A post a week!

One of my goals for this new year is to post something each week. Preferably on Monday but we'll see.
This is something I just want to remember. A week ago Friday night, I lost my contact. I was taking it out and it fell but I never heard it hit anything. I have hard contacts - so losing them is quite a pain. First of all because they cost $65 to replace and they take like 5 days to make it. And I really don't like wearing glasses all day long. So anyway, I called JD to help me and we searched my clothes, all over the bathroom, everything. But nothing! I was seriously so upset with myself.
I started praying that night. And that prayer continued throughout the next day. I was doing a ton of laundry so every time I walked in the bathroom I kept expecting to see it somewhere. I wanted my prayer answered!
By dinnertime I just assumed it was gone for good. So the boys were wrestling on the floor in the family room and I called them to dinner. We all sat down and Josh looks at Dawson and says "Hold still Dawson you have mom's contact on your face". We all turned and what? My contact was on his cheek. Amazing - truly amazing. So he must have picked it up while wrestling on the floor.

The Lord answers prayers in his own time! But I am so thankful!

More Christmas Fun

Grandma and Grandpa came down early in December and helped the boys make a gingerbread house!

The whole bunch of Hanks' cousins over at my house for music practice. We like to get the kids together and go to a rest home and perform Christmas songs. We didn't get to the rest home this year but we did do it for the Seastrands and Great Grandma Hanks. The kids did great! They are all performers - that's for sure.

Up at the Torres house for Great Grandma's performance. Great Aunt Lori brought chimes and everyone had fun trying to play a few songs on those. Boy was it loud but look at the concentration - I don't think we've ever seen all the kids that still all at the same time before.

And finally at the Carter's house for our Christmas Eve Eve party. Here they are playing a game to see who gets to open the next present.

We are very lucky to have such great families on both sides. We had a wonderful time being together even if being together means total craziness! It's still fun!

And finally this is the only picture I got of New Year's Eve. Bummer. Kristin and David were so nice to have us up to their house for lots of food. We only stayed till 9:30. But came home and let the boys stay up till midnight. Here is Marissa and Brinley in their matching jammies. It was funny because I got them out to put on Marissa and Brin says "those are my jammies". So surprise they had the same ones. Sweet Brinley - just had chemo and her steriods the day before but was so cute. She kept wanting Tanner and Dawson to be her prince and protect her. It was funny. The boys played along though!

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas! Lots of family to see and lots of food to eat.

Here we are with just our little family for our quiet Christmas Eve dinner. JD and I think this is our favorite night. He makes clam chowder and I make a cheesy corn chowder. We use the nice china and eat by candlelight. It's so nice and the kids love it.

After we open presents at home and play for a couple of hours, we head up to my parents house and spend the rest of the day there. Lots of fun. JD and I got a new grill - yippee! We've already tried it out and it's wonderful. The kids love being with their cousins and having christmas dinner with everyone. MMMM - I love Christmas dinner

Snow and Sledding (a couple different times)!

It's been awhile - so it will take me a couple of days to catch up. But here is the fam sledding. The first time was on Christmas Eve and we had the whole hill to ourselves. We had a great time! The second time was up at my parents house on the golf course on New Years Day. Oh boy was it crowded. I thought someone was gonna die. There were so many people there and everyone going every which way! But it was tons of fun and everyone had a blast. We love snow!

Marissa is 2

We have been hearing for weeks about how "My birfday coming". Marissa has been so excited for all the fun a birthday brings.

Birthday breakfast. Candles in her pancake! She loved it.

She couldn't wait to have her cake.

And then the presents with all the fun helpers. We had 10 of her cousins there last night. Yeah it was definitely a little crazy but they had fun.


Blowing out the candles!


And finding her in the kitchen all by herself with a cupcake in her face! I guess the birthday girl can get away with that!

We love Marissa so much. She is such a sparkle in our family. I love the way she talks and the amazing way she learns. It is such a blessing to be her mother. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Fall Leaves

This month started out pretty rough. Tanner and Josh got pretty sick with a horrible virus. Tanner missed a full week of school and Josh missed 4 days. It was NO FUN. I wanted to slip this picture in here because I think it is really sweet to see Dawson taking care of his sick brother by reading to him. I love those moments!

And then the leaves. We get so many leaves every year. I am just so glad we have lots of boys who are good helpers to get them back to the garden. But you have to have a little fun in them first!

Dawson diving in!



Daddy and his sweeties! Dancing and fighting over who Daddy's gonna dance with next!

Tanner lost another tooth! So funny because we were in the car and he was just pulling and twisting and finally pop! He was very excited that he did it all on his own! And both bottom teeth are already coming in. He's growing up so fast. Dawson also lost another tooth. Tooth fairy is a busy lady around here.

And finally Marissa waiting for Daddy to get home!

Halloween Fun

Marissa didn't mind so much putting her hand in the pumpkin. Not that she liked it but she did it. Josh just really can't do it. I kept telling him to man up but it didn't change anything. Tanner definitely is our pumpkin gutter. He doesn't mind at all. Dawson does well too.

Here's hammer head! Josh and JD kept thinking of funny saying all night about hammers and nails. Clever boys! And Josh received numerous compliments on his costume. A lady even had him come in her house to show her husband. JD really nailed it on the head! It was his idea and he made it! Good thing Josh is a good sport!

Our Zombie - didn't look much like a zombie at school because no face paint allowed. But we gooped it on for trick or treating. Scary!

Marissa really doesn't like when Tanner wears his costume. She is always saying "scare me, scare me". And Tanner wore it two days straight. He loved being a scary skeleton!

And here is our poodle skirt barbie/pluto! She was pluto at the rec center Friday night but the barbie Friday morning and Saturday. Silly girl. She definitely likes changing her outfits!

Here's the full affect sideways - I don't know why it won't automatically change - that's lame huh!

Here they are right before the trick or treating!

And the loot! They each got 200 pieces of candy except Marissa. They were out for a little over two hours. Crazy candy boys - and to tell you the truth it's JD who tells them they can't come home till they have over 200 pieces of candy. Funny daddy! We all know who wants to eat it all! Fun times!