Bowling, Sand, Rocks and Damage

I didn't know if you knew this or not, but keeping 4 children of varying ages happy and busy is a key to a successful visit. So, because the weather cooperated about 75% of the time, we tried to fill our days with activities that would wear the children out, have them exhausted and ready for bed on time so we could actually all sit around for grown-up tv viewing...oh, and to create memories.

Yeah, probably should have led with the creating memories part so you'd think me a better parent...

We started with bowling on base. Neither Ethan nor Julia had ever bowled before. They both did a great job taking turns and chasing each other around the bowling alley.

We made a trip to Lil Biggs again (as we did last year). Lil Biggs had changed things around though, and instead of all the dress up stations, it's now all bounce houses. Thankfully they still had a few arcade games and the sand area.

We went to the Garden of the Gods on the warmest day of their visit. I promised the kids that there would be rocks to climb and dirt to dig. I did not lie and they were thrilled.

And what New Year's celebration could be complete without the breaking of the gingerbread house? Or "damaging" the house, as Ethan kept referring to it as. Of course, we dressed the kiddos in their matching gingerbread jammies their Nina bought for all of them. How stinking cute are they?

Visits like this make me sad we don't live closer to home.

Visits like this also remind me why I don't have kids any closer in age than less than 3 years apart. I'm just saying.

Virtual Coffee

Hello! It's our first virtual coffee date of the new year!!!! Are you so excited? I knew it.

If you were really here for coffee today, I would have the coffee nice and hot and ready for consumption since it's only 20 degrees here today. No worries, though, cause it's supposed to be 50 by Friday.

I'm sure we'd share holiday stories and I'd probably show you the 450 pictures I took of my nephews while they were here. I can't help it, I must show them off. I heart them.
Maybe we'd talk about the new year. Maybe we'd even share some resolutions. I haven't totally made a list but I have been thinking about it a bit...
I'd like to continue to journal the books I read this year like I did in 2010. I loved it and I liked looking back on all the books I loved and need to share with others.

I want to make 2011 a year of gifting experiences. I know I've talked about this before, but I loved that my family took my idea seriously and ran with it. The girls will be getting swim lessons and tumble tot time and other things instead of more toys for our house to hold.Of course, I have some healthy habits I'd like to actually make habits and not just wishes.
I'm going to continue trying to cook through my cook books!! I tried so many new recipes in 2010 and this year I plan on trying even more!!!
Ok, your turn. What are you resolving to accomplish this year? Cause you may have some great ideas that I will need to make one of my resolutions too.
If we were having coffee together, I'd tell you how I am in hyper-moving mode. I'm freaking out about organizing the basement, closets, cabinets and rooms. I'm determined to have everything that is in the basement in rubbermaid tubs so that when we move I don't even have to worry about organizing the new basement/storage area because I'll have done it all here months before. I've never had the cleaning bug last so long in my system. It's weird.
But, don't you worry! Cause even when I'm melting into a puddle of sweat from the humidity in Texas since we'll be moving in the summer and it's freaking 1,000 degrees there in the summer, I'll still have Tuesday coffee dates with you. But, they will be frozen coffee dates. And I will stock up on deodorant so you'll still come visit me even if I'm sweating away to nothing.

E & O

I need to tell you that while Matt, Kyle, Ethan and Owen were here I took over 450 pictures.

I also need to tell you that i will post each and every one here on today's post.

Just kidding.

But, I do need to share a few with you; especially since Julia woke up this morning and specifically asked to see Matt and Kyle and asked when they would be back. :(

The girls waited as patiently as possible when we told them that E&O were just minutes away from arriving.

We opened Christmas gifts and Evan was most excited to receive this hat from his sister.
The girls instantly claimed Owen as their own and smothered him with big cousin smooches and hugs.


And then there was Ethan and Julia. These two are a love/hate bubble of fun. They are two peas in a pod and make each other belly laugh like no one else. They also can make each other scream and cry like banshees.
Sweet baby O. (Oh my lord, this boy is nothing but sugar and honey and syrup wrapped up in edible baby dimples.) All he does all day long is sit quietly and eat his toes or his toys and smile whenever you make eye contact with him. I lovelovelove him.
We visited Evan at work. He only worked one day with they were here, but we still had to go and pester him.
Don't you worry, I totally gnawed on Owen's cheeks and legs and belly and dimpled hands. I huffed his baby scent and kissed those cheeks for hours.

Ethan shows a lot of interest in Legos, which makes his Uncle Evan most happy.

I put Owen in a few things for fun.

While they were here, there was only one accident. It involved a vacuum cleaner and somebody's nose. Unfortunately, this picture has been censored and you can not see the damage.
Kyle brought a dancing game for the Wii and Ebeth danced for over 3 hours. I'm not exaggerating. Owen was completely captivated by Elisabeth and even tried to dance on his own.

We celebrated New Year's Eve at our home and tried to stay awake.

And I let Ethan open his birthday gifts 2 weeks early.
We sadly said good-bye to them. We won't be seeing them again until September, which is an awfully long time from now. I'm not even going to think about how big the boys will be, it'll just make me cry.

I'll post more tomorrow about all of our outings while they were here. But, for now, I have realized in the past couple of days that it is only a matter of months until we are high-tailing it to Texas and I have to start organizing and getting rid of and labeling things for the move. I feel sad/panicky/excited/overwhelmed. My basement is indescribable. Ugh.