And now for the pictures!

I know it's hard to tell, but they were just a little bit excited to find out that we were really staying at the hotel AND swimming too!

Even though there was probably a unethical amount of chlorine in the pool, we were swimming anyway! 3 times in our less than 24 hour stay in fact!

When we got to the concert MIKESCHAIR was already playing.

Little Pumpkin loved the music! "Let's dance!" I'll have to enroll her in dance classes next . . . don't tell Daddy Lion I told you, but neither one of us can dance!

Although it's hard to tell, I promise this is Newsong! Daddy Lion's favorite. They were hosting the concert!

Next up Mommy Lion's fav . . . NEWSBOYS!!! You can never get too much. This was the first time I've seen them since Michael Tait joined them. Not too bad! *grin*

We left during intermission so we missed out on Tenth Avenue North and a few others, but we didn't want to torture the kids more than we needed too. And for just $10 we really got our money's worth!

Sunday am we woke up to SNOW!!! CRAZY, the first day of spring and it was snowing! So, the kids went swimming! Love indoor pools. We did brave the frigid weather for some shopping at the boardwalk then headed home for AWANAS.

At lunch; Little Pumpkin loves to be as close to brother as physically possible. Still haven't figured out if it is sincerity or devious. Probably depends on the day or moment. She was being sweet here, despite Little Lion's facial expression!

WooHoo! One of us!

Oh, yes! This is the look we are getting more frequently than we'd like! Here she is playing.

And notice she couldn't even finish her sprinkled candied apple! One wiped out little girl!

Great memories! Time to go pick them up from school. Little Pumpkin's Easter egg hunt up next.

You know it's been a long time when . . .

The page no longer comes up automatically in my recently viewed pages! Well, I will say this, I have no excuse! *grin*

Spring break has come and gone. We had a great week of laid back activities. And ended the week with a quick one night getaway. The kids were so surprised and loved the indoor pool! I promise to get pictures up once Daddy Lion figures out what is wrong with all my USB ports.

Our days just seem to get filled with the busy-ness of life. I can't imagine how crazy life gets once we start extra-curricular activities! Speaking of which, Little Pumpkin did start a gymnastics class! It's so cute and she grins from ear to ear the entire time. We go on Wednesdays after BSF, so we are already in town and it doesn't take up another day or make another trip into that side of town!

Little Lion loves school while he's there. If you ask him, though he'll say he doesn't like it! He just doesn't like doing his homework! Or feeling like he's missing out on the "fun" Little Pumpkin is having.

It may be after Easter before I get pics up because after today life gets real crazy! Tomorrow starts off the first of many egg hunts. Little Pumpkin's is in the am at her pre-school. Wed. is normal BSF & gymnastics. Thursday is super crazy with a field trip to the Discovery Science Place with Little Pumpkin's school and rushing back to make it to Little Lion's school for his egg hunt/Easter party.

Thankfully Friday is no school and no work so we can relax. Until we surprise Blake with a Toby Mac concert in the evening! *smile* That will be fun. Saturday is our church's big Easter Celebration with egg hunt and more!

Hopefully when I return, I'll have all the pics to prove my stories! *wink*

Don't give up on me just yet!

So not what we were thinking!

Okay, we are already couch potatoes just 6 hours into having satellite. (not really, but can see where it could be addictive) Daddy Lion and I are watching Iron Chef, when Little Lion comes out of his room from "rest time." He plops down on the couch in reverse so as his eyes don't leave the TV.

The announcer says it's a battle of the bald chefs and one the the chefs says "I'm bald?" The announcer moves on telling what they are doing with what: "The sous chef is putting a rub on the pork butt."

Little Lion breaks out laughing . . . Daddy Lion and I look at each other; that moment of 'what do we do/say?' since we don't use the word butt. Then Little Lion says "That's so funny, that guy didn't know he was bald!"

I almost wet my pants laughing!

SNOW!!!

So yesterday the snow started falling early morning. After school the combination of snow/slush there wasn't much to play with, but the kids had fun anyway!

The biggest accumulation was in Daddy Lion's truck! They loved it.

Look at those giddy faces! Much better than the last time we saw snow here and they both cried for the few minutes I was just trying to take a picture of them in it!

Check this snow ball out!

Then Daddy Lion awoke to this (we slept in because school was delayed 2 hours).

FIVE inches! WOW.

Then the call came and school is closed! WOO HOO!!!

She giggled the whole way down!

We headed up the street to play with our friends! Somehow I was the only one to find the water hole! Better me than Little Pumpkin!

Done with Pictures ready to PLAY!!!

