Latest Video

I honestly can't remember if I had a mentioned in any of my previous posts about my Grandmother's passing back in July. She was an amazingly strong person overcoming many adveristies and hardships in her life. My Aunt Kim asked me to put together a video similar to the one I made for my Dad. Kim had some issues with the narrowing down of photos though, so we had to choose a second song. I have spent the past 2 days having long conversations (one sided) with my Windows Movie Maker. Anyway, here is the finished product. There are a few things I wish I could figure out how to change, but can't, such as the starting volume of the second song. If anyone has any tips I'd love to hear them. I'd like to attempt to do this again for Clay this time, so please help a prim sista out! lol

Random Happenings

First off I have to say Happy Birthday!!! Today is my brother Brian's 33rd birthday. Funny thing was I remembered all morning and decided to wait to call until the boys were all home from school, but I called him about Christmas and totally forgot it was his birthday. Luckily he realizes that I have totally lost my mind and isn't holding it against me.

There have been lots of other fun things happening here lately too. Austin want to the semi-formal Christmas dance this past Sunday. He really hates to have his picture taken so this is all I have at the moment. I'm waiting to see the other ones that were taken there. I'm sure he smiled for them!



He looks so handsome. Somehow he has just changed into looking so grown up it's scary at times! We ordered flowers for his date to carry and they really turned out beautiful. Especially when we ordered them the day before. For some reason it just didn't hit me that he needed flowers! Asa was more than happy to pose with them!




In other Austin news, he had a game that was about an hour away in Johnstown on Monday. It was at the War Memorial where the Johnstown Chiefs play. It was really awesome to see him play in a really arena with actual seats like a professional!
Their team did really well, winning 14-1 and Austin scored 3 goals! Woo Hoo! I was so proud!

The bad news was that at the same time Chase had a game against arch nemesis, Hempfield. Now I went to Hempfield, but my heart is a Greensburg Salem Lion now! The freshman team was undefeated with 2 ties. Not only that, but all the games that they won were shutouts, so I felt fairly confident that this would be a win also. Clays' girlfriend took him since I can't be in 2 places at the same time. Sadly they lost 5-4 in the last 2 minutes of the game. I know in the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal, but darn it, it was sad! Their team has really worked so well together this year and it was just kind of a bummer that it was to Hempfield.


Gage had a Christmas program with the Kindergarten classes on Wednesday and it was adorable. They all did so great and he was so proud. The pictures during the performance just didn't turn out at all because it was too dark, but here he is and a picture of him with Mrs. Claus and a picture of Asa with Mrs. Claus. Very nice of her to take time away to visit don't you think?




It's hard to believe that it's Friday already and Christmas is only 6 days away. I have finished shopping for the most part. Now if a little elf would come wrap for me I would be oh so thankful! :)

Dear God.....

Thank you for pizza.
Love,
Asa

 

 

 

 

I swear he fell asleep like this. No pants, one sock with his hands clasped, half eaten pizza at his feet. This little monkey sure puts a smile on my face! :)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Well now that the tree is finally decorated I thought I would share a few of my favorite ornaments. It was hard to pick just a couple, but these were the ones that touch my heart and put a smile on my face!


This first one my Grandma and Pap Smith bought for me when I was a little girl. I had a big thing for horses and wanted to be a cowgirl!

My stepmom got us this one last year in memory of my dad. I just love the verse on it. It also engraved on the back with Pap Pap Smith 1949-2007

Ah the King, what more is there to say!

This is a classic Chase back in preschool. Too cute, I just love his face!

Another classic, this is Austin in kindergarten. So sweet! I look forward to the ones that Gage and Asa will make over the years!



There are several others that I bought over the years that represented where we were at the time. I love seeing how far we've come and how the boys have grown and changed.

No Skates...

Well despite several calls and follow ups, the skates are MIA. We did manage to get a new pair in time for the game. Good news, all of Play It Again Sports' Nike Bauer Vapor skates were on sale. The ones he had were $99.00. The bad news is they didn't have his size. But oh this kid lucked out and had to get the next one up on the greatness scale of Naike Bauer Vapor skates. Now he is the proud owner of the XXII



I'm sure you can see the difference. Yeah. Me neither. Anyway, the best part of the story is that we got to the game. The team does the traditional run around the building before suiting up and he comes in from said run and says he feels like he is going to throw up. *sigh* I wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he must have informed his coach and he sat the 1st period and got off the ice after that. He changed and he watched the 2nd period and we left after that. So he never even really wore his new skates.

At least he gives me something to blog about!

You Win Some You Lose Some

And oh please, please, please let me post a happy follow-up to this story later. My dear son Austin, you know the great artist, sweet, loving boy from the last post, has lost his ice skates. His pretty darn new skates. And in MY opinion pretty darn expensive skates. Now in the world of hockey $150.00 is really not expensive at all, but that's a ton of money right before Christmas.



I'll try and make a long story short. Austin went skating Saturday night. Had skates in backpack. Stayed at friends house overnight. Sunday they went to the mall. Had to take skates with him. At some point mind went into spacey teenage mode (probably saw a cute girl) and set down $60.00 backpack containing $150.00 skates. Realize loss go to CS. Nothing turned in will call when they are. Here we are. No call. Mother ready to cry. Hockey game tonight at 9.



I'm really hoping some kind sweet honest person turns them in, but we'll see.



Come home skates, we miss you.......

Art Projects...

I think each of my children have gotten a special blog post. All except for Austin, my oldest. Now I am not sure why I have never posted about him. He gives me PLENTY of things to blog about. I think the problem is that mostly they would become the rantings of a mad woman, so I have refrained from posting. You see Austin is the product of the "parents curse". In case you are not familiar with said curse, it is the curse that one of your parents put upon you, usually when YOU are in your teen years. It goes something to the effect of..."I hope you have a child JUST LIKE YOU SOMEDAY!!". Anyone have one of those? We are very much alike in so many ways, although he would outwardly cringe if that was ever mentioned to him. In fact people even say we look alike, which is not a good thing for a 15 year-old boy. He is mouthy and brooding alot of times. Wears skinny jeans and is trying to gauge out his ears without me noticing.

BUT he is also sweet and sensitive. Adorable with his littlest brothers when he wants to be. And when this child smiles his whole face lights up and he looks like a sweet little boy! But the point of this post is he is very talented. He brought this home the other night to work on for art class. Now I'm not sure what comic book person this is, as this is not my area of expertise lies, but I know that I think this is awesome. Maybe I'm biased. Either way I think he is pretty awesome. (Austin I mean lol)

Love this! I even sent an edited version to my brother. With him as the poor little squashed birdie and me as the other one. I was the favorite of course. I think it's because I was cuter.

Just kidding, love ya brother! :)

Why I Don't Believe in Child Labor By Jennifer Redinger

Because they don't do it right.

Gage is sick again. I won't go into the fact that I myself am sick, because frankly, no one here cares. This time it is the stomach flu. Anyone know the odds of everyone else in the house bypassing it? Just checkin'

Anyway, after a day full of bathroom trips, some more successful then others, I told Austin and Chase that if they wanted clean jeans for tomorrow to collect them from every nook, cranny and hamper and bring 'em down. Well, I just took them out of the washer to place in the dryer and was greeted with fuzz and lots and lots of gel pieces. I not only washed jeans, but a pull-up. They don't wash very well.

I shouldn't complain. At least they were motivated to do something by the sheer thought of wearing dirty jeans. Hey, it's something, right?