Merry Christmas!!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We've had a wonderful day! We normally travel on Christmas day, but today we didn't have to go anywhere. It was amazing!! We all really enjoyed being at home all day and just enjoying each other and all the new things too. The snow just made it that much better. We didn't get enough to play in, but it snowed for much of the day, and it was beautiful to watch. I can't think of a way to make the day any better.

As Chloe would say...it was the best day ever. :)

Happy weekend before Christmas!!

Chloe really enjoyed sliding in the snow, obviously! I love the continuous shutter speed option on my camera. It's great for getting funny action shots, which are some of my favorite. We're headed out this afternoon to celebrate with my family, so I thought I would leave you with a few funny pictures. I hope you all have a great weekend!




Here's a funny picture of Avery. Every time I turn around, he's outgrown his clothes, so we had to resort to raiding Keith's closet. Obviously, these pants are a little big, but the fact that he wore them, along with Keith's snow boots (from when we lived in Alaska!) is kind of scary. :)


Finally, I leave you with this picture of Brady. I mean, what snow day is complete without a gun?! (please notice the orange tip, it's just an airsoft gun!)

Snow day!

We had a snow day...before Christmas! We don't normally get snow this early, but we'll take it! We all love the snow, and enjoy getting out to play in it, but the combination of not much snow and the very cold temps kept us in most of the day. Chloe wanted to go out as soon as we got up, but later, when we did go out, she got cold pretty quickly. We had a fun day inside though, playing games and watching a movie.
I will have to admit that I was kind of torn about this snow day. I still have shopping and things to get done, and I only have a few days left to do it without kids, but I still love a snow day!

What Chloe's reading these days...

Chloe is learning lots in kindergarten! Apparently her reading has drastically improved!!

How can you tell that a five year old helped decorate for Christmas?

Random pipe cleaners on the tree

Poor Santa!

Why did I have to break THAT ornament?!

I broke one of my favorite ornaments this year. I was pretty upset about it, and still haven't thrown it away. Don't ask me why.

Even though it's not exactly like the old one, I bought one to replace it.

Things I don't understand...

I feel like it's time for a random list on here, so here you go.

I don't understand...

• the media's fascination with the Kardashians, Kayne West, anyone with the last name Hilton
• bumper stickers- (is that really what you want me to know about you?!)
• why I can't drive around with a bullhorn and let everyone know how to improve their driving
• why people complain about the weather ALL THE TIME! (hot, cold, rainy, snowy, dry... it just doesn't matter. someone is going to complain)
• stupid people
• why zits can be SO painful!
• how to keep my house clean...seriously
• people that have to be in the very front of the line to drop their kids off at school. seriously, they'll be fine walking a few feet, even if it's a little cold.
  
• how teachers are able to teach the kids anything between Thanksgiving and Christmas
• why it has taken me almost 35 years to accept me, the way I am????????????? :)
• why there's a show called the real housewives, when it really should be called...rich women who have nothing better to do than spend money they may, or may not have, talk about their "friends", drink, get plastic surgery, and in general, act completely idiotic. guess that would be too long.
  

Homemade muffins

I recently tried a new recipe for muffins. It's actually the first from scratch muffin recipe I've ever tried. I've always used the mixes because they're easy, and my kids love them, but I'm always interested in seeing if I can make one from scratch that we like just as much, if not more. I think I've found it on the first try! I was in the store a while back, and blackberries were on sale, so I thought it would be a good time to find a recipe and make blackberry muffins. Luckily, I found one pretty easily. I like this one because it's not overly sweet. I do have two kids that weren't a huge fan of the blackberries, but you can use this as a basic muffin recipe, and add whatever you want(chocolate chips work well). Avery and I really want to try a banana/choc. chip muffin, or at least some kind of banana muffin.

Here's the recipe:

Blackberry muffins

2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp milk
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups of fresh blackberries (about 5-6oz.) You can use frozen blackberries if fresh are not available. Defrost and drain them first.

Preheat to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the berries. (If you are using frozen berries, defrost first, then drain the excess liquid, then coat them lightly in flour.) Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense, not fluffy. The batter should not be smooth.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 17-20 minutes(or longer). Let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.
Serve as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours of baking.
Makes about 18 muffins.

*So, that's the actual recipe, but here's what I did differently.
The second time I made these, I added more cinnamon, probably about a tablespoon. We didn't think half a teaspoon was enough.
Also, the first time I made these, I didn't have any sour cream. I looked online for substitutes, and I just happened to have buttermilk (that I bought for something else). I don't remember how much I added, but it worked fine. (you can find equivalent amounts online) I've now made it both ways, and I didn't notice a difference.
Lastly, this makes anywhere from 18-24 muffins, depending on how big you make them.

Enjoy!

