A little bit of this...A little bit of that...

I found these stray pictures that I just had to post even though they aren't about all the same thing!

My mom got this really BIG, comfy robe from my sister and my dad kinda hijacked it. My whole life my Dad has had to have a blanket whenever he sits on the couch, since I only have one blanket for the living room if he didn't get to it first he was out of luck. He soon discovered my mom's robe, it soon became his favorite. Especially when it was nap time!

My mom teaching Baylee and I how to make homemade noodles for our Turkey soup.

Now that I am older I am starting to truly appreciate all that my mom knows. She is the kind of person that seems to know everything about everything. She amazes me with it. I try hard to learn all I can but I don't think I'll ever compare. I am so glad I have all these girls. If we can each retain small portions of all that she knows and can do we might be okay.

Family night and smores in the fireplace!

I love that Reyse is getting old enough so that Payge and her can have fun together. After I spent what seemed like a very long time pushing Payge on the carpet in this thing, she figured out that she can push Reyse on the tile alot easier! Reyse loved it, and it gave my poor back a rest!

Taytum On Two Wheels!

When my mom was here she gave us a little talking to that Taytum should be riding without her training wheels. She was right of course, but being the lazy parents that we are we like to wait till their beyond ready so that it doesn't take very long to teach them (I apply the same reasoning to potty training). So after a little while Tayte got the hang of it and off she went!

GO TAYTE! She only fell a couple of times before she was a professional at it!

Christmas Time!

I apologize for taking so long to post pictures, we had an incredible Christmas this year. I was preparing the kids for a light Christmas this year telling them that they probably won't get everything they want because of Gabe's job. Boy was I wrong! Thanks to incredible family the kids had an amazing Christmas, I tried to take a picture of most things to say thank you, but I couldn't catch everything.

I will start on Christmas Eve, they got to open a gift each and I thought they would be a little disappointed because it was pajamas that my mom had made. They were so excited for their homemade Christmas inspired pj's. They weren't even whining for a toy. They went to bed around 8:00 after reading a couple of Christmas stories and making fun of me for crying. We got everything done relatively early even though my dad and Gabe put together a three story doll house and my mom helped me make a huge cork board soccer ball for Baylee.

We also had a wonderful surprise that night. For the month of December we had some anonymous friends doing the 12 days of Christmas on us. We would open the door every night and find nice little treats or toys for the kids, it was alot of fun. On Christmas night we opened the door to bags of wonderful surprises. Their was a stocking for everyone, including Reyse chalked full of goodies, and then another bag with an adorable outfit for each child. I don't know who sent this amazing gifts but in case they visit my blog I want to say THANK YOU! You truly made Christmas special.

We(adults) got to bed around 1:00, around 2 I started to hear footsteps upstairs. Kids were wide awake and had seen everything downstairs including stockings. I coral them back in bed, at least I think I did, they crawled in bed with my mom a little while later, and around 4:00 Payge was sent downstairs to ask me what time was the earliest they could start opening presents. I very annoyed answered 6:00 and told them to GO TO BED! I didn't get up until 7:00 and kids were still asleep. My poor mom said they didn't fall back asleep until around 5:00.

And the madness began!

Grandma got Reyse this little poppin machine and some cute clothes!

Grandma got the girls Robes and piggy banks, along with cd, wii games and Hannah Montana dolls. I want to take pictures of this because Theresa sends money and lets me pick out what the kids want, I don't know until I see it. I am a Robe nazi. I have a very soft comfy robe I wear every morning. I isn't flattering at all but very comfortable and warm, everyone including Gabe likes to cuddle next to me when I have it on. So the kids have been asking for their own. They got to paint their own piggy banks and then you put them in the oven like a kiln.

Thanks, Grandma!
Nana also made pajamas for the girls, they loves them, they are flannel and super warm. They call them their princess pajamas because of the ruffles. I am grateful for the talented people that make such amazing priceless gifts for the girls.
Payge posing!


Aren't they cute

My mom also made pajamas for them, she also made them flannel pants with long sleeve t-shirts. These kids are definitely set with pj's.

CHRISTMAS MORNING!
I was very impressed with the girls this year. Baylee wanted to buy a present for everyone this year with her own money, than the other girls decided they wanted to also. We had them draw names and Gabe took them to Ross. They were so excited to get something for someone else, and couldn't wait on Christmas morning to see each other open the present they bought for them. It was really sweet.

Gabe has been working for a friend outside and it can get pretty cold, it also gets cold sitting their watching soccer games so I found this Raiders beanie for $10. He didn't think he would like it very much. He loves it and keeps telling me so. I think this is his favorite present ever.

My parents got them this HUGE dollhouse. My parents motto, go BIG or go home!

