Slept through the countdown...

....to New Years I suppose. Seeing as it is the beginning of April, and as I recall, New Years happens in January. Let's play catch up--not so much for all of you; but more so for me when I look back many years from now and wonder what the heck I did December 31st 2010...cuz I do things like that.

We meandered our way to Durango for New Years this year after Christmas to play with Grandma Nisey. Being that I'm a Colorado girl--New Years has always been spent in freezing weather and snow--and it just doesnt seem right to hang out in Vegas in mildly warm weather. Good ol' Durango didnt let us down and we freezed our tushies off, so we stayed in doors and danced to wii dance for hours and ate unruley ammounts of food. The girls loved it and still are begging Berns to buy a wii just for that purpose-(yes, the GIRLS are begging him--not me---no way...*wink*).
Poor papa Berns was working and didnt get to enjoy the fun in Durango with us. We miss having his goofiness around times like this. Hopefully he'll join us next time. Until then--yup, you guessed, some pictures!

Crazy crazy lady and her crazy crazy granddaughter.





Lots of love--Gma Nisey is top notch.




Lil B sure does love her Gpa--he was the only normal one in the room.




Zo loves the sparkling cider aka "fuzzy juice"







Sweetest thing ringing in the new year




and then there is Landon...nuff said.

Bia Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Soul books are supposed to warm your heart and make you feel all fuzzy wuzzy inside.
Well, that's just what this little tiny person does to me. And I'm a little irritated that she is already 7 months old. I had to post pics, cuz let's be honest, she is rather scrumptious.
B is the most chill baby. she loves anyone that will smile and snuggle her. She loves being squeezed. She loves her older sisters. She loves to rest her head and take naps on anyone shoulders.
If I were magic, I'd freeze her how she is. She's wonderful. She warms my heart and makes me feel fuzzy wuzzy inside.

An apple a day....

....makes this baby barf.

What do you think friends? Doesn't look like this gal is too keen on her Washington's.

You would also think that this would go away....no. she likes baby food...even the nasty "country garden sumthin-or-other"--but you stick the apples in her mouth and I get this reaction time and time again.

I think it's hysterical...so I continue to give her apples....I'm a mean mom.

Christmas in February

*before you read, please be well aware that there are are unruly amounts of pictures in this post. That's what happens when you combine Christmas with my camera and my brother's crazy camera.*

It's finally here folks--a post about Christmas. I'm really on top of my game these days.
Christmas was yet another classic this year. Adding another child to the mix provides for more fun because I get to buy more toys. Berns' might think differently.
We moseyed our way to Utah again this year to spend Christmas with my side of the fam. If you read this blog time after time, year after year; this may seem like a repeat post (and let's be honest, I'm soooooo incredibly interesting, that I'm sure you are alll repeat readers..baha.)
This year Rooster went to spend Christmas with her dad in Colorado. I always get sad and down when I don't have her for the holidays, but the fact that she had a great time helps a bit.
It was nice to have the rest of the fam there minus Jess (who is currently serving a mission in Slovenia/Croatia; so I suuuupose she is excused from Christmas this time around)
There was lots of singing (usually), lots of laughing (always), lots and lots of food (most definitely), hoards of presents under the tree (so many that Britt threatened to start putting them in the garage and bring them in in "waves" on Christmas), and many memories.
I have officially reached the ripe ol age of "old" when you can care less about presents and packages and really just want to be with the people you love and adore.
Christmas and my family are my two favorite things (besides those little candy hearts at Valentines)--I'm glad I got to enjoy both at the same time.

In other words, Zo got a plasma car from Santa....it rocks...I want my own.

Ms. Izzy is great, this picture just proves that statement.



Zo was jealous everyone got to play piano and sing and dance. She wanted her own turn.




Apparently we plum tuckered her out.

Deck the Halls

I'm a weeeee bit addicted to Christmas. I usually make my fam set up the tree and the hoards of paraphernalia that I have the day after Thanksgiving. This year I was late. It happened 4 days after Thanksgiving instead. Dang it.

Bernsie and Riley sorted through the hoards of twigs and branches to assemble our tree. Zoie sortede through the hoards of Christmas schma (and made the biggest mess she could.) And little B...slept through the whole thing. I took pictures, cuz that's what I do best. And now you get to enjoy them....2 months later....



Bia tuckered out from all the excitement.





Zo trying to help set up the tree. Don't mind the Quasimodo look--she had an eye cold




My little decor team. I like em lots.





My little christmas train. The S is for Shea, B is for Berns, and the J is for Jack. My awesome nephew made it for me. It's my favorite Christmas decoration.





Remember how I was going to catch you all up on our lives and I started with Thanksgiving....wellll, after weeks of waiting, I will post now about Christmas. i might catch up with all we've done this time next year.

First Up: Giving Thanks

My position in the family currently is that of Slacker. If you look inside my window (but please don't creepers...i.e. John Eckhoff), you will find mountains of laundry that need to be folded (that's right...I washed them, just haven't folded them yet); a very messy post-holiday house, dishes to wash, projects to be sewn, a slew of toys in the backyard that belong inside, and more. You will also notice the hoards and hoards of pictures on my computer waiting patiently to be uploaded to a blog (ok, maybe not...but you get my drift).
I am far behind on updating this cyber journal of mine. So I will back up...just a little ways...to Thanksgiving. From there I will hopefully move on to Christmas--but I might forget and not get to that for a few months. Take what you get.

Being that Berns had never met the wonderful lady that helped form my crazy family--GGma--we ventured down to El Centro for Thanksgiving. As wonderful luck would have it, my madre and Paul were there too. It was a most wonderful time being there with grandma, my mom, my stepdad, my aunts, and uncles, and insanely delicious Mexican food.
We ate unruley ammounts of food. (I devoured all the middles of the cinnamon rolls...the outsides are good for nothing), we played games, I sewed projects, and we enjoyed sitting in GGma's reading room and listening to her wise wisdom.
Thanks for the hospitality Kjersti and GGma--Riley loved it so much she wants to move there for a year. We'll be back to visit soon.

Thanks for that Zoie....


One classy couple



I like them...lots and lots



Riley has great manners. The fact that she got the turkey leg thrilled her to no ends.




some goon




dancin on grandpa's feet




meeting GGma for the first time



Zo and grandma dressed as princesses on the tramp...completely normal...oh wait...