Attempting the impossible...

Do you know the likelihood of six people looking decent in one picture? (and it wasn't always the kids' fault!)We were seriously lucky to get one where everyone was looking... (we really do have happy children!)

Most... looked like this! :)

(Thanks Phil and Sarah, for being SO patient with us!)

Merry Christmas, from our crazy family to yours.

Up on the Housetop...

... I would have taken reindeer, trust me. But they would have slid right off in the ice storm, and then they wouldn't have been able to eat the magic oats with glitter that Jack made for them in his class at school. For as sharp as that kid is, I can't believe that HE believes, still. I hope he doesn't read this. I digress.

So, at 4:30am yesterday morning we wake up to this tree falling into our yard. The neighbor's light flips on at the same time ours does, because it was that loud. It was still dark out so it was hard to see how much had fallen, but we were pleased that it missed the house, barely. Tyler decides to go ahead and get ready for work, anticipating a longer-than-normal commute. A little after 5am, the real monster hits with a huge crash, right on top of our roof. I ran to get the boys from their bedrooms, not knowing exactly where it hit. Ends up it landed on the third bay of the garage, puncturing through the attic and our upstairs bathroom. We have some roof, siding, trim, attic, ceiling, drywall, moisture issues, but in a very contained area.

The contractor came out today and temporarily patched the holes until our insurance guy comes out on Monday. We have fans and dehumidifiers going making our bathroom off limits, but the boys are thrilled about that since that means they get to take a bubble bath downstairs every night until it gets fixed! And I'm trying to not get too excited that they might have to paint my whole bathroom... that'd be a major bonus, since it's been needing a fresh coat for quite some time. Overall, we're some pretty thankful people. The top corner of the house behind the bathroom is Chase's room. I can live without my bathroom for a few days after all.

The Tree... a picture story by the Daugherty boys

"Yes, Whitney, I know you want to go get a tree. You've told me about a million times, but you're not breaking my 'Absolutely no Christmas decorating until after Thanksgiving' rule. I know it's only 19 days until Christmas, but I'm the practical one here, and we don't want the tree to die before the actual day. Anyway, I can't stay awake long enough to even think about it." - Tyler, slightly paraphrased, after working the overnight shift for seven nights straight.

"Do we have to get a tree, or can we just ride this thing all day?" "It's just me, Chase. And I'm really, really cold. But if you tell me to smile, I'll try really hard." "It's so cold, I hope that it'll never be cold ever, ever again. Ever." - Trey, showing off the five teeth he skillfully shifted in a sledding collision the week before. "When are we gonna get off of this thing?" - real words from Jack

"Dad says this is THE one, but it looks just like all of the other ones if you ask me. Either way I'm relieved. Did I mention that I'm really cold?"

"My favorite part was the grill. Not the tree, not the experience. The grill." - Trey, warming his hands, and getting his coat really stinky by the fire.

"Hey, isn't this the spot where my Mom peed her pants that one year? Nevermind that she was pregnant and Daddy was taking way too long looking for the perfect tree, and she was racing us in between the tree rows to pass the time. We'd be in trouble if we peed our pants. Hey guys, let's never let her forget that story, ok?"

"Hey, would you mind taking a picture of our family, fast? It's really cold out here." - Whitney, all smiles after coming out of the warm van with Tess for approximately 2 minutes to get a family picture, and right after reminding Tyler that it was a whole lot warmer right around Thanksgiving.

Tis the Season...

If you're like me, you can remember J.C. Penney catalogs. What fun it was to flip through that huge book over and over again this time of year, dreaming of what Santa might bring for Christmas. After much admiration, page corners were turned down, and wished for items were carefully and deliberately circled and initialed by all the kids in the house. If it weren't for the Internet and the environment, I'd probably still be pouring through that thing.

Well, apparently my boys don't need catalogs. One morning before school last week, they sat at the breakfast table (self-initiated) and deliberated for a long and hard while. They whispered back and forth to each other while Jack wrote as quickly as he could. I thought they were coloring and went about my business. They finished their breakfast and headed to the bus stop and off to school. As I cleared the table later that morning, I found this: You should know by now that I don't make this stuff up. I'm going to have to laminate this or something.

Not that the season's focus should be all about presents, but I'm all for getting something cool for my kids for Christmas. My parents did it. I finally got my dream come true in junior high I think it was... the 13 inch black and white TV. Oh, you got one too (but the real question is, did yours go to college with you?)? Then there was the year that I got everything Smurf. Don't ask.

Anyway, I think these two might be a bit disappointed this year from the looks of this list. We'll have to see what Santa comes up with.