Happy Holidays...

from our Family to Yours!

We are wishing you all the love, all the laughter, and all the joy that this season brings!

I don't know...

what it is about this year that feels so strange...

Maybe it is the lack of cold, snowy weather...

Maybe it is my uninterest in buying any gifts...

Maybe because my husband, who is usually the excited shopper, is too busy to help me shop...

Maybe because my christmas cards are actually done and it is the 2nd week in December...

Maybe because it has been a crazy year for us and it just doesn't seem possible that it should already be Christmas...

Whatever it is,

I am desperately trying to ready myself for the upcoming holiday!

I do know one thing...

This baby is adorable!!

Even though he makes me so tired

because he is so so busy

and as Emerson would say "so sneeky!"

No way can it be...

DECEMBER!!

I am not ready!

I wanted to be prepared!

I really, really wanted to be oragnized

and be ready for the fun and craiziness that December brings!

However, sadly, I am not!

(surprise, surprise)

We have started some of the festivities though...

A visit to Santa.

Emerson still doesn't know if she likes it or not!

Easton wasn't sure either!

Hopefully by the end of this weekend I will be prepared to handle the up coming weeks!

thankful {day 13}

Today I am thankful for these beautiful little people!

They make me who I am. They make me want to be a better person.

They fill my days with so much joy and love.

Aniston is amazing!

She is smart and beautiful. She is growing up to be a sweet young lady. She is my big helper. She is so much a 1st child!! I love her so much.

Emerson is still my little girl. She loves to cuddle with me. She wants to be big like Aniston. She is silly and shy, and I just think that she is adorable!!

Easton is my sweet baby. I am just amazed by him everyday. He has these little looks that just melt my heart. He raises one eyebrow at me and flashes me a gigantic smile. He is perfect and I am so much in love with him!

I feel so thankful and blessed everyday

that they are mine!

thankful {day 12}

Today I am thankful for my mom.

Not only is she the best grandma to my kids, she is a fantastic mom and an even better friend to me.

She is ALWAYS there for me.

She never misses anything the kids do.

She is so supportive of us and I love and appreciate her for that.

thankful {day 11}

With Thanksgiving being only days away, I realize that I haven't done well with posting everyday. I have been thinking about it everyday and have been taking the time to realize all that I am thankful for, because lately it seems like I have a lot to be thankful for.


Today I am thankful for my grandparents. They are amazing and such a big part of my life. If I need them, they are always here for me. If they don't see the kids for a couple of days, they are calling and insisting to see them. They say that can't stand it when they don't get to love and kiss them.

I love that we can spend a Sunday afternoon together, just like we did this last Sunday. The day was gloomy and the wind was blowing in a storm. But at my grandparents house it was so warm and cozy!

We spent the afternoon, talking, having cheese sticks and yogurt, and listening to the kids giggle and throw balls across the living room with grandpa. I just love them and love all of the time that we get to spend together!


...note to self: you need to take some photos of the kids with their grandparents!!

thankful {day 10}

Today I am thankful that someone has learned how to write her name.
She writes it on EVERYTHING...and I mean everything.
I love it!
It makes me smile when I find it, even when I find it in my checkbook!

thankful {day 9}

Today I am thankful for things that make me laugh...

because being a mom,

you need a good laugh every once in a while!

thankful {day 8}

Today I am thankful that I catch little moments like this...

thankful {day 7}

Today I am thankful for my dad...
Who happens to be having a birthday today...
So Happy Birthday Dad!!

Today I am thankful for the relationship that my dad and I have now!

We have had some rough times...We haven't always agreed...We haven't always been on the same page...but time heals old wounds and thank heavens that it does.
We are good now...so good! We talk almost every day. I feel like I can tell him anything. We share our lives now, the good and the bad.
I have come to the realization that when it comes to family, I kinda got delt a bad hand. One divorce is bad enough, but to have to go through 2, it, well, it really SUCKS! And to all of you who know me, know that it was a lot messier than just 2 divorces. And it was easy to be mad and to place blame, but in the whole scheme of things it all just really doesn't matter! What matters is the relationships that we build after. What matters is how much you are willing to forgive and forget. What matters is that you learn from it.
I have been hurt, I have cried, I have felt alone, I have been angry. I have learned how to cope. I have learned what is really important. And what is really important is LOVE, Love is all that really matters. Not one time in the last 15 years did I ever question the love that my dad had for me. I always knew it was there. He has always loved me and I know that now! And through it all I have always loved him! Through the good times and the bad times!
So thanks Dad! Thanks for being you and loving me the way that you do!!

thankful {day6}...

