A long FINALLY updated post with lots of cute pictures to lure you in

hows that for a title?

Our only updated family pic
the 3 kiddos

So much has been going on, that I don't even know where to start...I never truly updated about Thanksgiving..

Well it went nice. We visited family and had a great dinner. I didn't get many pics, and I'm not sure why. Ben was sick and just not in the mood and all my strength and energy went to him.

Fast forwarding to Christmas..Ben is doing much better. No ear infection in about a week. Christmas was crazy, fun, loud, hectic, lovable, screaming, pulling my hair out, just as normal as any other year before.

We celebrated a few days early with my best gal pal Sarah. She and the kids ALWAYS exchange gifts and as usual she was way to good to the kiddos. Alanna is into littlest pet shops and the miniature my little pony sets. Hannah is into LPS too, and anything girly and Ben LOVES some trucks. So thats what they got.



Christmas Eve was spent with my dad, stepmom, step sister,and lots of loudness. It was us 5, my little brother and Tammy, Kylee, my older brother Todd, his girl friend Breanne, their daughter Sophia, 2 LARGE dogs and lots of presents. We could have stopped there, with all the great stuff the kids got, but no Christmas day was still to come.

Christmas day was relaxing...finally. We listened to Alanna tell us over and over and over and over that Santa came to visit because there were boot markes in the fireplace...(that was Chris' lever idea, we are still hearing about that one)We opened presents in the morning all at our own pace. Christmas breakfast was made by my awesome MIL...We had homemade sausage biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, hash browns and milk......and the best part was I didn't have to do a thing..She wouldn't let me. After cleanup we got dressed and the kids played with their new toys. Nap time for all of us and then my uncle, little cousin, little brother Kyle, Tammy and Kylee all came over for more presents. We ate lasagna, salad, and garlic bread with warm brownies and ice cream for dessert....Sweet and simple. These picks are of Ben, because he is too darn funny.

Saturday we woke up and had to Christmas #3 at Chris' brother house. We ate soup, salad, and homemade bread and had a great time. We hung out, laughed and all the kids ran around until they conked out on the ride home.

Christmas #4 followed on Sunday which was also Chris' dad 60 birthday. More food, more presents and lots more family completed our crazy weekend.

Monday is here and gone with Ben having his surgery bright and early around 7:30 this morning. He was happy and content until I had to hand him over to the nurse and she walked away with my baby in her arms. I was semi confident with the procedure since we did already do it with Alanna, but my baby was going under anesthesia and of course that makes me nervous. Chris and I sat in the waiting room for exactly 11 minutes until they called us back to my still crying baby but this time he was out of it from the medicine. We tried to calm him down and nothing was working. Since his vitals were good we got the clear to go home and he calmed down in the car. We had a smooth morning of lots of cuddles and lots of sleep. Ben is doing GREAT and you would not even know he had surgery this morning. He is laughing, dancing, and giggling to his own beat and has never been better. I am so proud of him..

This pic was taken this afternoon when Chris came home from work and was shoveling. Ben sat faithfully by the door watching his daddy shovel. There is still so much to tell you, like how Hannah;s favorite gift his her brown furry boot like slippers and how Ben is IN LOVE with is sponge bob slippers, because who ever thought simple slippers would make the best gifts, but they do, and I also want to tell you how Chris thinks its totally okay to fill cups of snow for the kids and let them eat it with spoons and I think this is completely gross but the kids love it so I allow it, and I also want to tell you about how tonight Alanna pulled out an old baby doll stroller and dressed up and was pushing her dogs around and Ben HAD to have a stroller too, so we pulled out the baby doll walker and he pushed a monkey around for HOURS, because they didn't just get brand new toys, they had to pay with old ones that were in our "sell" pile, I could also tell you about how sweet Hannah was with Ben tonight and while I gave Alanna a bath, Hannah cuddled with her little brother and watched his favorite cartoons with him, I could tell you all of that, BUT I think this post is long enough...At least you have the cuteness of the kids to make it go by faster.

More pic are here, and you should really check them out, because they are awesome, funny, sweet, charming, breathtaking, and over all fun.