Christmas festivities...

OK, so I have to apologize for and explain my complete failure to keep my blog updated......we had a total computer meltdown!! I originally was just looking to get the thing to recognize the CD drive again, then the hard drive crased, then I had to wait for someone I know to see if he could get any of my stuff off the hard drive (you can't rush or complain about free help!!!). He eventually did ...YEA!!!! Then I was too scared to turn it on for a while. Finally, braved the power button and quickly got all my stuff transfered to an external hard drive, and after all that, the CD drive is still not working! Looks like it's time for a new computer!  *sigh* Anyway, the next several posts will be all the stuff that has happened for the last two months! So here we go.....

Back to Christmas....we had lots of fun spending a special day with family! We were also able to attend church today and listen to our fabulous choir!! They are absolutely amazing!! It was also wonderful to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas!!!

Our tree was gorgeous, the boys had a blast and my house will not be the same......ahhh, I LOVE it!!
Here are a few pics...
The tree

Nathan with his stash at home

Scott was excited about his new 3DS!

Alan was happy to have a replacement Ipod (we're waiting to see how long he hangs onto this one!), a new phone (again, anxious to see how long it takes him to lose it) and an Xbox--yup, ridiculously spoiled (and in need of a haircut)!!!!!

And if all that weren't enough, he goes to Grandma and Grandpa Curtice's and gets the parts and instructions to build his own go-cart!!!! So cool--I can't wait!!!! You'll have to check back for pictures of the completed project! : )

Then there was Nathan with his Optimus Prime--not sure how to make a face with rolling eyes!! He was so excited, but his Dad and I were exhausted from a ridiculous number of minutes making the thing "transform" from a robot to the semi!!!!!

Scott got a haul of video games...then it was on to the Thompson's. Here are the boys posing with their stockings from Aunt Laura. So cute!

And here's one of Scott sporting his Green Bay gear--had, jersey (with "Thompson" on the back), pillow pet thingy, what you can't see are the slippers on his feet! (Yes, he was nearly devestated that they did not make it to the Super Bowl!)

All-in-all a lovely day!! Hope everyone else had a great Christmas!

We'll cover January festivities next! : )

November's excitement

So now that I have time, I'll be able to update the blog all the time!  OK, not all the time, but at least more often than I did the last couple of months.

Anyway, Scott was invited to participate in a program for kids who are good in math and science called Space Camp. There were probably 30 kids throughout the district in his grade that participated. They met once a week after school for a few weeks and learned things that are related to having a successful space shuttle mission. Then they had a mock mission. Scott was on the Navigation team. He had a great time and during the mission I guess they had access to actual space information and data so as Scott was scanning space making sure the shuttle was on the right course he spotted a previously unidentified comet and he was able to name the comet. He named it Cent1. Pretty cool!!!! Here he is at "mission control".

Have I mentioned that Nathan has discovered the Legos? (Here we go again!) Here he is with one of his latest creations--a castle--not sure if this one is haunted or not. That's his latest obsession, haunted buildings. 

One more creation--that took up almost my entire living room. Can you guess what it is? C'mon, use your imagination....think machines.

It's a bulldozer, of course!!! Cutie!! 

 Then at the end of the month we enjoyed Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Curtice. Everything was absolutely YUMMY!!!! (Thanks Grandma!) 

  

 Who's the cutest little pilgrim you know?!?! So cute!!    

 And look at the adorable turkey Nathan made!

Of course the next day we went out to get our tree. Yes, we still do live trees and we even cut down our own. OK, so we go to a tree farm to get the tree instead of going into our "backyard" like my sister, but it's still fun!

YEA for trees and Christmas!!

October Festivities!

Yes, I know that it's December! It took all my energy to get through the last week of the quarter and finals--then I kinda crashed and I'm still trying to recover. But anyway, my personal woes aside, I wanted to share a bit about what we were up to in October--it was a big month!

Nathan LIVES for try-a-truck day in our town where the city brings out some of their big trucks and the kids get to climb up in them and check them out. He absolutely LOVES it! So, this year one of his favorite machines was out--the little baby excavator! Guess how long we spent checking out the little baby excavator?!?! I lost track of the time--I should have brought a chair!!

