Goodbye 2010...

And what a year it was! Looking back over this past year, I am amazed at the year that we have had. It was a HUGE year for adventure! I honestly thought that this year was going to start the 'boring' years of our lives...we have had our kids...things would start to be 'routine'. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

The dream of traveling and seeing new and exciting things had been packed away for a time when the kids were grown and out of the house. To be honest it seemed like a nice thought, but not a reality. God blessed my socks off! My wildest dreams were suddenly a reality and the kids could come too! Italy for three months...I can't even begin to describe my thoughts and feelings about it. It has become one of the highlights of my life...an experience that I hope and pray I do not forget. My new motto: Pipe dreams...it is just a matter of how big the pipe is!

A new season of life: Case has started school. It is only half-day kindergarten but the ripples it has made in my life is far reaching. It is terribly exciting and I couldn't be more proud of how well Case has done thus far. It has been hard to adjust to a new schedule especially with 2 little ones who need naps. It is super fun to be involved at school, making new friends, being useful in new ways and having a little break in the afternoon!

All in all it has been a great year! Hopefully, 2011 and the new decade will be full of grand new adventures!
Have a wonderful New Year!
Ciao a tutti!

Christmas morning...

Ah, Christmas morning! Last year we got our first wakeup call...it was amazing...one of those moments you just love being a parent! This year...wake-up call...3:09 am...I am NOT kidding! Case woke up and 'wanted to just read a book'...unfortunately the little sister woke up too and wouldn't be quiet (I can't imagine how that would be)...she was pretty excited! Mommy comes down the stairs and kids go to bed once again! Wake-up call number 2...6:45 am...much better!

We always start the festivities with Tobin reading the Christmas story in Luke...

This hat is the absolute best...

Isn't this the most priceless picture! I absolutely LOVE it...

And one excited BIG boy...LOTS of legos...

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. The kids are so excited and everything is exciting! We are terribly blessed with so many things and Christmas is one of them! Not only with gifts that we each other, but with the best gift...a baby that was born in a manger. A most Holy God, who loved us so much, that while we were sinners, became a baby...helpless...not to become king, but to die, so that we can be with him. Let us remember that love and have a truly joyous holiday.

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Christmas Outfits...

I thought I would share our Christmas card...

Gwen was so in love with her Christmas dress, she continually said she was dressed up as a princess...Go Grandma...

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Tales of the Tree...

Merry Christmas everyone...a few days late! We have had a wonderful Christmas and time off from school has been very refreshing...for me! I am enjoying the freedom of not having to drive to Manhattan twice a day...I think the little kids are loving it too!

I posted some pics of the undecorated tree in our house...well, here is the rest! We end up with a very LARGE tree...yes, that is Tobin on the top of a ladder, using a broom to place the ligths on the tree...

Three VERY excited Santa's helpers...

And the night before with all the loot (the tree may look lopsided, but that is because we had a tree emergency and a string of lights went out!)...

I hope you have a wonderful day! We will be enjoying staying at home...a snow storm is heading our way...a great day to write some posts!
Ciao a tutti!

3 Perspectives on Santa...

I am constantly amazed how different my three kids are! It amazes me that they have the same 2 parents, which means the same gene pool and yet they are as different as apples and oranges and bananas (you can guess which one is the banana!). Take our recent adventure of going to see Santa. First, we went in a blizzard...but it IS Montana so I just went for it...it was Santa after all! Then check out these three DIFFERENT reactions to the big man in red...

Clayton, the 4 year-old...as excited as excited can be. He understands what is happening and can barely stay in his own skin (did I mention that HE picked out the tree this year)...super fun! Standing in line was almost too much...when our turn came, he about took out Santa jumping onto his lap! Don't you just ADORE this picture of him telling Santa what he wants for Christmas...

Gwen, the 2 year-old...excited, but doesn't exactly understand why. I have put ALOT of energy into explaining Santa to Gwen...we talked about him constantly, ever since he was at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. My goal was the picture...no screaming kids this year! Well, she was SO excited. She couldn't wait to tell Santa she wanted a baby stroller for Christmas...a 'pint' one! We did so well, until she heard him say 'Ho, ho, ho'...I could have cried at the look of concern on her face! So as Clayton is running to see Santa, Gwen is clinging to me as if her life depends on it! Calming her down...she stood in front of Santa...at least she is not crying...

Santa asks Gwen what she wants for Christmas and poor Gwen was speakless. Thankfully, mom came to the rescue and whispered in her ear...baby stroller...and she practically shouted it out! But it seemed to shake her out of her terrified stupor and we managed to convince her to give Santa a hug...

