Sleigh Ride with the Binders

Sleigh ride in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Grandpa Doc, Granny, Julie, Josh, Therin, Ashley, Kya, Travis and Sarah

Snow Sculptures

The igloo Ashley and I built.

A spaceship and E.T. made by the master sculptor-Travis.

Christmas at the Cottage

Julie got me these awesome earrings for Christmas in Switzerland (where she lives-one of the few perks to her living there.). It was good to have her and Josh home!!

Kya got a princess outfit and a dollhouse which kept her busy much of the weekend.

Therin got the wooden shield and sword from Aunt Julie and Uncle Josh. He got a crossbow from Granny and Grandpa Doc so he spent a lot of time target shooting-he's ready for carp fishing now. Travis picked up a ton of castle Legos he had as a kid when we celebrated with his family-a lot of time was spent building by Travis, Josh and Therin.

Christmas Eve

The new windows arrive!

Santa came early............today half of the new windows were installed upstairs. They look great but all I can say is I'm glad I wasn't feeling stressed about the holidays (And I'm REALLY glad we didn't offer to host anyone!!)! The upstairs will be somewhat "rearranged" until they're done and then they'll start replacing windows on the main level. Maybe next year Santa will bring some new blinds! =)

Happy Birthday Dad!

I was getting after Kya for hovering over Dad's cake and she said, "I'm not going to eat it, I'm just smiling at it."

Kya's "bear milk" mustache (Doesn't it look fake?).

Snow Fort

I suggested building a snowman late tonight; so I put the kids in their snow gear. Over an hour later, we were still working on this fort. If it's still warm tomorrow, maybe we can turn it into an igloo!! We had a lot of fun, even if tomorrow will be ugly because the kids will be overtired.....

2008 Christmas Tree

Winter Wonderland

We shoveled and went for a walk tonight after dinner. We've probably gotten 4" of snow thus far. It is predicted we may get up to a foot! Maybe Therin's first snow day tomorrow.........

I don't think Grandma Smith will have to worry about a white Christmas this year!

Our Christmas Tree

This is the tree the kids decorated for their room.

Kya, "Let's hold hands."

Therin, "Oh, brother; why do we have to touch!! I'll try to handle it for a few seconds since it's Christmas."

Christmas Cookie Baking

Kya, Grandma and Grandpa Smith, Therin

Can you ever really have enough sprinkles?

We made A LOT of cookies-gingerbread, cutouts, peanut butter mice, fudge puddles, and peanut butter star. Do you think it looks like we'll have enough?

We tried this recipe I found from Taste of Home, Peanut Butter Mice-they turned out great! Definately one we'll do again next year!!

Therin's Spaceship

We've been alien obsessed since E.T.

Here Therin is riding with two of his friends, Anna and Nicholas, as well as two aliens (one of which is E.T.)

First Snowman of the Year

Therin and the neighbor boy, Jack, built this snowman today with the first snow of the year.

Bradley, are you missing the snow now?

Christmas Decorations

My Mom had a snowglobe for the kids last Christmas and they loved it, so I picked one up at Goodwill when I was there last.

Update on the snowglobe: Baby Jesus and his parents were shattered the other night. (Apparently, snow globes don't withstand hurls of 3+ feet-SHOCKING!!)

Grandma Smith gave this to the kids-we get to start opening boxes tomorrow morning!

I got this last year after I had lunch with Lesley. She had a more elaborate three tiered decorative wooden fan with candles on her table. I love having it because it reminds me of her and the conversation we had; we talked a lot about family traditions and she gave me some great ideas! The kids have had fun blowing the fan around-I might not have to light the candle!!

Serious Bedhead

No, Kya did not get electrocuted. This is just how her hair looks after a good nights sleep! Aren't you jealous??

