Getting Ready for Saint Nick

We have decorated the house. nothing over the top as the little ones will only destroy it. We are a simple people with simple decorative abilities. The kids put the ornaments on the tree all non breakable. Madeline like to pull the off and look at them then just put them on the floor and move on to the next ornament. Emily likes to turn non the lights and they are on all day pretty much. It was fun and tthe kids are getting excited!!

TIMBER

Yesterday we had 2 of our 19 pine trees cut down. They had been invaded by pine bark beetles and were left for dead. We are hoping that they will be the only casualties, but there is at least one more that is questionable. First they would get the ropes in place, then they would start cutting the tree in sections, cut one section, kick it off the base, cut another section, until it was "small" enough to lay in the yard and cut to pieces and haul away. There is a big open space where the trees use to be and we are planning the next new tree to be planted. Paul has his eye on a garden that he wants to put in next spring as well. So many options are opening up!!

Ropes in Place

Let the cutting begin Going...

Going...

Gone!!!

We came and Conquered

In the above picture of Nathan and Kayla they were suppose to be doing the strong man pose (see Kayla) however Nathan was being a tiger or bear??

Happy Thanksgiving!!

My parents were here for Thanksgiving and we had a good day. There was turkey, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, Kentucky corn pudding, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and stuffing. The kids even drank Kool-Aid from wine glasses!! Kayla had fallen asleep right before dinner and when we woke her to eat she was a little less than happy to see us!! It was delicious and everyone left the table having eaten WAY more than they should have!!

I hope that all of you had a day full of friends,fun and family. Happy Thanksgiving, and remember to be thankful not just today be always!!

On Tuesday Kayla had a Thanksgiving feast at school and they sang a song. Kayla had a bit of stage fright and was not wanting to perform. It is a little scary to sing in front of all those adults.

Nutria Rats

This morning we went to a park close by where we fed, Nutria Rats!! They look like a cfross between a beaver and a rat. Nathan and Kayla had fun feeding them bread while Emily threw the bread at them from a safe distance. Maddie was excited to see the "kitty" but did not want them too close to her. I was nervous because they are rodents and well look at them, but they were pretty gentle and seem to be use to being fed by humans so not too aggressive. Let's just say I have seen geese more aggressive than these rats. When we left Nathan informed me he would like a Nutria Rat for a pet...

Mouse in the House!!

Before we left to go to OKC for my sisters wedding we found a mouse in the house. Well, Sally (the cat) found a mouse in the house. I was upstairs with Nathan and Sally was trying to get something from behind the dry erase board, so Nathan moved and there was little mouse. The chase was on. Nathan and I armed with our toy tin coffee cups chased the mouse form one side of the book case to the other, then under the toy boxes, to the sofa then to the game closet, where after moving a few toys, I found it. It was captured and the kids enjoy watching it run from side to side in the jar. I believe that Sally brought the mouse in from the garage to the house. With the cooler weather the mice are seeking shelter in the garages at night and Sally's food is in the garage so she goes out there at night and "plays". I have been either locking her in the garage or in the house at night. I do not want to wake up to another mouse in the house, this was the 3rd one, 2 alive and one dead!!

Visit with Uncle Dave

My brother Dave was in Houston for work, and he stayed an extra day to visit with us. We met him at the airport and he stayed with us Saturday and Sunday morning. It was nice to have him here and extra nice that he was able to help celebrate Emily's birthday. We had a great time playing with water guns, shooting basketball, and hanging out. We took a trip to a game place, I can't remember the name of it, kind of like a Chuck-E-Cheese's and the kids had a good time playing games and collecting tickets. For $20 we "won" a candy necklace, hacky sack, spider ring, stretchy bracelet, bouncy ball, 3 tootsie rolls, and a pencil. It was a lot of fun which is priceless. We missed Aunt Katie and baby Emma, next time!!

3 years old!!

Happy Birthday Emily!! Hard to believe that you are 3 years old. I am so proud of you. You are a sweet little girl and good at sharing. you do however have your moments when you would rather keep things for yourself rather than share. You like to help others and are the first to get a blanket for your brother or sister if they fall asleep and do not have a blanket. You like to help around the house, but are not too excited when it comes time to tidy up. Today was spent playing at home with your new toys and going to a place that you could play games and win tickets, which you cashed in to pick out a candy necklace and a yellow smiley face bouncy ball. Your cake had 3 ducks on it and you were given a train set, a tu-tu, a purse and a toy birthday cake set. You have been really good at sharing all of your gifts with your brother and sisters. I look forward to seeing what your next year holds for you!!

Mmmmmm, frosting!!!

Gobble, Gobble

I saw this idea on one of the blogs I follow and thought it would be a fun little craft to do with the kiddos. So yesterday Emily, Maddie and I went to Hobby Lobby spent too much money on Styrofoam balls to make turkey's. Nathan, Kayla and Emily made their turkeys and have them decorating the house....