Smart Kids Photo Session November 2013

This year I just had the kids pics made for the Christmas card, as you saw in the blog a few days ago. I actually tried a new photographer. She is the daughter of a lady I taught school with. She did a good job. I was pleased. Three kids together is not an easy task! Here are my favorites........

 This one is the best of the whole day-they all have different personalities!!!

I have individual pics of each kid, too. I'm going to put each one up on a separate post I think.

Top 5 Books of 2013

Ok, I have a zillion holiday pics to put up, but I just have to take a minute to blog this. I'm on a full blown reading binge this Christmas break. I started looking and trying to decide what books I loved this year. This is so hard to pick. I love lots of books and I read all kinds of books. Sometimes, though, I know I have a favorite when either 1.)I cannot function with my daily life until I finish reading the book because I HAVE to know what happens and 2.)I miss the characters when the book is over because I'm emotionally invested. So here's my 5 favorite from this year......looks like I walked down the mystery road quite a bit.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

OMGOODNESS! Lordy, this book is crazy, sick, and sucks you in. I was speechless. I could not get enough of this twisted story!

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Ya'll, this is my only non-mystery on the list. Something about this story just snuck into my heart. I absolutely loved this story. It was sort of mysterious at times but more of just a great story about several families and how their lives were intertwined. I will say that I shed a few tears at the end.

The Witness by Nora Roberts

Dear Goodness, I was not a Nora Roberts reader but I am now. This was a great story that I could not put down. I actually just finished it yesterday. Funny story. I started listening to it in the car. It was the unabridged version and goodnight was it long! But ya'll, I found my self wanting to drive around town for no reason. I even ate dinner in the car (several times). Finally, I was like this is ridiculous! I was at the library downtown when it opened yesterday morning to check out the book. I came home and read in bed till 2pm till I finished it (my kids were gone). And I can tell you I think I have a crush on Brooks Gleason. Yes, please read.

The Beach House by James Patterson & Peter De Jonge

Again, I had never read a James Patterson book. Love him. I am a sucker for mysteries. I actually picked this book for a silly reason! I love the movie, The Vow. Channing Tatum asks Rachel McAdams what her favorite book is and it was this. I found it on the shelf at Hastings for like $5 and I thought, what the heck. Love, love, loved it! Crazy story!

The Sixes by Kate White

Ok, this was a random pick. It was so darn good, I could not put it down! It is about a secret society on this campus. It was just so good till the very end. Pins and needles, I tell you!

Other books that I really enjoyed that I must include.......

The Heist by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle

The All Girl Filling Stations Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer

Entwined with You by Silvia Day

And soooo many more I cannot even list! Haha! I'm super excited to get my hands on a book that I hope will come out in 2014 written by one of my fav teachers ever!!!

Dead Javelinas Are Not Allowed On School Property by Charlena Chandler

aka Mrs. V-P.....The name alone is worth the read!!!

Thanksgiving 2013

We decided to head to Iraan on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving as soon as Slade & Finley were counted at school that morning. A large part of the state had seen some crazy ice storms and really cold weather. Tons of ranch houses had lost power, which included the ranch. Mom and Dad ended up going without power for 5 or 6 days. It came on Thanksgiving Day, but we had already moved the party into Iraan at Nana's house! I'm sure Nana's house has still not recovered from Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!

 Cita had bought all the grands a gingerbread house. They got busy one night and worked their houses.

 Brandi's family was headed to Houston for Thanksgiving, but they didn't leave till Wednesday morning so Campbell got to decorate her house.

 The Smart crew busy decorating.

 Inny loved working on her house. She's our family artist! (Gunnar calls Finley, Inny)

 Finley's house

 Slade's house

 Gunnar's house. He went nuts on the roof.

 U.S.A. puzzles

 Big Dad & Cita with their grands.

Nana & Aunt Sue. Aunt Sue came from Colorado City on Wednesday. My Uncle, Aunt, Dawson, and my aunt's mother also ate Thanksgiving lunch in town with us.

 Kyle & G man. Kyle came Thanksgiving morning and brought Nana's Christmas lights. He puts up her lights every year.

 Our annual roof picture.

 It was chilly watching them put up lights!

 Pedro & Pablo helping with the lights. They are twin brothers-they really are!!!

 Finley on Thanksgiving Day.

 She learned on this trip that she could roll Nana's footstool all over the house while balancing on top. I cannot tell you how many hours Brandi and I spent doing this while growing up. I attempted to do it and Nana told me to get down-I'd break something. Yes, she was probably correct about that. I got down.

