Merry Christmas!

Choo Choo

Cody does NOT like the boys Christmas train.

This year I gave the boys an artificial tree(from freecycle) and let them put all of their own ornaments on it. They have collected quite a few over the years. They decorated it completely by themselves and put their train under it. Cody hates the train with a passion. We find it to be highly entertaining.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday David!

Making them crafty

It was raining and cold and we had to stay busy so this is what we did: We made beaded spiderwebs. They turned out really cute. The boys were surprisingly patient with the beading. Maybe I should not make my boys do such things but they had to stop destroying the house.

Good Hustle

Sit into it Eric!

David defends the goal

There are three kids on David's team who do almost all of the work. This leaves David on defense where he is really bored. The ball rarely makes it all the way to him. Since there isn't anything better to do (like pay attention to the game) he figures he might as well flirt with the girls. It is usually David and two girls here and the coach can often be heard yelling "spread out!"

Notice David on the sideline showing off his orange peel smile

This last pic isn't David flirting. I just love it. When I see it I can hear in my head "EVERYBODY(I don't care what position you are playing) run for the ball" at what age does "group ball" actually turn into soccer?

Spectator

Levi gets to watch a lot of soccer this year. In order to make it more interesting he stands on top of whatever he can such as the bleachers or a wooden post. He's getting a great education on the game...a privilage his brothers did not have.

Soccer

Soccer is going well this season. It certainly has made my schedule crazy having two playing at the same time but still it is fun. Hopefully I'll get some better pics soon. Here David had to sit because he couldn't breathe. HE had been sick and was still not quite back to himself.

Eric is having fun but informed his dad tonight that he would prefer to be in art class all the time!

Happy Birthday!

It's impossible to believe that my baby is 5 years old!

A boy and his dog

This dog adores this boy. Levi and i had gone for a bike ride and noticed that the neighbor's tree was losing walnuts. We stopped to pick up some of them on our way home. Cody was so excited. For some reason they are his favorite thing to chase....actually pretty much the only thing he will chase.

"I smell the walnuts! Please, pretty please can I have one?"

"Um, did he throw it yet"

"I know there are more in there and I am going to follow you until you give them to me."

School!

Back to school already. This summer has gone by so fast.

Eric and Levi. David was not in the mood for pictures

"This is how we really feel about it"

Cranky

Ready for PreK

Outer Banks - Setting Sun

We were having some fun with the setting sun up on Jockey's Ridge-the largest naturally occuring sand dunes on the east coast (80-100 ft above sea level)

Outer Banks Vacation

We had such an amazing week in the Outer Banks. It was a perfect way to end the summer. There are a gazillion good pictures so it was hard to choose. Here are

some of my favorites.

We took a day trip to Ocracoke and found our own private beach.

It was incredibly difficult to get a family shot with no one around to help. It involved a tripod on a boogie board at the water's edge which was almost washed away with a wave. Fortunately my camera survived.

This is the Hatteras Lighthouse

This is just a random pic of the boys playing mini golf

they heart the water

We went to a pool with the cousins while we were in PA this weekend. The boys had a blast. I think jumping in was the best part. This is Levi...

and Eric
and David

This boy just dove off the diving board. I was so impressed. Then he started going over a little too far so I told him he could just do a front flip....and he did! I was absolutely as scared and proud as a mom could be. Somehow I couldn't get a picture of the flip but it was impressive.

"I wanna play!"

We went out soccer gear shopping the other day for Eric and David. Poor Levi felt so left out. He wants to play too. So, I was working in the kitchen one morning when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a mostly naked, soccer clad, Spiderman! Too funny:)

Freezing Corn

We have been wanting to freeze corn but somehow we always have a reason not to (i.e. I was too prego, too many little kids, about to move, just moved, prego again, moving again, drought). This year was the year though. We finally did it. At first we did 10 dozen. It went so well that we did another 5 dozen. Now the freezer is stocked and ready for winter. mmmmmm corn!