And the winner is...

SOPHIA!!!  Happy New Year!  True to tradition...we ate our grapes at midnight to see who would eat 12 (for each of the 12 months of the year) the quickest as the clock strikes 12.  The winner has good luck all year long!  The older kids felt like it might be the last year for Sophia to start a minute early.  I'd have to agree...her head start proved to be a little too helpful. 

Dad serving up our favorite sherbert punch!

CHEERS to 2010!!!

Cedar River Watershed

During Christmas Break we enjoyed having Oliver home!  One thing we did was head over to the Cedar River Watershed in North Bend.  The education center was having a family fun day and we were able to do all sorts of things including learning more about conservation, crafts, and meeting Mishka the bear dog.  It was so fun, I think we'll do it next year.  While the girls did some crafts, Oliver borrowed my camera and took a few great shots! 

Visions of sugar plums came true!

Christmas morning, 2009.  Seems my blog entries are fewer and farther in between...feast or famine at times.  Ok, I'm only a month late at getting Christmas documented, but at least it's not Valentines Day yet!  Christmas morning seemed a little quiet this year.  But, we certainly enjoyed our "us" time.  Here come the lazies who slept in until 7:30am.  Let the games begin!  Santa brought a kitchen and new leotard for Natty!

New basketball duds for Celeste!

I-pod for the Tween!

New tires for Becky (and her car).  I know, BORING gift!  She did get a few little things to open too :-)

"Every 1st grader has a DS, Mom."  I guess Santa wanted to make sure Sophia wasn't left out.

Presents for Dad...the home/school-made kind are the best!!

Daddy's dresses!  The tradition continues...

What a morning...time for a nap!  Merry Christmas!

SOPHIA IS 7

Happy Bithday Sophia!  We headed over to the Family Fun Center to celebrate Sophia turning 7.  Unfortunately, Natty was running a fever, so Tim stayed home with her.  Cousins, Elise and Margot joined us for a evening of fun.

These girls always have fun together!  They came home with us after the party for their second sleepover of Winter Break.

Miss Margot enjoying a little cake

Sophia and her big sisters!  Happy Birthday Blue Eyes Sophia!

DOG!!!!!!!

These are the remnants of my Christmas baking for teachers, friends and neighbors.  Yes...the DOG!  She has been having sneaky issues lately...likes to wait until the kitchen is empty and goes sniffing for goodies left on the counter.  Since this day she's consumed a dozen Krispy Kremes (in a closed box), a loaf of fresh bread, and probably other things I don't even know about! I thought I was doing good and making sure anything on the counter was pushed way back or put away, however this morning she jumped up on the kitchen table and knocked over our fruit basket and took an orange back to her bed.  Do dogs really like fruit?  She's getting desperate!  If you follow me on facebook, you'll see there was quite a debate on whether I beat my dog or not.  Hmm...after this, what do you think? 

Don't let her sweet face fool you!  Her face is sweet and so is her tooth!

16 going on 17

Could it be true?!...Becky is 17!  Tim and I took her out for an evening of shopping and dinner and then we enjoyed a Cold Stone ice cream cake with the family.  Happy Birthday Rebecca!

Natty's Winter Gymnastics show

Of course I forgot my camera at Natty's Winter gymnastics show.  Thanks goodness for cell phone cameras!  She was VERY shy and almost didn't perform.  She loves her little class once a week, but when it came time to show off her stuff in front of everyone, she had her first experience with stage fright.  She had already taken off her costume at this point.  Getting a little gift (her bear) at the end of the show made it all worth it!  Also, knowing she got a date with mom and dad at our local burger joint, put a smile on her face when all was said and done!