Saturday events..

Saturday was a huge day for my family. We had a total of 33 people out at Dad's for the family Christmas. My cousin sent some pics (I didn't take one picture all weekend long)...here are a few...

My happy boy

This was a little bit of a preview of the "boys" gift from Uncle Sean. This is for all the boys to share...right now Reese is the only one who can go Solo on it. I think they helped Justin and Carsten on it this weekend - we Mom's stayed indoors...hoping no emergencies!

a drum for Christmas.

This is another Christmas photo. Grandma Nellie sent us a "drum set". Up until today it has been pretty good...Justin gently beats the drum, etc....so, Reese and Carsten come over for dinner and they show him how it is "really" done...we will see what tomorrow brings for the drummer boy!

Merry Christmas...

After about 20 photo's I finally got one with both happy!

Todd had 4 days off...so on Thursday (Christmas Eve)....he started on the project....here is the before...

And the after...

Cousins visit.

We had the two boys over on Friday night for dinner and fun! This was there first time at our house without their Mom and Dad...originally was going to be a sleep over, but thought a 4 hour time period was a good starter...I tried to plan a fun activity for the evening..they couldn't wait to get all the loot out....we had to have dinner first....here they are all enjoying the crafts....My intent was to make decoration for Papa's tree...well, they sorta did, and then they got more creative, etc....we ended up with a few feet of links for the tree, too many paper plates with stickers, etc for Oma and Opa...and just a ton of fun.

This was Clayton for most of the evening...

And, after a full evening...knowing Mommy and Daddy were on their way..we decided for a quiet activity...

Busted...

Here is the photo shot of what I came out to after putting Clayton down for a nap...no, he didn't get into trouble...it was our fault for thinking something so tempting could be left out while I was putting Clayton down. We had discussed it the night before, but thought we would see...well, now they are all in my closet! Sorry Grandma...Clayton's gift got opened early...but he likes it...I let him play with it and he watched it very intently

Oh dear...

I wonder if Justin will live to 5pm when Daddy comes home. He has been not napping and fighting it..no nap yesterday, but he then sleeps in...but with no nap we are horrible, misbaved, and a POO!

Oh, and while I was putting Clayton down...somebody (don't know who) busted open a Christmas gift....it wasn't his though! HA

Tubby time with Justin

Clayton's first bath in the big tubby with big brother Justin...he loves the water and was a slippery little fella...

Christmas tree

Monday night we had the gang over for dinner and to help us decorate our tree....here are the troublesome 3...goofy boys..

The onlookers....

Napping....

a new bed

here is Justin's new bed...in the works of making it

Walgreens deals

So Walgreens has some deal s this week...I had to get in on some of them - just to see if they worked even! I paid 14.00 out of my pocket for all of this and got $20.00 back in register rewards...

My Rite Aid trip this weekend

Okay, here is the deal I snagged this past weekend....

4 boxes of Kellog's cereal at 2.22 each

2 Push up tape dispensers...2.14 each with a 3.29 rebate. Used (2) 1.00 coupons and made money on them.

Mitchum deoderant sale for 2.50 with a 1.00 rebate and a 1.00 coupon total OOP .50

Wreather hanger on sale 2.49

Magnum razor kit sale of 5.99, 2.00 rite aid coupon and 3.00 manuf. coupon = $.99

1 bottle of sparling juice on sale for $2.50, had a $1.50 coupon

2 bags of chex mix for Todd 99cents each

additional Coupons used

$5 off $25.00 puchase

$5.00 of 4 boxes of Kellogs cereal

Before coupons would have been 28.62, I paid 9.12 and will get back 4.29 in a rebate check. Plus, when I got home I saw that there is a rebate on one box of cereal, so I should get back an additional 2.22 from Kellogs....and...this goes towards Rite Aids Holiday Savings program, so I also made about 6.00 in addition that I will get in a gift certificate for Rite Aid...not to bad really!

I think this comes out to be 1.51 after rebates and then will get 6.00 towards certificate, so almost a profit of 4.50

Tree time..

We went yesterday to get our tree at a tree farm. We met up with Becky, Jason, Wyatt, and Jason and Beckys friends, Kim and Jeremy and kids...It was really fun. We rode on the wagon out to the tree farm, picked our tree, then they brought the trees back for us...we had hot cocoa and cookies in the barn...all tree were the same price so you could get a real deal if you wanted a huge tree...

These are not in order...Headed out taking the tree up to the road...

Helping..

Becky, Jason, and Wyatt

Todd and Justin riding in the wagon

We had other folks with us, and more pictures, but without permission, I don't want to post pictures of them or their children....More pics later of our day . . . A trip to IKEA!

More Thanksgiving with the family...at Aunt Elaines' house

After days of travel, our last stop was to the family Thanksgiving on Saturday (a tradition with my family is to have on Saturday after Thanksgiving).....pictures are in no particular order....

