Vacation Day

    We were out of school today in honor of MLK day.  We had a nice morning to sleep in and a late breakfast.  When we got up, we decided to go get the boys much-needed haircuts.  Ryan had such a great time hiding a rubber snake underneath his ball cap to surprise the barber.  I'm so happy the barber had a great sense of humor!
    We ran a few places so that Hunter could pick out a birthday gift for his girlfriend.  I know...girlfriend, already?  Luckily, he has a wonderful girl that he likes, and I couldn't have chosen better for him myself.  The sight of all my boys in Claire's was pretty comical though.  The associate was asking questions like, "Does she have her ears pierced?" Hunter- "I don't know."  "Does she like peace signs?"  Hunter- "I don't know."  I finally said, "Hunter, do you pay any attention to her at all?"  He smiled and said, "Not to that kind of stuff...I just know that she's really nice."  I smiled and was thinking to myself that I hope he always thinks that way.

Aren't they so cute?

Later in the day, Kevin, Hunter, and Andy left to go watch the Memphis Grizzlies/Suns basketball game. Andy was really excited about getting to stand in the fan tunnel.  Ryan and I were pretty bored, so he decided that he wanted to bake a cake- all by himself.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so see what you think.

Playing with the army men while waiting on the cake to bake.

Unpacking my kitchen cabinets...as usual

He wanted lots of sprinkles!

He enjoyed testing out the final result, and I thought he did a great job!

Fondue, anyone?

I got to try out one of my Christmas gifts tonight...a fondue pot.  This was a gift from one of my sweet students.  I have always wanted one of these, but for some reason never had purchased one.  I started with some dark chocolate fudge sauce and some marshmallows and strawberries.  As you can see, we had pretty good results.  Ryan really enjoyed his share of the treats! As a matter of fact, he enjoyed it so much, that it soon became his individual fondue pot.  Next time, I may wait until the kids are asleep...

Snow Day

We took a chance last night...we stayed up late in hopes of getting out of school today for snow. I waited for that phone call, but it never came. This morning, I hit the "snooze" button at least twice. Finally Kevin said, "You know there's snow covering the ground, don't you?" Suddenly, I was wide awake and racing to the computer. Sure enough, the website stated that there would be no school! I went back to bed and got some "snuggling" time with Ryan.  We all slept in. (me a little later than everyone else) We got to go outside this morning and make snow angels and have a snowball fight. We couldn't get enough snow together for a snowman, but we had a blast playing in it.

Ryan making a snow angel

Warming up with some hot chocolate

Snowball fight, anyone?

Andy about to try something really crazy

We all decided to jump on the trampoline...kind of slippery

We enjoyed our day and are hoping for a little more snow tomorrow!

Family Game Night a.k.a. Whitetailopoly

What do you get when you combine family game night with a house full of boys? The answer is "Whitetailopoly." You've never heard of it...well just let me introduce you to this exciting spin on traditional Monopoly. This is a game in which you get to purchase the very best hunting lands. You don't build hotels; you build hunting cabins. you don't go to jail; you get picked up by the game warden. You don't have to pay rent; you pay to "hunt" someone's land. You get the idea.

This was a Christmas gift for Hunter, and I must say, we had a great time breaking it in. It's really nice to get a few moments to sit back and play games with the guys. You can observe so much about them. For instance Andy is a saver. He purchased absolutely nothing during the game and just hoarded his money. I, however, spent everything I had and lost all my money quickly. (Kevin was not surprised by this)
Hunter must be in charge of everything. (including moving your deer if you don't do it quickly enough)
















Ryan had a few issues with "unsportsmanlike conduct." (it comes with the territory of being 5).

Kevin wanted to double check the rules.



Andy was about to fall asleep before the game ended. (too much real-life hunting)

All in all, we had a great time. I always enjoy a quiet night at home with my boys. It seems like life is so busy, that family time can get pushed to the side if we aren't careful. So, if you haven't played a game of "Whitetailopoly", be sure to try it out soon. Have a great week!

Happy New Year!

This picture has nothing to do with this blog...it's just a cute shot of the boys in front of the tree they picked out this year.. Megan Johnson has inspired me to create a blog of my homelife and classroom. It is such a great way to keep everyone connected. I am new to blogging, so bear with me while I get my space up and a classroom blog up and running over the next few days.

Can you believe how quickly 2009 went by? I guess it is time to think about the New Year's Resolutions. I love the feeling of a new year. Just like a fresh, clean slate to start over and do things better! I made an obvious list such as get into better shape, pay off Christmas (haha), and spend more QUALITY time with the family. I also decided to start the "Love Dare" book today. I have had this book for some time, but have never committed to working through it. It just lays on the coffee table and stares at me each day, and for good reason. I couldn't make it through the first day. Day one is to not speak anything negative to your spouse all day. Not about your spouse, but not to say anything negative at all. I felt as if I would need duct tape to complete this task. Yes, I have made it so far today. (although I do have several comments saved up for tomorrow- just kidding) I have had to make a conscious effort to bite my tongue more than once today. I wonder why we tend to be so negative when we have so much to be thankful for. I think it stems from being unthankful and maybe comparing ourselves to others. When I am negative, it is usually because I am focusing on what I don't have rather than appreciating all of the blessings God has given me. I am so thankful for my husband. I married far better than I deserve. I have 3 amazing boys. I have everything I need, so what gives me the right to be negative? I couldn't come up with a good reason either. I will be working on this for sure during the New Year! Maybe that should get added to my list of resolutions. I hope each of you has a very blessed New Year. I'm off to cook my black-eye peas.

"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."