Christmas Tree '10

It was a Christmas Miracle; we had all 4 kids and their significant others and/or friends with us for some or all of getting the tree, setting it up, decorating it, and our traditional dinner of fettucine alfredo

Arriving at Home Depot to get our Christmas tree. It was about 85 degrees out. (I told Katie she got "mom points" for wearing a Christmas sweatshirt!

Maslyns (minus Sara)

A candid of Lando picking out our "surprise" tree

(we don't know what it looks like 'til we get home :)

Our "surprise" tree

Hanging out with Chad

SURPRISE!!! Its a pretty good tree!

Miss M hanging all the stockings by the chimney with care.

Getting ready to trim the tree with lights!

Deevs & Katie going through his Teddy Bear ornaments

J&S going through his Angel ornaments

Miss M laying our her Snowmen ornaments

Getting ready for dinner: Jade, Sar, Miss M, Jo, Kaleel, Lando

My heart is FULL!

Light it Up

Even with D's BRUTALLY bad back (post epidural with no relief), he and Lando hung lights today.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Christmas is here!!!

More Coming Home - Miss M

While I am not usually a super big fan of kids attending several dances, I am not totally opposed to it... and this time I REALLY wasn't because it meant that I got to go and take pictures and BE there (since I missed the real homecoming while we were on vacation)!!!

Miss M went to another school's dance with friends.

She borrowed most everything and paid for the ticket herself.

Miss M, McKenna, Natalie

Mom friends

Kids aren't the only ones who can make goofy faces

Miss M is 15!!!

My Facebook status on November 2, 2010 said:

"Happy 15th birthday to our strong, confident, tender-hearted, creative, loyal, playful, deep-thinking only daughter & baby of the family, Miss M. Have a great day at school today. We can't wait to celebrate you tonight. WE LOVE YOU! ♥"

15... that means is just 6 months she can have her driver's permit!!! She will be able to DRIVE! Our baby girl, our last child will be on the road, behind the wheel!

Miss M has a strong sense of self... and when she is not feeling it, she is OK with letting you know that too. She has a Tumbler (online journal) where she is authentic and insightful and open and quirky and 100% HER. She has a tenderness for disconnected, disenfranchised, hurting people and yet she isn't the great rescuer of them all... she has compassion and offers help, but in balance. She is honest about her feelings and works hard to GROW.

She FORGOT she wanted to go to Pei Wei for her birthday dinner and had been waiting nearly the WHOLE year to go there and get soda mixtures from their super cool soda machine!

So that's what we did.

It was the family plus Daniel.

(Grampie & Ellen couldn't make it... and it was last minute, so we didn't even LET Drew stress himself out trying to come.)

Even though Deevs had a ton of homework, he came too.

Brother & Sister
Emy came and visited and brought gifts and a few friends... Heck, they made it a party!

Hallow E'en 2010

This was actually PRE-Halloween on October 30. Sar & J came over and carved pumpkins and we roasted the seeds.

Miss M and her friends dressed up for PumpkinFest at church then came back and joined us.

We celebrated J's 23rd bday and then J, Sar, and Lando left for a costume party.

Siamese Twins for Life!

Connected at the Liver

"Pumpkin is a squash... we can eat it, right?"

Carving a bicycle

Carving Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack

Lando carving

Jaylinn decorating faces

Brother & Sister

Pre-Halloween Jack o Lanterns

Carved Punkins

Going to their Party

Actual Halloween was kind of a bust.

Miss M went trick or treating with friends in another neighborhood (Tess was visiting from TEXAS - we hate texas :(

Deevs went to church.

J & Sar were away celebrating birthday weekend.

Lando went out.

We (Mom & Dad) were bickering.

We weren't at home. No one handed out candy. We barely GOT any candy (the kids slacked in their annual candy gathering duties!)

So I was particularly glad we had such a FUN night before! :)

Jade is 23!!!!

My Facebook status for November 1, 2010 read:

"Happy 23rd birthday to our charming, intelligent, flexible, social, FUN, easy-going, enthusiastic, auto-didactic first born, "J". WE LOVE YOU, son! (Have a GREAT surprise weekend away with your amazing wife ♥) xoxo"

This is indeed true. Jade IS all of those things... He is thoughtful and likes to get along with everyone and not make waves. He earnestly desires to follow Christ and questions the status quo that many Christians have just unquestioningly followed for decades (at least). He is a lover... he is loyal and devoted and he is such a delight to be around! We are blessed to be his parents and that we get to be in relationship with him. If he wasn't our child, we would still WANT to know him and have him in our lives!

Sar & Jade were going away for a "secret birthday surprise" weekend but thankfully, Sar was on top of it and arranged to come over and carve pumpkins (more photos in later post) before they left (October 30) and she brought cupcakes to celebrate. Then they left for a costume party (more photos coming).

Carving

Birthday cupcakes a la the newest Mrs. M

Great wife!

Make a wish!!!

Their weekend in Pioneer Town