So, what was up with the other one?

Case, the 6 year-old, excited, but understands the nice and naughty thing and has been on the naughty side of life lately...understandably apprehensive of Santa. Case is a great kid, but once the snow hits the ground and we are inside a bit more, he easily gets himself into trouble...ALOT! So we are trying to work with him to avoid some of his errors. He really wanted to see Santa, but was nervous about the naughty/nice question. He didn't want to go without me and didn't really make a big deal about telling Santa what he wanted. In November, he wanted a drum set (yeah, I know...he is SIX!) and when it got to telling Santa what he wanted...it is now a pair of snow boots! And since Santa was paying attention to the excited 4 year-old and the nervous 2 year-old...he didn't seem to mention the naughty/nice thing...enter little sister Gwen. Santa asks little innocent Gwen 'Have you been a good girl?' She responds 'YES, but not Case" and points to him! Poor kid! I thought he would melt! Interestingly enough, someone has been acting much better in the few days since...

So there you have it...3 completely different perspectives of Santa...all on one day...all in one family! We certainly don't lack adventure!

Have a wonderful day!
Ciao a tutti!

Penguin Polka...

I think we have offically begun a new stage in life...our first Christmas Program! Case was so excited and has been practicing like crazy! It certainly paid off...at least for this very biased parent. Here is the whole kindergarten class (both AM and PM classes) with their hats before the program began...

Case was picked to dress up as a penguin...

Here is the class on stage...Case is the penguin in the front row on the right...

Singing their little hearts out...

And doin' the Penguin Polka...

The kids were wonderful...as all proud parents must say! I was totally THAT mom! I had my trusty camera and I made poor Tobin video tape the whole thing. I loved every minute of it! Gwen was in seventh heaven...she kept pointing at Case...I am not sure who had more fun, Case or Gwen! Clayton was sad he didn't get to join in, but his day will come!

Well, it seems I post many posts in one day, and then nothing for several...I will work on posting more consistently!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

The Abominable Snowman...

Apparently, I have tramatized my daughter! Silly me for letting the kids watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...what WAS I thinking? Oh, maybe that I loved it as a kid and it was a fun thing to watch as a family...doesn't look like such an innocent activity (and yes, I take pictures of EVERYTHING)...

Well, apparently, the Abominable Snowman was a bit much for the little Gwenster. We didn't realize this until a few days later...she tells me that she put the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer book into the garbage (no harm, no foul...it was just on top and me, an astute mommy, just plucked it right out) and that she DID NOT like the Snowman. OK! I opened the book to a picture of the offending Snowman, the kid is trembling and yelling 'NO'...I kid you not!

A few days later, she is wandering around the living room chanting 'Snowman not eat me...Snowman not eat me'. And now shrieks at the mere mention of Frosty or snowman. Yes, my daughter is fully terrified of the symbol of happyness of wintertime for children everywhere! Tobin has dubbed this 'albinasquatchiphobia'...

After several days of constantly telling her that the Snowman is not real, he doesn't have any teeth, and now he is a helper snowman (he puts the star on the tree in the movie)...she is slowly not quite as terrified. She likes the snowman on her cup...he is a 'happy, happy snowman', but she still seems to hate poor Frosty (she hasn't seen THAT movie)! But Rudolph is now in...

He 'saved the day' as Gwen says! Christmas will never be the same again! Thank you Gwen for giving us yet another perspective on Christmas and the Abominable Snowman! By the way, she now is telling everyone she wants to be a Yeti for Halloween next year!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

What a wonderful time of year! The snow has come and is staying...

The Santa hats have made their annual appearance...

Hunting the Christmas tree...we ALL went for the hike this year...

We found the BEST tree...picked by a Clayton (he is beside himself and telling anyone who will listen that HE picked it out this year)...

The boy and HIS tree...

And three of Santa's helpers by the fire (these kids absolutely LOVE the Santa hats...wear them EVERY where! It makes for great pictures!)...

So there you have it, a mid december catch-up!
Only 10 days til Christmas...YIKES!!! Better get crackin!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Ciao a tutti!

Hot Chocolate...

For those of you who might live under a rock or something...Montana tends to have alot of snow and cold weather. Once the snowflake descends on the Northern Rockies on the weather map...it could be months before we see the ground again (not always, but sometimes!). One of the joys of snowy weather is warming up! G-rated here people! Hot chocolate!!! Here is Gwen with her first taste of the liquid gold...

Clayton loves the good stuff too...