Archery competition

Brady recently (ok, a month ago) had an archery competition. This is the first year that his school has had an archery club. The resource officer (is that what you call the police officer at the school?) got it going at two schools in the county. Brady was interested in giving it a try, and we didn't already have enough going on, so we said sure! (sarcasm alert!) He has really enjoyed it, and he's pretty good at it too. He won third place at his competition! He has fun with it, and I think it's cool that he's learning something new.

Avery's a teenager!!

Today is Avery's birthday, and he's 13! I can't believe it!! I certainly don't feel old enough to have a son that's a teenager!! He's an amazing kid, and I'm so proud of who he is becoming!
Here are a few pictures of him, from the past few years. Enjoy!
He's gonna kill me for some of these! :)

a poem

i feel like crud
i have a lot of snot
my eyes are watery
and my mind is shot

the coughing i can't stop
nor the sneezing and the dripping
it's not very fun
it feels like i am tripping

my eyes just want to close
and get a little rest
but breathing is required
and the boogers make a nest

my mind is a little jumbled
poems are not my forte
but laughing always helps
make me forget and to snorte

now that my poem is all finished
some rest i'm after now
no coughing, sneezing or snotting
will be great, right after some chow

The end of an era...

okay, not really, but it is the end of football for this year! Brady had his last game this past Saturday. They ended the season with a win, and a great record 5-2. I was really hoping that Brady would not like football, but it didn't happen. At all. He loves it! It was more fun to watch then I thought. I know that will change as he gets older, and they start hitting harder. I have a video to put on here, but it's not cooperating this morning, so I'll keep working on that.
This is our first week with no practices since the beginning of August. I'm not sure what we're going to do with all our time. Brady is still doing archery through the school, but he just stays late one day a week, and there's no running involved!! Cross country and soccer are finished for Avery too. I really don't think we remember what life is like without all that going on. I'm very excited to be reminded though!
Here are just a few of the things I'm looking forward to...

• family dinners at the table
• not having to make sure uniforms are clean
• not living in the van
• not eating out as much
• we can get all the chairs, blankets and equipment out of the back of the van
• more relaxing afternoons/evenings
• not having to worry about when homework is going to get done
• we might actually have time to play outside together
• not being so exhausted all the time from the constant running
• not driving to the other side of town every day(50-60 minutes round trip)
  
• saving on gas
• knowing that everyone is in one place :)

Cross country state championships

before the race

you can't see avery in this one, but i just wanted to show how crazy it was!

after the race. he doesn't even look like he just ran two miles!

A few weeks ago Avery qualified for the state championships in cross country. He was very excited to do this in his first year running. So, last weekend we went to Knoxville. There were four runners from his school, one other boy, and two girls. There were nearly 300 boys running in the varsity race. He's only ever run with about 150, so that was a big change. This was only the second two mile race he's done all year. The course was pretty challenging as well. It was a great experience for him, and he's already thinking about next year. He really misses practicing with everyone at school, but he seems pretty determined to continue running on his own, which is really cool. I can tell he really loves it. He's currently training for a race at one of the state parks around here. It's a six mile race, and it's only a little over a month away! Keith's going to train with him, but it falls on a guard weekend, so he'll have to run on his own. I'll be there cheering him on the whole way! Anyone want to join him?!?
A big thanks to Mom and Dad for keeping Brady and Chloe for the weekend. It was fun to have time with just Avery. We're so proud of him!! It was a great weekend!

Bad weather

A couple of nights ago we had some bad weather heading our way, so we had to wake the kids and bring them downstairs. We were trying to decide, but when we could pick out our street on the map, and it was in the path of a possible tornado, the decision was pretty easy. All three kids are pretty heavy sleepers, so it took a little longer than I thought to get them downstairs. Except for Chloe. Keith just picked her up, and brought her down. She never even woke up! The boys were awake, but only barely. By the time we got everyone down, the worst was almost past. We waited a few minutes, but thankfully there was no tornado or anything really severe.

Cross country

The county championship was yesterday afternoon. I thought it was the last meet, but we still have one to go, and it's the biggest yet, because they learn if anyone qualifies for the state meet in Knoxville. Avery had his best meet yet, I think, and he earned a medal. He finished 25th out of seventy something. I'm not sure exactly how long it was, but it's usually 1.25-1.5 miles. He finished in 10 minutes. It's so fun watching him compete, but I get so emotional that I can't yell or cheer for him! I don't know why I get that way, but I do it every time.
I was very excited to get a picture of him running this time!!

Before and after

This is before and after Brady's football game this past Monday. He's still enjoying it, for the most part. His team won their first game this week, so they were all really excited!

What a wonderful weekend!

