Day 336 - Thursday, December 2, 2010

Day 336 - Thursday, December 2, 2010 – Is it any wonder that we have too many ornaments on our tree? Every year I put together school photo ornaments like these. Santa puts one in everyone's stocking, and Grandma and Grandpa Hillary buys each child an ornament every year. Then Owen reminded me, "That's what makes the tree pretty."

Day 335 - Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Day 335 - Wednesday, December 1, 2010 – And the first Christmas card of the year award goes to my Aunt Dee...who has Alzheimer's. Irony that makes me smile.

Day 334 - Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Day 334 - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 – Today was the first meeting for the Duals Wrestling Team. This should be fun. Trevor, Austin, Liam, Jack, Hunter....all Freshman Blue buddies.

Day 333 - Monday, November 29, 2010

Day 333 - Monday, November 29, 2010 – Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree! It takes eight hours to build you. With all the lights and garland, too. Without the bulbs, what would we do? Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree! It takes eight hours to build you.

Day 332 - Sunday, November 28, 2010

Day 332 - Sunday, November 28, 2010 – The very first Christmas decoration that Owen insisted we put up this year was Grandma Carol's Christmas village. Let's just hope he doesn't break any more porcelain people on the tile kitchen floor this year. (PS - Happy Birthday Kevin!)

Day 331 - Saturday, November 27, 2010

Day 331 - Saturday, November 27, 2010 – And the Christmas parties begin. Owen is in LOVE with his Mario and Luigi shirt.

Day 330 - Friday, November 26, 2010

Day 330 - Friday, November 26, 2010 – If you've ever played Farkle then you can understand how coming from behind by 3,000 points to surpass the person who has already reached 10,000 points and win the game would create this type of a reaction. Liam was elated!!

Day 329 - Thursday, November 25, 2010

Day 329 - Thursday, November 25, 2010 – Ashton's first Thanksgiving. And his first tryptophan-enduced nap courtesy of Gerber’s first foods, Turkey Dinner. Kev's coma is courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Hillary.

Day 328 - Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Day 328 - Wednesday, November 24, 2010 – The West side wives and I pose by the fireplace after dinner on the biggest bar night of the year. Tricia Schetz, Nikki Wesorick, and Maura Lamoreaux.

Day 327 - Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Day 327 - Tuesday, November 23, 2010 – My new toy. Happy early Birthday and Merry early Christmas to me!! I struggled with whether or not to get this or a digital SLR and ultimately decided that the digital SLR would be too much camera for me, so why spend that much coin on it?

Day 326 - Monday, November 22, 2010

Day 326 - Monday, November 22, 2010 – Now that Owen has joined the wrestling club, this kind of behavior is a daily occurrence.

Day 325 - Sunday, November 21, 2010

Day 325 - Sunday, November 21, 2010 – Jordyn and Kayla hang out in the wilderness -er, lobby -of the GWL.

Day 324 - Saturday, November 20, 2010

Day 324 - Saturday, November 20, 2010 – Catie and Owen were two of the biggest fish at Great Wolf Lodge.

Day 323 - Friday, November 19, 2010

Day 323 - Friday, November 19, 2010 – Kevin and I went out to a very nice (kid free) dinner at Red Ginger in downtown Traverse City with the Parsons and Brian and Tara while Jordyn and Kayla babysat all of the kids back at the hotel. Now THIS is a vacation!

Day 322 - Thursday, November 18, 2010

Day 322 - Thursday, November 18, 2010 – Bailey was phenomenal as Leisl in Ann Arbor's Young People's Theater production of The Sound of Music at Mendelssohn Theater on the campus of the University of Michigan. She'll be famous one day.

Day 321 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Day 321 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010 – Visiting Poppa always includes lots of hugs and kisses. If love could heal, dad would be cured by now.

Day 320 - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Day 320 - Tuesday, November 16, 2010 – Awwwwww yeah, baby, first day of wrestling practice in the new season. Time to unleash the PWM (psycho wrestling mom).

Day 319 - Monday, November 15, 2010

Day 319 - Monday, November 15, 2010 – Grandpa's little allstars.

Day 318 - Sunday, November 14, 2010

Day 318 - Sunday, November 14, 2010 – Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? Maybe one that sleeps through the night....consistently.

Day 317 - Saturday, November 13, 2010

Day 317 - Saturday, November 13, 2010 – One superbowl celebration was not enough for our football family. The Raisches hosted another wonderful bonfire tonight to celebrate the undefeated season and the terrific bond the families made with each other this year. And Jordyn got to bring her bf to the party since it was their 7 month "anniversary"!!