Welcome to double digits, Lou Lou!

Emma, Anna, Lou, & Hannelora helped her celebrate with a "girl's night!" Kjersten requested pizza, a movie, Wii playing and, most importantly, NO BOYS!

The girls had to check out the snow- in their pajamas!

With no boys at home, they were free to take over the living room. I went to bed at 10pm and never heard a thing. Of course, the earplugs might have helped!

(Rhys took refuge at Evan's house and Jason took the little boys to grandma & grandpa's where they all had a sleep over of their own!)

Miss Amy's Field Trip

Today, after a morning meeting, I called my dad to see if today was a good day to do lunch. Since I was already in the heights and knew that Amy's husband was home sick, I called to see if she'd like to get out of her germ-infested house and come along.

Cafeteria food for lunch wasn't the draw (although, it is for my kids!). Amy wanted to come look at the helicopter. After a lunch of "girled cheese" for the kiddos & wrap sandwiches for us, we headed for the helipad.


Without Rhys & Brennen there to compete for seats, Kjersten & Cael were able to crawl around freely! Amy chatted with my dad long enough to decide that this would not be the career of choice for her: something about being bothered by blood...


Kjersten parked in grandpa's spot. Note the shorts. It was supposed to be 71 today. (It wasn't but she couldn't pass up the chance to wear shorts before it snows again on Wednesday.)

No pictures of Amy or my dad. I'm sure that doesn't bother either of them!

The whole point of Girl Scouts, right?!

Maybe not, but it's a pretty good perk!

Not exactly a day at the spa...

Everybody needs an Auntie Sara & an Uncle Josh!

Sara paints...

And embellishes...


While Josh is charge of blowing dry...


The end result is a happy little girl (and a happy 2 year old boy)!

Incongruent...

Kjersten has a monthly cooking class at a local store. The class is taught by an amazing woman who I've had the privilege of learning from in her own home. The girls just love Miss Bonnie and the mamas love having the girls actually take instruction happily!


They learn, they cook, they eat. It's a good thing!


They even wash their hands!

Then, after we pick her up... we trek to McDonalds for our weekly lunch date with my girls and the kiddos! (Undoubtedly, Miss Bonnie would shake her head if she knew...)

Our very own Girl Scout!

Every family needs their own supplier of Girl Scout cookies, right?! Kjersten's friend, Christian, asked Lou to join her troop. The fun began with ironing on patches. Ummmm, not my gift! (Don't look to closely at her sash or at the kids' Awana vests. Yikes! That should have been taught in those bringing-home-baby classes!)


The 1st troop meeting for Christian (the fashion plate in the center) and Lou.

Mary Beth leading the girls in her famous "shopping cart dance"! It's a wonder the picture isn't blurry- I was laughing so hard!

She's growing up...

Her favorite birthday gift- a hair straightener! She took some of her birthday money and bought a curling iron (to curl the straightened hair?!). She's already surpassed my hair-fixing abilities...


Birthday party at Grandma & Grandpa's.


Happily licking frosting off the candles. Blech!

Enjoying another birthday gift... a candy ring maker. Thanks Aspen! (I owe your mama one!)

We have a nine year old!

Despite the mama's suggestions for a "girlie" birthday party, my stubborn child insisted on taking her friends to go see Grandpa Tom's helicopter.

It would have been perfect, if the helicopter hadn't been called out. Instead, the girls got to tour the fixed wing and the hanger. Nobody seemed to mind!




As if the party wasn't easy enough, Kjersten decided on DQ for treats. Grandpa was happy to entertain the gaggle of girls. They loved him too!


If only every party were this easy...

Painting is more fun at someone else's house...

Especially when you just pile all their stuff in the middle of the room and get to work! Sara and Josh decided that their house needed some new non-beige paint and, with Jason home watching boys, Lou and I headed over on New Year's Day to see if we could help make that happen.


I'd like to think I was a little more help than she... but she sure is cute!



It's a little house. Little house = little corners. We painted the main bedroom and the living room. We'd planned to paint the kitchen as well after a small repair under the kitchen sink...



Sara & Josh were babysitting Meg for his parents. She was a bit underfoot, so into the crib she went. (No, Sara has no "news"! They're certified foster parents so they have a crib/toddler bed combo in the spare bedroom, which works well for Cael too!)


Uncle Josh saying hello.

Here's that little repair behind the sink that turned out to be not so little...

After repair work, a new cabinet and reinstalling the counter top, Sara got the kitchen painted a bright yellow! I'll get some updated pictures so you can see the end result~ beautiful!

Grandma and I working on the living room. From barfy beige to "elephant" made all the difference. It is an impressive transformation!



Here's the photographer... who spent a long day helping, playing, snapping pictures, painting a bit, and being very, very silly!

Coloring with "Dersten"

Say "cheese"...

(Lou's friend, Madison, is the little face you don't recognize!)

Rocket man...

Probably NOT the best day to go stand in an open field and launch rockets...

Alas, the daddy promised it would be fine. We'd just have to hurry!

Preparing the rocket and it's passenger (an egg) for take-off. The rocket is titled "Eggs-calibur." Get it?! Funny stuff...

Inspecting the launch site...

And, we have lift-off!!!!

Off to find the wreckage...

No. Our poor little egg didn't survive impact.

Surveying the damage.

Seems the ride to our launch site was a rough one!

Preparing for another launch. Unmanned. (See above photo.)

Blast-off #2!


Hmmmm... Big metal pole. Incoming storm. Duh. When do these boys sprout common sense?!

Zeb's Birthday Party...

George's buddy, Zeb, finally turned FIVE! We've been waiting and waiting and waiting! So, off to the park to celebrate with Cynde's crew and the rest of Zeb's siblings. Amber even made Spiderman cupcakes!



Cozi, Lou, Analise, and Cael...



Zeb shooting his pals with his new Nerf shotgun.



Hannelora, Lou, and Cozi... Aren't they beautiful?!

All the kids in one picture. Whew!

Cynde stuck on baby duty... Alternating shoves between Cael and Analise.

Crocs are awesome until... you walk thru gravel...

Zeb (little guy streaking thru my view... off to shoot more friends).