Merry Christmas

Santa came a day early (ignore the date stamp on the photo's.. still trying to figure out all the features on my new camera!).. we told the kids they couldn't leave their rooms until 7:00 but around 4:30 we heard what sounded like ELEPHANTS walking the halls up stairs and then around 5:30 we heard a fant sterio on... around that same time KayLea woke up w/ a Ear Ache (she had gone to bed the night before saying her ear kinda hurt) we tried to console her then begged her to take some motrin and then there was no stopping anyone and gave in and we all decided to give in and do Christmas around 6:15am... everything was opened and done by 7:00...






The boys favorite presant was a Red Ryder bee-bee gun... they have loads of rules in order to shoot it and frankley it seems as though it was more of a gift for DAD to give it to the boys than for the boys them selves...


The Next day (actually christmas day) we woke up early and headed off to Little Rock to see Grandma and Grandpa Lane... we all had a blast and the kids really loved seeing everyone there..

The Last of the Snow

the kids have been playing outside every possiable moment, they even griped yesturday when we left to get a Christmas tree, today they some how managed to make a very sorry looking snow man... snow is predicted again for this week (not too much though)...

Finnally we get snow!!
w/ everyone else in the snow area's getting dumped on last week we were feeling forsaken but last night we got our wish.. it's gordous outside COLD but very pretty.. i'm remembering my bi-polar relationship w/ this place.. it was getting just cold and ugly but now it's so pretty it's easy to forget how cold it is!
the kids had to play before school and i figured we had to get out all the snow stuff so i might as well let them enjoy it!

It's beginning to feel allot like Christmas

today Ben and I were doing some shopping at our little mall and there was absolutely NO LINE for Santa and KayLea was so excited we let her sit on his lap she talked his ear off we were shocked she didn't clam up at all.. she's telling everyone she's Santa's buddy... we could hardly get her to look up at the Camera she was so enthralled in talking w/ the big guy... this is a shot of her giving Santa a Hug..

i guess now it's beginning to feel allot like Christmas...

love to all

Happy Birthday KayLea!!!


Ok so it's a little late (by a few days) but we finally celebrated KayLea's birthday... she was no worse for ware but she didn't feel good all day so the ole addage "its my party and i'll cry if i want to" REALLY rang true ALL DAY!! it finally came to a head when she was finally allowed to open her presants (when the boys came home) and she tearing-ly said "i want to take the presants back to the store" a threat i had obviously given more than once!!! i convenced her to open just one before she made that decision and i think she was glad i didn't follow through on it.. she was also very confused at the fact that she didn't get to personally pick out her presants (the pit-fall of having older brothers; Bradley DID get to choose his presants this last year)... But it was a nice day and ended nicely w/ KayLea loving and playing w/ her new toys..

Matt and Shannon got Hitched!!
We just got back from Sacramento; we had a good time but we are exhausted... yesturday we got bumped from one flight so it took a bit longer to get home so it was about a 15 hour day... because we didn't get home until about 11:45pm i let the boys sleep in... they woke up around 10am and i got them to school around 11... we are all a little cranky so i see early bedtime in everyone's future...

on a side note.. it's KayLea's birthday today but Shhhhhhh... Because Ben has to work today and the rest of the week we are going to celebrate her birthday on Monday (Ben's day off)... so i can't believe my baby is 4 but i have a few more days to come to that realization...
here are some pic's from our weekend..
First of the Bride and Groom



here are some of the rest of us!

Fun times before and after the wedding:

All in All it was a great weekend!!!

love to all

US

Happy Halloween
we have had a fun week or so; we had a Halloween Haunted house at the School, Trunk or Treat at the Church, then today we had halloween parade at school and parties in each class this is the first halloween my kid's have been allowed to wear costumes at all.. it was fun, very remanicent of when I was in elementary school..
here are some pic's



KayLea also was pictured in our local paper from the Haunted House at the School, here is the picture and blurb from the paper























Sence we live in the boonies we won't be trick or treating but the Kids have plenty of candy from the various events we've already had.. all in all very fun Halloween

Fall Fun!!!
wehad lots of fun today, there are a ton of leaves and so the boys (all of them) piled them up and the kids had a fun leaf fight!! all in good fun now they all need bath's because they are all itchy haha..
i'm loading quite a few pic's so they are kind of small so click onto them to see a larger image..



the kids diving into the pile Dad and the boys worked hard to make! KayLea just wanted to swim in all the leaves...

OK last one!!
Ok i couldn't help but include these gordous pic's of the inside of this amazing covered bridge.. you have to ignore the graffiti but i don't think it takes too much away from the beauty of this piece of history!! [Oh yea; if you click on a picture you'll be able to see a bigger more detailed pic]

I also included a pic of the road we were on to get to the bridge.. it was so isolated we nearly missed the bridge that was down to the right of the road.. and a side view of the bridge...
we had a blast.. hopefully this might wet the whistle of all of you and you'll want to come visit and explore and maybe find new treasures w/ us!!

2nd of 3
The most amazing covered Bridge
in our travels yesturday we found 2 huge covered bridges that i had never bothered going to find.. we have a covered bridge a bit closer to our house and we've seen it so i figured that's how they all are.. NOT boy was i wrong.. this one was buit in 1860 and it was origionally a Rail way covered bridge.. it is now part of a snow mobile trail we had so much fun looking at it.. but it was so high up from the water i was terrified we were going to loose a kid to the drink 100 ft below!

Top right and left are the same picture just me w/ Chapman, Clair and KayLea and the middle is Elizabeth with the same kids.. then the front shot and the shot from the bridge to the water below (scary hua!)
Ok one more posting...