Noble 12th birthday party

Noble had his birthday party at Champion Martial Arts and it was a total blast! He invited a bunch of friends and they learned a little karate and played dodge pad (like dodge ball).


The birthday tradition is to let the birthday boy wear a black belt for the day. But the black belt they have is too small for Noble so Mr. Lopez let Noble wear his second degree black belt. It meant a lot to Noble to be wearing not just a black belt, but Mr. Lopez's belt.

The instructors had made a throne out of practice pads for Noble to sit on. Only he could sit on it and while they had their cupcakes all his friends crowded around him.

Another birthday tradition at Champion Martial Arts (like the black belt) is to let the birthday boy cut the cake (or cupcake) with Mr. Lopez's sword. Mr. Lopez said it was a first that he let the birthday boy do it without help.

The treats.
Karate belt cupcakes
Noble's favorite (king size) candy bar Reese wrapped and decorated with a karate kick cut out.

Sweetie Pie Seph

Super Smile

After eating Sis. Roberts peanut butter cups in the car

Doesn't he look so grown up?

Bright eyes!

Down with the old and Up with the new

This is our old family picture. It was taken in Summer of 2007.
Obviously a little out of date because someone is missing and Noble is now as tall as I am. We took it down from our mantle recently because....





We have a new family picture. This is what is above our mantle now.

I don't have digital copies so all I can do is take a picture of the actual picture. I promise it is much more beautiful and stunning in real life. I can't believe how grown up everyone looks.

At this time. . .

It's true. I have been neglecting this blog. Not on purpose. I just have so many time suckers and so many things I would rather be doing. I do try and keep it updated. I just bulk update it. No posts for a time and then BAM 10 posts. One day this week I was thinking about how neglected the blog is and was thinking to myself I just don't think I have much to write or say right now. I noticed my camera sitting near by so I snapped a picture of Liam.


He was on the couch reading a book he is really excited about right now. I gave him two weeks to read it because I am pretty sure it is a couple grade levels above him and it is longer than any book I had asked him to read recently and he hasn't finished a book in months. He read this one in a weeks time. The Ranger Apprentice was a gift from Auntie Anna. He is now reading the second book for fun and has an assigned reading book.

I realized that although I feel like we do the same thing day in and day out, like lay on couches and read books, it's still our life and our story needs to be told. So I got up and went to find everyone and snap a picture of them at the time and tell what they were doing.

I found these two in the kitchen. Joseph was playing in a shoe box and an empty food storage (pancake mix) box. Both boxes were sitting near the recylcle bin in the kitchen.  Who knows what was going on in his head, but he was happy and out of my hair for awhile. Noble was going through his boy scout book seeing what he has done and what needs to be done. He is holding up a pack of fruit snacks that they found in the box from Costco. It is a double pack that didn't seal between the two packs. They think it is quite the novelty.

And then then I found Hewy laying on the couch. We have all been slightly under the weather since Thanksgiving. I know we have had several "bugs" not just one illness,  but I keep telling Alec that I feel like we have been sick since Thanksgiving. Hewy has/had the worst of it. He had strep but he just didn't snap back. He was super pale for a few weeks and just wanted to rest. I have to remember that he is re-growing new bone and that probably takes a toll on his sweet little body. He gave us a bit of a scare but I am happy to report that the color has returned to his cheeks and he is up and making noise again.

So that is our exciting life.  Homechool family at our norm. 

before and after

Before:




and After:


Almost looks like a completely different kid!

What color would you say his eyes are?
The best I have heard them described is "Tortoise Shell" some brown, a little green, with a blue ring around them.

I know you are waiting for something new...

However, my computer has been down.  It came down with a headache (or wait, was that me?) last week.  Therefore I took it in for a check up and it needed to stay with the laptop doctor overnight(s) for observation.  I know, I know, the genius laptop doctor thinks I am a nitwit for bringing it to him for "just a headache" but the truth is I don't speak computer.  I speak 1, 5, 10 and 12 year old.  I speak enough golf and college football to impress my husband and his friends.  I speak gourmet cooking. I speak yellow lab enough to keep her from begging at the table and not biting children (okay she does the last part herself).  I speak karate, cub scouts, boys scouts, piano, guitar, Mindstorm Robotics and playdates.  I speak diapers and laundry; dirty dishes and bedtime stories; sticky floors and snuggles.  I blog, facebook and surf.  I speak enough Word and Excel to do what I need to do.  But I don't know how to fix computer headaches. 

Now it's back.  Shiny, new and relaxed.  It's like it got a bath and massage while away.  All the kinks were worked out in the file defragmentation and all the cob webs brushed away during the hard drive clean up and it has more shine than I think it did when it was new.  Keys no longer kind of crunch because crumbs got under them or feel slightly tacky to the touch because well, fingers are sticky in our house.  I did notice however that my tab key still has something on it.  It is rough and only on the very medial edge.  Ha!  They missed that!  But I am kind of glad.  Because the first time I hit the tab key - was the first time I felt at home on my keyboard. 