Sean enjoying visiting with Clayton

Grandpa and Carla...they are so cute together.

This picture actually from moving....

Justin has a new best bud! ELI was his friend the entire visit...they played together and he absolutely wore Eli out. Eli became protective of him...waiting at the door while Justin slept and Justin would go to ELi's door to let him out....very cute!

Great Papa

I love this picture..looks semi professional

Great Papa reading to Justin-this wasn't staged.

Here is Eli watching Greg flip Justin...Lins had to hold him back after a bit.

Aunt Elaine with Clayton..I think these two will have a great bond...Elaine came to stay with me for a few days after Oma had gone and I so value our relationship.....

Friday - Visiting...Part 3

We visting with Gina and her parents on Friday (Boone was working). Abigail loved to see Clayton...only had 2 hours together, but it was like we had never left....I sure miss my friends.

Abigail is very much a big sister....Treston is so cute....last I saw him he was only less than a month old. So glad for Blogs...I have been able to watch him grow.

Gina's parents were there too.....fun to see them and Carola was able to enjoy Clayton.

Thanksgiving day-part 2 of trip

We spent the day at Nellie's house for Thanksgiving. We left June's in the morning and drove on over....Grandma Warren came to visit that day too.

Justin and Nellie ran around and around pretty much all afternoon long. I don't think he took a nap this day.

Nellie teaching Justin to eat Hard Boiled Eggs....one of his many faces.

Our Thanksgiving visit...Part 1

we left late in the afternoon on Tuesday and headed south....got in about 12:30AM and crashed....kids were up early and we spent the day visiting...that night we went to dinner with June and Jenny and Derek.....

It was really good to see everyone....this was their first time seeing Clayton.

packing it up

well, we have been here a week now...has been pretty smooth with Justin...he asks for Papa once in a while...we went to visit my Dad for dinner saturday and he had a hard time..wanted to go to his house..the side we lived on and we told him no...he didn't like it....

I know I need to post pictures...computer has been having issues and we might be leaving tonight..we will see..kids are packed mostly...drive all night long? maybe?

anyway, will post more later.

alicia

Moving Day.

Here are some of the crew at Pizza after helping us move.

The happy grandpa's.....

The three boys stayed over on Dad's side of the house while we were packing up the trailer...here they are playing together.

I really am doing stuff while on the computer. Justin is eating yogurt so I am supervising...just in case we decide to do yogurt art....laundry is going too....

Here it is...

Okay, the picture finally worked....here they are...Wyatt was enamored with Clayton and Clayton loved watching Wyatt. I think we had them next to each other for at least 30 minutes...

My happy boy

I took this on my phone yesterday as I was visiting my cousin...Clayton was laying on the floor next to Wyatt...I have a pic of the two of them, but it won't send from my phone for some reason....so here is Happy Clayton.

no pics

Okay, so I know I have been really bad at posting pictures...maybe someday next week. We are busyy with all the stuff that happens before buying and moving. We signed our docs on Friday, should get keys on THursday and move on Saturday morning....Justin has already had some issues with "his stuff" being put in boxes...so Dad and I took both boys grocery shopping..Todd packed up some...

Wednesday we have our house orientation and Thursday hope to get keys and get appliances delivered....

more next week...wont have internet all weekend...

Free stuff

I ventured to Kmart today to wander....planned on buying one thing, but they didn't have it...but I did find all this and I walked out not spending 1 penny! The cashier was pretty impressed.

Snuggle on sale 2 for $6 and I had (2) $3.00 off coupons

Kotex were 10 for $10.00 and I had 5 coupons for buy 2 get $2.00 off

and last was the Johnsons bar soap for kids...they were $.99 and I had $1.00 coupons.

Thanks to Oma for saving coupons....I shared most of the loot with Dana...

Justin.

photo by Aunt Dana....this was at the Pumpkin Patch last week....you could check out Tootlepops for more photo's of all of us.

A flower.

So, today I was putting the kids in the car and I saw a flower that had fallen from the hanging pot....I haven't told anyone, but secretly I have cherished this flower that sits outside my Dad's window. We hang out with Dad every night and I can see it right out the window. It was brought by my Aunt Elaine before Mom passed away so that Mom would have something nice to look at from her bed.

It didn't bloom for months after we arrived here, and when Clayton arrived it bloomed. To me, it was just a special something.......I always think of Mom when I look at it...and that it bloomed around Claytons arrival meant something to me too. So, today I see this flower 20 feet from where it should be....the top had blown our way.....It just meant to me she was still watching, still there...at least this is how I take it..I had a really hard week last week. . . not with missing Mom, just life in general. I would have called her if she was here. That is when it hits me...when I want to share anything with her, she isn't there to say hello. What I wouldn't give to have time with her again.

Who woulda thought a simple flower bought almost 2 years ago would still have such meaning....

We went to the pumpkin patch today!

Daddy

Looking for the perfect one

Papa

Found it!

Riding back to the car