Of puzzles, parades, & garden pots

We love puzzles!!!
Well, everyone but Brian. He thinks they're a collossal waste of time........maybe he's right.........but it's a really fun waste of time!
We only have them out during the holidays & we love staying up late, hanging out around the puzzle, eating snacks, listening to Christmas music, Christmas tree lights glowing.......it's a big part of Christmas for me.

The annual City of Queen Creek Parade.
Our office has had a float in it for a few years now (Thanks Del T.)
The kids think it's pretty fun. They wear these little tooth costumes & hand out promotional bags of stuff to people along the way.
It went really well this year. Last time Max almost got run over by the float!



Garden pots!

Max & Mars are growing a bunch of flowers & vegetables for YW & Scout projects.

These are beet sprouts.

It was really exciting to watch everything sprout. We can't keep the pots in the back or the bunny will eat them!!

I think I found our Tooth Fairy!

Hee hee!!!

My little photo assistant

Gus loves getting his pictures taken, and after each one he wants to "see it" on the LCD screen. He mimics everything I do these days, so if I leave my camera unattended, he's right there looking through it & pushing buttons.......NOT GOOD!

We had a little down time during a shoot, so he was modeling for me.

My little buddy.

We attempted some potty-training the other day...............didn't go so well.

My favorite thing right now is how he says Christmas......"Himmiss".......love it!

I had to include this one of my favorite little model.

Does the camera love her or what??!!

Work it Sadie!

Thanksgiving 2008

My helpers (who weren't much help) .


Chris, The Master of the Thanksgiving Turkey.
And Oh it was good!!

The spread.

Max sneaking some extra rolls.

Who can blame him? Grandma's rolls ROCK!

Gus sitting at the 2-year-old table.......with an airplane on his lap, of course.

Karen, the hostess with the mostest.

Zane & JR's Thanksgiving dinner consisted of rolls and a few olives.

Libby Lou, with those brown eyes!

The teenage table.

Mars in mid-protest of the picture-taking.

It just doesn't get any better than this for my Jake.

He looks forward to this moment all year long!

Jane.

Notice the cute turkey place cards made for everyone by the one & only Zo-dog.

Baby Indie, loving being passed around all afternoon.

A good Thanksgiving is not complete without a game of football.

My most favorite mother-in-law in the whole world!

I'm so thankful Zaners will still snuggle with me.

This jeep got a serious workout.

Aaawwwww! How cute are they???

Anna........6th pregnancy and still so foxy!

It was a fabulous Thanksgiving.

The food was great, but the company was even better! That's what's so fun about Thanksgiving.

Dog For Sale

How about for free!!!
In fact, I'll pay you to come and get her!

Uugghhhh! I shouldn't be so mean, but she really drives me crazy.

This is what I look at all day from my kitchen, her moping, needy face............that is when she's not either chewing up driplines or shoes or balls, or barking on purpose so that I'll let her in, so she won't annoy the neighbors.

I'm paying dearly for my moment of Christmas weakness last year. I have no one to blame but myself.

BUT, the kids love her.........she's a part of our family now. Tears well up in Jake's eyes when Brian & I joke about feeding her to the coyotes. We're so mean!

I guess I'm stuck with her.

Soccer Season 2008

I succeeded in talking everyone out of soccer this season except Zane & Marlee.
Soccer is probably Marlee's favorite sport, so of course she was doing it. And Zane insisted that he wanted to play & promised he wouldn't whine about going to any practices.......and he didn't do too bad about that!
He was really into it this year.


I loved how these little guys' legs (and arms) would go flying up in the air after a big give-it-your-all kick!

After every goal, Zane would give me a thumbs-up , just like this.

Mars is such an athletic little thing.........she really is.

She loves her soccer games!!!

And I love watching her play..........every Friday night (big smiley face).

Hanging out at the soccer fields........

I never planned on being this kind of mom.

The one that brings her dirty-faced, stained t-shirt, shoeless, snot-nosed kids out in public.

Yet here I am.

Well........one of them had shoes........and there wasn't too much snot.........but it was still pretty bad!

(And we happen to be going through a bandaid fetish phase.)

I was even aware of how they looked before I left, and I chose not to bother with it!

I just made sure I had some cash for some Sonic tater-tots & slushes for lunch, threw them in the car, and headed to the game.

Nice.

Zane LOVES having me take pictures of him like this.

"How old are you, Gus?"

"TWO!!!"

A brand new little cousin!

Welcome Indie!
You're gorgeous!!

We finally got him to sleep......

Congrats Chris & Marie!

Tree of Gratitude

For FHE last Monday we put together our Mason Family Tree of Gratitude (I copied this idea from Shawni because I can't come up with my own ideas).
We were all SO proud of it when we were finished.
We all stood back & admired it for a while after we hung it up.

Each leaf says something we are thankful for.
And we definitely have so much to be thankful for!

We could have put a million leaves on that tree, but it was getting late!

The first thing that comes to my mind when counting blessings, would be my beautiful, happy, healthy children & that I am so blessed to be their mother........and the list goes on & on.....

How did I get so lucky?

Some of my favorites on the tree are:

Stores & Community Services (Marlee)

Our pets (Max) - I totally disagree with that one.

That we are not ignorant (Marlee) - What???

Thanksgiving dinner (Jake)

Hair (Marlee)

Blogging (me)

Technology that can make our lives easier - Go Thomas Edison! (Marlee)

Donuts (Zane) "Mom, I'm totally thankful for donuts." Love that kid.

And I totally forgot to add Diet Coke ....

and Twilight that I can't wait to see tomorrow!!!!!

A little trip to Palm Springs

Beautiful Palm Springs!

OK, Palm Springs is not very beautiful, in my opinion.......... but what was beautiful was the totally relaxing time I had there.

Friday went like this:

Sleep in.

Go on a little jog.

Lay out by the pool.

Order a Diet Coke & lunch by the pool.

Take a nap.

Get a pedi and a mani (which I never do!)

Go to dinner with my hubs (who was at lectures all day)

Go see the new James Bond movie (Ya, baby!!)

It was pretty much the best day of my life!

And.... all with my BFF Bek!!

Next, we met up with the Bakers for a little adventure.........

It's always an adventure when Brian's driving!

We couldn't believe how smoky the air was from all the LA area fires.

"Would you STOP taking pictures!"

"OK, FINE! I'll try some gang signs."

Yeeaahhhh! Sweet gang signs, guys.

My new pedi.

(Yes, I know we look like we're in Junior High....with wrinkles.......but we had so much fun!!!)

We hit Sprinkles, did a little shopping, then dinner at this cool Greek place.

We took a picture at dinner, but we all looked SO BAD I couldn't post it.

Lobby fun.

It's ALWAYS a good time with the Garns.

They're our fave travel buddies............. AND pretty much whatever we do with them is a business expense!

Bonus!!

Love you guys!