O Christmas Tree

Today we finished putting up the Christmas Tree.

Putting up our tree is like walking down memory lane. Alot of homemade ornaments, ornaments from my childhood, and new ones that have meaning to each new year that we are a family.

I thought I would share with you a couple of my favorites...

My mom usually makes an ornament with the kids as a present for us each Christmas, and this one year she really out did herself. I don't know if you can see the actual hair that she cut off my baby girl that year, but oh she did and glued it to the back! This is Tatum as an angel around age 3. The halo has since fallen off...
When my parents were newly married they had no money, and for ornaments my mom made them. This is one saved from then. It is a lightbulb decorated...

This is my favorite picture of Jake around age 2 losing his mind from Santa...(Tatum doesn't seem fazed, Lol)

This is Matthew the snowman (another grandma project) when he was 1....

This ornament is from Mike and I's very first Christmas together. We had only been dating about 6 weeks and got engaged that Christmas! We got married that February....and that's all she wrote!

This is from my childhood. It is of my cat Grizilda. (Mom...that isn't really Grizilda hair is it?!?!?!)

This is Santa Jake, age 2...

And this is our 2009 ornament. I had it made on our trip to Myrtle Beach this September...

The finished job!

My Week Of W's

Gosh...It's been forever since I have done an edition of my Week Of W's! I must of been saving them up!

WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!!! We seem to have visitors in our garage. I am beside myself with this one, because I love animals more than you can know, and have antagonized over this! But for some reason a mouse scurrying loose brings out the frantic girl scream in me, and I get the heebie geebies really bad!

Now you know I couldn't possibly use a trap! That would KILL them. I don't want them to die...I just don't want them in my garage~

I think I will just boycott the garage for awhile and hope this problem goes away on it's own:(

Wii -For some reason the boys have gotten back into the Wii big time. Thank goodness in time for all these school days off:) They have been having competitions and re finding the joy in their toy

Matt with Jim (Mike's sister's fiance) on our trip to Newark. Showing him the ropes to the shooting range

WEIRD- Matthew (need I say more) those are Easter eggs clipped to his hair

WELL WISHES~It was Mike's Dad's and his wife's Bev anniversary
yesterday. THIRTY THREE YEARS!!!! Congratulations you two!!! Here is to many more wonderful years:)

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WISDOM~ Tatum told me a pretty smart saying I have never heard before today...

"The early bird may catch the worm, but the 2nd mouse gets the cheese!"

WEEKEND VISIT~We traveled up to Newark, Ohio this weekend to visit Mike's family for Thanksgiving. Mike's sister and fiance had come in from North Carolina for the week and we couldn't miss that!

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It was a wonderful time. Mike's stepmom Bev is the sweetest and opens her home up to us and makes us feel so welcome. She fed us all the delicious leftovers from their feast the day before, and then she cracked open a special bottle of wine just for me and her. Needless to say I felt warm and fuzzy:) But really she knocks herself out to make me loved, and it is such a breath of fresh air!

Grandpa Ed with Jake playing Wii...doesn't he and Mike look so much alike!

Aunt Renie wiping up messy Summer

At one point we noticed Summer had slipped off and was being quiet. This is where we found her! Trying to be a stowaway in Renie and Jim's luggage!

WISHES~I am digging my way through today (it's 3pm and I am still in pj's!) but I am hoping tonight we can put up the Christmas Tree!

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Hope you all had a wonderful week of W's too!

Full of It

I hope every one's Thanksgiving was happy and healthy! We had a wonderful time here in the Trenches:) I think this year went smoother than ever before.

Maybe I am getting older and more mature, and able to handle it better, or maybe we just finally are getting the hang of it after all these years, but it was a time that I got to sit back and enjoy myself. (or maybe it was that white Zinfandel..whatever!)

Summer sported her braids (as in Indian braids:)
Old dogs got to teach new dogs their tricks. (Uncle John teaches Jake a magic trick, which umm, let's say he's still perfecting:)

A couple of wicked games of Wii were played. (goodness knows what they were playing here, but their faces crack me up! Such concentration!)

