Ginger Bread House Action

We had our first annual Ginger Bread Decorating Party . 
It was so much fun, although I'm not sure who had more fun, the parents or the kids.
I really think it had to do with walking in and seeing all the candy just spread out on the tables waiting to be used/eaten !!!
So this is what the setup looked like. Terri(AGirlInTheSouth) and I assembled about 30 houses. We invited some of our kids friends and viola.

There was literally mounds of candy down the middle of each table. There were some somewhat healthy decorations like pretzels and frosted mini wheats.

Really the moms got into after the kids where done. We might have to keep that in mind when we set up next years party.

 By the time things were done it looked kind of like WW3 had hit this small ginger bread community.

This is one of my favorite from the day. They were all so lovely it was hard to pick and I can't wait to see how they turn out next year. I think we might practice up before the party !!!

Some Photos

This is our Christmas tree. We thought it was alot bigger than it actually turned out to be. It really looks like Charlie Browns' tree but it is very pretty and will work just as well as any designer tree !!!

This was such a pretty sunset. We were on our way to meet people for dinner and I saw it. Then when we pulled into the parking lot I saw this store that said Bless Beauty and I

just thought how perfect is that !!!

I found this one to be very touching, like catching the look of love at just the right time.

And finally we have some actual fall colors. So I made, well really I asked any kids willing, and Little Man is always willing, to come take some pictures with me. Pardon the snotty nose but I loved these of him peeking around the tree. He is so handsome !!!

Next I'm going to post some pictures of our wildly fun Gingerbread House decorating party. So get your sweet tooth on, it was so fun!!!!

A Generation, or Two Is Over.

This last week, on Thursday December 10 to be exact, Robs grandgfather, Grano passed away. He was 102 1/2 almost. Short the half by maybe 2 weeks. He had outlived all of his generation and then most of the generation that came after them. It was amazing. I look back at pictures of him and realise that really in just the last year did his quality of life begin to deteriorate.

This is Grano at age 98. Still riding the red devil, although not that fast.

This is Grano at age 100, holding Little Man. There is a hundred years between these 2 !!!

The Mai Tai's are on there way. This is the 101st birthday.

I feel like these are the people who truly loved Grano and were there for every birthday because they wanted to be and because he was so special to us all.

A snooze before he officially goes up for a nap, that's the way it works when you're 102.

This  is the week before he passed away. He loved his morning Sanka, instant coffee, and his banana and bowl of oatmeal.

We will miss him greatly.

It Always Amazes Me !!!

It's amazing to think that this :

and this :

come from this :

Just Amazing !!!

I Heart Faces- "Sun Flare" Week 46

This week the challenge is sun flare. I am very interested in this but have yet to get my kids to really cooperate. Here is my entry this week :

Check out the other entries at I heart faces :

A Walk Around The Block

What lovely lemons you have Little Man, did your dad grow those???

This is what happens when you tell them you are walking all the way around the block !!!

I call it the dazed and confused look, almost like she is in shock.

And this is the look Little Mama gives me trying to STARE ME DOWN, little does she know I'm the queen of the stare down !!!

"You are doing well young Jedi but your training is not there yet !!!" that's what I should tell her next time she gives me the evil stare.

Resist temptation Little One !!! That squirrel looks tempting but really it's just a plaster cast, he will not truly be your friend.

Thanks big brother for showing Little Man how to put the squirrel back after he can't resist temptation.

"I'm not sure what happens when you put your hands on it but let's find out, it does squirt water doesn't it?"

"Maybe if you stand on it the water will come out?"

"Or maybe if I stand on it and you peek through my legs water will come out??"

"I'm movin on"

"Oh wait, look at this lucky find, it's a stop sign. I think you are supposed to put your tongue on it. Let's try it and see what happens."

"Maybe if we all lick it something special will happen. Does it squirt water?"

"This is the spot!!! It was actually my idea to lick the stop sign and mom thought 'who touches stop signs, there probably aren't any germs on there' go for it."

It was such a great walk, really the Rhino came up with licking the stop sign on his own. It wasn't even cool outside but I think he wanted his tongue to get stuck, crazy kid !!!

You Capture - Sunrise/Sunset

You Capture - Sunrise/Sunset

This is my first time joining in at You Capture, I need to be pushed with my photos.  This one is of sunset .

This is the same sunset, just a little different take on it.

For more sunrise/sunset captures visit You Capture at :

I Heart Faces- "Autumn Beauty" Week 45 I

I Hear Faces "Autumn Beauty" is the theme this week. I guess since it's week 45 there are only 7 more weeks left in the year. They don't describe me as sharp for nothin !!! Since we have no evidence of Autumn yet, maybe soon, I found this photo from Disney World. I'm homesick for Disney !!!

So head on over to :

and check out the other fabulous entries.

Black & White Photos

These are some photos I have taken lately. I turned them into Black & White.

This might be the Christmas card unless I can get another good picture. The kids aren't very cooperative lately !!!

I just liked this one.

A Trip to the Zoo

They have been working, for what seems like forever, on a new train and some new exhibits at our zoo. We got to check out the real deal this week when the kids had an inservice day at school. It was so much fun having them all there.

There was much to see on the train ride. They all sat in front of me and took it all in. That's what I love about my kids, I wasn't in the least nervous to let Little Man sit there with his brother and sister. I knew they would behave and be safe.

Little Man loved having Little Mama and The Rhino with us, it is usually just me and him and a friend.

How exciting to share this with them.

There were alot of shots of the kids backs this trip. It will become obvious that I couldn't quite get in front of them, but I really liked this picture.

Almost to the Piranha's. It's great to have The Rhino reading, he was able to read all the signs about the animals for himself and if someone else wanted to know. Very exciting for me and I think him too.

OK this is one of the very few forward facing shots I was able to get and those fish are Piranha's!!!

This is how close we could get to the leopard. It was exciting.

There was a fairly new addition to the giraffe family, 8 months and 369 pounds. This guy was just hanging out and I loved him !!!

This is the baby elephant and this is how I felt after our trip to the zoo.

I think we will go more often now that some of the new exhibits are open again.