whobody went tree hunting?

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we took our annual trip to Asbury to find our Christmas tree.

We all loaded up in the pickup (this is the last time our whole family will be able to ride together in a pickup to get our Christmas tree! Crazy) and headed towards Dubuque.

The tree farm that we go to has a tractor/wagon ride out to the trees… 

Cruz thought this was AWESOME 

but he was pretty sure that he should probably ride in the cab with the driver….

Nash INSTANTLY found the *perfect* tree. 

He was in love. 

He would not look at ANY other trees.

It was love at first sight.

(I say that because it was the tree that was RIGHT where we got off of the wagon).

 However…it was not the perfect tree for our 8 foot ceiling…

(and I prefer the short needle trees…)

He was ABSOLUTELY POSTIVELY SET on getting this 15 foot tree…

and then refused to participate in any more tree hunting…

or even picture taking.  

He was pretty mad at me that I didn't go along 

with his great idea.

 (As his parent, I am hoping to raise him to be stubbornly good…instead of stubbornly bad…because either way…we know he is going to be stubborn. :))  

The thing I love about the place that we go…is that it is never hard to find a GREAT tree.  I've been told that I am "particular"(and I am) but at this place,

 I have never had a problem! Here are the kids in front of our 2013 tree!

This tree is also over 8 feet tall…

BUT we only had to have them cut a few feet off of the bottom!

Notice Nash's grumpy face. 

He did NOT want this particular tree.

Ha. Caught him when he wasn't paying attention…

Jason, our fearless leader, cut down the tree…

and the kids helped him drag it to the 'road' so we could get picked up by the tractor again…and head back home!

Isn't he sweet? He loved the fresh air and our trip to the Christmas tree farm.

I had to share this picture of Keat….it seems I just don't take as many pictures of him…mostly because I get my camera out when someone is doing something funny or silly…

and he is so responsible and helpful and old :) 

that he is usually on the "parent side" of my camera. 

He is SUCH a great kid…and is really getting tall and handsome like his dad!

So…funny? story. There is this goat at this farm…

his name is Chocolate Mousse…

he escaped from his pen…but the owners said the kids could go over by him if they wanted to….SO of course, Nash chased him around. 

He wanted to pet the goat.

The goat did NOT want to be petted…but Nash was pretty persistent. 

I did NOT get a picture of it, 

but the goat REARED back and was on its hind legs facing Nash. It looked like they were dancing. 

Nash (and Jason) thought it was hilarious…

but of course, I knew that wasn't the safest idea…. :) 

so we got everyone into the pickup….it was time to go!

(And Jason decided that the next addition to our farm would be goats…even though our friends Nicholas and Elsie have tried their best to talk him OUT of it…it seems everything they tell him makes him want a goat more….he and I have an understanding that there will be no goats this summer, at least.)

We ate lunch at Pizza Hut on the way home, and then 

Cruzie INSTANTLY fell asleep. 

That kid was tired.  

I thought it was so cute how he had his feet (dirty feet) 

up on the seat…

so…so…tired. Tree hunting is a lot of work for a 2 year old!

When we got home we actually set the tree up…and then went outside and did our outside decorations (with a little help). It was so NICE out that afternoon we just had to get it done, or it probably wouldn't have ever gotten decorated!  (And, it makes me SO happy to have the outside of the house and yard covered it lights!)

After decorating outside, we came downstairs and started on decorating the tree. 

(Jason spent this time making supper…because we still had someplace to go later that night!) The kids ALL helped decorate the tree

 (and were actually helpful…for the most part.)

Keaton 'managed' Cruz (whom he has really taken under his wing lately). 

Keat and Cruz are best buddies…

Keaton follows Cruz when he is coming up the stairs and plays with him in his room and is really working hard at being an excellent big brother to him.

 (He and Nash have surprisingly also seemed to get along better now that they have started sharing rooms, too!)  

When they were decorating the tree, 

Keaton and Cruz would each pick out an ornament, then Keaton would lift Cruz up onto the chair and help him hang it…and then lift him back down.

It was extremely heartwarming. Nash decided the left side of the tree was "his", the middle of the tree was Lola's, and the right hand side was for Keat & Cruz. It worked!

We had an excellent day that ended up being

 too full…but still fun. 

I always have wonderful visions of the day we get our Christmas tree

...having everything set up and set out when we get home…casually decorating the tree with Christmas music and hot chocolate (and wine)….and having wonderful CALM family time.

