Christmas Day # 4 and Final

These might be the neatest set of car tracks I have seen!! They are called Neo Tracks and man are they neat, especially in the dark and they are indestructible.

Grandma Nikki got a new swing set to share, this is the building kit, the lumber will come as follows.

Tayden wanted Bendaroos (gotta love infomercials), he was excited to get them can you tell.

Brandon's moms side of the family. Nikki, Brandon, Tayden, Lori, Tucker, Amanda, Cole!!!!

Merry Christmas from The Bish's 2010!

Well we spend Christmas day very busy, but that is okay with me and the children, because we open lots of gifts, travel a whopping 10 minutes and get a variety of family time. Every immediate Grandpa and Grandma get a huge and kiss Christmas Day! We do it because we want to, because it wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't see our mom and dad, therefore we leave home about 10 and return about 5:30. Utts, Bishs, then with Grandma Nikki, this year she came to our house and it was wonderful!!!

The Gift Highlights 2010

Tucker - farm set, easel, swing set, nerf gun, pillow pet, nike tennis shoes, muck boots, monster trucks, new coat, Marmaduke, art supplies
Tayden - farm set, Nintendo DS, nerf gun, new hunting boots, muck boots, monster trucks, swing set, How to Train a Dragon
Lori - cross necklace, crockpot(2), new cowboy boots, clothes, fuzzy boots, iron board, Wii, T.V for our bedroom
Brandon - Hunting boots, Wii, floor jack, boots, clothes, new T.V for our bedroom, golf balls, gloves

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful Christmas, the wonderful family time, and the new supplies at our house, we greatly appreciate it and are overly blessed!!
Happy New Year-- the resolutions will be coming...

Christmas Day # 3

Well this family is the new proud owner of a Wii! Tayden wanted one and we have told him we didn't need a Wii, but Grandma and Grandpa Bish gave Brandon and I a Wii for Christmas, I will let you guess who was very very excited. This is Bradly and Brandon playing a dance game.
The Wii could cause some major competition around here I am afraid!

This was after we had unwrapped presents, played in the snow, went sledding and now Tucker and Grandma are resting, while Daddy and Grandpa hunted and Tayden and I watched the new movie Marmaduke! It is cute!

Tayden and uncle Bradly are preparing to play Nerf guns, yes we recieved 2 more for Christmas to total 8 at our house I believe!

The boys both received new pieces for a farm set, this is one thing on Tuckers Christmas list and we have already got it out and running. The whole farm, including oatmeal as feed!

Thank you Bishs for the Wonderful Christmas and we hope the Wii won't cause conflict!!!!

Christmas with Kids

Tucker was excited to open presents... again.

Here are 6 of the 9 kids lined up and ready to go.

He was helping Brandon open his.

Homeade gift by aunt Linds the black hat!!

Yes Christmas is a blast with kiddos, when we went to moms around 10:00 am on Christmas day we were blessed with 9 lovely children. Ages 2 to 8!! They love to unwrap presents and play, might I add unless I just missed the time, they were all very well behaved!! We have continued the tradition of homeade gifts for about 4 year now. Homeade gifts were as followed
Men from Lindsay - wrench holders, metric and standard - Women - ear warmers , hymns
Men from Leslie - weiny sticks - Women - necklaces with kids names, made out of washers
Men from Lincoln - homeade fire starters, Women - homeade lotion
Men from Lori - handkerchiefs with intials on them , Women - homeade oven mitts with intials

It was successful Lindsay knitted hats for kids, Leslie made bottlecap necklaces and keychains for kids, Lori monogrammed (actually debbie did) names on towels for kids.

Thanks ladies for the great Christmas!!!

Christmas

Tucker thought it sure was fun to unwrap presents!

Santa left a 10 in 1 multi game table for the boys to share!

Tayden thought it was fun to take a picture of us on Christmas Morning!

The boys got new sweatsuits. Their favorite colors.

Santa left a 10 in 1 multi game table for the boys to share!

Our house Christmas morning was fun, the elves had to put the table together and the boys thought it was fun. Lori and Brandon received a few odds and ins, but happily they are both receiving new sets of golf irons. I will post pictures when I get mine!!! They were my birthday present!!!!!! (I think Brandon went ahead and ordered his birthday present too. It is only 3 months away...)

I will soon post the pictures from X-mas with the Utts.

Cookies for Santa

We made Cookies to leave for Santa today, because they didn't think he would like the hard Chips Ahoy cookies out of the cabinet!!! Tucker enjoyed the beater, while Tayden prepared each little ball to bake, however he even made some tiny ones.

He really does like to help in the kitchen and he is a pro at cracking eggs and dumping ingredients!

We had Christmas last night at Grandma and Grandpa Blackwells! It was a little sad, because it was the first Christmas without Aunt Annette who lost her battle with breast cancer June 13, 2010! Her girls were very excited for Christmas! The boys were excited to open presents. Can you guess what these 2 gifts are?

Happy Christmas Eve!

Tis the Season...

Tis the Season to...
- sleep in
- drink coffee until it is time for Dt. Mountain Dew
- play Yahtzee
- play board games with the kiddos
- get pjs on at 7
- wrap Christmas presents
- countdown the hours until our 1st Christmas
- watch the Polar Express
- Clean the house
- do laundry
- think about the magical time of year
- enjoy the thought and smiles of 2 little boys
- enjoy the magical time of year
- impatiently wait for Christmas day (even at 25 almost 26.)

Tis the season to be jolly- wishing all a Merry Merry Christmas!

