Christmas Fun!

So, the fun began on Christmas Eve at Cole's Parents house for a party.

Then, when we got home,

we have a tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve...

...and it's their Christmas Jammies!

Christmas morning, Tay got a "My Generation Doll"...

...Karly got a horse, Alexa got a remote control puppy...

I got new phones, haleluja!!! The old ones kept dying mid-conversation, 'cuz the batteries wouldn't hold a charge.

Cole got a Hot Choc. maker that we've searched for for a couple of years. I finally found one, and actually surprised him with it...he usually guesses everything we give him.

Then we opened more...

and more...

and more...

presents! Don't hate me 'cuz I'm beautiful!

Then Saturday, we had the Birch Family party at Marni's house. These are some gold shoes that Andra found and gave Marni as the remeniscent "Grandma Birch Gift"! My Grandma Birch used to give really funky, yard-sale gifts. It was always fun to see who got the craziest gift! Anyway, this is Marni modeling the shoes, which made it even funnier!

So, we had wonderful Christmas, and hope you did, too!

Catchin' Up

So, I'm doing some catch up: My Mom and Dad moved into my Grandma and Grandpa's house this summer, after my Grandpa passed away in April (my Grandma passed away in March '04). So my mom decided to invite all of their posterity (my Grandparents') to Thanksgiving dinner at her house this year. So we had 64 people (only about 70%) in her little house! But it was really fun to see everyone and talk about our memories of playing at Grandma's, etc. And of course, dinner was awesome!

The little girls played school on the big tables while dinner was cooking.

Alexa, Karly

Taylee, Demi, Zoe, Ali

Cole and Mark were the "volunteer" potatoe peelers! Jenika and Jordan watching TV and waiting patiently for the food!

My Uncle John carving the ham.

Dad and Mark carving the birds!

Too many women in that little kitchen!

Cute Maddy holding cute Makayla!

My cousin Brandon and his yummy little boy, Cannon.

People...

...people...

...and more people!

The kids table (that's Alexa with her mouth full)

Thanks, Mom & Dad!

Double Trouble

My little look-alikes are quite a handful, as you can imagine. Here are a few pix of them lately, just doin' what they do! They make me tired, but it's very entertaining when they're not fighting.

This is the tent I helped them build one day, when they were trying to do it themselves and getting very frustrated.

Then one day Karly figured out how to blow a bubble. So of course, we documented the occasion with a picture.

Alexa couldn't quite get the bubble blowing, so she said, 'Hey, I can whistle!"

So this is Alexa whistling!

One their favorite things to do (especially Karly) is to put their hats on, get their stick horses and ride around while listening to "cowboy music," which consists of only CD's that the cover has someone with a cowboy hat on! And the favorite is Garth Brooks!

So now I'm in the process of putting together a slideshow of them from birth. So watch for that on the right...

Tagged Again!

I've been tagged, so here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you. ( Jen ... I know it took me a while!)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag 6 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog or email.
6. Let your tagged peeps know once your entry is up.

So here are my 6 random things:

1. I am not a very good housekeeper!
2. I like changing my hairstyle/color frequently.
3. I love going out to eat with whoever is game: husband, sisters, friends!
4. I'm NOT a morning person! And my children are great at sleeping in, which I love!
5. I would love to write music and have it published.
6. I would like to write a book about my life someday!

There ya' have it! Kind of boring, I know. And I'm tagging

1. Aubrey
2. Melinda
3. Kerith
4. Ashby
5. Ashlie
6. Jamie

It's Frosting!

The last few weeks, when my kids wake up, they think the frost is snow! So I expained what frost is. Well, this morning, when it was actually snowing, Karly looked out the window, and with absolute excitement, yells, "Look, Mom, it's frosting!"

Playing in the "frost"!

Karly (in blue) & Alexa (in pink)

Lexa Lue!