BUT, that, my friends, is not how we roll! At least not at this point in my life.

 It always ends up a little more C.R.A.Z.Y. than that. 

I am always scrambling through my Christmas stuff looking for the stand after we get home…and trying to find lights that work…and finding the most important decorations at the bottom of the box…running the vacuum occasionally for damage control…and trying to keep things from being broken. 

Such is life! And, I really do love it. We are so very blessed with our kids!

whobody has been very busy?

This is TERRIBLE!!!

It has been well over a month since I have 

last posted on this blog.

I sure wish I would have kept up…because it is so much easier to keep up than catch up…

but, I didn't…so here goes.

We have had a very busy month! Jason got done in the field shortly before Thanksgiving, and we are ALL so happy to have him home more often.

Since I have last written we have celebrated Thanksgiving, 2 birthdays, gone to a Panther's basketball camp, and done lots of Christmas preparation! 

(hopefully I will write posts about ALL of those things!)

So, while Jason was still in the field, Nash was still a "napper"….therefore I had a little more time each afternoon to "rest" my varicose vein ridden legs :) and catch up on my blog.  At Thanksgiving time we moved Nash's bed into Keaton's room (the first step of many in getting ready for the baby)…needless to say, there was an adjustment period.  Bedtime was suddenly a party…and poor Keaton was kept up by one excited little 4 year old who JUST wouldn't stop talking and getting out of bed and coming out to see Mom and Dad and see what they were watching

….so, it was decided, he needed to be a little more tired…so we tried skipping the nap (which was also becoming a struggle on some days)…

It took a bit for Nash to adjust…but it has been a GREAT decision. 

The adjustment period is over with and the boys sharing a room is going well AND Nash and I have a little more 'together time' when Cruzie naps. 

This also means…less rest time for me…but that is okay! 

I will have to just take it when I can get it! 

(Note: I am usually not a rester…and it is hard on my brain to rest…but my body is very busy building a baby right now…and it is totally overruling my brain's desire to keep marking things off of my to-do list.)  

So…we have had lots of events…but we have also had lots of fun in NON-events… 

and I wanted to share some of my random pictures from the last month.

First…Cruz…and his hat.

Yes. This is a bowl from breakfast that had cheerios, milk, and sugar inside of it….. sometimes Cruz isn't the 'smartest'…but he sure is entertaining!

This is a picture I took of Lola….

anytime I give the kids the total freedom to choose what to wear…

Lola chooses a tank top and shorts…regardless of the weather.  

On THIS particular day, Lola made herself a 

'track uniform'

by taping a number on the front of her shirt…and her name on the back. 

She is, as always, extremely creative.

The kids have also tried to spend as much time as humanly possible outside playing in the snow.

Nash and Cruz spend a LOT of time at the Lego box…

And for some reason, 

at the expense of my laundry and sometimes, my sanity

dressing up is becoming a NEW thing around here. 

Nash and Lola are always changing into 

firemen, 

basketball players, 

volleyball players,

 track stars, 

rockstars, 

reindeer, 

elves, 

spies...

and ninjas.

[In case you were wondering, if you want to dress like a ninja…

you put on as many dark colors and possible…

along with a ski mask, gloves and whoever's black boots you can find…

then, you turn off the lights in the basement 

and run around in the dark and NO ONE can even see you!]

Or…you could just be like Nash…

and sleep like a ninja too.

(This was when he was still a napper, I asked him to go and get is pull up on and get cozy and I would be in to tuck him in…instead, he put his pull-up on, and ran out as fast as he could dressed like this…and for the record, he DID sleep in this outfit…minus the hat. I made him take that off.)

With all of the dressing up…there have been a LOT of 'shows' for Jason and I to watch, 

Christmas shows, rockstar shows, volleyball games and basketball games….

and on this afternoon…the kids set up a track star show complete with 

pillow hurdles.

(This kind of thing is not good for my mom anxiety.) 

Notice Nash's headband/sweatband.

Just had to share a quick picture of Cruz…he is SO funny.

 These are his elf jammies….too cute!

Finally, I just wanted to share a few pictures of a normal night at home for the family:  ideally, if we have nothing else going on…

we like to head downstairs after supper and just hang out. 

Usually Jason cranks the music…and the kids play and dance. 

 Notice where Cruz is at….

He was actually STANDING up 

on the table dancing…

but crouched down after he bumped the light fixture and one

 of the lights went out 

and it scared him a bit.  

