A Thousand Words

If I had the time to type a thousand words about these pictures I would do it. If you had the time to read a post with a thousand words - you best find one of greater importance than my silly blog.

This will be a catch up post from 2011. I have a couple more catch up posts to do later in the week as well. First off....

Little Lady had her first taste of food. She's been a good nurser, but I suppose its time to attempt to feed her munchies. She didn't like it very well.

Gumming it, gumming it...

dropped it.

Take two - more gumming.

A whole lot of drooling!

I think the taste isn't helping matters.

All gone - more please.

What kind of day is an excuse for such goofy faces???

Mom's 33rd birthday of course!!! Stay tuned as there will be another birthday party for me in April. I'm actually looking forward to it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

Christmas Eve was spend with the Gebes Family. The red corner of the picture is the only prove I took of Blase being at the party. He was the official present passer-outer.

Rex and Darren opening presents.

Little Lady getting some help opening her presents from Aunt Lacy! Thanks Aunt Lacy!!!!

A boy's best friend - MONEY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS DAY!!!

We celebrated Christmas Day with the Bestgen families after a very long, tiring Midnight Mass. Brech Earl and Grandpa are resisting the urge to open presents before everyone was ready. FIGHT THE URGE!! DON'T GIVE IN!! You too Brech Earl! (heehee)

If only we all could have woke up looking so rested! Stephen's such a sweetie in the morning.

Grandpa and Uncle Loman (in the Buzz Lightyear pjs) with the kids before we opened presents. They lined up youngest to oldest.

Two of my brothers with Cormac. What a lazy Christmas morning! Just the way we like it.

Big Ana (Juliana) and Little Ana (Gianna)

This is one of my favorite pictures of those two Ana's.

The boys decided to sing:

We three kings of orient are

Smoking on a rubber cigar

It was loaded, it exploded

BANG (sound effects by Rex)

We two kings of orient are (minus Stephen)

Smoking on a rubber cigar

It was loaded, it exploded

BANG (again a little help from Rex)

I one king of orient are (minus both Stephen and Cormac)

Smoking on a rubber cigar

It was loaded, it exploded

BANG (Rex's solo)

God rest ye merry gentlemen.....

Paul and Kaylene checking out her new music book.

Andrew got diapers. He doesn't look too thrilled. Thank goodness it wasn't really diapers.

My second favorite pictures of the Ana's. This time in their footed pajamas. Juliana - I'm glad you are so comfortable with your choice of clothes. Not all of us could pull that off and still look cute. Most of us would just look strange!

Great Grandma Ingalls with Little Lady. She cuddled right in and took a nice nap for Grandma. I'd like to know how much it costs to get one Great Grandma to Horace on those nights when Little Lady thinks she shouldn't sleep. Maybe it would be easier to send Little Lady down to Grandma???

Mashed potatoes in a bag, in boiling water. This is a memory in the making. The other memory was in the making on top of the fridge. THAT bag of mashed potatoes swelled up and probably would have made a massive mashed potato mess in the kitchen if someone hadn't pointed it out.

Patiently waiting!!!

A little bit later in the day we all headed to Mark Park for a some ice fishing and....

the 3rd Annual Bestgen Family Dart Tournament.

Featuring:

9th place - Ante Up (Rita Bestgen and Jason Ingalls)

8th place - Farm Girls (Twyla Bestgen and Mauri Sobotka)

7th place - PB&J *Kickers (Paul Bestgen and Justin Ingalls)

6th place - Nana & TingTing (Juliana Bestgen and Kaylene Bestgen)

5th place - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (Adam Bestgen and Karen Gebes)

4th place - Outlaws (Peter Sobotka and Darren Gebes)

3rd place - Jess 'N' Nators (Jess Bestgen and Nate Ingalls)

2nd place - Team Sally (John Bestgen and Andrew "Sally" Bestgen)

AND

the winning shot for the FIRST PLACE TEAM:

Lukewarm Rod

Luke Bestgen and Rod Ingalls

I think they should be renamed to the HOT RODS.

Everyone in the Bestgen family spent the night at Mom and Dad's or down at John's house at the sod farm. It was a full house and then some. Grandpa wanted a picture with all his granddaughters. We probably should have had Grandma get a picture with all her grandsons, but we didn't think of it.

Even though Bella (standing) is 9 days younger than Gianna she is leaps and bounds ahead of her when it comes to walking and standing. She's giving her mother fits with as active as she is. I have to say that she is darn right adorable when she starts getting into things. I can say that because I'm just the Godmother who lives 8 hours away. I'm sure if Gianna was into as much as Bella is I wouldn't be thinking she was so adorable.

Go Bella GO!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY TO CORMAC!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!

Yummy Spiderman cupcakes with sprinkles and tricky candles.

Wait - didn't I blow them out already??!?!

Money to buy a movie - too cool!

One of his most favorite birthday presents, followed closely by the games and the other toys and the food and the money and the everything else.

more cards and presents at Grandma and Grandpa Gebes' house.

WOW, its so much fun turning 7 just after Christmas.

Headed back to Sturgis - Bear Butte from the east. I just love how it looks. The butte looked so much more impressive in person.

I still haven't been to a place that I love more than my parents house at sunset. My favorite time of the day....well, maybe nap time is getting to be very close to the top of my favorite times.

We decorated gingerbread cookies. Brech enjoyed eating the candies off his man, but that was it.

Sweet smilin' Cormac and his smilin' gingerbread man.

That looks like sweet trouble if you ask me. If only that gingerbread man could talk - what things Stephen and him could come up with.

Rex is not the best picture taker when it comes to "Smile for the camera" poses. You should have seen the first one I took. Yikes.

My redheaded brother Loman and his redheaded gingerbread man.

We had just started getting pink eye so Blase decided he wanted a gingerbread man with pink eye. Yes, you can shake your head and smile. Goofy kid!

Speaking of pink eye - if you asked Brech he has blue eye.

All the kids, but Stephen, have gotten pink eye so far.

We also have 5th disease - at least Brech and Gianna do.

Sore throats, coughs, runny noses, ear infections...ya we got them too.

I am beginning to wonder if we left anything behind in SD for those dear people to catch?!

Here's to a healthier 2012 than its already been.

P.S. According Microsoft Word this post is exactly one thousand two hundred sixty words long. I suppose all of you knew this post would be over a thousand words. Sigh.