in them since they were babies. They thought they were really cool. Unfortunately, it looks as though Mason's is too small. It will be ok for overnight though.

Ashley in this picture is upset because she wasn't in the middle.

Well Santa came to our house and I still happen to be up to get the pictures. Here are the stockings he (she) stuffed. Santa didn't notice that he got 2 Mrs. Potato Heads and 1 Mr. Potato Head. Good thing Austin won't mind. (let's hope anyway)

And the last picture for tonight is of the Christmas tree with the presents under it. Oh I do hope they have a great time. And not fight over anything. Tomorrow, I will post the letters they wrote to Santa and the reply Santa wrote. They were so cute. They were asking for things that I hadn't heard them say until tonight. (eyeroll) But I think they will be happy with what they get.

Have a very Merry Christmas Y'all!

My Christmas Trees

This is my Christmas tree. You can see on the lower left is where Mason helped decorate. They were so excited to help. And they "helped" a lot until it was bedtime and i was actually able to get some things done.
















This little tree is the kids Christmas tree. They decorated it. Mason was my big decorator. He really got into it. This tree has the Froot Loop garland on it. Now the picture I really wish I could have gotten is when Austin leaned over and ate some froot loops off the tree, but I couldn't get my camera fast enough.

camera

I found it in my coat pocket. Weird thing is my coat was hanging up. :)

Oh the things they say

Ok I'm flipping out because I can't find my camera. UGGGGGH! Please pray that I can find it.

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On a better note: This is a cute story about Mason. We were driving over J. Percy Priest Lake and Mason looks out the window and says, "OOOOOOOOOOOhhhh that Lake is pretending to be an ocean."

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This is the conversation we had tonight. Mason caught me in the bathroom.

Mason: Are you pee peeing out of your Gina?
Me: (giggle) uh yes.
Mason: You're a Maam and I'm a sir.
Me: That's right
Mason: And Daddy's a sir and you're a Maam.

Mason: Me and Daddy are sirs and me and Daddy have a penis.
Me: That's right
Ashley: I have a Gina tooooooo.
Me: yep.
Mason: Ashley and Mommy are Maams.

My Christmas Card to You!

Behind the scenes:

We went to church and built the stable out of boxes they use in their JAM movies. The kids loved building and they ask if they can do it everytime we go back to church.

Ashley is sitting on a very high chair. She refused to sit on anything else. I was hoping that you could see the manger in the background, but no such luck.

Austin is standing on a stool. No he is not that tall.

Mason is the only one standing on the floor. He kept giving us funny faces. I think this one turned out really nice though.

I was going to put "For unto us a child is born" but then thought some of you might think I was pregnant. So I changed it to "O come let us adore him!"

I got Photoshop Elements for my birthday from my parents (Thanks Mom and Dad!). And I had fun trying to fix this photo up. I had no idea what I was doing, but it all came together. Greg changed the background. I added the star, halo, and writing. I wish I could take a class and learn more about this!

Froot Loop Garland

These are my MONKEYS! They have been bouncing off the wall ever since they got home from school! NO NAP! Ay Caramba!

So I decided to have them make a garland for the Christmas tree. I wasn't sure how people make popcorn garland so I called my friend PJ. She suggested using froot Loops. So that's just what we did.




Austin got into it and was doing a great job, but he got bored pretty quickly and decided to go get into other stuff that he wasn't supposed to get into.





Ashley did Excellent! She really got into it and was focused on making a nice long strand of froot loops. She LOVES doing crafts. Just like her Mommy.





Mason! Oh Punkin! He may have gotten 1 or 2 on the strand, but he was more interested in STUFFING his mouth full of Froot Loops. He was really making me laugh.










Here is a picture of Ashley showing off her strand. She quit when I finished a whole one and then she wanted me to finish hers. I was really proud of how well she did. Of course I was stuck finishing all the strands.




Then here is my Mason. It was bedtime and he was starting to get pretty cranky. He wanted to take the garland off the tree and I wouldn't let him. Look at that pouty face.











On a side note: I just finished watching the Apprentice and I have to say I am so disappointed with Randall. Rebecca only had nice things to say about him. URG! Man the whole night...I just new Trump was going to hire both of them.

Some pictures

The kids are dressed in their new Christmas outfits from Nana and Papa. I wanted to get better pictures, but it just didn't happen this time.








"Mommy, the sky is pink...the sky is pink!"