Well at least I have proof it snowed! Happy snow day everyone! Enjoy it while it last; it won't be long! *wink*

Blake's Favorite Things from today:

1. A guy tooting in another guy’s face.
2. The basketball exploded with confetti.
3. Eating lunch in the church kitchen.
4. A Lunchable for snack/dinner.
5. Having Sam and Rachel ride with us.
6. Holding Rachel’s hand.
7. Having chocolate doughnut with sprinkles & chocolate milk for breakfast.
8. AWANA store.
9. A guy’s clothes came off while running.
10. The mascot put girl hair on and took off his clothes.

No need to worry; they went to a Harlem Globetrotters event today!

Globie the mascot!

The Globetrotters doing some "cool moves" as Blake put it.

This little girl is an acquaintance of ours. Daddy Lion got some great video of the Globetrotters messing with her mom too! *wink*

The obligatory group shot: Rachel, Blake and Sam! (Poor Ben got sick at church so Rachel went in his place!)

I can't believe it's been so long!

So, I have to apologize for the hiatus. I really have no good reason for it! I even went into my pictures to see what I've taken pictures of to blog about for Jan . . . There was only a handful of pics from New Year's night/early morning! Nothing blog worthy.

So I'll share my emotional roller coaster ride this am. As I was walking out the door for my MOPS meeting, I heard the news report about a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Now, we hear these reports often and I normally let them roll right off my back, but this time my heart sunk! The mentioned Camp Phoenix by name ~ this is where my dad is doing contract work!

Yesterday, my BIL had a heart attack and was scheduled for a triple bypass today. An early morning call let us know they took him in this am instead of this pm.

The next phone call I received, I was getting leery of answering my phone at this point, was my close friend from NE. Scared of what news she might have, I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was happy news! She's expecting her first baby! WOOHOO! I'm so excited for you guys!

Well, after good friends prayed me through my MOPS meeting, I found out that indeed my dad's building had been hit, but it only threw him and one other guy who occupied the building to the floor. No major injuries or casualties! Our GOD is amazing!

And as for my BIL, well he ended up with a quadruple bypass and is looking much better. Once he recovers, it may not be his heart that kills him, but his wife! *wink* I'm sure we'll hear the whip cracking even with the 3000 miles in between us!

So, there was my morning in a nutshell! Hoping and praying for a calm day tomorrow.

From the protection of the hidden blind...

Innocently concealed in a Hickory Farms box....

Home for the Holidays!

My home that is! Everyone got to come to our house this year, which has made for a crazy, busy couple of days, well honestly weeks! I'd like to use that excuse for the lack of posting and the Nov. header. *grin* And to be totally honest, I just changed Little Lion's calendar to December today!

SO here it all is in as little as a nutshell as I could fit it!

It all began Sat, Dec 19. We picked up Daddy Lion's parents at the airport.

Our Christmas Sunday best with Grandma and Grandpa Lion!

I cannot believe I got such a great shot of the two of them before church and in front of the tree! Would have been a great one for the Christmas card!

Sunday evening we enjoyed seeing my stepsister and her family who had drove in. Baby Claire is getting so big and she was so much fun.

Can you tell the kids loved her?!?

I think she liked them too!

Christmas morning found Little Pumpkin too early! I can so relate . . .

I love this shot of their faces just as they walk in to see what "Santa" left!

Look at that smile! He loved the pj's ~ put them on right then on top of the ones he already had on! Too funny.

Later Lolly, Pop and Tia came over for more celebrating. Lolly got this awesome shot of Little Pumpkin's pure excitement when opening Tia's gift!
A pinkalicious dress! With the fixings for a pinkalicious cupcake baking day! What an awesome Tia.

For Christmas, Tia was my personal shopper and bought me this sweet shirt for Christmas day. After a full day of shopping she ended up buying the pink one for her. Later she found the purple version for mom ~ so of course we had to have a picture of the three of us in our shirts! *smile* Thanks again Tia.

Side note: If I ever look trendy and stylin' you can bet Tia has dressed me! *wink*

Papaw finally made it in from overseas and we celebrated with him and Ms. K on Sunday.

This is Little Pumpkin getting into her "stocking"! YES!!! That huge bag is just their stocking stuff; can you say SPOILED!?!

A sweet picture of Little Pumpkin and Papaw snuggling in her new blanket.

I think Ms. K was dodging the camera lots, but I do think she enjoyed her red vase! I can't wait to see the flower arrangement she does for it. She is quite talented that way!

So, from our busy (but happy) home to yours: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Best Christmas Gift Exchange Ever!

I picked this up from Magnum and Doc at our small group party. Three batteries and we're good to go!

The video explains it all!