More Fun...

We got to see Santa while we were at Fun City!!!

Tucker thought it was fun to bowl, however he also tried to kick a few!!

Who is the biggest boy? Look who has the gun!

Fun City

The Go Karts were fun and the go cart Tucker and I rode in just so happened to have Brandon's work logo on it. He works for B & B Propane, but his boss also owns Jet Stop, Jet Gas Company!!

Hucks Harbor was fun and the boys thought it was fun to swim, they did great and it was fun!

Brandon was amazed with the bucket. The large yellow bucket at the top of the picture would fill, then when it was full it would dump all over the rest of the smaller kids water area!

The little swimmer at our house did a great job going down the red slide! He loves to swim with a life jacket!

We headed to Fun City (we went a little out of the way) Friday night after work. We got there got checked in, played games, went bowling and then called it a night (late)!
Saturday we got up ate breakfast at a buffet, swam, then we rested for a while and all took naps!! The boys wanted to swim, so we swam some more, then we got around for the evening and ate a big supper, played games (arcade). Then we got to play laser tag! It was fun!
Sunday morning we got up a little later went down, checked out of our room, went down and rode go carts that was fun also.
We are thankful that Brandon received the free weekend stay after he worked several holidays last year! It was fun to get away, take the kids somewhere new and have fun as a family!!

December 13

13 things to be thankful for this time of year...

1. my new camera (thanks mom)
2. the anticipation of my birthday
3. the excitement this time of year (21 5 and 6 year olds daily)
4. the anticipation of 2 weeks vacation
5. green
6. red
7. Christmas Tree
8. yummy treats
9. Tiger commuter mug- hope it gets here soon
10. weekend get a way to Fun City with my family of 4, dec. 17 and 18th (I might be as excited as the boys!
11. the gift of giving
12. candy canes
13. CHRISTMAS VACATION -must I say it more.

I hope you are all enjoying the preparation of Christmas, the kiddos at my house wake every day to find a chocolate from the advent calendar! The kids at school are excited! I am excited!
Happy December 13, 2010-soon will be 2011!

Worm Pill

Tucker walked into Mom and Dads kitchen on Sunday and said, "Grandpa can I have a worm pill?"
Grandpa said, "No you are not wormy."

The story is the kids like to play dogs and my brothers kids were there also. They like to get down and lead each other, then they were coughing, simple because they had colds. My dad who doesn't usually "PLAY" with the children much asked mom to get him worm pills (m &ms). Then when the dog(child) coughed they got a worm pill, well that is great but some day when they ask someone else for a worm pill, that person will think they are crazy!! They had fun and I am sure they will remember it forever.
Thanks dad for the new definition of "worm pill"!!!

Friday Night

I am in a sewing club and we do a Christmas Party every year, we eat in Ottumwa and then we go to Wal-Mart and purchase gifts for an I Care Family in Bloomfield. Well that was fun we went had a good time, left Ottumwa around 10:30, get home pick up kids from Aunt Amanda( thanks a bunch) and head home. Brandon is deer hunting this weekend (1st shotgun season in Iowa) and the group he hunts with has a ritual to hang out Friday night and enjoy planning the next two days of hunting and they are usually out very late, so he was not around.
I turn the corner by an Uncles house and notice a large orange glaze in the sky, the same direction of our house, I get closer and notice flashing lights and the glaze is large, high and really really close to our house.

My thoughts- "the kids are in the car, Brandon is surely not at home and he is with 7 other grown boys(they are probably okay), okay I guess the possessions in our home aren't near as important as the 4 of us, the dog can surely run away she wasn't locked in the garage, our Christmas tree and Christmas presents can surely be replaced, we will find somewhere to start a new home and well mom and dad may have company tonight."

I continue to drive and thank my lucky stars the boys are both asleep, so they aren't scared, because anybody around me in the vehicle would have been scared, although I don't think I said a word! So I continue to drive and instead of turning right to go home, I went straight, pulled in mom and dads driveway walked in and said, "Something is on fire, and I am afraid it is our house!"
They were clueless and startled, but dad got dressed, (pretty fast for 57) and got in the car with me. On the way my sister had been coming home also and they had also noticed the large orange glaze in the sky!! She called several times and I know she could sense the helpless, scared voice of mine, but they called as dad and I get 1 mile away and say, NO your house is not on fire, but the fire is between your house and Troy.

I get home, put kids to bed and remember how thankful I am to have a home, kids, safety and support so close to home!

An old barn about 1 mile away burnt, not sure why, but this morning we drove by and discovered what is was. Thankful it was not a home!!!

Deck the Halls

Well as some of you know, we have had another round of flu at this house. Monday night at 7 ish, Tucker started with the lovely vomiting in the living room. Ok, well I guess in my thoughts "I will stay home on Tuesday with him and we will see if Wednesday can be back to normal. "
Tuesday morning, I put Tayden on the bus to go to school and Tucker and I were relaxing, he was sick until about 1:30, so we were sleepy!
9:00 am -Tuesday School nurse calls "Tayden has vomited at school and you need to come get him"
I said ok, we will be right there!
So Tuesday I am home with not 1, but 2 sick boys. Good news was that Tucker was over the actual vomiting, therefore I only had to do 1 bucket at a time.
We had good naps and chicken noodles for supper, we all went to bed in our own rooms and today on Wednesday morning, WE are BETTER!!
I took the day off, because at noon yesterday Tayden was still sick and I thought we might have another long night, but HOORAY we are better!!!


Therefore today I think we are going to DECK THE HOUSE!!!