I am not sure why I have 3 consecutive pictures of this…and both Jason and I are camped out in our chairs in front of the fireplace…not even going to get him down. 

(Probably too busy laughing….their dance moves are awesome.)

At least he can get down by himself...

Well…hopefully I can soon get to the events of this past month…

Christmas is only 5 days away and I will have a lot more pictures I want to share!!!

whobody went to the orchard?

This happened a few weeks ago...but I was lucky enough to join Lola's first grade class on a trip to the Orchard. (This is one of the definite perks of being a stay at home mom....as long as you can find someone else to take the kids you are actually staying home with!) I had so much fun...and so did Lola. Not too much to say today...just wanted to share the pictures.

She is really growing up into a pretty young lady.

 {YIKES} 

Love her.

She is really enjoying first grade and loves her teacher Ms. Streich. We are so blessed to wind up with such great teachers in our elementary.

whobody "helped" mom?

First of all, look at this cutie. pajama pants and a t-shirt. 

He always wakes up OH so happy!

This was one of those first chilly days a few weeks ago...and I decided I was going to make some cheeseburger soup. 

(My favorite. For real.)

The older three were at school...I was JUST about to turn a cartoon on for Cruz so I could start my peeling, washing and chopping....when Cruz had a wonderful idea. "help!" 

(I hesitated, because although it was a great idea...I really didn't know if I had enough time for him to help me.) 

You see, life is busy...

and I am often times guilty of putting my to-do list ahead of my 

teachable moments and being a good mom. 

So often it overwhelms me that my

to-do list is never to-done. 

Therefore I am always trying to be as productive as possible

...which really doesn't make me the best mom. 

I sometimes spend so much time setting things up to be enjoyed...

that I never really enjoy them. 

(for example: cleaning and picking up instead of sitting down to play at night...

my excuse, I can't relax in a mess...

reality: I'm not relaxing if I am picking up either...

so what is the point?.) 

This doesn't mean that I am going to not pick up...I am just trying to make myself more aware of this little problem of mine....because before I know it my kids aren't going to play with toys anymore and I will be wishing they were little again. 

 And...lets be honest...I can't just keep on having kids so 

I don't run out of little ones...or can I? 

(fyi: my body is making it pretty clear to me during this pregnancy, that, no, keeping on having kids is not the best choice.) 

(The ironic thing is that this baby in my tummy is kicking me like crazy right now...trying to tell me something probably...Just don't know what.)

I understand that it is great for kids to 'help' in the kitchen...many times they have helped me prepare different desserts and meals. 

 If I have learned anything in my 8 years of parenting, I have learned that 'help' doesn't always help. 

I know that if you are a parent of little ones, you know what I mean. 

BUT, I will say...now that I have a 6 and an 8 year old...sometimes, it turns out, their 'helping' actually does 'help'.   This is a new thing.  I hate to jinx myself, but Keaton and Lola both actually have the capability to be helpful with some things in the kitchen.  

The only reason they know how to do these things NOW is because when they were Cruz and Nash's age...I let them 'help' and that is how they learned.  

The problem is that now that I have double the amount of children,

the younger ones don't get a chance to 'help' much, because it is so much more productive to distract them with something 

while I just get it done myself or get it done with the help of Keaton and Lola.

But, on this day, I,

for some reason decided to let Cruz 'help'.

  (No, I didn't think through all of the above stuff at that exact moment and weigh the pros and cons of him helping at the time and then make my decision....

he pretty much got to help because he looked so darn cute in his jammies and already had his chair pushed up to the sink.)  

Who could resist this guy?

So.  Cruz 'helped'.  He washed the potatoes...

Every time he put another clean one on the towel he would clap.

After the potatoes were washed, I simply filled the sink with water, gave him a measuring spoon and cup and let him play. He had so much fun!

Mmmmm....water.

Did I mention I had a whole load of wet clothes and towels after this? It was totally worth it.

Pure joy, right there. He would fill his cup with water, and then grab some of my chopped up potatoes, carrots and celery and make his own little 'soup' and then drink it.

When it was all said and done, I was SO glad I let Cruz help. 

The only question I had for myself was 

"Why don't I do this more often?"

I have gone back to this day in my head a few times since then and tried to make sure I don't miss these opportunities every single time they come up. 

 The soup turned out delicious...at least I thought so. 

Not to mention, I very much enjoyed my one on one time with my 

little buddy Cruz.