Daddy Lion

Blah, Blah, Blah

I woke Little Lion at 6:30am today. He was to have arisen at 6:25am. I turned on his Christmas lights at 6:25, didn't hear a thing, so went to check on him.

He was in bed with his blankets pulled over his head to block out the light. I pulled down the covers, rubbed his tummy and started reminding him:

"Blake, this is a great day! It's a school day. It's a day when you get to see Buck and Catherine and Ms. Baker. This is a morning like no other! Never again will it be here!"

My enthusiastic little diplomat interrupted me with:

"Blah, blah, blah"

Daddy Lion

My Photographer Rocks!

For a sneak peek at our family pics check out All For FUN Photography!

My friend Josie did another great job this year! Don't be surprised if you see one of these on your Christmas card . . . sometime in the next month(s). Hey, I got give myself some room! *grin*

AWANA Success

So, we've been working on the books of the New Testament for AWANA all week long. Instead of breaking them up into three sections like the book did, I thought he should just knock them all out together and after a long, hard week of practice he succeeded last night!

On the way home in the car we had this conversation:

Mommy lion: "Little Lion, I just want you to know that I am very proud of you! I know it was hard work and you did a great job!"

Little Lion: "Thanks Mommy. You know if I was your Daddy and you made me so proud; I'd take you to Sonic to get a slushy." (we were at the red light across from a Sonic)

Already trying to work the system! I resisted. *wink*

All Turkey-ed out

And Thanksgiving is still a week away!

Yesterday was Little Lion's Thanksgiving Feast at school. No real "program," we all got to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal school cafeteria style! YUM! It honestly was surprisingly better than expected. I don't plan to hire them for any catering business, but edible all the same.

Tia got to tag along for the fun. . . she did pass on the meal. Can't say I blame her, not my idea of a yummy breakfast either! (She worked the night before so this was her "morning.")

Family shot! Afterwards I realized I didn't get a good one with Little Lion's teacher, bummer. His shirt says "Brave Wolf"; apparently they were talking about how the native Indians got their names. When asked why he didn't use Little Lion, he replied "That's my nickname not my Indian name!" What were we thinking?!? *grin*

Today was Little Pumpkin's Thanksgiving Feast! They do have a short little program. And much yummier food since most of it is home cooked. The program was shorter than usual and Little Pumpkin was much more interested in people watching than singing.

However, I did manage to catch her sing at least a little of the song:

Caught this sweet smile at lunch time! She is being a turkey from a cute song I remember Little Lion singing his first year at First Friends! Maybe Little Pumpkin will actually sing it next year! *smile*

Lolly and Tia got to come for the Feast too! I thought this was a great shot of all us girls!

I think I'll take it easy on the Pumpkin cake until next week! *grin*

3 for 3

Little Pumpkin wore a sweet dress from Aunt B today, so I asked her if we could take a picture to send to Aunt B. She amazingly was cooperative and said "So she can see how cute I look?"

How could I not agree?!

After the first pic she said "take free" (that's pumpkinese for 3)!

And again!

3 for 3!

As promised!

This year was the first year the kids costumes did not coordinate. . . hard on Mommy Lion, but I'm sure it will be the first of many they remember getting to pick! Well, some what. . .

Little Pumpkin turned into Little Strawberry for the night. This is where the somewhat comes in; she had 3 handed down costumes to pick from and she choose the strawberry. Thanks Cheryl! (Don't bring up the fact that she was not actually Strawberry Shortcake ~ sore subject!!!) *wink*

Little Lion wanted to be Bumble Bee, the transformer! (Have to throw in that last part otherwise we would have coordinated.) He's all about transformers and star wars though he's never seen either show!

Our newest neighbors happened to walk out when we did to trick-or-treat so this cute Bumble Bee joined in on the fun! They all loved getting candy and were quite disappointed when we hit a loosing streak of people not being home.

Next stop the neighborhood get together. We had a great time getting to know some neighbors better and reacquainting with the ones we know, but never see! *wink* The bounce house was the biggest hit!

Little Pumpkin being particular about what candy she picked up from the little kids piñata!

The big kids piñata; whole other story! Look close you can see Daddy Lion picking out candy too! *grin*

How much fun can we have?!? A hayride minus the hay, but still just as fun! The kids loved it. Afterwards, all the kids headed out in two large groups to trick-or-treat. It was a great time; hope it becomes a tradition!

This is the latest trend in passing out candy: camp chair at the end of the driveway with laptop and bowl of candy! Hmmm. . . . I wonder how much he really handed out and how much went inside the mouth?!? lol Honestly the Oregon game was on . . . couldn't miss it!

We had a great Halloween, hope you did too!