 Fin in the tub at the ranch-when we finally got to go back and the electricity was back on!

 Note to self....please apply lipgloss when you take a photo. Thank you.

Decorating some sugar cookies. We seemed to do lots of "decorating" this trip!!!

 The boys in the yard. We picked up sticks that had fallen in the yard during the ice storm.

 Slade shot three woodpeckers.

 Dad paid him $10 per bird!

And Gunnar just wanted to hold a dead bird. The End.

Merry Christmas!!!

My Funny Boy

After this crazy holiday season, I'm going to sit down and write about each of my kids and all the things they like/say/do-mainly for my memory. But I just had to write this down today so I don't forget it! I have a pretty funny kiddo that keeps us laughing every day. I think he is the "funny child".

Story #1

Last Friday, Gunnar had whined and whined about everything all day long. I was about to pull my hair out with him. It was one of those days. I had to go up to school and help with the older kids school parties and was super excited when he had to go with Kyle for a little while. Then after the parties, Kyle brought him back home where he whined several more hours with me.

We decided to meet Kyle for dinner that night. When we got there and sat down at the table, Slade spilled the entire glass of tea immediately when the waiter sat it down, to which it then went into my lap. So I was wet the entire meal. Somehow I was lucky enough that I ended up sitting by the "whiner". Gunnar has a new obsession of shaking the salt and pepper when we go into restaurants. He also wants to open up the sugar packets and pour them into everyone's drink. Even if they have water, Coke, etc. He has no preference.

In the midst of the tea cleanup, he managed to pour several sugar packets out onto the table and was licking sugar and saying, "this is tasty!" Which that is funny in itself to me. A few minutes later, he realizes how sticky his hands are. He wants me to wipe them and I, of course, didn't bring the wet wipes in my purse. (Side note: Does any mother dare leave the house without wet wipes???) I told him he was just going to have to use his napkin. He still was whining and wanting me to help.

Basically, at this point of a very long day, I was frankly just sick of him. I love him, but I was just at full capacity of Gunnar. I told him to clean it up himself because he had made the mess. He then proceeds to look across the table at Kyle. He holds up his two sticky hands and says, "Dad, we've got a problem."

Story #2

Gunnar has learned the words to lots of songs on the radio because he is always being hauled around while we taxi his siblings to and from their activities. Sorry, third child. He likes the Katy Perry Roar song. He also loves the Darius Rucker Wagon Wheel song. 

The other night I told him it was time for bed. In Gunnar fashion, he didn't want to got to bed, just like every other night of his life. He never wants to go to bed. I told him that he could either go get in his bed or he could go get in the chair and I would rock him.

He looked at me and said, "Rock me, Momma, like a wagon wheel."

November Happenings

I would say that Gunnar had his first "official" shiner. He fell off of Brandi's bed onto the side table.

Every day it turned a different shade of sad.

 This was one of the most colorful days.

Umm, did I mention we got a dog? Yeah, I had a temporary lapse in judgement. Kyle and I are not pet people, but we are giving it another shot. This is Sadie, the chihuahua. I can tell you it's like having another baby, but she's a sweet little dog. She was one pound when we got her. More on this later.

 This is what my child was thankful for at school. Yes, I'm proud.

 This girl likes her fashion. Much more than her mother.

I thought this was so stinkin' cute. We had the kids pics taken. This is how she brought me the pics. This was in my mailbox when I got home one night.

Inside the box was a little stamped canvas bag.

Inside the bag was the flash drive wrapped in candy can string. How cute is that!?!

Someone is very excited about his cookies!

We love our bubble baths 'round here.

Slade, Kaleb, Isaiah, Bob, Ben, Payton

All the boys dressed up for he Cotillion dance. Moms danced with their sons. We came to the realization very quickly that Slade and I will not be asked to be on Dancing with the Stars. Or maybe we can and they could vote us off the first night.

Basically this is a more accurate photo and in turn, will be a great blackmail photo one day.

After the dance, some of us moms took the boys to a nice restaurant to eat dinner. We probably won't do that again for say, 8 more years????

Gunnar and I went and had Thanksgiving lunch with Finley.

Gunnar has discovered that he can get a small bowl out of the bottom drawer in the kitchen and take it to the water dispenser on the fridge. He fills the bowl and then drinks it. I may or may not have said this was fine because I was tired and didn't want to get up and get him a glass. 

Human bridge.

Finley & Campbell at Cracker Barrel.

On a sad note, some crazy person set the church that Kyle grew up in on fire last weekend. Many years of memories were in that church.