Happy Thanksgiving.......better late than never!

Tanessa made this centerpiece in her ag. class with the leftovers from the floral class. She was very proud......I was very impressed! And yes, this is the only picture of Thanksgiving I took!

Christmas Parade

We watched the parade this year from my mom's shop as usual. It was absolutely freezing! The kids were bundled up and had hot chocolate. Ali's friend, Miranda, was down from Washington and got to spend a couple days with us.

Ali and Miranda

Spencer

Decorating the Tree

The kids love decorating the tree every year. It has become a tradition that every year each child gets to pick out their own ornament and write their name and the year on it. They love going through the boxes and seeing all their ornaments and hanging them on the tree. I used to "re-do" the tree when the kids would go off to bed but now they are getting older and doing better and simply put: I just have other things to do. Sometimes they pick out some pretty crazy ornaments but I am sure when they are gone and my tree is plain, I will be missing those outrageous things!

Ali and Spencer going through the ornaments.

Tanessa

Ali

Spencer

The girls got a little giggly

Spencer showing his Christmas cheer

So, the girls were near the tree and Tanessa was actually on the stool hanging something up when we hear this loud buzzing sound and this huge beetle comes flying out of the tree. Freaky? Yes! But oh so hilarious was the girls running away screaming and Tanessa literally flying off the stool!

Dave going after the huge beetle

Ali reenacting her reaction to the huge beetle

Girls' Christmas Recital

This year, the girls' dance studio put on a Christmas recital. I really enjoyed this because I love watching the girls dance and perform. And it is great because this year we will get to watch two shows which makes me feel like I am getting more for my money! Also, their costumes for the winter show are a lot cheaper than the ones for the spring show. Again, very nice! The girls did great and had a lot of fun!

Ali in her ballet routine

She was a baby doll in her tap routine.

Ali in the front right dancing in her jazz routine.

Ella, Ali, and Skylar busting a move in the hip hop routine.

Tanessa breaking out in some funky, diva move during her hip hop routine.

Christmas Program

The kids had their annual Christmas program at school on the Friday before vacation started. They had it in the cafeteria and somehow times got mixed up and it was complete chaos. I still managed to get a couple decent pictures somehow. Spencer sang Here Comes Santa Clause, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Up On the Housetop, and some other song I can't remember with the the rest of the first grade.

Spencer up on the top with Trey on the left and Kylie on the right.

Ali sang Joy to the World and Hot Chocolate (from Polar Express) with the fourth grade. Her and some girls from her class also had a poem/rap called Christmas Joys that they performed.

Ali in the center with Sam on the left and Skyler, Kylie, and Tayah below her.

Left to right in front: Allison, Julia, Tayah, Hannah, Ali, and Kylie

Christmas 2009

Christmas eve day we all went to Bakersfield to see the new chipmunk movie. Then we made a couple last minute stops and came home just in time to go to dinner at That's Italian and then to church. After church, we went home and the kids opened their new jammies, put them on, and we went driving around looking at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music. We came home and the kids went to bed while Dave wrapped and I worked on a fleece tie blanket that I was making for Tanessa's present. I probably should have started it sooner.......took me 31/2 hours and I didn't get to bed till almost 4!! The kids were up at the crack of dawn but they were kind enough to play with their DSi's that Santa brought them until 8. We drug ourselves out of bed and opened presents. Tanessa got a new sewing machine, a blanket, and sewing and baking stuff.

Ali got some new Little Pet Shop's and a bean bag (that I ordered to late and is still not here).

Spencer got some pirate legos and a little digital camera.

Then we went up to my mom's and had breakfast and opened more presents! Tanessa had to go with her dad at noon so we came home and the kids played with their new toys while I cleaned and baked. The family came over around 4 for dinner and pie and left at about midnight after a game of pictionary. I was so exhausted that I didn't even get out of my jammies or hardly off the couch on Saturday. It was nice! Next year I vow to be more on the ball with all the baking, shopping, cooking, wrapping, decorating, cleaning, etc., etc. so that I can slow down and "stop and smell the Christmas tree!"

Halloween 2009

This year Halloween fell on a Saturday, which was great. Ali and Spencer had soccer games in the morning. Then we came home and carved pumpkins. We even got to carve them outside since the weather was so beautiful. For dinner we had our usual Halloween meal.........Frito/Dorito boats. I even splurged and had one too. Then we decorated our pumkin cookies that I had made. I knew the kids were gonna get tons of sugar but this was for me because I had been craving Marcie's dee-lish sugar cookies! Then we headed out trick-or-treating. Things were pretty dead around here this year......maybe only 15 houses lit up in our neighborhood. We even went to the next one over and still not much luck. Our neighbor was scaring people with a chainsaw which made for some pretty good entertainment. The kids wanted to watch movies so we rented some and stayed up late. Luckily, we got an extra hour of sleep what with the time change and all. And as usual, I ended up with tons of leftover candy that I am trying desperately to get rid of so that I am not tempted to eat it.

The kids all dressed up posing with their pumpkins.

The pumpkins all lit up.

Trick-or-treating

We ran into the Bushlings while out. Spencer and Trey.

Ali and Tayah. It was almost impossible to get a decent picture of these two giggle boxes.

