Operation Kindness - Advent 2014

Thankgiving 2014

 Even though Blase and Darren were gone, we still had a nice meal.

These were my quick attempt at place cards for the kids.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Construction Crew

Would you get nervous if you noticed your children dressed in their construction gear?

How about if they were dragging chairs downstairs?

 Or random totes and stools?

 What if you came downstairs and saw this?

 Or that?

 Not me.  Oh no.  I help modify the roof over there.  I secure the blanket here.  I make sure nothing too heavy is positioned where it will hit a head if it does fall off.  Then I take a picture.

 I couldn't resist their adorable faces when they asked to have a camp out in the clubhouse, which by the way is called Gebes Clubhouse.

 Everyone has their spot.

I feel the most sorry for Cormac.  He picked the wrong spot to be comfortable, but he's tickled to pieces about it.

I hope these are the memories they remember when they think back on their childhoods.  The Thanksgiving day they worked together and build a clubhouse to be proud of.  The night they camped out under the blankets, under "one" roof, in their very own clubhouse.  I'm sure it won't last until 10 AM tomorrow, but that's not what matters.  They had the best afternoon and are having the best night now.  I am tickled for them and would be right there camping out if I didn't have to get up with the twinnies.  Needless to say - they were not invited to this camp out. Maybe next year.

Like Father, Like Son

Thanks Courtney for taking pictures and sending them our way.

We are eating well this winter!!

Fourteen Years

I spent my 14th anniversary with my kids.  I suppose that is just as good of a way to spend an anniversary as any.  Darren called me and we talked for a bit.  Then my dad called and we had a wonderful conversation.

 Before Darren left for South Dakota he bought me yellow roses and sushi.  Two of my favorite things.  He does know me well.

Stephen surprised me with this ring he had made.  He traded something with Cormac for the ring and glued one of his polished rocks on top. It was one of the sweetest presents I have ever gotten.

Successful Hunt

Darren and Blase had a very successful Saturday.

 Darren's was a 4x5, 450 yd shot, 32" outside.  

I kinda went, "Ok."  Trust me - I was told - that was pretty darn good.

Blase's buck was a 5x5, one shot, first deer ever.  

He's thrilled as you can see.  Darren said he gutted it himself (the main reason I don't hunt).

Blase also has a doe tag that I'm sure they will get with no trouble.  I'm excited for the meat.  Our freezer was getting low on sausage and jerky.  We are kind of hoarding what little we have left.

Gianna's First Swimming Lessons

 Gianna's first time in the water at lessons.

 She was blowing bubbles like a pro!

 This is Rex coming up from a bob under water. 

 That is him under water.  I. can't. believe. it.  This kid wouldn't even go under water last week.  I asked him if had sneaked off and practiced swimming when I wasn't looking.

 He also wouldn't have done this by himself last week.  Amazing what one week can do for a kid!!

 Brech is such a great swimmer, but Gianna isn't far behind him.

She's already better than her mom!

Lessons in Bread Making

Do you recall when Blase helped clean up after the Requiem Mass?  The head chef for the night promised a reward to Blase and his friend Isaiah for their hard work.  I made arrangements for Blase, along with Stephen, to go to claim the reward.  A special thank you to Mrs. Wiegrefe (Isaiah and J.J.'s mom and my friend) who drove the boys to claim their rewards.

Joe, the chef, works at an amazing place called Nicole's.  They have the best desserts in town as well as a very, very good lunch menu.  Expensive, but worth every single bite.

 Each of the boys picked out a chocolate tower.  The best part, for them, was the fact that each tower is topped with a fleck of gold.  This is my "go-to" dessert whenever I go out to Nicole's.  I have branched out to cheesecakes recently, but my first true Nicole's love is this chocolate tower.

 Joe brought out croissants for the boys to try.

 The two workers also got homemade hot chocolate.

 YUMMY!!

 Yummy food, happy boys!

 One especially happy boy!

 Joe came and sat with the boys for a bit and gave them a science lesson about bread making.

 He explained quite a few cool things and told some neat stories.

 Joe brought out some of the yeast mixture that he was going to use to make bread.

 A little while later he brought out the next step of the bread making process.

 Thanks Mrs. Wiegrefe! 

 Stephen tried and tried....

but he had to bring leftovers home.

The Wiegrefe family also fed us lunch that day and babysat some of the kids while I went to the orthopedic doctor for my knee.  We sure are lucky to know such amazing friends.