Family Weekend

After celebrating Thanksgiving in Medford, we drove to Wausau to spend some time with Granny and Grandpa Doc and Aunt Ashley. Grandpa Doc was busy hunting most of the weekend but we did get to visit him out at Bevent twice. While in Wausau, we tried to take the kids ice skating but none of the rinks in town were open. So, Dad, Aunt Ashley and Therin played some hockey in the garage and afterwards we headed to the bowling alley. The adults hung their heads in shame since only two of us barely broke 100 with bumpers!!! The second game was a different story, everyone (especially Aunt Ashley) was on fire but we weren't able to finish the game. The kids got to watch E.T. for the first time-they loved it!!! Granny did a great job of explaining the movie to them so they weren't scared. Kya now wants an "alien" for Christmas.

Four Generations

Therin, Sarah, Travis, Mary (Travis' Mom), Kya, Rick (Travis' Dad), Great Grandpa Lee (Rick's Dad) and Great Grandma Ruth (Rick's Mom)

On Thanksgiving, we spent time with both sets of Travis' grandparents in Medford, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures with the Pernsteiners. Here are four generations of male Smiths.

How true this quote is!

When men and women fail to form stable marriages, the result is a vast expansion of government attempts to cope with the terrible social needs that result. There is scarcely a dollar that the state and federal government spends on social programs that is not driven, in large part, by family fragmentation: crime, poverty, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, mental and physical health problems. -Maggie Gallagher

The pinata

While I was researching hotels and flights for a conference Travis is attending in April, the kids came up with a makeshift pinata (An ice cream bucket filled with checkers and markers.) and were attempting to hang it. Notice how Kya is ready to catch the "candy" before it's even hung. I can't complain about the lack of imagination and cooperation between these two!!

Murphy's Law

The only two times my son wets the bed:
1. When I have fresh, clean sheets on the bed
2. When I'm sleeping with him and we're warm and snug (and drenched in pee like last night).

One load of laundry down, one to go.......

Sunset tonight

DSC04055, originally uploaded by sarahtims12.

The picture looks a lot darker so it doesn't do it justice but the sky was HOT PINK!! It was beautiful!

Kya's birthday photos revisited

Kya's nuances

Kya has always been bothered by the lack of symmetry in my earrings. (I have this earring through the cartilage of my left ear.) Today Kya brought me a key ring that she found saying, "Mom, Mom! I found your other earring!" As she walked away she told her friend Gabby, "I was very worried about that."

Another random Kya fact: She has been insisting on wearing "pocket pants" recently to carry around change, beads and whatever else. Yesterday she had $1.13 worth of change in her pocket (primarily in dimes and pennies) when I emptied her pants before bed. (Nevermind that I asked a friend for some change at the library to make a photocopy because I didn't know she had stashed change in all four of her pockets!!) Her pants are riding pretty low these days.

What do I know for sure?

I met my friend, Lesley, for coffee Sunday and she always provides me with support, encouragement, wisdom and inspiration. This Sunday she shared an article and exercise with me from Oprah's magazine, "What do I know for sure?" (A reporter once asked Oprah this and she couldn't produce a coherent answer so she continues to reflect on the question.) I've thought about this question a lot in the last week, "What do I know for sure?" I've thought of keeping my own "what I know for sure" journal to pass on to my children one day; I guess we'll see if my good intentions materialize.........

And they have! What I know for sure.......
1. There is far more good in the world than bad.
2. Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
3. A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. -Mignon McLaughlin
4. Forgiveness = Freedom (yours)
5. The secret to having it all is believing you already do. -Unknown
6. It is very easy to make things more complicated and dramatic than they are-avoid the temptation.
7. It is good for your spirit to have a little peace and quiet every day.
8. Tears purge your body of bad energy and stress. A good cry is cleansing. Let yourself.
9. Generally speaking, if people care about their food (healthy, how it's grown, etc.) they're probably intelligent, well-rounded individuals-get to know them!!
10. Inspiration is an essential ingredient to my happiness.

Feel free to post "What you know for sure" as a comment.

The inevitable question?

