Jacob's 11th Birthday

Just as a side note:  I promised myself, since having a December baby (Jacob), that I would never ever ever use Christmas wrapping for his presents nor would I ever take birthday pictures in front of the Christmas tree.  As you can see, I wrecked that promise in its entirety!  Bad mom!  Sorry, Jacob.

 

New golf clubs!  He's been spending lots of time with dad practicing and now they can play together.

We filled up Jacob's room with balloons the night before his birthday so when he woke up, his room was all balloon-ified.

Cake, singing, and more presents.  Could my house be darker?????  Every picture is so dark.

He got golf balls, tees, some art supplies, a couple shirts, etc.  Just stuff.  Look at Jimmy's face -- ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Classic!!!

Cute family.

Jacob likes to lay out all his presents and take inventory.

 

Happy Birthday, Jacob.  Sorry for the Christmas theme!

Scout MacDougal

I'm usually completely opposed to adding more stuff to do during the holidays.  As if it isn't enough to break your back getting gifts for your family, friends, neighbors, kids' teachers, visiting teachers who visit you, the sisters you visit-teach, home teaching families, the bishop, etc.  On top of that, I'm making food galore thanks to all the ridiculously delicious-looking recipes I'm finding on Pinterest every day.  Not to mention all the Christmas parties at church and school.  And don't forget sending the Christmas cards out, shoveling snow, regular grocery shopping and cooking, laundry, homework, lesson preparing for church, work parties, and Jacob's birthday.  All the while, we're fighting colds and doing scouts and making it to the gym, when possible. 

And there's Elf on the Shelf.  Thanks to my adoring sister, Amy, she sent us this darling little guy with the book so we can start a new tradition in our family!  At first I was sooooooo mad.  But seriously, it has turned into something really fun and easy.  I don't do anything too creative with him.  Some days my kids are a little disappointed that he's not doing something mischievous like they might see other families do.  We just go with it.  He's cute and funny.

So thanks, AMY!!!!!  We love our Elf who we named Scout MacDougal.  He's a bright red laser beam to our dark and dreary holidays.  Ha ha ha!

Jacob's birthday post is coming up next.  Hooray!

In Other News

I had a birthday.  I turned 36.  Wait.  Is that right?  :(

 

 

We went to our ward Christmas party.  Jacob was too old for Santa's lap.  And Christie stayed home with dad because she had a cold.  Still does.  The endless cold.  Never goes away.  Jacob had to do a reading during the Primary portion of the program.  Good job!

 

And we decorated our tree.  I played around a little bit with my camera's manual settings and came up with these cute shots.

 

 

Merry Christmas, ya'll.  I hope you've been good all year!

Christmas Pictures

We took these pictures in November.  We hooked up with our dearest friends, the Grahams, in Billings for a fun photo shoot.  Jason wasn't with us because he was driving a moving truck from Texas back to Montana.  Besides, I wanted to surprise him with a picture of the kids and I for Christmas so it worked out okay.  Thanks, Jana, for the amazing shots and for the gorgeous coral jacket I borrowed from you.

In other news, I have deleted entire years off my blog to free up some picture space.  I guess I had reached the maximum storage capability of Blogger.  Weird.  I refuse to pay for more storage because I'm mad that Google/Blogger/Picasa/whoever owns my pictures.  Even though it's five bucks, it's just the principle of it that bothers me.  They're my pictures and I don't want to have to ask the noble gods of blogging for permission to use my pictures.  So there.

More pictures to come.  I might have to delete some more!  But I have to get through 2012 so I can make my yearly blog book.  Come January 1, who knows if I'll maintain the blog or begin a new one.  I didn't upsize my pictures this time; left them small.

My Jacob turned 11 today.  (Tears strolling down my face.)  I just can't believe it.  I walked around his room today and I was struck by the fact that he is transitioning into teenager times.  He's hanging on to his childhood with his teddy bear displayed and his Lego guys posed perfectly in his bookshelf, his pillow pet propped against his headboard.  And then there's his new set of golf clubs he got for his birthday, his suit hanging in the closet, his Christmas gifts that he's making for Jimmy and Christie jammed underneath his bed, books and birthday cards on his desk, alarm clock on the nightstand next to a picture of him 4-wheeling in Idaho with his beloved Uncle Marty.  He wants to be so grown-up but he also is hanging on to his childhood things.  It's a careful balance. 

I was just struck by that today since I'm emotional that he's had another birthday.

Uh-Oh!

I can't blog anymore because I've maxxed out my photo storage or something like that and I'm too dumb to figure out why and I have no energy to learn how to fix it.  Help!  Is there someone out there really smart who can share their knowledge?  And please use 3rd grade words and explanations.

America!

And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!

And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me.

So I'll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.

'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land...

God Bless the U.S.A!

 

 

 

I voted today for the Republican ticket!  Go Mitt!

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