Merry Christmas

Santa's cookie plates

Getting ready to leave cookies for Santa

Kate in her coupe

Daddy and his girls

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas with the girls. It was the first year Hannah really enjoyed it and understood Santa Clause. It was also our 1st Christmas at home with kids. It was so nice to be home, safe, and healthy. We opened presents and headed off to my parents' which was complete and total chaos, but I wouldn't want it any other way. It's loud, there's not enough snack food and there is dog hair everywhere considering there were 4 big labs there. We missed Kelsey and J.J. on Christmas morning, but Kelsey is now here for the rest of the week, so as John says, "The queen is in, so I'll see you when she leaves."

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. We are so blessed and so thankful that 2007 has been such a wonderful year and hoping 2008 is even better!!

A Timeless Tradition

The final Project...A timeless tradition!

We made our 2nd annual Gingerbread house. It's all for Hannah and Kate, who wanted no part of making anything, just eating. Kate squealed a lot and pointed to the candy. When she couldn't have them, she would cry as if you took away her best friend (she tends to get emotional every once in awhile, like her cousing Mallory).

It wasn't looking too good until the resident baker (Julie) took over and wouldn't let anyone else, kids included, touch the house.

Our Precious gift from God... Kate Elizabeth Ross

A low fat glazed strawberry Pot Tart...

You know you have cleaning issues when you find an almost whole pop tart underneath your drivers seat and your first thought isn't "I can't believe my daughter was so messy and just threw the pop tart on the floor" but "Oh my God, I can't believe that she didn't eat this whole pop tart."

Maybe I should have given her a diet coke with it, that would have made it really yummy!!!

Days like today make me love being a mom!!!

It's days like today that I just love being a mom!!

Paige and Bill had Hannah ALL day.

Just kidding, but it was nice and relaxling and we got a lot done!!

The Fishy Thing?????

Attempt #2 at taking a Christmas picture. Way to go Ross Girls!!:)

Yes, this is what it looks like. Hannah has moved her entire solid wood BUNK bed to look for a fishy thing. WHAT? I have no idea what fishy thing she is talking about and we never found it. She came from her nap and told me she wanted a spoon to catch things under her bed. Okay I tell her because that is easier than asking her why she needs it and telling her no. So I come in a few minutes later and she is using the spoon to try and get under her bed. I take the spoon away. I come in 20 minutes later and she has her entire bed moved. Then she proceeds to tell me when I yell at her she just wants to walk over to me and put soap in my mouth!!! Gotta love her. We never found the fishy thing, but her bed is still out because I can't move it!

The joys of Christmas Pictures

Without saying the F word too many times outloud, we took the most beautiful Christmas pictures of our 2 lovely daughters...NOT!What a miserable experience. The one day we planned to go take pictures at the beach last week, yep, you guessed it, it was the day it rained. So fine. John and I can do this. We have control...or are we controlled. Seriously, why is it so hard. We got nothing, so if you see my kids butts on your Christmas cards, you'll know we just gave up!!!

Merry Christmas

When Judge Millian morphs with my life

So for those of you who know me, you will appreciate this story.

So, I love Judge Millian from the People's Court on Ch. 9 1pm. Love it, love it, it.

Here goes my story:
I am at Walmart returning something. I hear the worker talking to a customer who is trying to return something. I overhear something about "well can I get 1/2 of my money back and 1/2 on a gift card...da da da." and some other stuff. So he starts getting angry because they won't return his Alli (which by the way, my dad used it and lost 9 pounds in a week for those of you interested in it:)) Anyways, I hear him talking on the phone about how there's nothing they can do because walmart only will give out 50.o0 maximum return gift card.

In my head I am thinking, "How do I know this." I have never bought anything that expensive here, how do I know this? then it dawns on my the other day on Judge Millian, a man was giving away gift cards if you won at a hole in the wall casino and this guy won, but he couldn't pay out because he paid out in Walmart gift cards and they would only let him get a 50.00 one.

Kind of scary!!!

Hannah to Dad

Mary Frances is cutting John's hair and John got the idea to shave his chest (thank God!!!) When he was done Hannah goes to John, "Daddy, you have different boobs!)" It could be the funniest thing I have heard in a long time:)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. It is snowing in Cleveland and has gotten COLD!! The girls enjoyed the snow. Kate was so excited to just be outside it could have been 30 below and she wouldn't have cared and Hannah being as stubborn as she is wasn't going to admit it was cold because she didn't want to put her jacket on!

Hope everyone is well!!

CRUNCHING in the leaves

Hannah laying in the leaves.

A close up of her.

Precious gift in the leaves. (I thought it was

colder than it really was:))

Hannah loved throwing leaves and Kate

loved watching her.

We are in Cleveland having a nice relaxing time. Well, I am at least, I can't say the same for Grandma. The weather is nice, cold, but a nice change from the heat at home. As you can see we went outside with the girls today. They have been couped up since Friday and are going stir crazy. Hannah loves "CRUNCHING" in the leaves. Kate loved watching her. Thankfully there is no snow. I know it looks pretty and all, but it's not fun to be in:) Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Birthday, Birthday, and Dora

I have no pictures to post, so you will need to check out my sister's. Candace is theaxlines.blogspot.com and Paige is pkrobers.blogspot.com.

We went to AZ this weekend and it was crazy. Candace described it wonderfully...it's like taking a shower in Sephora. We were in Kelsey's house and her shower along with every other room in the house is like a store. You name it and the kids have it to play with or Kelsey and J.J. use it. We had a good time.

