I'm so Thankful for...

I can't begin to express my joy and happiness at having everyone, I mean EVERYONE here this year, especially since I know that it will be many many many years before it happens again.

I enjoyed the house being alive with all the activity of everyday life. I loved having Miss Peyton come in every morning and tell me it was time to get up. I loved watching the cousins enjoy playing with each other and the running in, around and through-out the house. I loved watching Halli make card after card for everyone and for everything. She even made place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. I loved the deep conversations I had with Chase. I loved playing soccer with Tyler, even if I was the one chasing the ball constantly. I loved holding LaNae and listening to her hoarse little cry. I loved that Lexie and Peyton loved being held by their grandparents. I love love loved the "I Really love you" 's.

We were able to adopt Krista, nicknamed "Rapunzel" for a 2nd year in a row, and the kids loved playing with her, she was there to play soccer with, color and enjoy tickle tortures.

The house was in constant disarray, with shoes, toys and dishes at every turn. The constant trips to the grocery store and always being on the look-out for something to entertain the girls. The weeks activities included; the tractor races, playing soccer, walking Old Sac and a drive to San Francisco, the Santa Parade, spinning in the swings, and watching Halli's obsession with playing farmer when she first got here. Though we didn't get to the snow like April wanted, because there wasn't any, I enjoyed all the mundane, little everyday things that took place.

These memories will always be close to my heart, as our family grows and spreads out, these are my little treasures, the greatest gifts I've been given.

Till we meet again...

Family Photo Sessions

April wanted more than anything to have family pictures taken in the snow while her family was here, that didn't happen, but we did manage to do a "photo shoot" every other day.


All of our grandchildren, taken the day the girls flew home, in full sun. Peyton was not wanting to have her picture taken, her bribe ended up being very specific, not just a treat, not just candy, but Chocolate Candy....now we have a smile and cooperation.

Family photo shoot down by the river. Can't wait to see Kate's professional version.

Someone wanted Lexie sitting with Grandpa, but they didn't ask her if that's what she wanted...hence we have the picture below, which also shows baby #7.


Amazing that anyone with a digital camera thinks they're a photographer...but here's my shot at it.

Eric and Jill's family photos.

One afternoon April, Britt and I headed out to find some good photo shoot locations, these are the photo's I ended up with of Britt and April.

Thanksgiving Week - Tyler's last day of School

On Tyler's last day of school for the Christmas break, April, I and the girls headed out to meet him when school let out. They live right next to the parkway that leads to the school. After a quick run to Micky D's we headed back to the school for a game of soccer and a chance to run crazy on the playground.

Ryan and Kevin had fun tossing the ball towards Lexie as she was running, just to watch her be distracted from where she was headed and chase after the ball, where ever it rolled to.

Halli was into "exercising" she ran, did crunches, push-ups....even hop scotch.

Don't think it was really soccer we were playing, but kick ball, with two balls. Rules were made on the fly.
This little bug likes her picture taken but only when she's running away from you.

Lexie wanted to be one of the boys, sitting on a ball.

Tuckered out, I loved how he looked sitting against the post.

Visiting with Uncle Ryan.

YAHOO!!! I love living in the dust, If I can have this....

It's been four years of planning and wishing and wondering, but it took Britt and Brett to move here to make it happen...WE ARE REMODELING....

Of course we had to finished the room Britt and Brett are living in first, to move them out of the dark dungeon space of the basement.

Real teak hardwood floors. So beautiful.

Where the dresser sits now will be a new door into the future Jack-n-Jill bathroom

The 2nd bedroom -

The new bathroom. I would be so jealous of all the remodels we did with their new bathrooms, It's nice to have a new one. Although, I wish it was the master bath.

The beginning of the demolition of the monster hallway and closets...oh yea, and HVAC system. The future plan is to have a wall where the bathroom door is, and open up two doors each into the adjoining bedrooms for a new Jack-n-Jill Bathroom.

Logan and Brett took to tearing of a small portion of the deck and digging out the dirt for the placement of a new bedroom window. Mind you, these are cement block walls, and the dust was pouring out of the basement door, it looked like smoke pillowing out from a fire.

So the view won't be that breath taking for sometime, but the new window is in. The plan is to dig out all this dirt, remove the existing concrete steps and create a walk-out basement.

Next year.

I took a moment to capture the beautiful fall colors.

The guys have put in a new load bearing beam and opened up the walls for the creation of the new family room.

The guys hard at work, late into the night, each and every night. I suppose about now Brett is wondering what he got himself into.

The formation of the 3rd bedroom.

I made a small minute important discovery tonight. Couches take up lots of room and these rooms are not mega rooms, actually all are on the small side. After shopping for some furniture for the new family room, I talked to my contractor about moving a door over, I just need 10 more inches. Dang it!!...to say the least he really didn't complain. (I wonder what that little change is going to cost me). But what timing, he was about to complete the electrical and then I would have been left with purchasing arm chairs instead of a sectional couch or two love seats, I can't decide.

I am so blessed, so thrilled, so happy, the guys are willing to work so hard to complete (almost complete) this project, for the Thanksgiving onslaught of kids.

And we girls will LOVE the dust until it's done.