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It took some hiking, in the deep, deep snow, but we found our "perfect" tree! Here it is with the fresh snow still on it.

The boys were having a blast playing in the snow...not so much hiking and searching for our tree. Luke joined us...and thankfully he did! He took our picture, so we had a Christmas card to send out.

Reece after a cannonball in the snow.

Riley and Luke.

Snow up to my knees! And that wasn't the deepest area!

Family!

I am proud to say I had the tree up and decorated immediately. Ahhh!
Merry Christmas!

5ṯḣ āṉḋ 8ṯḣ

Oh, WOW! Are these my baby boys looking so grown up!? How did this happen.
So hard to believe in 6 months I will have a high schooler and a middle schooler. Crazy!

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Oh wow! Time is flying by... a couple things to point it out; I haven't found time to blog in a while and REECE TURNED ELEVEN THIS YEAR!! He had a fun filled 4 days of celebrating.

Day one we had his BFF, Luke, stay over. Luke bought Reece his very own football. If there is one thing we know about Reece at this age, it is he is totally obsessed with football. That is no exaggeration. He talks football nonstop!

Hard to get a good picture in the dark, but we took the boys to Iron Mountain Hot Springs to celebrate. It was relaxing for Jake and I, and lots of fun for the boys.

Birthday dessert #1... Butterfingers Dessert! Yum!

Day 2 we had the Scruton and Brocker families over for dinner. Reece got another football AND football gloves. The excitement in this picture are very real!  He also got basketball shoes and clothes, a Star Wars figure and a new pocket knife.

Reece had a second birthday dessert on this night. Cookies and Cream Cake. 

December 8th. Reece's real birthday. Reece loves eggs, so I attempted scrambled eggs shaped like the number 11.

Reece got a Steelers shirt from my parents. He was again, super excited! He also got a new headset for his Xbox and a Madden football game along with some birthday money. I think 2015 treated this spoiled kid very well. Oh, and the real birthday dessert was Angel Food cake with strawberries and whipped cream! These 4 days were quite a whirlwind...and there's no time to relax, because Christmas is right around the corner!

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We had a very quiet Thanksgiving. I invited a friend from work and her husband over, so they weren't all alone, and that was about it. Food, friends, football and basketball... oh yeah, I watched my second Star Wars movie too. I think we were all fat and happy by the end of the day.

I had the boys make our "table cloth" for dinner... wrapped the table in brown packaging paper and gave them markers to write what they were "thankful" for. It ended up being a family project...the boys were slow to start, but once we nudged them a little the ball got rolling.

I'm thankful for...
(in no specific order)
...health, transportation, Aspen Music Festivals and Schools, 'Merica, sports, guitar, Plexus, Jaxon (guitar instructor), education, Pi and Pie, food, cousins, beds, colorful Colorado, siblings, teachers, grandparents, Riley, Reece, money, jobs, water, house, The Middle (Reece's TV obsession), skiing, my family, peaches, Jake-who can cook...and is from HR, Kansas Basketball, art, my parents paying for my DC trip, Ouidad...there's more here, I just can't remember or read it. :) 

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Would you believe me if I told you I had never watched any of the Star Wars movies??
I know what Star Wars is and I know many of the characters...I've just never sat down and watched the series. I even got Jake this super cool Blue Ray DVD set a few years ago...but it was a gift for him to enjoy.

Well, Jake has purchased advanced tickets for us to go see the new movie in Denver on the IMAX screen...guess after 33+ years, it's time to catch up. Being a mom of boys, I think it was bound to happen. So here we go...

I forgot I had this little story saved away....I forgot to blog about it, but it was funny. Again, it shows how much I don't know about Star Wars, and what being a mom of boys can be like. I think this is from last January or February.

• I don't remember how this got brought up one morning, but Jake revealed he has dreamt about flying a Tie Fighter. I, having never seen Star Wars, had to ask what that was... Reece rolls his eyes in disapproval of me. My boys educated me on what a Tie Fighter (I may be spelling this wrong...again, not into Star Wars) and I had to give Jake grief that he was a grown man dreaming about such things....Reece interjected, "Mom, it's just what men do!" 

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This kid is a hoot! 

I am thankful for...
You guys putting a roof over my head.
Why?
Because if I did not I would be homeless and cold!!!
You pay all the bills for me.
Thank you!
Love, Reece

Jake is his hero: My dad builds many things for me and my family to help.

Jake will always have that on me...I can't build anything! ;)

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Riley's 8th grade came and went so quickly... they literally cram the season in 6 weeks. The boys play before Christmas break and the girls play afterwards.

Riley played a lot of point/guard...Even though Riley is tall to me, he's not nearly the tallest in his class. He is, however, one of the youngest...which may be part of that. Riley had fun and always kept his head up. He never missed a practice and has really worked hard on his shooting. I loved every minute of watching him play this year.

Riley's team picture. He is front row, far right.

 

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Showing off those left handed skills. :)