I skipped a day...
I was busy cooking all afternoon...
The snow makes me feel like cooking and filling my home with warm yummy scents...
I love it...
but I did nothing else all day...

but today I am thankful for music...
let me tell you why...
last night the CMA awards were on...
and my family gathered around our t.v....
we watched... and sang loud
and the girls danced around the family room...
We all had a favorite...
The girls LOVED Taylor Swift (of course)
Ryan and Easton loved The Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson,
and I loved Lady A...
and mostly when they sang this song.
I love it...
It gives me chills and makes me cry when I hear it...EVERYTIME!



so being thankful for music may be silly...
but for us we love it and we love it all together!!

thankful {day 5}...

Today I am thankful that my sister, my mom, and her husband made it home safe and sound!!

My sister, my mom, and her husband were on a 7 day cruise. They left on Halloween and docked this Sunday.

Then we hear this morning that the very ship they were on has started on fire and is stranded out in the ocean!! Here is the STORY!

thankful {day 4}...

Today I am thankful for the job that I have with Burns.

It allows me to work from home, in my jammies, with my kiddies playing in the same room.

I can work as much as I want, when I want!

(just in case your not sure what I do, I edit images for their website. Like these fancy boots)

They are great to work for!

And check this out...Here

Brad Paisley visiting the Cowboy Shop in Cali!

How awesome is that??

thankful {day 3}

I am so sad and on the verge of tears thankful that this baby is healthy

and growing just like he should be.

He crawled, not army, scooting himself across the floor crawl, but actually crawled yesterday and I got to watch it for the 1st time!!

I am amazed by him everyday!!

thankful {day2}...

today I am SO thankful for my friend...

I called her...

I said, "lets take the kids pictures!"

because we have been wanting to do it for 2 months now...

so we did...

and we didn't have fun!!
this picture makes me laugh...

I insisted that we take a pic together, because one day we will want to remember that we decided to do crazy things like taking our 6 kids pictures!!

So we left Mia with Slade, Easton with Aniston, and gave the camera to Braxton.

We posed for the 1st picture, glanced around and Mia had started to wander off towards the creek that was behind us.

AHHH we both screamed...

And Braxton took a pic...

I love it!!

And I am thankful that I can call her my best friend!!

A month of thanks...

I love November, and not just because my birthday is this month!

I love the season change.

I love wearing sweaters. I love making soup and bread on cloudy days.

I love Thanksgiving.

I love that Christmas is just around the corner.

It seems that everyday I feel a moment of gratitude for something. I have a lot to be thankful for! Sometimes its easy to get caught up in everyday things and the little things that I am thankful for become lost in the madness.
For the next month I am going to share one thing a day for which I am grateful for.

But 1st a little halloween overview...

AWWW... He melts my heart!!

My little frog...


Not really sure Easton liked trick or treating as much as the girls did...

Taylor Swift, A cute little frog, and a fairy!

Even though she has only eaten candy since last Thursday.

She still is THE cutest thing ever!!

Today I am thankful that Halloween is over;)

one of these days...

one of these days i will get caught up...

one of these days i will take a vacation...

one of these days i will do nothing but snuggle on the couch with my girls...

one of these days i will finish decorating the kids rooms...

one of these days i will learn to say NO...

one of these days i will deep clean my whole house...

one of these days i will sleep in...

one of these days i will stop feeling guilty for not being able to do everything for everyone...

one of these days i will watch all the movies i have been wanting to...

one of these days i will get to go on a date with my husband...

one of these days i will not feel overwhelmed or stressed...

one of these days i will get back to blogging, because i have missed it so...

one of these days i am going to get this made into a canvas print...




but today is not one of those days...

It's been a little crazy at our house...

Emerson had her first day of preschool...

We have had an overnight field trip to Gooseberry!!

Easton turned 4 months old...

has rolled over...

and almost mastered sitting up...

He has outgrown his bassinet...

which has required a huge switch to take place at our house...


(this I am not proud of)

But this is my office/craft room. I am giving it to the girls, in order to get the baby in his own room...
I am in the middle of a huge and massive switch...

which is consuming my days...

I am unplugging my computer right now...

I may not be back for days...

I am boxing up so much stuff...

I am going to paint...

I might be crazy by next week...

On the 25th

my baby girl turned 4...

So we celebrated with a girls day out (plus Easton)

We started the day out with some lunch...

Where she got a sundae, just because it was her birthday!!

Then she recieved an important phone call from Grandpa Chad,

wishing her a happy birthday!

She wanted Grandma Tracy to take her to get her ears pierced for her birthday.

I didn't think that she would really do it...

But we went anyway...

She picked out her earrings...

she sat in the chair and
she let them mark her little ears...

she was calm, cool,

and collected...

and then it was done...

There was not even a tear...

from her anyways...

The cutest part was unphotographed...

It was when we walked up to get Aniston from school...

Emerson showed Aniston her new earrings

and Aniston squealed with delight and hugged her so tight.

All by the fence at school.

It made me smile...

and tear up for the second time that day...

Man, I love these kids of mine...