Reyse got a wooden train set from Santa!

Whoever is wearing the Santa hat is the one who passes out the gifts. It was Tayte's turn

Baylee has been asking for a big soccer ball for a while. So I got this crazy idea to make a cork board one to pin all her pictures on, she loved it.

When we were done opening gifts I went over to the front door to open the blinds and I saw this bike sitting outside, I asked Baylee if she got anything from Santa yet and she couldn't remember, so I said, "I think he left something outside for you." This was her reaction!

The aftermath!!

The pictures I didn't get a chance to take,

Papa Simon and Grandma Judy got Baylee a wii soccer game and Gabe and her have been wearing it out, Taytum got a computer fashion design game that is awesome she spends hours scanning in outfits and putting on runway shows, Payge also got a pet shop wii game, she insists we watch how good she is all the time.

Aunt Barbara gave us movie tickets that we are itching to use, Thank you!

Aunt Bonnie got all the girls Claire's gift cards so they had so much fun picking out whatever they wanted. Baylee got slippers, makeup, headbands. Taytum got a purse with matching wallet, and makeup. Payge got sunglasses make up, and other misc. items. Payge got her ears pierced, for her birthday from my mom and she didn't even scream. Didn't make a sound we were so impressed. Baylee wanted to get hers pierced for her birthday but couldn't because of soccer, so my mom got her heeley's instead. They are the tennis shoes with the wheel in the heel. She loves them and never takes them off. Since Baylee's shoes were more than my mom had to go get tayt something to make up the difference. Taytum picked out a pair of gold high heels.

So as you see we all had a great Christmas thanks to everyone.

It's Big, but at least it's getting used!

When my parents bought the see-saw for the kids 2 Christmas' ago we thought that we would leave it inside just for the winter then put it outside. When it got warmer we rationalized that they used it more inside that they would if we put it outside. So we left it in for another winter. When spring came again and they used it less frequently we were going to put it outside again, even though it was a crowd favorite when small guests came. But then I mentioned that if we moved it that it would leave a big empty space that would need to be filled with a large and expensive piece of furniture. Gabe did not like that idea so we let it stay. Now Reyse has decided she is big enough for it and is on it all the time. She looks little but she holds on real tight!

It got Payge back on it too! She loves to make her laugh on it, and show off like sitting backwards!

Gingerbread House!

So Monday night I had such a great idea, as soon as the girls got home from school we would decorate our gingerbread house, cut out the sugar cookies, and have our favorite kielbasa soup and fresh from the oven rolls! It was really cold outside and was suppose to rain, which would mean Baylee's soccer practice would get cancelled and everybody would be home for the night. YEAH!

So we started the gingerbread house right away, except that I bought this kit about two years ago. After warming up the frosting that comes with it nine times we finally gave up and I made frosting. Then my first frosting bag had holes in in and so I moved all the frosting into another bag, then all my tips were not cooperating. Finally I got it working and started frosting it for them. Gabe checked to see it they cancelled Baylee's practice. They didn't and were moving it up half an hour. In all my struggles with the gingerbread house I got the soup started late and Gabe and Baylee couldn't even eat. The cookies remain in dough form in my fridge and my perfect family evening a bust. Why does nothing work out the way I plan, EVER!!

The final product looks pretty good but the kids discovered that two year old candy isn't very good, and can break your teeth. I actually like it because nobody will dismantle it before Christmas!

Christmas is here!!

As I have been perusing my friends blogs, I love that everyone is putting pictures of their Christmas decorations up. I never get to see what every ones houses look like all prettied up, so I decided since no one but my parents(every other year) come for Christmas I would put a few of mine up as well.

My camera decided to be blurry again but this is the outside of the house. I am pretty positive that this is it for the lights on the outside, Gabe said he was going to put up some on part of the roof but I am not going to hold my breath. My multicolored bushes will have to do!

Our fireplace is running out of room for stockings, especially when Grammy and Papa Bear visit!

When we first moved here(in March) we went garage saling. We found this pre-lit tree for $40. It fits perfect in the front room windows. I would love to set up my old tree in the gameroom for a kid tree, they can decorate, but with Reyse I can only protect one tree.

Thanksgiving Feast!!

I seem to like working backwards with the pictures that is, Gabe's Dad and Step mom Judy came to our house this year for Thanksgiving. We were really excited. I am not the most experienced Thanksgiving dinner maker. My mom is usually here to run the show and I just do as I am told. This year it was all up to me. Judy was a huge help, I am a terribly messy cook and she cleaned up behind me all week. I brined the turkey( which is to soak it in a salt and sugar mixture in ice cold water over night). The turkey was so moist it was really good. Next, I made cornbread stuffing from scratch, it was good but a little strong on the sage for me, my mom told me later that sage cooks strong (good to know now). Homemade gravy, Delicious! Mashed potatoes, and homemade bread. I definitely had some glitches in the preparation but it all came out really good.

