The best-est Christmas book!

Do you need a good Christmas book to read to your kids? I "dig" this one:

We got this adorable "A Pirate's Night Before Christmas" book last year for the boys and I am thrilled it's Christmas story time again !

It's not sweet or sappy and it's the perfect "read-out-loud" story (Thats right, you can read it in your best scurvy pirate voice.)

Merry Christmas to all and a happy new Yarrrrgh!

The most wonderful time

December is my favorite month of the year! Parties, lights, Christmas trees, shopping, wonderful winter weather, family, friends, stories, . . .
I love every day of it!
This December has been busy!

Here's our month so far, in pictures.

Ryan is up and walking now and I'm so excited for him but a little depressed that my baby is now a toddler. He looks adorable walking, or stumbling, around the house. He and Simon are thoroughly enjoying their new sandbox. They spend a lot of time outside playing and fighting and playing some more. Even though there are 3 dumptrucks in the sandbox they always end up fighting over the same one. :)
We finally got out our Christmas decor and with lots of help from Jeremiah and the boys, we "decked the halls".
Simon got to help put the decorations on the tree and we left almost all of the glass ornaments in the box this year to save them from little hands knocking them down.
This is Simon's section of the tree, after we had moved some of the ornaments. He bunched them all together on two or three branches. Also, take a look at Jeremiah's Santa ornament. In his hand he's carrying. . . Frosty's head! ahh! kind of gruesome, but funny, in a Tim Burton kind of way.
We also threw and impromtu cookie decorating party with Karissa and Cabrena. Simon ate more sprinkles than made it onto the cookies. He made some beautiful sprinkle-covered trains!

Admiring our work. Sprinkles, frosting, red hots, and more sprinkles!

We will be heading up north to Round Valley for Christmas. I hope it snows! We'll take some more pictures up there!

DIY Can Rotator!

This was too cool not to post! I was going to buy one of those expensive food storage organizers/rotators (like the ones from Shelf Reliance). Then I found a site that shows how to make your own!
They may not be as pretty, but seriously, who looks in my pantry but me and my family anyways? And these are dirt cheap if you make them yourself!
Check it out here

All you need is cardboard boxes, glue, paint and some wood! Easy Peasy!

I can't wait to make some! (Maybe I'll ask for this from my hubby for Christmas) :)

Yay for cheap food storage supplies!

It's done!

Our sandbox is finally finished!

With some help from our fam we were able to move 1 TON of sand into our backyard! Simon had a great time! He was such a great helper. He could carry half a shovel full of sand in his bucket. He was so happy to be helping to build HIS sandbox!

The boys have been playing out there all day, every day since we got the sand in.

BTW if you buy a ton of sand at Lowe's it will cost about $100! We got our from a landscape company for $25! (But you have to supply the truck.)

tickety-tock goes the clock

I had one of those nostalgic moments today as I sat in my PJ's at 11 in the afternoon thinking about how time goes by so fast and there is no stopping it or slowing it down.

Ryan is walking! He's 14 months old and I'm so excited that my sweet little boy has decided that he wants to grow up and walk like his big brother does. I'm excited but I'm a litte depressed that he is no longer a baby. He is officially a toddler. A walking, talking, personality-filled, fun-lovin', cuddley toddler!

Ryan was a tough baby. He was colicky, loud, and hard to please; but find myself longing for those little newborn eyes and tiny hands and feet that have grown so much in the last year. He was, and is, my little Ryan and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the patience and love I learned from such a tiny person.

So, on to the next chapter of our lives. (No, we aren't going to have another baby yet, so don't ask).
I'm ready for my house be turned upside down and my cupboards completely emptied by those little hands. Crayon on the walls, missing remote controls, toys hiding in places I didn't think they would fit. . . Bring it on!

I'm going to continue to enjoy every day that I have with my precious boys.

I love you both so much Simon and Ryan. I feel blessed beyond words that God would send you to me.

Pud Muddle

We're building a sandbox in our backyard! And not a moment too soon.

I always thought a sandbox would be fun for the boys but never considered it as a necessity. Well, it's gotten to that point.

We NEED a sandbox.

Why?

Our clever, mischevious little boys alway find a way to tear apart something in the backyard to find dirt to play in. They learned that all they had to do was move some rocks, or all of the rocks, to find the dirt hiding underneath.

Now Simon is intrugued with mud and it has been no easy task to keep the water off in the backyard for whole day so his mud puddle can dry. And just when I think Simon understands the "Don't turn the hose on" rule I find this:

Yep, he's sitting in a mud puddle, happy as a clam.

Big brother was just trying to make some mud for he and his little brother to play in.

Ryan is getting more than his fair share of baths lately.

Once we get that sandbox finished I'm hoping that I won't find anymore mud covered boys in my backyard. And maybe I'll be able to get my rock beds and grass looking like normal again.