This weekend was a busy one. Avery had another early morning cross country meet, and a soccer game that afternoon. Granny and Pops were also here this weekend to watch the boys in their many sporting events.
As you can see in the picture, Avery received a medal in his race! He came in 4th place! His team also won first. This meet was much smaller than most, and it was a huge confidence builder for the whole team. Keith and Pops went to this one, so I didn't get to see Avery, but I can tell from the pictures how excited he was. The more he runs, the more he gets into it. It gives him incredible energy, and even when he's worn out, he's in a great mood! He's supposed to run on his own during fall break, and he's already been planning that. I can't think of anything better than watching my kids enjoying doing what they love!
Avery had a few hours to rest before his soccer game, but he was on a runner's high all day. He was really excited about soccer too, which isn't always the case. He likes to play defense, and you could tell he was having fun. His team lost 3-2, but that didn't even matter, because they had fun playing, and played better than they have all season. His team is starting to click better, and they shut down a team that's been playing together for a few years. They normally walk all over us, but not this time! Keith's mom took the picture during the game, and I LOVE it! (We all know that I can't get a picture during anything!!) Avery was in that kid's face all day, and totally took him out of the game. It was awesome!
We had a wonderful weekend, and even though it was busy, it was also somehow relaxing. (I'll post about Brady's game tomorrow.)

All she wants for Christmas...

Well, she's on her way to wanting her two front teeth for Christmas! Chloe has had a loose tooth for a month or so now, but last week while eating pizza, it almost fell out. It has been hanging on by one corner. She's been great about letting us try to pull it, but it just wouldn't let go. Finally, Keith was able to pull it yesterday. It was so wiggly that she wasn't able to eat very well, so I knew it had to come out. She was very excited when it came out, and couldn't wait to see what the tooth fairy left.

Cross country meet

This is the best picture I could get of Avery this past Saturday. I'm lucky I got this. He's not big on pictures, especially with other people around.
Avery is running cross country this year. This is his first year, and he's been practicing for a month or so. He's had two meets so far, and he's done great! He seems to really enjoy it, and I think he likes pushing himself to improve. He finished 63rd in his first race, and 49th this past Saturday. I think both races had about 150 or so runners. He really wants to make it into the top 25, so he can get a medal. I'm really proud of him for trying something new, and continuing to push himself. I can tell that he really enjoys it, and that's a change for him. He's been playing soccer for years, and he likes it, but he doesn't really push himself. I think he likes that cross country is more of an individual sport. Keith and I don't care what he chooses to do, we just want him to find something that he loves doing. I think he's found it.

I bet you're wondering about this picture. Well, this is supposed to be a picture of Avery during the race. I get too excited, and forget that I'm trying to take a picture. Oh well. I'll keep trying.

Here is he afterward. He's pooped. And while he really wanted to get into the top 40, he was happy with the results. This was a harder course than the first one. This one was hilly, and in the woods, and the first one was flat, so they're very different.

I've learned that cross country isn't for anyone that likes to sleep late on the weekends. We had to be there at 7:30 this past Sat., and it was about 30-40 minutes away. There's also a lot of sitting and waiting, which can be a little boring with no one to talk to, but it's worth it.

Brady's first football game

Last night was Brady's first football game. He's been practicing for a month or so now, although it feels like six months! (three practices a week, two hours each!) He was very excited last night, and couldn't wait to get out there and hit someone. Unfortunately, his team lost, but I think he had fun, and he even sacked the quarterback! He has 11 other kids on his team that have never played before, so they're all still learning. I'm hoping every game isn't like last night. I tried to get some pictures and video during the game, but it didn't work so well. It was hard to find Brady sometimes, and most of the time I was too into the game to mess with pictures! Maybe I'll get some good action shots before the season ends.

Chloe funny

This week Chloe has come home saying a couple of different phrases in spanish. I asked her who taught them to her, and she told me it was her student teacher. She said that she's been practicing her spanish. Then she said, "She must watch a lot of Dora." I just cracked up! I guess anyone that's learning spanish must watch Dora. She's such a nut!

Our pet snake

Ok, not really, but it was in our driveway. I came home from the grocery store the other day, and was about to get my stuff out of the back of the van, when I spotted this little snake right outside of the garage. Thankfully I didn't run over him as I pulled into the garage. I'm not exactly excited that he was there, but I wouldn't have wanted to squish him either. Anyway, I ran inside to get the boys, because I knew they would want to see it. I think that's the fastest they've ever responded to me!! They were excited to see it, and kept begging me to get a box so they could keep it. (i'm totally getting paid back for all the fake snakes i hid to scare my mom, and all the critters i begged to keep!!) I didn't let them keep it, but I did have a "best mom in the world" moment. Avery asked if he could touch it, and for some reason I said yes! I don't know what I was thinking! So, he touched it, and it almost bit him!! Thank goodness he has quick reflexes!

playset

We got a playset at the beginning of the summer, but unfortunately it's been way too hot to really play on it much. I'm hoping we're able to get out there a lot more this fall.
Contrary to the way it looks in the first picture, the boys were a big help in building the playset, especially Avery. He loves to build things, and he's big enough to do a lot of the work. He would have tried to get it all done while Keith was at work, if we had let him!