December memories, through the month :)

Unbelievable that it's been 2 years ago last night/this morning that we lost Gramps. It's a testament to his love and relationships with us, how much our hearts still ache, and how many tears are still shed missing him. He was the best, and I would have given anything to hear him call me Melissa, eaten peanut brittle with him and played games and joked around last night when I was hanging out at his house on Christmas. Merry Christmas in heaven, Gramps. ♥♥♥♥ Love you so much.

Lots of Christmas goodies, wonderful family time, mega-piles of toys for boys big and small, naps, a diamond necklace ;) , a movie and cozy socks, treasures and trinkets, tears and memories ♥.....Merry Christmas

Still laughing at Colb from yesterday....I called him Dennis, as in the Menace, ahem, and he says "what!?! I'm not a dentist!!!" ..... :)

Funniest thing I've heard Nate say to the boys today???...."Ryan, he's not a hammer brother....he's your brother....now stop."

LOVING Ryan's Kindergarten mind tonight. When I got home, he very seriously told me about how his class decorated a humongous gingerbread man, and when they came back from lunch, HE WAS GONE! "HE really just ran away this time, Mom. For real, he just ran away". Hand gestures and all, so serious. ;) I LOVE THAT KID SO MUCH!!!!

T.G.F.E.B.......(Thank goodness for early bedtime)........i love my kids, i love my kids, i love my kids, i love my kids, i love my kids.............

Thinkin how cute Ryan is, he came home the other day just grinnin, telling me about a little girlfriend at school. He said "She's my girlfriend mom, I asked her at second recess and she said 'sure'. So I play with her everyday" :) today he says "She blew me kisses mom. I'm not looking at girls anymore." LOL. :D But alas, today he played with her again.....oh the life of a kindergartner. :)

Colby says "Just me and you home all day mommy? Know what I'm gonna do? Hug and kiss you, all day long." ♥♥♥. :)

the 4 of us my end up with a bellyache from taste testing all of these gingerbread men i'm baking, but we've got to make sure each and every pan is juuuuuuust right.....right?!?!?!?!?! :D

Boys played outside and came in with red cheeks and a smile for hot chocolate, having bread bowls with soup for lunch, and thinking it might be a great day to turn on Christmas music and wrap presents!!! :D

I almost don't believe it's been the whole month of November and half of December since I posted last, ohmygosh, that must tell you how busy things are!!! :) But things are good! I've spent most of my "free" time in the kitchen, which I love, but I must admit things around here tend to get a little neglected when that happens, lol. I've been doing tons and tons of Christmas baking, some for orders, some for friends, lots for family and of course, for my boys. :) The boys have decided they love gingerbread men, and peanut butter balls, and oreo truffles and cherry mash and fudge and cut out sugar cookies and m&m cookies and peppermint chocolate cookies and toffee bars and dipped pretzles and...................everything else i've made :) It's so much fun.  Times like this though, really make me want a dishwasher.....*sigh*.....  ;)
I can't believe only 2 wks until Christmas; how fun!!  We had our family Christmas at my parents' house today, it was a blast as usual. The kids played like crazy, we ate lots of good food and treats, my brother brought out the 4 wheeler and sled, and I even got in on a snowball fight with him....I won. ;) Good times, as always, lots of blessings being able to celebrate with family. :) Took only a couple hundred pictures, so I'll have to pick & choose a few to share. :)
This also means Thanksgiving has come and gone.....this year, that's kind of ok!!  We had all sorts of plans to have a wonderful family Christmas.............and plans go as sometimes they do!  Both Nate & I ended up with Grandmas in hospitals, and so it was a bit stressful! My grandma was in Lincoln at the hosp for some ongoing problems, which they finally now have (fingers crossed!) gotten taken care of.  On Thanksgiving Day, as we pulled up to Nate's aunt's house in Hastings, the ambulance was leaving.....ugh, not a good sign....poor little Gramma Emily fell and broke her femur, which required some pretty intense   surgery.  Both Grammas are on the mend now, but we're just looking forward to moving on!!  We are eternally grateful for all that we've been blessed with, and thank God our grandmas weren't in worse shape.
Unreal that the fist semester of the school year is almost over, Ryan's loved Kindergarten thus far!! P.E., lunch at school, first lost tooth, and first "girlfriend", lol, I think we've filled the cup.  :) Ready to have my boy home for school break with Colby & I, it'll be fun to have some of those days at home where we all stay in our pj's for hours. :)  
Pictures to come soon, for now it's time to catch some zzzzzzz's.  :)

October, a month of memories and fun. :)

Perhaps the most important October event in our house, is Ryan's birthday!! This year we celebrated big number "6", which is just as unreal as it gets. He's gotten to be such a mature, funny, independent little, excuse me, big guy.  That kid is so tenderhearted and sweet, and just says the funniest things!! We love him to pieces, and thank God every single day for blessing our lives with Ryan Thomas Smolek. :)  His lil brudder luvs him too.  :)  We had a soccer themed birthday party this year, and he just loved every minute. 

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Ryan & Noah playing Ry's new Angry Birds game. :) 

 Daddy & Ryan checkin out the new Transformers. 

Grandma Angie and great Grandmas Emily & Della

Great Grandma Shirley

Grammy BooBoo  :) 

 Mama & me <3

 Shannon & Dad hangin out.  They were actually playing Angry Birds and I caught them on a break. ;)

Cooba eating his frosting (I mean, cake?!!?!?)  :) 

Story time with PaPaw, so precious 

They are THRILLED when BooBoo & PaPaw spend the night!! :)

October has been such a fun-filled, beautiful month. We've spent lots of time outside, and the boys even got to "help" pick corn. They've ridden in combines before, but actually while combining corn was pretty awesome, they said!!  :)   

Halloween is always fun for the boys, we did the usual running around to friends and family here in town, they sure enjoy showing off their costumes to the great grammas and friends. This year we had a Knight and, of course, Luigi!! :)  Minus the moustache, since it pretty much had it's wear through the year. :) Ryan told me this morning that since he's a knight, if I dressed as a princess, he would save me from the dragon. <3 Such a sweetie pie!  It was a fun evening, the boys are over their sugar high and sound asleep. :)

My 4 boys....Ryan, Nate, Colby, & Dad headin down to the field

 Waiting for Kurt to bring the combine around! :)

 Gotta check out what's in the grainbin! :)

 Nothing's in there Papaw! But I yelled and laughed at the echo!!

 Ryan's turn to check it out! 

 Cooba and his PaPaw :)

 Dad and Colby on a mission 

 Here comes the combine!!!!!

 So excited for their ride!!

 Pickin corn is way cool!!!

 THANK YOU KURT!!!!  :D WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!

 Loving their new seek-and-find books!

 My Knight-in-shining-armor. :) Told me that if I dressed like a princess,

 He would save me from the dragon. <3  My boy.  

Ryan's class Halloween party, I got to help! FUN! 

 My buster at the end of the party.

 Love love love being a mama!!! <3

Happy Halloween 2011 

 Such cute tough guys :)

 Daddy & his boys, at trunk-or-treat!!!

 Caught up with our buddies!! :)

 Colby & Kortlin "fixing" the door!! hahaha!

 "Lil Moo", Avery  :)  So cutie!!!

 Ryan, Colby, & Avery!!  

 Joy and the kiddos!!

 Love our babysitter!!  :D  And our buddy Avery!

 Gr Gramma Della and Cooby <3 :)

Such special times with great grandma. We love her so very much!!!!!!!

Gr Gramma Della and Ryan <3  :)