This was the aftermath of the Feast!

The before picture, only 2 hours behind schedule!

You might think you were looking at the picture after we had dinner and were full, but this was actually before dinner, I guess the Football game was a little boring!

Heck with the pumpkin pie just give me a can of whipped cream!

Tayt's turn!

Open wide Payge!

The kids in their new outfits from Grandma and Papa! Thanks for coming, we loved having you here. We miss you!

Reyse and Papa Simon BFF!!

My pictures are again out of order, but my computer won't allow me to cut and paste. So, we will begin backwards. From the very first day of Gabe's parents arrival Reyse gravitated to Gabe's dad like a fish to water. They were inseparable the entire week. It was CRAZY! She would jump from me to him in a heartbeat. Run past both Gabe and I straight to him. She would try to hit anyone that tried to take her away from her Papa!

This is a picture of the day they were leaving and she was crying because he had to go and was giving her to me( thanks alot). I think he picked her up and told her goodbye several times.

This is where she sat 90% of the day on his lap. She even obeyed his commands! He would tell her to give Judy a mean face when she wanted to hold her and Reyse would. I think Judy got more than a few slaps when she would get to close to Reyse's Papa. Reyse doesn't like to share!
This is when we went to the Zoo, they had just gotten in the night before and already she was attached at the hip to him!

What a cute couple!!

This was something I had to document because it was so funny. She hated to be away from him at all, and he was always to happy to scoop her up and hug her all day!! He never got tired of showering her with attention! She misses you Papa, good thing she can't talk!

Day at the Zoo!!

Gabes dad and step mom came down for Thanksgiving. Were very excited because this was their first visit since we moved all the way to Texas. Tuesday we decided to go to the Dallas Zoo. It was a lot of fun and the kids have been dying to go! We couldn't get Reyse away from the Elephants. When we would call her, she just turned and gave us this dirty look!

All the girls when we first enter the park! I couldn't persuade Simon and Judy to get in the picture.


Every formation of any kind the girls had to climb!

We had a great time at the Zoo, It is small enough to enjoy in half a day!

Baylee's Birthday Party!

I am playing a little catch up, last Friday Baylee had her party and we had about nine girls come. A much better number than Taytum's party. My pictures are out of order but that will have to do.

Baylee got lots of great presents from her friends!

Gabe stayed and helped with this one, he felt a little sorry for me but I'll take it! He dished out ice cream and definitely got in the spirit!
Reyse the little beggar!

Baylee wanted frosted brownies instead of cake, sounds good to me !

Happy Birthday TAYTE!!

Friday was Tayte's 7th birthday. I let her open her present in the morning thinking that she could wear it to school, but after she opened it she informed me that today was P.E., but she loved the dress, it was very Tayte. She also got butterfly earrings that she really wanted!

Tayte's dinner request was pancakes and eggs with stuff in them(peppers, mushrooms, ham, and cheese). She also got a cookie cake brought into school so we skipped the cake thing at night. My kids are still very happy with their Halloween candy.
Her birthday party was Saturday 5-9. I told her last year that next year she could have a big party at the house because the baby would be bigger and I would be able to control it. Tayte did not forget! She invited 18 girls. I figured they surely wouldn't all be able to come. I was right only 13 came. It was still more than enough. Gabe got the green light to leave after he picked up the pizza for me, that was around 6:30. Baylee was a BIG help but she decided it was to much for her and went to her friends across the street, that was around 7:30. I thought that is fine I can do this. Then Taytum decided she wanted to paint nails! That is where things started to unravel. When you have that many girls painting each other nails and then messing up and I have to fix it, the rest are running around unsupervised! They decided that there was a kidnapper on the roof and that ensued PANIC, or just a reason for 13 girls to run around a house screaming at the to top of their lungs. a couple of girls came telling me that someone was trying to call 911. That was enough!! Everyone got called into the living room, was told that it wasn't fun to joke like that and I would get in BIG trouble if that happened, and everyone would have to go home. They got the idea real quick and everyone decided to be good! We finished presents and a very nice mother decided to show up early to see if I needed any help.

By 9:00 every one went home Poor Reyse got into her quiet bed(that was definitely to much for a 1 year old), and I fell to the couch! I have found that I like to learn things the hard way, I definitely learned my lesson here, and will scale it down next year. But I was glad Tayte got her BIG birthday party all to her self.

Notice that the cake and I refer to Taytum as Tayte. Well, she thought people including adults were calling her Tay-dum. Which they weren't that is just what it sounds like when you say her name fast. So, she insists on being called Tayte now!