This is one of the layouts I did last week. I still need to put some journalling on it right there in the middle between the 2 bottom pictures. this picture just doesn't give it justice. My friend Angel challenged us to use a "golf towell ring" in one of our layouts. And I did. It is holding the frame onto the garland of ribbons. This is a layout of Greg's sister's wedding.

This is just an easy layout I did. I really love the picture of Greg and Austin in the lower right corner. The funny thing about this layout is that someone came by when I finished my layout and said, "Ah now you are thinking outside of your box". Angel and I just looked at each other, thinking that was a very strange thing to say to me.

sick

I'm sick. Will somebody come over and hold my head on so it won't fall off?

Reasoning with overalls

So today I said to Greg..."Can I make fun of you a little bit?"
And he rolled his eyes and said, "sure"

So I asked him why he put Ashley's sweater under her dress.

And he said, well I debated that. And she was wearing an overall dress. That means the dress goes over-All the other clothes.

ROFLOL

Exciting Day!

Today was a great day!!! I got 2 layouts done today that I am proud of. I'll have to take a picture of them and put them on here.

But Greg took the kids this morning to Breakfast with Santa. I left before the kids got up this morning, but I did pick out their clothes. So the funny thing is...Ashley has this beautiful sweater with candy canes on it. So when Greg dressed her this morning. He put it on under her dress. (oh poor man!) Anyway, it makes me laugh.

Ashley asked Santa for a BIG Christmas tree. Then when they were on their way out, Aussie said, "Oh I forgot to tell Santa I want a Train". Greg felt so bad, but they were really pushing people along. They had a huge line. So Greg told him he could write him a letter.

So THEN if that wasn't enough excitement for the day they went to see Miss Pattycake. They were so excited to go. Now this is one of those moments I said THIS IS MY GIRL! Yesterday, we were talking about them going to see her. And Ashley pipes up and says, "We have to take a camera and get a picture of Miss Pattycake with me"

That's my daughter!!!!! She's got her priorities in order. :)

Just a little humor

All the kids are really into saying, when I get big I can do that too. Mason will say, when I get big I can have a vitamin like Daddy. Austin will say, when I get big I can paint and draw on the walls. Ashley was helping Greg take down the baby gates in the Kitchen. He was using a screwdriver. She said, when I get big I can screw too.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Wow! It seems like I start everything these days with a wow! Most of the time I write an email it begins with wow this or wow that. I guess that's just my life right now. One big whirlwind Wow!

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving! We went to our friend's house. Then after all the eating, they came to our house and put up shelves in the garage. Helped us organize a bit better and cleared things so I could get my car in the garage. It is really amazing and humbling to have friends who will help out like that. So I'm so happy! I could actually stand in my garage for hours if I could get away with it. The Hills have been such a tremendous blessing to our family. I hope that some day we can be just as generous as them.

Friday- I got up at 4:30AM to go to Toys R Us. The store was supposed to open at 6:00; and I got there about 4:45. It was COLD! I jumped around trying to stay warm and wondered how in the world I was going to make it for another hour and 15 minutes. But to everyone's surprise Toys R Us opened an hour early. Yipee! So I got in and got everything that I was going for.

side note: Hey Doris- I want to stage a picture, I have one in mind that I would like to be taken, can you come over after Christmas and shoot some pics?

Saturday- VERY VERY Productive day! I got my van cleaned out (big huge deal for those of you who know me); weeded one section in the front yard (even bigger deal); mopped the Kitchen floor and did tons and tons of laundry. Saturday was just a gorgeous day outside!

Sunday- We got to church late, so I went straight into teaching. For coming up with a lesson plan on the spot, we really did a great job. Came home, took a nap, got up to make a delicious meal for small group and realized that I didn't have time to cook it. So we will have good dinner tonight.

The kids have been really bad about getting up in the middle of the night and waking us up. So we haven't had much sleep lately. We use to say, come get us if you have to go to the bathroom. So they started using that and getting a drink of water as an excuse. Last night we said you are NOT allowed to come in our bedroom. Do not wake us up. And it worked. (I think) So hopefully this is not just a one night fluke.