This is my funny child! She has said some of the funniest things lately... When her Grandma was asking what they were going to be for Halloween, Lex said that Caleb was going to be "an elephant or a terd-bucket!"(she doesn't say her "R"s, so it was even funnier!) Yeah, I know that's not a very nice thing to call people, but coming from her, it was hilarious! Then one day, as we were going somewhere in the car, Cole was asking the kids, "Who loves Caleb?" (This is one of our games, to ask "who loves " and then each of the kids names) Anyway, they all said, "I do!" And Cole asked Lex, "Why do you love Bubba?" (It's what the twins call him) and she said "'Cuz I love Terd-buckets!" Then again one night in the car, Lex had her light on above her seat, and Cole asked her why she needed her light on. She said "'Cuz I'm special!" Then the other night at dinner, she was so whiney and had been all day long. So, finally I said, I really don't want to listen to whiney bum any more!" And she said, in a VERY whiney voice, "I'm not whiney bum!" To which I replied, "Who are you, then?" Her answer? "I am Lexa Mary whiney bum!" (again with no "r"s) Of course we all started laughing, which made her even WHINIER! We just love our little Lexa Lue, though! She has the best facial expressions, and always has that glint in her eye that says she's up to no good! And even though she's our most STUBBORN CHILD, she's also very loving and comforts Karly when she's sad , even if she's the one that made her sad! She's also her Daddy's little shadow... she doesn't leave his hip pocket when he's home. Here are some of my Fave pics of Alexa:

Snuggling with Karly

She loved her binki the most, I think, even though all my kids were very attached to binki's!

She has the best cheesey grin! This is her holding cousin McKayla.

That's my Lexa!

I Guess I've Been Tagged!

So I've been tagged by both Jen and Melinda, so here it is: 8 things on my wishlist~

1. To have a maid!
2. To have someone give me a million dollars! Ok- even just 1/4 of a million would be great!
3. To have obedient, polite, and respectful children.
4. TO HAVE MY WORKING BODY BACK!
5. That my kids would always be safe and not worry about some wacko trying to take them!
6. To go to Hawaii~ Someday!
7. That my children will always be healthy.
8. That scientists will figure out nerve regeneration in humans!

8 shows I watch~

1. Life
2. Deal or No Deal
3. Don't Forget the Lyrics! (I still have my application to get on the show!)
4. Dancing w/ the Stars (sometimes)
5. American Idol
6. Biggest Loser
7. America's Funniest Videos
8. Raymond (re-runs)

8 things I did yesterday~

1. Finished cleaning my house.
2. Fished the food for my open house.
3. Had an open house. (If you'd still like to order, let me know!)
4. Cole and the kids cleaned the basement!
5. Went to Old Navy and Ross.
6. Came home and bathed kids.
7. put kids to bed.
8. Watched a movie with Cole.

So there ya' have it! People I'm tagging: Aubrey, Kim, Lori, Ash, Brooke, Mindi, Kerith, and Michelle!

More Halloween

I know, I said I was glad Halloween was over, but then we had our annual soup party at Cole's parents house on the 2nd, 'cuz everyone was doing other things on Halloween when we usually have it. Anyway, Grandma wanted to see them in their costumes, so we had to do it all again! So here are some more pictures of the fun!

The twin kittys

I did a little more fun stuff on their faces, but Karly didn't like it so we had to wash it off and "Do it like nast night," as she put it.

Taylee wanted her face done differently, too.

This is Tay with little cousin, Kennedee, the cowgirl!

Here's the whole crew:(L-R)

Caleb, Jaxton, Taylee

Karly, Addison, Macklie

Alexa, Luke, Kennedee

Then Grandma brought out the Halloween gingerbread house kits!

Great face, Gav!

Then we all had fun licking the orange and black frosting off our fingers and making our teeth black!

Pretty, Emily!

The finished products! Some of them fell apart because we didn't read the directions that said to wait 15 min. after you put the frames togetherbefore you decorate it!