Grandma Polly

Hannah and I were folding clothes in my room. My closet is open as I am putty clothes away. As she is looking inside she say "mom, did you get those from Grandma Polly?" I am confused, "what I ask her" "did you get those from Grandma Polly?" surely she can't be talking about my clothes, so I say "the socks" (I have a box of unmatched socks in my closet, that must be what she is talking about) "No" she says "those shoes, did you get those from Grandma Polly?" as she points to a pair of my shoes that I wear A LOT!! My daughter thinks I took my shoes from my 87 year old grandma's closet. I do have bad taste in shoes!!!!

Hannah the good witch!!

Finally I have posted pictures of the girls at Halloween. Uncle Seth and John took them trick or treating, and I stayed home to pass out candy. Hannah had a good time. She doesn't realize yet to eat the candy. I put it away and she hasn't mentioned where all the loot is!!

A man's job...carving a pumpkin??????

We, John carved pumpkins last night, and yes he did use an electric saw or some type of manly tool. I guess a good old kitchen knife is not good enough. We were overly zealous and opened up 3 pumpkins to carve. Kate wanted to nurse, and Hannah was only interested in the 1st pumpkin, so daddy had to do it all.

The Ultimate

Today, actually this morning... I get up at 5:30 because that is when my precious gift from God wakes up screaming. I nurse her, remind John that if I wasn't breastfeeding he would have to get up and make a bottle and feed her. He mumbles something about having to work and I don't. He doesn't think staying home with the two kids is work, but that's an other story. Anyways, I feed her, put her back down, go throw in a load of laundry and get the clean clothes out of the dryer to fold. I turn on the television and blah blah blah something about an access code. I call frantically to Direct TV, they try and try, but to no avail. To make a long story short, in 3-5 days I will receive and access card that allows my television to work. So in the meantime...WHAT DO I DO??????

Lots to say

I haven't posted in a while, but not much has been going on. Most importantly Candace and Matt's house is okay. They were evacuated on Sunday, but no damage to their house. The last pictures show the 2 refugees/evacuees Bennett and Mallory. Candace had no clothes for them. We took them to the play yard at the mall and while she was buying them clothes she had me watch them. I made sure everyone knew they weren't mine. Bennett Mallory, come to AUNTIE. YOUR MOMMY is getting you clothes to wear!! Just kidding. Thankfully they are safe.

The girls went to my school's fall festival. They were Little Bo Peep and a lost sheep. My friend's mom had made them a few years back for her 2 kids and she lent them to us. They were very cute.

The Buckeyes won again, so Johnny is very happy. He is flying to Ohio next weekend to watch them play. Hopefully he is good luck

Sorry for the double picture of Little Bo Peep and the first picture Mallory belongs down with Bennett. This was pre having any clothes!!!

swimming in a bra

Tonight as I was giving Hannah a bath she demanded that she take a bath in her bra. NO not a real bra, she has a little undertop that matches her princess underwear. She threw a fit because I would not let her wear her 'bra' in the bath. I couldn't figure out where all this was coming. Finally as she took a quick breath in between screams, she said "Ariel wears a bra when she swims." I tried to explain to her that Ariel lives in the water. Hannah decided she wanted to live in the water too..Hmm, I'm thinking of some ideas to make it work. On a brighter note, preschool tomorrow!! I don't know who like it more, Hannah or her mom!!!

Buckeyes #1

...even if it is because every team who was in front of them in the polls has lost. Either way. The girls got new outfits from John's sister. We tried to take a picture and as usual, Kate was crying!! We had a fun day of watching the Buckeyes and all the other fun games with Julie, Seth, and Seth's mom and dad!!

Just from God!!

I have changed Kate's nickname. Her name precious gift from God has been changed. It is just from God. She unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper!!!

Hannah, Kate, and I went to Arizona for the weekend. JJ was going on a weekend getaway with some of his friends in the desert, so we were there to keep kelsey company. Only problem is that JJ went and quickly came back with food poisoning or something. So all the tivo watching, swimming, and all the other LAZY things we were going to do were interrupted by good old J. We had fun either way. The kids love being together, even though Hannah and the twins fight like crazy and they all 3 just pummel my poor precious gift from god!!!

Hannah thinks everything is hers including the Michigan uniform which her father would die if he saw her!!! She put it on, we took a few pictures and then gave it back to Kaelyn.

The Toy Whores strike again

The toy whores have struck again. Kelsey and JJ got the biggest play structure I have ever seen in a house. The kids love it, so I can't complain, but this is big time toy whore in action. The Dora play tent is more for JJ and Kelsey. Now don't get me wrong, the girls do like Dora, but it is majorly prompted by their parents. In any case, all the kids, Kate included, had a great time!!

We all know my struggles with Hannah. She is a bit feisty...sometimes. She does have a great imagination though. This is what took place during her nap time on Friday. She got everything out of her toy bag and put it up underneath her bunkbed. She is CRAZY!!!!!

Kate's big day

Here are a few pictures of Kate's birthday. She is still recovering!! She had all her family here. John's family flew in from Ohio, so we were glad to have them all here. Hannah can't quite grasp the concept that none of the gifts were for here. She keeps trying to "give" them to Kate, but here idea of giving them is to put them all under her covers in her room!!!

I'm Stuck!!!

Don't ask!!! We are driving home from the game and Hannah is having a fit because she is STUCK!!! Mind you, we are driving on the 5 freeway and she refers to sitting in her car seat strapped in as being stuck!! The gloves...don't ask. We visited the dr. Fri. and she gave them to Hannah!

Below is a picture of Hannah, Lauren, and Kaelyn flossing their teeth!