We've always beaten people to the punch before they've had time to ask, "Are you going to have (any more) kids?" but at least two people have asked me in the last week which begs the question: Are we going to have another? I always thought I'd "just know" when my family felt complete but I fluctuate between feeling complete now and feeling like there is something missing. If we don't have another, I will often think of this third mystery child I always planned on having but never did. How would my life be different? Would it have been a boy or a girl? In the meantime, the annoying naggings of practicality weigh heavy (besides the fact that my husband isn't exactly dying to have another child): life is SO easy now-no diapers, no diaper bag, uninterrupted sleep, the lack of hypervigilance, the kids are almost in school and the prospect of returning to work would probably be delayed for another 5 years (which is a dangerously long time to be away from any profession-why go back?), the financial stress of an addition to the family, and the list goes on..........So what's the answer? I have NO idea-I'm still hoping for intuition to kick in I guess.

Date night!

Travis and I went on a date last night-can't remember the last time that's happened!! I suggested a UWL wrestling meet. It was nice to do something other than dinner and a movie. It seems before kids we always came up with creative things to do when we went out......we've been in a bit of a rut. We had a really good time and we both agreed WE NEED TO DO THIS MORE OFTEN!!!

Kya's pigtails

Kya is finally leaving her pigtails in. I scheduled her first non-mullet trim for Wednesday. Her hair looks pretty awful if it's left down. I'm hoping too much isn't cut off so we can still put her hair in these adorable "piggy buns."

Sleeping Beauty Obsession

How lucky was I to find a mini book (which Kya is also obsessed with) of Sleeping Beauty at Goodwill?-I think I paid 49 cents for it! Score!

Our homemade wand-two paper stars cut out and stapled together, stuffed with newspaper and ribbon and a stick is our handle. I thought this would be a much better use of my money than the $5-10 they wanted at the store (and if I do say so myself, much cuter)! We whipped up some more for a few of Kya's friends too!

Kya has gotten into casting spells with her wand-trying to turn all of us into goons! (Reading Little Bunny Foo Foo has contributed to the wand craze!)

Kya playing Sleeping Beauty with her dolls. She thinks this is a game-Can I just say it's my all time favorite game EVER!!!

Dad's work weekend

Travis took vacation Thursday and Friday. He's been hard at work with projects around the house: cleaning the garage (so a car can actually fit in there and we don't have to keep switching which side of the street it's parked on) and attempting to finish a wiring project he started this summer which involves burying wire that was previously hanging between the house and garage, running the wire through the basement and connecting it into the fuse box by the back door (He's only faked death by electrocution once!). We plan to go to Yoko's House, a restaurant we haven't been to before that serves sushi and hibachi, to celebrate our family weekend and all of Dad's hard work. Thank you Dad!

Thanksgiving Quilt

We've been working on a lot of different things this weekend-one of which is a Thanksgiving Quilt. I got the idea from the Family Resources fall flyer and figured we could use some time to reflect on what we have before the "I wants" of Christmas set in.

Family, Helath, Toys, Food

Books, Family and Friends, Woods and Parks, Pictures and Memories

Strength, Music, Butterflies and Flowers, Cars, Our House

Dog sitting

We've been watching Cammie while Aunt Becky is visiting Uncle Joel in California. These have been the only days the kids have been willing to walk (run actually) to school rather than be pushed in the stroller. It's been nice!

The Eiken-Kruckow Wedding

I gave a reflection for Alisha and Patrick's wedding ceremony, "Happiness is only real when shared." It was a lot of work to put together but a huge success (much to my relief)-I received many compliments afterwards! The day couldn't have been more perfect and the dance got the award for the most variety in music! A very fun night! Congrats!

Kya's 3rd Birthday Party-Mother Daughter Tea

Having a tea party with my brother-it's kept them so busy I'm leaving this table up all week!!

Kissing Granny goodbye.

Tea set from Granny.

Fairy wings from Grandma Smith.

Opening gifts.

I'll huff and puff and blow my candles out.

This beautiful present cake was made by Susanna Barnhart-almost too good looking to eat but not quite! =)

Mothers: Annette, Me, Rachel, Natalie, Sarah

Girls: Gabby, Kya, Maria, Maya, Rosa, Kyra

Proving Batman Can Fly