Craftaholics Gift Exchange 2010

Once again this year I participated in the craftaholics gift exchange. This year my partner was Taylor, and she sent me some great gifts for both me and my family.

This cute hair bow that Taylor said was "Taylor Made", my daughter absolutely loves.



My kids love advent calendars. They love knowing how many days left until Santa comes.



Taylor also sent us some Reindeer food, which my little man Zach wanted to take outside right away so that the reindeer could bring Santa to our house. She also gave me a yummy smelling candle that we are all enjoying in our home.



Thank you Taylor for all the wonderful gifts. I hope that you have a Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Craft Time

This year during Thanksgiving, all the girls got together and did craft night. Each of us brought a craft for the other to create.
Mandy and Tristen were helping Kylie to make one of the crafts that Mandy brought for us to do. We painted all of the kids hands black so that we could get their hand print on a piece of muslin to put in a photo frame. Zach did a pretty good job when it was his turn. The end result turned out great.

Grandkids

We had a chance to get all nine of the grandkids together to take a quick picture.
As you all know getting that many to hold still and look at the camera, can be quite the process. But the kids all did well, and we were able to snap a few shots.
From L to R: Kinsey, Sydnee, Nathan, Chloe, Kylie, Rylee, Brailie, Allie, and Zachary

Thanksgiving 2010

This year for Thanksgiving we met in Monroe and celebrated the day at my mom and dad's new home. There were many from both the Parsons family as well as the Brian family. As you can see from the pictures, we had a very enjoyable dinner with lots of family.

The Night Before Thanksgiving

The before Thanksgiving some of the grandkids found the santa hats that my mom likes to use to take pictures in.
Rylee and Kylie, wanted to have a girls picture together. (Sydnee was asleep and the other girls were not there yet!)



Zach and Nathan being the only 2 boys with 7 girls in the family wanted to have their picture together too!



Here are the 4 of them together!



My dad with his hat! He has a new best friend on his lap.
The dog (Roxy- Ryan and Tristen's dog) followed him everywhere he went because he kept feeding her.



Nathan with Grandma!

Family Pictures

This year we all got together to celebrate Grandma Brian's 80th birthday. After having dinner, we went outside and i had my brother take a picture of my little family so that I could have something to use with our Christmas cards this year. I think that it turned out pretty good!



I also wanted him take a picture of the kids. Kylie's turned out really well, and of course little man Zach would not even pose for a picture. So I will have to get one of him later.



There are also pictures of the whole Parsons clan, as well as the whole Brian clan. So as I get them I will post them.

Enjoying the 1st Snow Fall

Kylie and Zach just hurried home and play in the snow when we got home from school today. Zach did much better this year, last year he hated the snow!

Halloween Blog Swap

This year I participated in a Halloween Blog Swap with the Mommy Files.
Here are the goodies that I received from my partner. I can not believe all of the wonderful things that she sent.
Thanks Linda! My family and I are enjoying it all!

Spooky Reading Night

Every year own PTA sponsors a spooky reading night to start off the book fair at the school. Kylie really wanted to go, and we didn't have their costumes ready yet, so we settled on some halloween hats that we had in the closet.
They listened to some Halloween stories, danced to some Halloween music, and had yummy donuts and homemade rootbeer.


Here the kids are dancing to the music, although they look like they are just standing there.


You can't really tell from this picture, but Zach was having some fun
What a cutie!

So I went to the spooky reading night as a parent wanting to just enjoy the night with my kids. While I was there I had to put my teacher hat on and take care of a problem child who seems to lack respect for others. He decided that it would be fun to throw a chair at another child who was there, and it smacked her on the leg and she had this lovely goose egg sticking up. I first took care of the naughty child (9 year old) taking him back to his parent explaining the problem, and then finding an ice bag for the other child. What a way to end a fun night with the kiddo's. NOT~!

Ouch!

My two kiddo's and I made our weekly trip to the library and while we were there, Zach decided to take off running, trip over his shoe, and land head first into the floor. Luckily for us he did not get a goose egg at all, but it sure sounded like he hit hard. It kind of looks like he has carpet burn more than anything else.
So I wanted to put some ice on it when we got home, and he would not let me. The only thing that I could find that would help was to put one of my headache masks on his head. (Its one that you can keep in the freezer.) He looked quite silly, but it helped.
Here he is reclining in front of the tv with his mask on!

Melon Days 2010

In GR for the annual Melon Days celebration.
The kids always have fun being able to see Grandma and Grandpa, and playing with their cousins. There is always plenty of melon to eat and yummies to eat while on the park. The kids love going to watch the parade to catch candy and ride around with grandma on the golf cart.

First Day of School

I can't believe that we are heading back to school already. It seems like the summer just flew right by and we missed it.
Kylie is a big third grader now. So hard to believe that she is in the same class that I teach now.
Her new teacher is Mrs. Duffin.


Zach was mad because he wanted to go to school with us. He kept saying, "I go you!" So he was not about to get his picture taken. That is why I am in the picture with him.

Back to School gift for Kylie's teacher.

Kylie wanted to take something to her teacher for the first day of school, and I saw this cute idea on one of the blogs that I follow. I will have to see if I can find out which one it was.

Anyway so you take fortune cookies and half cover them in chocolate.
We used purple because that is Kylie's teachers favorite color.



After the decorating, we put it into this cute chinese take out box with a sign that said, "I'm so fortunate to have you as a teacher!"



Kylie helping to put them into the box.



We also sent her with a Pepsi since that is also her drink of choice. Just like me!