Tanessa standing on her tippy toes on a stool and still not quite measuring up to Emily.

Tanessa (Roman goddess), Emily (Hobo-notice her sign), Spencer (Anikan Skywalker), Ali (Silvermist), and Tinkerbell.

Spencer not falling asleep after a long day and night........

Ali fishing at the school harvest fest.

Spencer doing the hula hoop toss at the harvest fest.

Tanessa's 14!!

Tanessa turned the big 14 on Sept. 8th. Not sure why, but 14 seems so much older than 13. That's only about 4 more years at home and then it's off to college, work, marriage, a family of her own..........YIKES! I really hope that the time doesn't go by too fast.

Her birthday was on a Tuesday and I made cupcakes to take to her soccer practice. She had made a cake with Cori the day before because she wanted to learn how to make fondant. This cake turned out to be her birthday cake. Yes, she made her own birthday cake. And it was yummy. Bad mom. I know.

This year for her birthday, we skipped the whole party thing and her and her best friend, Cali, had a spa day. They went to a spa in Bakersfield and got massages, facials, and pedicures. They had a fun and relaxing time! Her present was a bike but we let her pick it out when they were done at the spa. Then we went to Shogun's Japanese restaurant for dinner. Then Dewar's for dessert....mmmmm!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TANESSA!!

Back to School

The kids are off onto another year of school. None of us were really ready to give up our summer and get back to the grind, but we all sucked it up and made due. The kids all started new adventures this year and we look forward to the growth and changes that they will bring.

Tanessa, Ali, and Spencer - First Day of School 2009

Spencer started 1st grade this year. He is in Mrs. Dwyers 1/2 combo. Spencer was excited to go to school to play on the "big kid" playground. Spencer thinks his teacher is the funniest! He, unlike the girls, LOVES math. (But only real math. Number connect the dots is NOT real math.) He doesn't mind reading but it doesn't compare to math. He also likes that they get to do p.e. in 1st grade. His teacher has told them that she will try to catch a tarantula and bring it in and he is excited for that. It's weird, him being in first grade. He seems so much older now.

Spencer ready for first grade.

Spencer at his desk.

Ali went into the 4th grade this year. She was excited to go see all her friends. She started in Mrs. Hacker's class, which she was excited about because her closest friends (Tayah, Ella, and Samantha) were all in there with her. Then a week into school she got moved to a 4/5 combo for reading and math in the mornings. She is enjoying Mrs. Alten but missing her friends. Luckily, it worked out for Tayah to be moved with her and they go back into Mrs. Hacker's class after lunch. Ali is excited for the soccer tournament coming up and hopes that she is chosen to go. She loves reading, art, and p.e. but doesn't care so much for math.

Ali just before leaving for school.

Sitting at her desk.

This year Tanessa started high school. She was a little excited and a lot nervous. I still can't believe that I have a high schooler and, 3 weeks into school, I sometimes still watch her walk up the steps after I drop her off. She loves home ec. and ag. and thinks her English teacher is the greatest. She hates math and thinks the teacher does not do a good job explaining it. She is in FFA and will be showing her lamb at the Kern County Fair in a couple weeks. She is also in FHA and has entered a cake baking competition at the fair as well.

She's growing into such a beautiful young woman!

Outside, on the way to school.

A New Dentist in Town

Spencer went to the dentist for his 6 month check up and cleaning. No cavities, yay! After she put on the flouride, he kept wanting to spit so she left him the "sucker" while she went to start on Ali's teeth. He thought it was the coolest thing ever, especially after he figured out the switch that turned it on and off.

Angels Game

Ali's softball coach this year treated us to an Angels game. It was the first time my kids had ever been to a real baseball game and they were very excited. It was hot and the game did not go so well for the Angels but it was an experience for the kids. Ali said it was "ok, but not super exciting." Spencer, on the other hand, really enjoyed it. He and I want to go to a Dodgers game real soon.

Spencer and Ali in front of Angels' Stadium.

The kids got to run bases after the game. They thought that was really cool.

Summer Fun

We didn't get to go on vacation out of town this summer. I am very sad to say that we didn't even make it to the beach. But we made do with what we had and had fun doing it. We enjoyed lake and river days with friends and down time in the pool in the backyard. The kids had a blast hanging out at the lake with their friends. They went tubing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, boating, and swimming. Sometimes, they just hung out on the shore and played in the sand.

Ali and Jayda on the boat.

Sisters tubing.

Spencer hanging out in the water.

Shayla, Tayah, Ali, and Jayda pretending to ride on the sea doo.

We spent a lot of the summer at the river with friends. We'd pack up our lunch and a million other things and head out for the day. Sometimes I had so much in my car and it took so long loading and unloading and loading and unloading again that I wondered if it was really worth it. But it definitely was! The kids swam across the river, hiked up a little, crossed slippery rocks, tubed small rapids, and floated back down over and over again. It took my kids a little longer to try it because they are so cautious but once they did, there was no stopping them. They also liked to swim, float around on rafts and tubes, and play in the sand.

Jayda, Trey, Ali, and Shayla enjoying the river.

Ali, Jayda, Noah, Trey, and Tayah playing in the sand and water.

We did have a great summer and are bummed that it is over but we have the memories of this summer to last us through the long school year till next summer!