I hope you have a wonderful and warm day!

Ciao a tutti!

Welcome Winter...

Okay, so I am a bit behind...kind of the story of my life! Winter has finally decended upon us here in Montana. It happened about 2 weeks ago. Normally, this isn't a big deal and the middle of Novemeber is a bit late for winter...but the weather was so wonderful up to the 'artic cold front' that it was a bit of a shocker! But now that it is here, it certainly feels alot like Christmas! A quick pic of my commute to Manhattan...

December is upon us! Yesterday was the eventful changing of the calendar. All I heard yesterday 'Goodbye November, Hello December! I will miss you November, but December is Christmas month!' from Case! I have been chatting alot with Gwen about Santa (I really want an excited picture with Santa, rather than the screaming, how dare you put me on this strange man's lap picture...that was last year!) So, yesterday morning, a pajama clad 2 year-old Gwen was running and jumping around telling me she was going to ask Santa for a pink baby stroller! I LOVE IT!!!! Having kids this age just makes Christmas just that much more magical! Every lighted tree, snowflake, picture of Santa, christmas cookie, is beyond exciting.

Life is pretty busy, I am sure you can imagine! I am furiously working on several projects, of course to be done for Christmas! Thankfully, I am making a serious dent in them! Well, I hope that you are having a wonderful day...I am off to haul down some decorations!

Ciao a tutti!

I'm focused...

The other day, we were coloring, so, of course, I was taking pictures...

Then I was told to stop taking pictures because she needed to focus...

She is so cute and so TWO at the same time!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Go Cats....

Every fall, we seriously look forward to going to MSU football games. This year we didn't get our usual season tickets, but looked at the schedule and picked one game to go to. Saturday was our game day and what a day it was! November is an interesting month in Montana. Typically winter visits us pretty early (It is not unusual for winter to begin sometime in October even), but this year, fall lasted until this past Sunday (we woke up today with rain that looked like it would turn to snow).

Saturday was a GREAT football day! The weather was FANTASTIC! And the Bobcats won! It was a fun family day together, outside, cheering on our favorite team...even Gwen was getting into it (at least until it was past her nap time)! Here are some fun pics of our day...

Have a wonderful Monday!

Ciao a tutti!

Almost long enough...

We are getting there...very...slowly...Gwen's hair is almost long enough for 'real' pig tails. Or I should say 'due' pig tails (Gwen still says 'due' instead of two...I LOVE THIS!!!). They were really cute...

Now, this cuteness doesn't last long...or maybe until nap time when it looks like a cyclone hit, but until then...she is VERY cute!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Love this Girl...

One last post for today! My wireless thingy on my computer is on the fritz, so I need to take advantage of it when it works! So here is one of my favorite pics of Gwen this October...

I am constantly amazed how fast she is growing up...girls mature so much faster! She is such a little girl...no babies in this house anymore!

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

A Knight's Tale...

This year Gwen needed to be a princess. I don't know that she exactly asked to be a princess, but after being in Italy for 3 months and visiting castles on almost a daily basis, she NEEDED to be a princess! Then I got the idea that the boys needed to be knights to go along with our princess. Case wanted to be a bow hunter, Clayton wanted to be a super hero, but they NEEDED to be knights! I won them over with the swords! Next year Case gets to pick (he told me that he would be the hunter and the brother and sister would be elk! We'll work on that a bit!). I really tried to convince Clayton he needed to be the dragon, but he just wasn't interested, that's ok, he was a really cute knight!

The 2 knights of the round table (we got LOTS of compliments on our costumes this year!)...

And the damsel in distress (or maybe the damsel creating the distress...gotta love little sisters!)...

They all REALLY enjoyed dressing up this year...super fun...

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Party Decor...

This year's Halloween party was super fun! Here is a quick before look...

Goody bags (if there is paper involved...I just can't help myself...must stamp and glue something to it)...

The house all decked out...I personally LOVE the addition of the spider web...those log beams were screaming for spiders!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Ciao a tutti!

J is for...

Jack-o-lanterns! Every year we go to the pumpkin patch. We bring home our orange balls of happiness and enjoy them all October. Then the artistic Tobin turns them into fun glowing faces! First, get the guts out!

Second, Tobin lets his pumpkin carving talents shine through...

And finally, we are left with the 3 B's of Halloween! A buffalo for Clayton...

A Beauty for Gwendolyn...

And a Buzz for Case (ok, you have to use your imagination here, but really, it was a good try!)...

I hope you had a wonderful spooky weekend!
Ciao a tutti!