Christmas (and then some more)

 Sports have come to an end...at least fall flag football and soccer

 Here's Dane's team doing a little pre-game warm-up.  He really got the hang of it this year and is already signed up for spring flag football with the same coach (our neighbor).

Here's Drake doing the Pledge before his soccer game (I promise to respect my opponents, play fairly....)

 For Christmas treats we made chocolate covered marshmallows and used pretzels and m&m's to make the reindeer faces.  They were a pain to make and didn't look pretty, but apparently they were yummy going down the shoot.

 Drake made a gingerbread house during his Christmas party at school.  I was there, but I was too busy helping, to stop and take pictures and my hands (and sleeves) were a sticky mess.  Fun for the kindergartners, a LOT of prep work and during work for parents:)

 We tried 10+ times to get a family shot at Andy's Aunt and Uncle's house on Christmas day...this was the best one.  Me included, I couldn't focus on the camera and Andy kept tickling Dane and Drake was a reindeer.  So Merry Christmas, here is this year's family shot!

 We had dinner with Santa at the zoo and of course walked around the zoo lights.  I always ask a stranger to take our picture and Andy always walks away like he doesn't know me while I do it.  But how else am I going to get all 4 of us in the picture at once?

Here are the letters the boys gave to Santa.  They're allowed to ask for one item and then Santa surprises them with another.  We try to save our wishes for kids who don't have as much:)

Part of our hope is that we teach our children to be appreciative rather than greedy.

We had a birthday party for Jesus at our church and Santa dropped by.

Here's Dane

 and Drake

 We had our own party for Jesus on Christmas eve before we went to church.

 and then we shared the cake with Santa...silly faces!

 Santa even visited Andy!

 Our regular guest came back again this year...Harley!

Our very own Elf on the Shelf.

He was kind of mischievous this year...

Here he is resting up after his long flight in from the North Pole

 leaving advice for the boys

 hang gliding

 guess he was hungry

 joy-riding on one of our Christmas trains

 hanging with the snowman family

 making snow angels with my flour

 digging into the cookie jar, atleast he was thankful:)

 remembering Jesus

 making a slide on the breakfast table

 swinging from the formal dining-room light

 lifting weights (toothpick and marshmallows)

 the final goodbye we found on Christmas morning in the playroom.

 And basketball has officially started (and at this point, almost ended).  

Both boys are on competitive teams now.  

This is Dane in action.

 Drake sitting with Dane on the bench with his team 

(so precious, it's almost as if they like each other at this moment)

 Dane giving Drake pointers before Drake's practice starts

 And Drake taking the shot...with Dane's imaginary assistance:)

Drake waiting for his game to start...he is the shortest (by atleast a head) of everyone on his team.

 Drake lost his 1st tooth, naturally (remember he lost 3 back teeth when trying to do a wheelie on his scooter a few years ago-a retainer and 3 fake teeth out that deal)

 MONSTER JAM!  

They looked pumped right?  

It was fun, as usual, but we all agreed we've done it 4 years in a row and maybe we'll skip the 2014 one.

 Our 1st pitiful snow.  But they made the best of it and gathered snow from all of our acreage and made this monstrous snow man.  That is a carrot broke into a 1/3 to give you an idea of it's size.  It really could be used in a joke... "Your snowman's so short...."

Or my Dad would say, "He's knee-high to a grasshopper."

Good job boys:)

 Our church had it's annual valentine dinner and following the dinner we attended the John Berry Concert at our church also.  It was a very personal concert and we enjoyed it.

 Ash Wednesday

 Valentine's Day boxes for school.  Drake and I made R2D2 (star-wars) and Dane opted for a more traditional box with a heart-shaped pop up lid. 

 And of course, silly faces.  That's how I'm able to get most of my pictures - allowing silly faces at the end...whatever it takes...I'm not above bargaining:)

 I would like to say I'm caught up, but Drake lost his 2nd tooth today (I pulled it for him during Dane's basketball game) and we got soooo much snow the other day that they didn't have school for 2 days and we've sledded for 3 full days.  But really, I'm mostly caught up.
Oh, and Andy and I are training for the 1/2 Go Marathon at the beginning of April.  It's my 1st, so I'm training...he's just trying to get faster.  Obviously, we won't be running it together.  

Thanks for keeping up with us:)
Andy & Renee (the parents), Dane & Drake (the kids), T-Bone & Chloe (the dogs) & BullsEye (the horse)

Fall 2012: Halloween, Thanksgiving & Hunting

The beginning of our fall season we do our "hands of change" in the guest bedroom.  They get to pick the color they use and where the hands go in the bedroom and which hand.  The only rule is their hands have to be together.

 Here is Dane doing the pumpkin run.  It's a school-wide 1 mile run and each grade runs separately and competes against each other.  He and his buddy (the one next to him) agreed to run together and come in 1st together, since Dane came in 1st in Kindergarten and 1st grade and Tommy came in 2nd both years.  So this time in 2nd grade they were going to be a team.  Someone has to come in 1st...Dane was placed 2nd.

 And he is NOT happy about it....