 Then Alan had his 14th birthday!!! I can't believe he's 14! He's already talking about driving! I told him that he was not allowed to talk about driving until he was 15--so he switched his tactic and just talks about cars now! That's fine, I can hang with that! Yes, I know he needs a hair cut--I keep telling him that and teasing him about looking like Justin Bieber so he'll cut his hair--not working so far! He's still handsome!

 One of our annual traditions is to carve pumpkins with our family members as part of his birthday celebration. Here are this year's creations!

 Then of course we had trick-or-treat!! YEA!! I LOVE trick-or-treat!! Alan decided that he wasn't going out this year. Nathan was Boba Fett and his little neighbor friend was Jango Fett (or maybe it was the other way around, whatever)....they were a HUGE hit in the neighborhood!!! Scott was this weird, gruesome zombie-skeleton thing--great costume!! (Thanks grandma!)

More later...............

My how time does fly!!! When was my last post? Oh well! I wanted to share pictures of my handsome boys!

We got all the school pictures in yea!!

Miracle of miracles, Alan took a great picture!

Ever since he was little, little, he's not really been able to pull off a good fake smile!

Unlike Scott who I swear was born posing for the camera! He can fake smile the best of anyone I know!!

Then there's Nathan.....you just never really know how his pictures are going to turn out!!

Well, no matter what they look like, 

he's cute and we love him!! : )

Mementos

~Some are tragic and some are just fun!!

First, we have Nathan with his memento of this really old farmhouse that's near our house. There used to be some people living in it up to about eight years or so ago (that's a total guess, but I do remember people living in the house)! Anyway, they moved and it has been abandoned for many years, so we've been watching the house (and yard) slowly decay. We even went up to check it out in person a couple of times. So one day, we saw that the house was burnt to a crisp!! It was so sad! Nathan said "Well, we knew this day would come, that something would happen to the house. But it's still sad." Such wisdom for one so young!! Then one day the house was just gone, so of course we had to go check it out! Sure enough, the house had collapsed in on itself. Nate was so sad. So I suggested he pick up a memento--so he starts to grab this huge charred brick! I grabbed the smaller piece and suggested that a smaller piece might be easier to carry! So we may need to build a shrine to "the house"--or maybe not!

Second, we have Scott showing off the baseball he got signed by Billy Hamilton, a short-stop for the Dayton Dragons, the single A farm team for the Cincinnati Reds. They waited for players near the dug out after one of the games with no luck! Scott was devastated! So they started walking towards the car, which happens to take them past the back of the stadium, where the players come out. So low and behold who should come out just as they're walking by....you guessed it...Billy Hamilton!! Scott was so excited!!! So here he is with Billy and the ball!

 Third, we have Alan....Poor kid lost his nearly new (got it for Christmas) 32 GB ipod. OK so it was only a 3rd gen (not a 4th)--but 32 gigs!!! Anyway, he lost it at the beginning of the summer~~lesson here kids is put your toys away when you're not using them!!! Anyway, I swear it was the self-induced stress that Alan experienced every day over the summer that caused  a white spot to appear on his eyebrow!!!! WOW--now that's some stress! 

On a happier note for Alan, he set a personal record (PR) for the 2 mile Cross Country course at a meet in Cedarville on 9/17/11. YEA Alan!!!! We're so proud of his hard work and pleased for him and his accomplishment!!

First Day(s) of School

So what fun would it have been for all my kids to start school on the same day?

Not nearly as fun as stretching it out for two weeks....

with my school starting the third week!! *sigh*

Anyway, here are Scott and Alan on their first day of school, August 23rd..... (oh how I wish Alan could figure out how to fake smile!) Oh well, he's still handsome--and still shorter than me!! : )

YUP, I totally had Scott stop for a picture as he was getting on the bus....and he DID!!! : )

 And then on August 29th, we had Nathan's first day of school!! He was so excited!

He was way excited about his new cool, flame backpack

(that ended up going back to the store because it was too small--so sad!)

