"Mary Christmas 2012"

 Christmas Eve. Doesn't feel like Christmas Eve. This month has been crazy and busy and now it's Christmas Eve.

 Gifts are wrapped. Food is ready. Kids are antsy. Nicole just left for a work party and I've already tortured them with "family christmas pictures." We didn't do many Christmas festivities this year. Work, school, basketball, obligations took up most of our month. This is about the extent of the Christmas lights we saw.

 We had a family christmas party with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, kids, grandparents.

 Lots of coffee has been consumed this month. Much more than usual. And much needed!

 Winkie the gnome, Figgy the Elf, and the Grinch were around alot. I like them. They are fun.....

 Nice to see my mommy smiling.....

 Wine was a necessity as well as coffee. Again Figgy the Elf was there to keep me company. (I think this was 2 days ago when I started wrapping gifts...............was a long day.)

 I frosted sugar cookies with my Mom and Dad........good times.........

 And now it's Christmas Eve. I worked today. Cooked and cleaned all day yesterday. Wrapped the day before. So it's nice to be home right now in my clean house. Candles lit (smells amazing!) . Tyler is watching a movie. LeRoy is around. Nicole went to her work party. Family should start arriving here around 6:00ish. I already tortured my kids about an hour ago with pictures. Why do they fight it??????? They know I'm going to take them.............and if they would all just cooperate it would be done in 3 minutes!

 Finally! A few smiles!

 But this is more the reality. hahahhahahaaaaaaa!

 Stockings are hung.

 Candles are lit.

 Kids have suffered thru pictures. (and about 10 minutes ago Tyler persuaded me to let him open a present! His sister is gone for awhile and he promised he wouldn't tell her. I let him pick it and was glad because it was a movie so he can watch it later.)

 Kids are growing up so fast. Tyler is 13. Nicole is 17.

 Now we just wait for the chaos and family to get here. (more pics later)

And Santa tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!

"Our little darlings........2012"

 Impromptu photoshoots work for me. My sister Donna asked if I would be interested in her friend taking some pictures of the 4 cousins, just for fun. Of coarse I'm in! Picked a day. Rounded up all the kids. Prayed for no rain. And in between rainstorms in October..............this is what we got. Love it. Gorgeous kids. Was hard to keep their attention for more than 3 seconds at a time. Lots of silly. Just the way I like it. Can't believe how grown up they all are! Tyler. Nicole. Drake. Gunner.

I love these kids..................

"Eagle Crest Thanksgiving 2012"

 Eagle Crest........our annual Thanksgiving trip! We counted this as our 15th year! I guess you would call it a tradition. Got to go for the entire week this year since the kids didn't have school. Nicole managed to get the entire week off of work and I marked myself out too. LeRoy wasn't as lucky and had to go back for 2 days of work and then headed back over to Eagle Crest again on Wednesday. We headed out on Saturday and had snow up on the pass on the way over. We had a great week. Don't think there was alot of relaxing happening.............but lots going on! Had Thanksgiving dinner at the condo. Lots of trips to the sports center. Trips into Redmond and Bend. A little shopping. Got to see Heather and her baby! Visited with family. Did some crafts. Read tons of magazines. Went on walks. Enjoyed having some time off.

 We played countless games of pool at the sports center. Pool. Pool. And pool! Tyler has gotten really GOOD at it! But hates it when his dear ole' mom does well too.  We played for hours every day.

 LeRoy doesn't like pool and raquetball as much...............so he played old school video games.

 We also played lots of raquetball! Hours upon hours......................

 And we were so excited we got to see Heather and her new baby boy Ian. He is so adorable! He loved Nicole. Couldn't take his eyes off of her!

 Was so nice to visit with Heather. I miss her so much since she has been gone. Can't wait for her to come back to work! She is living in Redmond right now so we were about 10 min. away and they came over for breakfast.

 Baby Ian.

 We got Nicole to join in on the pool games one day. I think just one day. She was busy coloring. And making a blanket. We did talk her into raquetball one day too............................one day only

                                                                            2012
I took this same pic this year as I had taken from last year. What a cute boy!! (and we played more raquetball)                                                            2011

 We managed a little shopping. We don't do Black Friday. I refuse. We went out a few days before. Didn't buy alot. Just kinda wandered and went to the craft store for crafts. (I finished my fabric wreath!!)

 More raquetball...............

 It always starts out as a friendly game..................

 Mostly Tyler and I played. We have so much fun laughing and being silly. This year he was more agressive and kind of a ball hog! We really don't play by the rules! ha!

 Mt. Jefferson. Had some clear beautiful days. Saw tons of deer.

 It was dusk as we were heading into Tollgate to see the extended family Thanksgiving Eve. LeRoy had been out very early in the morning to get a newspaper. He saw a coyote!! In Eagle Crest! So at dusk we saw it again. Very blended into the grass...............middle left of pic.

 The sky was so beautiful and we had warm 50 degree days. Of coarse it didn't snow because I brought all of the snow clothes and boots!

 We headed to Tollgate to my aunt Sherri's house to see the rest of the family. I love the loud crazy busy of all of us being together.

 The week went by fast! Didn't get rest or sleep like I had planned. But that's ok because I was with my family and that's what makes me happy.