BS Family

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Christmas Days of 2011

Stayed with Gma Marie and Gpa Norman this year for Christmas due to Jo asking to be around more family for the holidays.

The Christmas Dog Bone Cookie

We have enjoyed doing a cookie decorating contest the past few years and continued this year with a dog bone cookie.

The participants this year besides the BS Family, Gma Marie, Gpa Norman, Cousin Derian, Rachelle & Connie.

The final cookies!

And the Christmas Cookie Winner!

Derian and her Hawaii theme.

With more cookies left the next day the kids decorated again and came up with the creative idea to use smaller cookie cutters for some outline shapes.

Though I think Cole ate more frosting than actually made it onto his cookie.

Christmas Eve

Cole and Jo opening the gifts to each other.

Jo: Littlest PetShops, Cole: Star Wars book and action figure.

Christmas Morning

Can hardly believe I had to wake the kids. And even after I woke them they didn't move until I said "Merry Christmas". Then their eyes popped open, I hear them say "OH YEAH," their faces cracked a large tired smile and they ran into the front room to see what Santa brought them.

From Santa? Cole: Skateboard, Jo: Rock tumbler.

Could I have one picture of the three of you please?

After this picture I said: "Wait, did I get the shot?"

Kids: "You only asked for one." (and they walked away) LOL

Oma opened her Cotton Candy maker.

Or is this for Jo? No, it's Oma's, however Jo will be by her side every time she opens this box!

Turducken:

It's what's for dinner!

Todd bought one of these birds (or rather three birds in one) for our dinner this year. It was quite tasty and could feed a family twice the size that was gathered this year!

Gpa Norman, Cole, Jo, Gma Marie and Doug.

Busy three days, we were all very happy and tired!

Merry 2011 Christmas BS Groupies!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Oma's Birthday - Holiday Spirit

Oma wanted to snowboard for her 44th Birthday or a day of Geocaching if we had no snow. And below you can see we were hitting the hills for caches!

Our first find for the day was up the side of the hill full of grass burrs, mud and loose rock. (If you look closely at Gma Marie's pants she is speckled with the burrs) No one cared as "We were Geocaching" and anything goes!

If he could talk to the animals, walk with the animals ...

Our very own Dr. Dolittle in Gpa Norman.

We were stopped at a road side cache and Gma Marie, Jo and I watched (from inside the car) as these cows in the field were almost running toward Oma, Cole and Gpa. Gma and I looked at each other and said "Gpa is talking to them". And sure enough, you could hear Gpa Mooing and those cows were running toward him! They even followed him back to the car, probably would have gotten in with him too.

Cheese!

Again, we always come prepared for birthdays as another match was held by Gma Marie for Oma's birthday wish.

Cheesecake for desert after our Mac n Cheese, Lasagna with salad dinner.

Happy 44 Years, My Dear!

Feed the Birds, Toppins a bag...

Yes, Gpa Norman is still talking to the animals as he took Jo outside with him to call and feed the Jay's peanuts.

He tosses them into the air and the birds will catch them while they fly by.

Jo didn't quite get hers tossed high enough so to the left of this picture you can see two birds landing to grab the nuts.

Cole and Gpa Norman building a robot that Cole received as an early Christmas gift.

Gpa taught Cole quite a bit about the reasons of how & why when building.

Cole finished this up the following day at home.

Our Christmas Tree

Doug has become a little bored at the house once in a while and has started chewing things up. We are down to only the nine days of Christmas ornaments on the tree and one string of lights have become two separate strings. (Thank goodness they were not plugged in).

Santa!

Might be our last picture of the kids sitting with the Jolly Old Man as we had to pay Cole to sit with him this year. (Only one dollar) We gave Jo the same.

Merry Holiday to you and yours!

Friday, December 09, 2011

Family Family

Cousin Derian is now a teenager! I don't know how my brother and sister in-law feel but this makes me feel like time has zipped on by.

Do they look like they could be related?

Happy 13th Birthday Derian!

Cole and his home made AK-47

He said he started making this at school but only the rolled up paper as he said he didn't want to get into trouble with having a gun at school. So he assembled the gun at home.

Cole also informed me that we are out of "kid" paper now.

Love the imagination Cole and Jo have.

Speaking of paper, here's a little more!

Santa and his reindeer!

Santa and his 21st century slay and flying animals.

Jo pulled all her stuffed animals out that have some sort of horn or antler.

On Billy Goat, On Unicorn, on Cow and a generic reindeer,

On Giraffe, On Rudolf, On Jo!

The Family Bed is getting smaller!

Especially when we add Doug.

Doug is sleeping with the kids each night and enjoying himself.

I thought this was darn cute as Jo covered him up and he stayed all night.

Out for a walk with Jo and Doug after dinner and Jo was a little tired and apparently still hungry as she stated "I'm hungry" more than a few times.

I finally asked, "I hear your hungry, what would you like me to do about this". Jo: "We could knock on someones door and ask them for food."

Dang she is too funny.

New Circus room at Bounce!

Trapeze, Cloud Swings and a Hoop are the new additions to her class.

Cole has been participating in Duck Baseball camps. Conditioning Day.

Keeping the Little Man physical so he does not drive us or anyone else crazy with his extra energy!

First DANCE!

The kids had their very first dance.

Cole came home about a week before the dance stating.

Cole: I have to go to the dance.

Mom: Why?

Cole: Because a girl asked me to go.

Mom: What does that mean? Do we give her a ride?

Cole: (loudly) NO!

Mom: Are you to bring her a flower?

Cole: (Loud and embarrassed) NO MOM, Sheesh!

Mom: Well what does it mean that you were asked?

Cole: (shrug) That I have to go to the dance now.

(Whew, I like all those answers)

Thomas, Cole, Simone & Jo

After the dance I hear this conversation.

Cole: Jo, why do girls walk around in packs, giggling and talking?

Jo: Because we are talking about boys.

Cole: Oh, we don't like it.

(Well at least that has not changed over the years)

Saturday, December 03, 2011

New Family Member!

Well we finally did it!

Our meeting with 4 year old (Duke) at Greenhill.

(Oh, the cone of shame is due to a healing cut on his hind leg)

Though Duke is a good name we thought he should have a BS Family name.

Meet Doug!

A tour around the house and Cole took Doug out back and they both RAN!

Our lives have change, and so has Doug's!

Dec? No, November Wrap Up!

Remember Cole and his bass?

Yes, he takes it to school on the bus.

I asked the bus driver if taking it on and off the bus was an issue and she stated, "Cole is so determined to do this, it's not a problem." And he is! Cole has not made it anyone else's job to help him as he wants to do this alone. Thank goodness we have a nice bus driver!

Oma and I got a weekend away...What?

Yes, the kids went to Rachelle & Connie's for the weekend and we headed to the coast for some time alone.

Here is where we watched the Ducks loose their second game of the season. GREAT SEATS!

We never did see the actual beach but what we did do: ordered room service, geocached, hit a great candy store, gambled (Oma likes Spanish black jack now), went to a movie theater for an R rated movie, read books and yea, I guess that was about it. VERY relaxing time thank you very much.

Private First Class Conkey!

Thanksgiving this year was at our home as Andrew wanted to come.

He flew in on Thanksgiving day so instead of having turkey we had steak and some home made apple crisp (Thank you Gma Marie) and celebrated Andrew's 21st Birthday.