Brrrrrrr---Got Gloves?

isn't this beautiful! snow!we took the boys to the snow to go tubing. it was mighty cold!!! 26*here's bryan and eddie on the lift going up.here's brandon. let me explain the bad pictures....i was not thrilled about having to ride the lift up to get to the top. i could tell brandon was scared. i couldn't show him that mommy was scared too! so i did what i could in my frozen hands to take his picture.

look---here i am with brandon! LOL

the ride took for---evah! seemed like an hour as the chair lift kept climbing up and up and up. but it really more like 10-15 minutes. it was breezy too so that didn't help my fears! it was so quiet that we heard the wind howling!

and look at brandon---he lost another tooth! BTW, does anyone want to help contribute to the "brandon will need braces fund'?

and this is what we did.they're so cute in their puffy jackets! good thing we bought these before christmas for all the rain we've been having. they were still super cold! our huge mistake? not bringing gloves! didn't think to bring them---[as homer simpson would say...DOH!]

i wish we weren't such wimps and took the time to take more pictures. i was thinking this picture would be for our christmas card in december BUT, 50% of the family blinked. you win some, you lose some!

after this picture, it was back in line to catch the ski lift back down. joy......at the end of theday, the boys were so cranky, cold and tired that they didn't want to walk back to the car. so we sat and waited for daddy to drive the car to us. i was holding bryan in my lap taking his picture. look at that frown!

and brandon just closed his eyes and fell asleep for a few minutes.

i had major trouble falling asleep that night. kept on dreaming about the ski lift ride. i cannot do that again. give me a tropical island anyday!! TFL!

happy new year!

is she not the cutest? she's such a doll!! we finally got to meet baby jadeyn for christmas! what a great present! she's 2 monhs old now. so adorable! i will have so much fun spoiling her with girly things! i got to get that out of my system....having 2 boys, their stuff can only be "so" cute!
side note, we gave my sis what she wanted from the boy's clothes when they were babies. this is one of the outfits! so sweet to see it again!

the pretty tree my BIL decorated. he did a super job!

the monkey in the middle, mocha, is flanked by bryan & brandon's brobee (L) and cappuccino (R) in the high chair.the night before we left for SF, i let the boys open their gifts....BEFORE CHRISTMAS !!

at the mall

what is looking up at?this is was what he was looking up at. grand, isn't it?

a new year card. it can be seen here also.

same stamp, different orrientation.another card using the same stamp. working with glitter embossing powder is definitely a hazard! not only is it messy but when you work it with the heat gun, stray ones blow up----sometimes into your eye. that's probably why i don't emboss cards much!TFL! i am under the weather again! i've been sick since end of october. then i was better for less that a week and now i'm sick again now. i had some stomach bug for a few days, body aches, the chills, joint pain, headache and a fever. but my boys took good care of me! i pretty much slept all day thursday.

merry christmas all!

greetings from san francisco! we were lucky that the rain stopped for us to make the drive. i think it rained for 6 days straight! finally go to meet my brand new baby niece, jadeyn!! she's such a cutie! so in love with her!! pictures of her to come. she will be blind by the time i'm done with her from all the pictures i'm taking of her. (paparazzi i am)
this is a card i made for jadeyn. so happy to get to spend her 1st christmas with her! you can also see this card here.have you seen the decorations at nordstrom's? love it! all their trees are decorated with a bird theme. i want to decorate mine one year like that. one day.......

in my area, nordstrom hires a santa to take pics for FREE!!! and this is the same santa from last year. he's a great santa, knew the drill and did exactly what i wanted for the boys' photo op. he totally orchestrated the visit: 1st bryan sat on santa's lap, then he asked brandon to come sit too, then bryan off so brandon can take one alone w/ santa.

he even asked the boys what they wanted.

me with santa. naughty or nice? well, what do you think? LOL!

merry christmas and happy holidays to all! i still have cards to mail out.....they'll get to you eventually---before the new year?

hustle & bustle

we did A LOT of shopping the past couple days. little boys do not like shopping..... feel bad that we have to drag them with us but what can you do? plus it's been raining NON STOP!!!! not great shopping weather. i hope it stops real soon......i have a brand new niece i am dying to meet! we are driving to SF and this rain needs to stop---- NOW!

we sat down for a moment at macy's for the boys to write a quick letter to santa. brandon wanted to make sure santa knew he will be in SF and to deliver his present there!

bryan just copied the 'dear santa' part and wrote his name. he also added a picture of him and santa holding hands.sets of cards & calendar before i bagged them for brandon's teacher gifts.

added a tag & tied them around with crochet string. then i put them in clear cellophane bags and sealed them with colorful packing tape.

the covered pocket calendars for the front office staff.

i made these for brandon to pass out to his classmates on the last day of class before winter break. wait---- let me rephrase that...... i bought these gingerbread cookies and packed them. thank goodness for running labels through the computer to put on the bags! time saver! plus i found a free candy cane font online.

last night, i packed 20+ of these puppies for hubby's staff. at least i had a bit of his help this year! but i was up until 3am-ish still packing & wrapping stuff while listening to hubby's [loud] snore!

santa pics to come soon! i got great ones again this year :) me, happy. this was last year's.

party squared

i've been working feverishly on card sets and gifts for brandon's teachers, principal and front office staff this past week. here's a peek at them all bundled ready to be packaged. i had brandon deliver them on wednesday-friday. even his kinder teacher told me she uses the covered calendar all the time SO, naturally, i had to make her one again this year. i've gotten lots of compliments already! :) so happy when i see that the recipiant really likes something handmade!a couple weeks ago, we had 2 birthday parties to go to in 1 day. whew.....what a day! i made some quick cards using a digi image from here. so cute! love the monster! most of them were just scraps i had out.

party #1: bowling party. all i have to say is thank goodness for the gutters!school friendsso nice when they are at this age where they don't say 'ick' to girls!

a group pic

party #2: bounce house

bryan after coming down a loooong slide!

weeeeeeeeeeee

group photo

we have 2 birthday parties this weekend. brandon is off school til the the 3rd!! 2011!! wow, this year just flew by!

TFL!

cranking out the cards II

we had a few days of high 80* temps so we headed to the beach late sunday afternoon. yes, the beach in december. the boys enjoyed collecting seashells. i just sat back & relaxed!speaking of winter, another wintery card. i changed up the colors a little bit from the cards in the previous post.

i dunno why i do this to myself year after year but i am in a mad dash to get card sets done for teacher gifts.

sorry the picture collage cuts off the whole card but you get the idea. the very last picture is a covered pocket calendar. you can buy those ugly ones at target for $1 or at michael's for 50cents. this set is a bit more crazy in the color scheme. i did no stamping on these cards. coordinating paper & die cut packs helped with piecing the cards faster.

i have more card sets to show you soon. TFL!

[and don't be jealous of our sunny, hot weather.....we are about to get 5 days of rain]