 Drake doing the pumpkin run...Kindergartners run 1/2 mile.

 4th over-all...good job boys!

 Halloween rice krispee treats.  And T-Bone photo bombing our pic.  But Halloween is his birthday (13th this year) so we'll let him get away with it, this time.

 Building our haunted gingerbread house...front

 and back....

 Carving pumpkins.  We were in Hawaii for these.  This is a picture Amanda and Ryan sent us.  They did a great job, maybe they'll do it again this year. :)

 Halloween party (Trunk or Treat) with our church.  Do you think they're smiling under those masks?

 Andy chaperoned Dane's 2nd grade class to the Magic House and they did a mock trial.  Dane was one of the attorneys.

 Trunk or Treat with their school.  We also missed this (again, we were in Hawaii), but Ryan and Amanda took them, decorated the back of our JEEP and apparently barely escaped a very large and scary thunderstorm.

 In kindergarten both boys made these place mats with their classes, using their hands.  I don't save a lot of things, but I had saved Dane's and he and Drake used them for the season.  They had the same teacher and she laminated them for us.

 We also made our own "we are thankful" table runner for November and wrote on it each night.  It was one of our best table runners and I've hung it up above our window in the formal dining room when we were ready to do our Christmas one. 

 The morning of Thanksgiving we did the 5k Turkey Trot.  Midwest Endurance Team ended up getting the traveling trophy.  It's quite nice and I was very proud of our boys.  Drake rode his bike the whole 3.1 miles and Dane ran it...at about an 8 minute 45 second pace for the whole thing.  He's going to be our long-distance runner.  Though technically Drake ran the pumpkin run faster than Dane did when he was in kindergarten, but his place was 4th not 1st.  Either way, they are some amazing boys.

 After the run we went to Grandparent's and made the "dessert"...chocolate cupcakes with Oreo's and m&m's.  They were supposed to be owls. 

The day after Thanksgiving Andy had hernia surgery...planned of course around all of his summer competitions and our Maui trip.

 We've had lots of sleep-overs and play dates.  There are few things that makes me smile more than the sound of giggles, playing and plotting what the next plan is...I LOVE IT!

 Movie night and sleep over

 in bed waiting for their book.....

 And they're waiting for their book too

 And the dogs want to hear too...

 I enjoy taking sleeping pictures, even when they are big 6 year olds (Drake always sleeps under his pillow)

 and 8 year olds....

 Drake went hunting for the 1st time this year; all smiles at this point...

 and there he is sleeping :)

 and walking back to the house...smiles again:)

 And of course Dane is a pro at hunting.  This is his 3rd year.  He and Andy always eat Oatmeal cookies before hunting because that's what makes the deer come...

 So while Andy and Dane hunted, Drake and I "trained" for our 5k Turkey Trot.  I run, he rides his bike.  I know I'm out of order here, deal with it:)

And while Andy and Drake hunted, Dane and I "trained".  He's a fast runner!

 Some practice at home (Drake)

 and now Dane's turn

There is something spectacular about every season.  I seriously can't pick a "favorite" one.  We had a very beautiful fall with all the vibrant colors and once again I was not disappointed with change of seasons.  I had to take some pics and share some here...enjoy

Our driveway headed to our house

 looking out from our deck

 and 2 beautiful things here...the colors with the sun setting behind our house and our boys (look closely on the driveway) doing one of their chores (bringing up the trashcan)

 It is also a great pleasure riding horses with the boys.  Dane now is pretty good and we leave the coral area and go on trail rides.  Here we are warming up before he and Drake play for a bit.  Drake took this picture.

And now Drake is riding the horse I ride (because BullsEye is Dane's horse...and he doesn't share her).

They play tag and just get some good riding in with the horses.  It's good for all 4 of them.  They literately can do this for hours.

 This is before Dane and I went on a long trail ride...

 And this is BullsEye after the ride.  It's always fun to watch the horses roll around after a long sweaty ride:)
I sent this picture to Andy from the barn and he asked if we shot her...nope, not today, not tomorrow either.

 Drake and I getting ready to get on the Screaming Eagle at Six Flags...he's my dare devil and rides all the rides.  There's a point where I have to say "enough" because I'm getting sick.

 Lazy movie night...looks like they've had their fill of popcorn and candy

 We went to a special preview of a show on the IMAX screen at the Science Center.  It was about the flight of the Monarch Butterflies.  The director was there to introduce the movie and talk with guests after the presentation.  He also brought cocoons, caterpillars and butterflies to view.

 Not only do all the neighbor kids call our home their 2nd home, so do their dogs.  Here are a couple that came to play with our pups and boys.

 Drake and his friend Alex went into the play room and got some costumes from the closet and posed for me.  That's my secret...hit the clearance isle after Halloween and stock up for the year:)

 Dane's 2nd grade class had a musical.  Dane is 3rd from the right on the back row; he has the ski goggles on his head.  It was cute.

Next on the agenda is Christmas (I will probably get it done later tonight or tomorrow).  I'm late, but definitely catching up!  So tune in next time to see what crazy things our visitor (Harley, the Elf on the Shelf) does when he is with us for the month of December.