Family got to be together (Tatum is going to absolute shoot me when she sees this picture on my blog, but hey! I don't look half bad in it....and if you need to see a pretty picture (TATUM...I mean you!) look at my sidebar. That one has been approved:)

And grandparents were clamored over. (Mom and Jack)

Oh! And if you were wondering how those cupcakes turned out...Just ask her...

I think that face says it all:)

Thanksgiving Preperations

These are our cupcakes we attempted today. The house is aflutter with preparing for Thanksgiving. It is the one holiday that we host at our house. Christmas, Easter, and 4th of July is always at Mom's house, but Thanksgiving has become ours. Some years it has seated many, but usually it is a small affair with just my Mom and her husband coming, and my Uncle John.

Since it our only holiday, I usually try to make it really special somehow. The kids and I worked on these leaf cupcakes today:)

You take actual leaves, and after you wash and dry them you paint them with chocolate! ( then after the chocolate is dry you peel off the leave waa-laa!)
Here was the sweetest helper...

The acorns were adorable and balled up pieces of carmel, dipped in chocolate, dipped in sprinkles.

Even our place markers matched with the leaves theme this year...

And of course alot of cleaning is done! Mike is the turkey guy, (I have never done one!) and my mom does the stuffing and sweet potatoes. It is all coming together!

The kids are off of school now, and looking forward to a 5 day break:) I sure do love the holidays!

Family Pictures!

Projects Beware~ The Amish are coming!!!

No one in their right mind should be this excited over a stupid shed.

This cannot even possibly be an interesting post to anyone but to me. Or maybe another housewife who can sympathize with struggles of organization.

But to keep in theme with my project beware posts, this is the mother of them all.

This is a snow ball. A ripple effect. A HUGE undertaking, (and by huge undertaking the huge part really was huge convincing my husband to say yes to a shed! So with that checked off the list...)

Our garage is a mass destruction. No car has graced the inside walls of it. That is laughable. Four kids equals bikes galore. Scooters, lawnmower, tent, yard equipment, toys, strollers, roller blades, shoes, garbage cans, kitchen sink... (you get the point.

Now that Tatum is driving and she got a car for her birthday we have crossed the line to white trash land with 3 cars asettin in the driveway. Toys spilling out of the garage. Big ol pizza sign uptop on of those cars...(just sayin...)

And Now it is WINTER. Patio furniture needs to be stored away. So does the trampoline. So does the grill. Good gosh, how did we accumulate so much stuff! Stuff is good, (don't get me wrong) but I AM the queen of clear out, but then again we DO have a big family, but I am on loosing ground here.~ Ack!

This is getting windy...

Let's cut it short.

Man I love my husband!

BEFORE:

Ahhhhh... AFTER:

a loft on each side up top for storage.

you know what I'll be doing this weekend;)

Rainy Night

It is grey and rainy here. Just kind of a cold and melancholy day. A day that we just kind of snuggle in and count our blessings for all we have.

I am blessed beyond measure, don't get me wrong, but have had a heavy heart with all that seems to be swirling around.



My mind has been on Yaya and her recent disappointment, and her up and down 7 year battle with trying so hard to become a mom. Even though I don't know her in Real life, I have gotten to know her through her blog, and my heart aches for her. She has a beautiful spirit that shines through in her personality and I know one day she will get to meet her baby, and we all will celebrate! But how hard it is until then to see how rough this journey is.



My mind is on my Mom's husband's best friend, who died unexpectedly the other day. A healthy full of life man, riding his bike home with golf clubs thrown on the back after playing a round of golf, had a heart attack on the side of the road. His wife is so sad and alone. She is going to have to learn the dance of life without her mate. The holidays are coming. Sometimes it just seems to much to take in.

He was Jack's best friend for 40 years. His best man at my mom and his wedding. I am just sad for everyone involved. We will miss your antics, Paul.



And I guess holding this little one that doesn't seem to get better quick enough for Mama. My heart goes out to all the parents who day in and out take care of terminally ill children. How strong you must be!



I know all things happen for reasons, and we must take a learn from them what we can. That good and bad are gifts/chances/opportunities for us to grow, learn, and build upon.



So tonight, on this rainy blustery night, I will say a prayer of thankfulness for all of these people and insights that have crossed my path, and I will say a prayer for each of the people in my life and know that God has a purpose and plan for each of us. And that we need to always be working on that.

