Phew!

Phew...what a couple of weeks!

 We have been on the go, go, go! 

So much so, that even Jason (who loves to be on the go) said no more to the go! 

Phew!

I have loads to share, that it is almost overwhelming, so I will give you a quick overview of the last two weeks (in no particular order!)

 I volunteered to photograph Jack's winter party at school.

The boys practiced their photo-bombing!

(I needed to get some sleep!)

We went to an ISU basketball game.

Watched movies in the basement.

Went to a new movie theater in our area!

 Moose and I took selfies!

Sam ROCKED his guitar solo in his recital!

Jack wore an ugly Christmas tee to school.

I walked out one evening and the boys were laying on the balcony looking down at the Christmas tree. They weren't saying a thing...just looking at the tree.

Had my Memory Bound Christmas party. The theme was from the movie  "National Lampoo's Christmas Vacation." Jason and I dressed up as the boss and the boss's wife!

 My sister thought my coat was the bomb! So does Sammy!!

Cousin Christmas...a favorite night of ours!!

Christmas Eve family photo!

 

Enjoying pepperoni sticks for dinner!

Enjoying juice from our Christmas Vacation Reindeer glasses!

Drank a lot of hot chocolate!

And finally...the boys seeing their gifts from Santa!!

PHEW!! 

Now to get this all in my December Daily album...someday!

 

The Look of Success...

Sam has been obsessed with the Rubik's Cube lately. A couple of kids at school can solve the cubes and this has intrigued Sam for sometime. How do they do that?

Well,  Sam was on a mission and started watching  you tube videos that showed step by step directions on how to solve the cube. He became determined to figure that thing our!  I would find him up early in the morning working on that cube before going to school, laying in his bed working on the cube and instead of reading at night, he was working on that cube!

This morning was no different. He was working on that cube even before he had eaten his breakfast. Notice the box sitting to the side.

I was taking a few pictures because he was SO intense!!

he actually "SHUSHED" me!  Oh!

I just happened to click this picture as he looked up and yelled. "AHHHH!! I DID IT!!"

He was over the moon about solving that cube! It was great and so much fun to see him so happy about his success! His next comment was, "My hands are totally sweating!"

He has since then written down step by step directions on paper on how to solve the Rubik's cube. He completes it as far as he can, until he needs to check his "cheat sheet." I am proud to say that he has solved it two times without looking at his cheat sheet once!! Yea, Sam!

He gets this from his mom! :)

I am talking about his detailed note taking!!

More Henry Antics...

Henry has been one busy elf lately! 

The boys wake up, especially Jack, and cannot wait to find that mischievous little elf and he has not been disappointed~

What are those things all over our tree?

OH MY!

It's the boys' underwear!! EW!! 

Jack checking out the undies!

One morning he was hanging around like Spiderman!

In our cotton ball jar!

Playing a little pool with the dudes!

 

 Buzz Lighter...what a cheater!

  

Mr. Potato Head waiting his turn.

  

Woody patiently waiting his turn.

 Zip lining from the balcony to the tree!

Henry has been fun to have around this year!

Can't believe that he leaves in seven days!!

He deserves a long trip to someplace warm!

Still Together..

Just as the picture from yesterday showed, the boys have been pretty tight since they were little. I will be honest, there are times that they drive each other nuts and need to be separated!! 

When Sam was nine, Jack followed him around and the both loved to do the same things. I notice now that the age difference is a bit more difficult. Sam may not want to play hide and seek or legos, but usually, Jack can get Sam to hang out with him in some manner...after striking  deal of some sort. 

These pictures were taken in the last two weeks. I think it captures how they still are close, want to hang around each other and get along together! (without any deal making) Or maybe they're just video junkies. 

They do crack each other up.

(Jack has a freaky thing going on with his left hand!)

Throw Back Thursday!

#TBT

No words today.

*love*

Grateful Album...

So, I mentioned some time ago that I was throwing the idea around about doing a 4x4 album for the month of November...things that I was/am grateful/thankful for. Well, I am proud to say, I took the pictures AND they are placed in my album AND I have embellished about half of the album!

 I am just smitten with the WeR 4x4 albums and cannot get enough of them! They are so easy and (yes) fun to create!

 I put no rules or regulations on my album. Basically, take pictures, print them off in 4x4 and put them in my album with a short story. if I didn't want to share a story, then maybe a word was included.

 This is my title page. I cut it with the cameo, added a sticker, a date stamp and called it good. Much more my pace!

A little tour of my album. Here I used a 3x4 card with a die cut and some stickers. It said exactly what I wanted it to, so I called it good!

 Other days I added a little bit of journaling.Meg had surgery and all went very well as has her recovery! We laughed and laughed about this picture. Meg ALWAYS closes her eyes in pictures and this was no different!! She is one person that can make me laugh until I cry. (sorry about the picture, Meg!!)

 As you can see, these next few are very simple.

 Snow on her nose!

 This one was a bit more involved. I am LOVING the new transparent papers I have been seeing "everyone" use in their albums lately and I just had to try it out. LOVE IT!!

 Made the tag on the cameo..yep..the cameo! But I did not download the image of a tag, I created it out of a 6 sided figure that I stretched out! I know!! How cool is that? Thank you Teresa for showing me that little trick!! (oops...spelling errors on the tag! Some things never change!!!)

 Super simple! Some days don't need pictures!

 Ran across this fun little quote and just had to put it in my album..thankful for coffee in the morning!

 Mom got an new phone and sent me her first selfie. Oops! Brought a smile to my face!

No worries, she took another one and redeemed herself!!

Speaking of selfies, I took one with my dad. He kept asking, "Where do you look? How's this work?" It made me giggle!

A few other photos in the album show how I am thankful for game night with the boys (when it actually is able to happen!), Jason's homemade chili, scaring Jack (heehee), my bed, Sam's selfies I find on my phone and many  more. It was nice to realize that there is so much to be grateful for..little things that are all around you! 

 

Getting deep...moving on...

There you have it! I am actually looking forward to finishing this album! I am also planning on doing one in January with the gray 4x4 mini album and a couple of the new winter lines that have come into Memory Bound!

I would recommend this little project to anyone I meet on the street or just happen to know! That would embarrass the boys if I told everyone on the street. Hmmmm..I just may have an idea!