the night before christmas.....

Okay...well maybe not THE night before...

and we really WERE going to sit on Santa's lap but, see-- there was this line and a playground and peppermint hot chocolate.....so we settled for a picture of Santa.  With some strange kids on his lap!

grandpa....

My kids LOVE grandpa. And from the get-go too. It's mom, dad, and grandpa! (Grandma, you're next in line! :) He's got a magnetic pull they can't resist... but who can can blame them! :)

For a little Kate time click here.

blog roll....

I've got issues with my blog. I've got a geriatric computer literally on it's last start-up and I'm too lazy about this stuff to keep up on it! I use generic templates, don't up date, and still have our '06 family picture over there in the sidebar. Which to all you google reader users (if you're not, you must go towards the light!) it doesn't matter. But whenever I click over to my own blog I kind of cringe. I have a huge list of friends that I keep up on. Are you on my blog roll??? Probably not. I've notice that I've been added to yours and later removed from some. Hope we're still friends. :) This Christmas hopefully will bring a new computer (no longer a want---definite need!) And my goal is to edit pictures, regularly post, and update the looks of my sorry blog. I just don't have the time/patience while my computer uploads each pictures dial-up style! So it is written. You will be on my blog roll. You may be my friend's siblings, some distant cousin of some college roommate...but you will be added as my friend. Because, quite frankly, don't blogs make us feel like we are all friends?

autumn, hair cut, and grubbies....

....our time together.

halloween and the third wheel...

Trum and Kate on their fourth halloween event and the actual night!

Meet Cinderella and Mr. Ninja.

These were also the fourth costumes worn this season.

Why do my kids think each halloween event requires a different character?

Baby Grey fell asleep early so I stayed at home to pass out the goods.

The next morning I sat him in front of an empty halloween bag to play with.

I went to do dishes and turned around to find this...

Was that candy still left in there???

OH did he think he hit the jackpot.

I could just see him sucking as hard and as fast as he could.... he knew it wouldn't last!

He was busted!!!At least he wasn't totally left out this season!

(For the best surprise birthday EVER...click here)

sneak peak....

We had our family pictures taken this past Saturday by my friend Jamie.... she's such a good sport! :) It really was one of those days!

SURPRISE!!!!

Have you ever been a surprise party for someone who doesn't even know they exist?

( It is awesome!!!)

Aunt Maria threw Truman a surprise party with all the cousins. (His dreams come true--literally! Cousins! Party!) On the way there he was bummed because he wasn't having a party and to top it all off--he couldn't stay and play at Tom and Sam's ...only say Hi. He was so bummed but being such a good sport. We walked in to Maria saying that none of the other kids were home but she had a little present for him. Little did he know....

All his cousins were hiding behind the couch and jumped up yelling SURPRISE! About freaked him out! He was the happiest boy!

Immediately went for the hugs/tackle with Sam.

It was priceless and actually made me a little teary.

He loves....

loves...

LOVES his cousins....



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRUMAN!!!!


and, p.s. for all those out there that don't have an Aunt Maria....I'm so sorry!!!
She's the best and THANK YOU a million times over!!!

ummmm.....

So I've been kind of negligent...better late than NEVER, right?

Look who can sit up by his sweet self!!!

summer days.....

Once upon an evening Joe decided to hose down my dad's tool he borrowed (good choice) and Kate--our hands-on helper- was really wanting her turn...

so she got it...

"aaahhhhh," in her eeny meeny voice...

big brother was not far behind...

oh, it was fun....

it was tons of fun...

we even had substantial prunes on the fingers....

and look who else was there...

along with his "man hands..."

and those baby blues...without any edit mind you...

(doesn't he just look so yummy!!! )

and we lived happily ever after.

This was pretty much how our whole summer was. There was no adjusting to a new baby. No 3 year old--what do you call those--blues/total tantrums?? No living out of a suitcase (which i'm sure my parents would have preferred--lessen the amount of junk that follows us where ever we go.) No child that started kindergarten. Oh no. Our summer was this. (At least in little bursts--or burst. However little it was!)

preschool....

(this is just a TAD late...)

Kate gets to go to school too! (much to my chagrin...) Her persistence and my good friend Courtney landed her in the best preschool ever! She loves her two teachers and talks of them constantly.

We got all ready and made sure to fill our backpack with "school things."

granola bars, ballet/tap shoes... oh how she loves her backpack!

once inside we met our friend Wynn.

They went through the doors to the playground.

she even let me stay inside and just watch through the window. She starting to get nervous and put her fingers in her mouth. and if she'd have said 'we're outta here'...I'd so been outta there!

but she just went in and picked up her crayon and started coloring...didn't even care that I left.

I was totally relieved. She's so tender and a tad nervous that I was surprised at how brave she was! She's having such a great time!

I had to add this picture even though the lighting is terrible...it's so Kate. She's trying to show Miss Courtney and Wynn her pretty princess backpack but doesn't dare say anything...


Me and Kate are having such a great time together. It got a little bumpy--new baby, 3 years old (way harder than 2), moving to a new house...but we're working it out and she is the best helper and such a sweet heart! She really is so fun!

Okay, totally off the subject....took everything back to Steve & Barry's except a pair of pants...great fit. But you have to go knowing there that it's super cheap stuff with maybe one or two redeeming items.

And...hopefully tomorrow we're officially in our house. That is--ONCE JOE GETS BACK IN TOWN!!! We're in the floors- are- done- lights- are- hung- and- power- bills- have- already- been- paid stage....ahhhhhh, so hopefully I'll get to live their soon!

our time...

it's kind of fun...isn't it?


watching the rain...


um...this is the best of our pictures together!


time to get the bubbas down?

meet the BEST BABY EVER!!!!

oh my...I CAN NOT get enough of this kid!!!!!!!

ps...and totally off the subject--did you know we have a Steve and Barry's here! I went to check out the Sarah Jessica Parker Bitten Line and everything in the WHOLE store was 8.98$! So I helped myself to a few of her goods and was pretty impressed (considering what I knew about the line). I am still shocked it's been here for 12 whole months! Way to not advertise Steve/Barry!

first day....

How can my baby be old enough?

(How can I be old enough???)

We all woke up nice and early with smiles all around.

(Oh yah, except the smiles kind of faded as soon as their bodies realized they still wanted to sleep. And sister didn't want to eat breakfast because she's still on the mend...but my buddy--he was just thrilled with the fact that he was going to the "new" school and not the first one. He can't stop talking about it.)

We ran into Mia in the parking lot.

(I think we all were a little nervous...)

Then it was outside for the pledge and prayer.

He lined up so nicely and was so brave. I was too.

The little girls played as the others began their routines.

Sweet Wynn...can't wait to start preschool with you.

(That's all she talks about...our only saving grace from complete come apart because she can't stay with Trum. Not like she wouldn't be freaking out the second I left...it's going to be a whole other story when she starts....)

AND....our FABULOUS TEACHER...Ms. Bailey!!!

She is so good with those little ones! Once Trum was with her he didn't even care if I was there or not. We ALL are thrilled!

Then the pledge began I was literally fighting back the tears! Those emotions totally threw me for a loop!!! (Joe would have been bawling like a baby!!!) He's been so ready and so excited for school.... and quite frankly so have I...that I didn't think I would be emotional. But as they all put their little hands over their little hearts and started the pledge I realized that this is the first day of saying goodbye to my buddy all day long...until he leaves home. sniff sniff...and that makes me a tad emotional. (Note to self: read this entry when he gets home and they start going after each other.)

So to honor Joe I left Trum with this little reminder...

"make it a great day...!!!"