Just a Quick Update...then back to the Trenches...

Still trying to get better:( This little one here is having a hard time getting better. (even on antibiotics) She is not eating much and getting skinny!

My doctor switched me today to a different antibiotic and I am really starting to feel so much better. I must have the best bloggy friends in the world! Thank you all for your sweet words, and wishes of being able to come to help:) You guys are awesome!

Sick Sick Sick

OH, How grateful I am to feel the sweep of my fingers over the keyboard again!

I have spent the last few days in a haze of sickness. Summer and I both had head colds all last week, but by Friday they took hold into their own animal. Summer's started spiking into fevers, and I started a level of coughing that I didn't know was possible. I literally slept clutching a jar of Vick's up to my face all night. Slathering it on me wasn't good enough. I. Couldn't. Get. Air. By Sunday and no sleep in 2 nights, and a baby that just cried non stop and wanted to be held only by me (who felt like she was on death's bed) I gave in and gave her back her pacifier and drove myself to Urgent Care. The next day I took her.
We both have respiratory infections and got antibiotics. I got cough med with codeine, and some other kind of "pearl" med that cuts down all the mucus. We finally both got some sleep last night. Summer thank goodness is back without her pacifier, and I can feel us productive coughing now, and not painful coughing. Her fever is broken.
Mike and the kids are surviving without us. They are troopers. Hope to be back on my game soon. Miss you all!

P.S~ My Button now has a code! It is on the side bar below:)

Take Me Please!

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IT"S HERE! (I know you all have been patiently waiting{{superbig grin}} )

We are getting pretty big for our breeches here at "In The Trenches" (not) and felt all my friends would LOVE to have this here button.

So don't be shy! Take one! (pretty please take one????:)

(and a great big cyber hug to Lacey who created it~girl you rock...for putting up with me if nothing else:)

Dead Turkey

I label this post this in humor. Back when Mike and I were first married, I made reference to something and meaning to use the phrase that the person had stopped "cold turkey" I said "dead turkey". Boy did I walk into a minefield that day. That has been a joke and I have been laughed at for years.

But really it has been no laughing manner in our house. Yes, I know I have dilly dallied about this topic before, and pulled at your heart strings before about Summer having to give up her pluggy (pacifier), but to be honest, I have no back bone and we have continued to let her have it.

Now don't get me wrong! Half hearted attempts of limiting it to just bedtime have been made, and alot of talk about has been done!
Whew! ALL that talking wore me out!
But it didn't really change things....

So we got to the point this week where Mama was at the end of her rope. Last baby or not, I had had it. Our whole day was spent whining about "fruggies" and whether or not we had them. She is a smart cookie and knows that she only gets them at bedtime, so she says she's tired all the time now to try to trick you into giving her them! She also knows, Mom is a sucker for boo boos. I was feeling like one step forward if we made it through the day, and 3 steps backwards once we gave it back to her at night.

SO~At some bizarrao point Summer was really Jonesing for a donut. I told her we would buy a WHOLE BOX of donuts if she threw her plugs away. She agreed! We made a BIGPRODUCTION out of her standing uptop a kitchen chair and throwing it away in front of the other kids. Everyone clapped and cheered. She beamed!! That night she played in her room quietly and I thought...hmm "this is going waay to easy?"

At one point she did say "pluggy". I said "remember you threw it away! It is all gone." She cried a bit...but nothing too traumatic.

So later I check on her in her room to see if she has settled down and gone to sleep. There she is with her toy basket completely overturned and is halfway inside it with just her rump sticking out. Stuffed toys are flying out the opening behind her. I said "Summer! What are you doing??"

She said "I BEEZEE~ Go away! I Bee ZEE!"

Poor Baby had found plugs in there before and was fruitlessly secretly searching.

It has been her comfort and companion for 2 and half years now. I feel so sad for her. She has asked many times for it, but we have stayed strong.

She has called us a "BABY DIAPER"....the meanest word she knows, cause she's mad about it, on many occasions.

It has been 2 whole nights, 3 whole days, and one major major tantrum which I will NOT write about, but I stayed strong through. I can't go through this again.

I love you sweet girl. If this is tough love, it sucks.