Wow what a weekend! I say it was great and productive. Greg says it was stressful! I wonder who was watching the kids. :)

dilemma

I got the kid's school pictures back yesterday and they are cute. You know for one child $25 isn't so bad. But when you have 3 and a triplet picture...$100 is rediculous! I think I can do without the triplet picture, but I really would like to get the individual shots. Mainly because it is hard to get a good picture of each one at the same distance in the same pose wearing coordinating outfits. And I think it would look good in a 3 slotted picture frame. It would be $75 and I could give both sets of grandparents a set of pictures too. Do I splurge?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Questions for you

I wanted to get a picture of Ashley in the new sweater I picked up for her today from a consignment shop. These are the pictures I got:

SO...My questions to you...

1. How do you get your children to pose for a picture?

2. When does this stage end?

pigs and purses

Tonight I sat with a girl named Dana at the crop I went to. She has 2 1/2 year old twin boys. She told me about something she wants to do for her kids that I thought was so cool! I don't remember what she called it. But she wants to have a piggy bank for each child in which she writes cute sayings that they said or little stories for each child and fold it up and put them in their bank. So when they get older they have all these stories in their Mom's or Dad's handwriting of things we just loved about them. I think I might like to do this. (Gramma and Grampa and Nana and Papa and cousins could write things too.)





Also, did any of you see this? http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/mag/article.ihtml?idx=617&issue_idx=27 I really want to do this. So it is not something I would carry everyday, but maybe every once in awhile. What do you think about it?

Ashley gets it!

My kids talk a lot about becoming mommy and Daddys. They know that girls can have babies in their tummys and boys can rock the babies after they are out of their wife's tummy. Mason says, "I want 10 babies...NO I want 12". Austin consistantly says he wants 10. And little Ashley, I guess she gets it because she says she wants only 2 babies. One boy and one girl and they are both named Meadow.

Layouts from Saturday Crop

2 cute stories

Today I was teaching my kids' Bible class and I was slightly unprepared, but everything turned out just fine. Anyway, we were playing with play doh and I tried to relate it somehow to God. So I said something like... "God made our hands, do you know why God made our hands?" I was expecting "to feel" or "to touch". But Mason chimed in, " To keep them to ourselves". I thought that was the funniest thing I have heard in a long time! He must have heard that from school!


The traffic light story...This makes me laugh so much!!!! So the kids have learned that sometimes when they say, "Ready Set Go" the light will turn green! So when we get to a traffic light they will say it about 10 times with hopeful anticipation of the light to turn. When it doesn't turn right away, they say, "I think we need to say it louder" or " we need to say it together." So when it does turn green they say, "Look we/you made the light turn green" They are SO proud of themselves because they really think they can make it change. If you were in the car I know you would be giggling right along with me!

Hopefully later tonight I take pictures of my layouts to show you what I got done this weekend.

Crunchy Noodle Shapes

Just a quick story before I go to bed...

I went scrapbooking today. I am so proud of what I got done. I got 5 layouts done. I might scan them in tomorrow or Monday. But Greg watched the kids today and he gave them Ramen noodles for a snack. They love these and call them crunchy noodles. Anyway, Mason breaks off a peice and says, "This peice is pretending to be like Missouri." Greg looks at it and sure enough it looks just like Missouri. Then Ashley gets a peice and says, "This peice is pretending to be like Florida." Greg looked at it and it looked very close to looking like Florida. I just thought that was cute.

I had a Fabulous birthday yesterday and today. I've even remembered all day how old I am. So far it's pretty cool to be 35.

*I'm making this note because I really don't want to forget to tell you about the trafic light story. But I really need to go to bed right now. Good night.

Will this sickness EVER end?

Dang! I spoke too soon! The kids are better and they are in Mother's Day out today. But I have Strep throat really bad! I'm going to bed. I know how some of you really think a blog is boring if it doesn't have pictures. You know I could find a picture on the internet of a nasty looking throat, but I'll spare you this time.

What would you do?

Question for you:

If a dog barks and keeps you up all night long what do you do?

Do nothing about it? Gently Confront your neighbor? Call the Police? And what if you don't know your neighbor very well?

Well except for being up ALL night long with the obnoxious dog barking, I actually had a pretty good day. I think (hopefully) all the sickness is gone and I can get back to normal. Whatever normal might be.

I know it's only 9:00, but I am TIRED. Time to get those kiddos in bed and go to sleep myself!

cooperation----HA!

Do you know how hard it is to get three 3year olds to cooperate with you?
Must they always pick their noses?

Well anyways, Happy Anniversary Nana and Papa! We hope you have a great day!