Stay tuned.  I have a few posts in mind.  Including: Joseph before and after a haircut, What everyone was doing at "that moment" I picked up the camera, and Down with the old, Up with the new - our latest family picture. 

Christmas Morning 2010

more photo memories of Christmas morning 2010

Christmas Morning 2010

like I posted before Hewy had been sick Christmas Eve - he woke up about 5am not feeling really well, coughing, throat hurting, etc. I got up with him and put him in the shower so that the steam could help him breath better. Once I got him out of the shower I realized he wasn't going back to sleep. Thankfully Santa's bells rang just as Hewy got redressed and it was time to get up! Maybe a little earlier than we normally would get up but Santa used that magic to know what was best for our family that year!

After Santa's bells are heard we all meet at the top of the stairs and kneel to pray as a family. It is one of my favorite traditions. And then rush down the stairs to see what there is!

This year they boys didn't have much. Mostly just their stockings. But Santa left a note by the chimney that said "Good things come to those that wait!"


Liam with his new watch from New Grandpa and Grandma

Joseph with his Rody horse from Santa

Hewy tries out the hand tattoo animals from his stocking

Noble very excited about the game he really really wanted that Grandpa and Grandmama gave to him.


Later in the day, after stockings had been gone through, gifts had been unwrapped, breakfast and second breakfast had been eaten... magically things appeared in the fireplace. Hewy received a Green DSi, Liam a special edition red DSi XL, and Noble an iPod touch. So glad that Santa know just how good my kids really are!

Christmas Eve 2010

We had a scrumptious dinner on Christmas Eve. Dell and Anna and their kiddos came and enjoyed dinner with us and then we did the Christmas Story. And Grandpa and Grandmama spent the night with us. That night we also made reindeer food, opened a present (Noble and Liam got Robes this year, Hewy and Joseph got the traditional jammies), read the night before Christmas, tracked Santa on the computer and low and behold everyone under age 12 was asleep by 9pm. At least for bit... Hewy had not been feeling well and he woke up with a high fever and not feeling so well. He was so worried that Santa wouldn't come because he was awake. We assured him Santa would understand and use his magic to make it work out. Whew! Thankfully he did!

Grandpa Fudge

Grandpa introduced Joseph to fudge.
He paid for it in chocolate hand prints on his shirt!

What's that saying: "Old enough to know better... too young to care!'
Grandpa loved every minute of it!

So did Joseph!

Reindeer Food

Christmas Eve tradition in our family.
Reindeer food.

Mix in your personal taste of proportions
glitter of one or more colors
oatmeal
apples of carrots, chopped
place on front porch for reindeer in additions to cookies for Santa.

Momma and her boys

Momma lovin' her boys!

Legendary Holidays

One of our San Antonio Traditions.
Legendary Holidays at La Canterra.

I don't know why we didn't go earlier this year. We went December 23rd! And it was packed! We often go with friends or family and we always run into other people we know but didn't plan to meet there. This year was no different! We met a co-worker of Alec's and his family as well as a friend of mine with her kids! Crazy.



The best picture I got of the boys in front of the tree this year. Four boys equals a lot of HAM!

Even though it was packed we stayed behind at the end and got a picture alone with Makin' Dust. This was his 12th year doing legendary Christmas and our fifth year attending. Almost part of the family at this point!

Alec liked the way the "snow" looked in my hair.

This is a picture of the "the tragedy."
after the stories and songs and miracle snow in San Antonio there is hot cider and cookies inside as well as The North Pole where kids can play and color and decorate cookies. I believe Santa was even there this year. I had stayed in the Lobby to talk to my friend and Alec took Hewy to the North Pole. On the way back, after insisting he could carry his cookie by himself, a gust of wind from the front doors opening tipped the plate and Hewy's cookie smashed to the floor! There were tears aplenty. Thankfully Daddy took Hewy back to the North Pole and got another gingerbread cookie to decorate.

Another "first" this year was as we were leaving a Mom came up to us and said her daughter had wanted to talk to Noble all night but couldn't get the courage to do it. Would we mind asking Noble to go talk to her? (flattered, but Momma bear protective) We asked Noble if was okay with that. He was. Because he is a good sport and cool like that. (not because he wanted to talk to a girl... right?) She is homeschooled too, plays the guitar too, and wanted a cell phone for Christmas. Am I ready for this?

White Elephant Party

The boys wanted to have a Christmas party with their friends so I suggested a White Elephant party. Noble took charge and made a list of friends and called everyone. I was very proud of Noble "running the show" and I actually did very little for this event. The Toblers, Terrases', Kings and Browns all came. I was also very impressed with how well they all handled the "white elephant" part of it. When a 11 year old boy got the purple unicorn he had fun with it. When the wallet with Chuck E Cheese coins got "stolen" the boy was honest and gave the coins he had already put in his pocket. What great kids! I am so thankful that all of my boys have GREAT friends!



They also played a couple games and brought treats to share. But mostly - I think they had a great time just being together.

More of "The Camera Face"

More pictures of Joseph's camera face
Silly boy!