 Here he is on the way to the bus stop with big brother Scott!! Not sure who's happier here, Nate or Scott. Scott was almost as excited about Nathan riding the bus as Nathan was!!! Cuties!!

For weeks, all Nathan talked about was riding the bus with his best bud, and neighbor, Nick!!

 

Here's my sweet boy posing for his "getting on the bus for the first time" picture!!!!

Bitter sweet!! 

sniff, sniff--little tear

 Last, it's my turn (again). You'd think I'd be a little more excited about my new adventure, but alas, I'm not; I'm dreading it!!! One of those things you have to do to get to the other side. But my adorable sister made it easier for me by sending me a back to school care package....

Ha! Ha! She cracks me up....

my favorite items in the box.....

~Red Vine licorice (already gone!! YUM!)

~the huge erase "for big mistakes"

~post-its--'cause I love post-its!!

~popcorn, or course

~the huge magnifying glass to help me read my assignments (that was funny!!)

~the Addition and Subtraction workbook to help me with my complicated math (thank you very much)

~the funny glasses with a big nose (to scare my teachers with apparently--I think someone's going to claim them for Halloween this year)

~finally the Hello Kitty Pez dispenser, because how on Earth can a grown woman go back to school for a second Master's degree without one of those?!?!?

(Can you see my eyes rolling up in my head????!!!)

Seriously though, thanks Carol!!!! : )

End of Summer Festivities

I don't know about anyone else, but my summer went WAY too fast!!!! I'm not ready for school!!! Is anyone else not ready for school?!?! My boys are more ready than I am.....think that has anything to do with the fact that I'm not looking forward to the homework battles, the forgotten/lost/undone assignments, extra-curricular activities (out the wazoo) and all they can think about is seeing their friends all day long, having recess, eating/trading snacks?!?!

Anyway, before the summer ended we were able to make use of the pool at a friend's apartment complex. It was WAY fun!!! However, this leads me to my second question of the day (the first was about school, see above): how many times does a woman have to hear "Hey Mom, watch this!!" before she goes completely insane?!?! Here are my little water bugs.....

Sweet Stories!

So the other night we were having this huge thunderstorm--lots of lightening and thunder. Scott was pretty tired, so he went right to sleep, but Nathan was pretty nervous. He wanted me to sit with him until he went to sleep. I was ridiculously tired and still had like dishes, laundry and homework to do, so I gave him his stuffed animal and told him to go to sleep. Alan overheard this and took pity on his younger brother and sat down on the floor by his bed. He stayed until Nathan was asleep ~ bless his heart ~ sweetie!!

Alan's in this take everything apart and invent things phase. So his latest creation was to take his brand new Nerf squirt gun thing that he bought and hook it up to his camel pack!! It's actually pretty cool! His experiment with the surgical tubing was a bust (literally!!) and the Nerf gun water cartridges only lasted for 43 seconds (according to Alan. Did I mention the boys are obsessed with Mythbusters these days? Could be worse, right?) Anyway, the camel pack lasts 4 min. 25 seconds!!!!
SWEET!!

Scott's softball team went to the Championship game in the Gold tournament division (top for their age group)! They lost the final game, but only because two key players were missing (Scott being one of them). All the kids played their best and we were proud of them!!! The plus is that both of the teams in the final game got the same shirt, so why should we care that we didn't win, right? 
We still got the shirts!!! : ) 
Sweet victory!

Last story ~ Nathan sometimes has trouble sitting still all the way through church--imagine that! Anyway, he had a substitute Primary teacher (who fortunately has a "high energy" son like Nathan). So after church she tells me "He's so smart; he knew the answer to all the questions!" Then she says she was so impressed that he shared a story that beautifully complimented the lesson ~ on the Holy Ghost. He said that one Sunday he was lost and couldn't find the Primary room, so he went into the gym (Cultural Hall), went under a stack of chairs (I loved that part) and said a prayer that he could find the room. Then he knew just where to go because the Holy Ghost helped him! 

Now THAT is a sweet story!!! 

My sweet, sweet boys!! Nice shirts!!! ; )

  The boys didn't understand this next picture at all, 

but I think it's pretty funny!!! He! He!!

Precious!!!