Happy New Year!

What a great 2009, we can't wait for an even better 2010!! They just keep getting better and better..... when things get back to normal....I'll have to do a review of the year and update everything.

The kids got to have a New Year's Eve Party on Thursday. It was a blast with 16 kids over at the Shamma's house to ring in twelve o'clock. (p.m.)

Checkers, we miss you!! It's going to be hard to go back to Brenham without you next week.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas to all! The kids and I just got back from Victoria at ten o'clock tonight....a little earlier than we had intended because Checkers has stopped eating and I have a feeling might stop breathing before we make it to the vet in the morning......... I'll update the pics sometime soon.




The "great grandchildren" posing in front of the Christmas dasal they gave in honor of Papa Schroeter and in memory of their other great-grandparents.






Daddy and Hadlee after church.







Papa Schroeter and his "buggars"

Hadlee trying hard to get her bling bling opened....we're still working on the tongue!

Harps opening up a present.

Harper with a joyful smile, she's so happy with the babydoll Hadlee just opened up. Hannah is in the background excited also.

Hays having Auntie C read all of his "Kidz Pop 14" songs. After we opened presents we got to have a jam session with the new CD!

Putting the "Reindeer Food" outside for the reindeer to munch on while Santa takes all the presents inside during the middle of the night.

Hays piling on cookies for Santa to eat while he's bringing in their presents. We eventually had one cookie each from the kids on the plate. They thought Santa might be extra hungry....

Harper, Hadlee and Hays opening up their stockings on Christmas morning.

Hays got some crazy glasses from Santa.

Hays playing with his dog in a cage that Santa had a hard time finding this year..........

Hadlee jumping for joy with all of Santa presents.

Papa Schroeter working the map puzzle while Hays takes a break to eat some food.

Hadlee decorating cookies for Christmas.

Hadlee feeding Cooper. (She just had to have her picture taken!)

Harper posing with Cannon. She wanted Mommy to get this finished so she could go play.

Cousin Joe helping Hays out with his dog. Hays had so much fun with Joe on Christmas Day!

Let the present opening begin!

Clothes, Clothes and more clothes!

Mommy on the scooter.....Daddy said we didn't have enough life or health insurance!








Hannah cruisin' the safe way!









Hadlee and Harper posing with Raisen!

Week in Review......

We had a week filled with parties, more parties, football and then our Church Christmas program. It was awesome to see the kids getting into everything and really starting to understand the true meaning of Christmas. As their mother it made me appreciate Christmas through their eyes like it was my first holiday season.

We stayed at the same hotel as the football team the day before their game. When we got to the pool there were about 10 coaches' kids playing in the pool. It was divided with the boys playing "football" and the girls hanging out. My kids went straight for the girls and they loved all the attention they got from them. Here's Hadlee...





Katie holding Harper with Shalynn and Jordan.

The only picture I took at the football game...Hadlee, Alex Lehrmann, Harper and Hays. Saturday morning Hadlee decided she didn't want to be a cheerleader and I had taken just enough clothes for each child to wear to the game. Kuddos to Harper and Hays not caring about what they wore because Harper was a cheerleader and Hays wore different pants so Hadlee could wear their clothes.

The kids were sheep for their Christmas program. Here's a picture of Hadlee and Hays. Not sure what they are suppose to be doing at this point. Hays pretty much wandered from step to step, at one point he either spit or blew into the microphone....Hadlee sang her heart out the entire time.

This picture shows the beautiful backdrop that one of creative members of the church made for the program. I believe the name of the program was Shepard, Sheep and a Savior. It was a musical with speaking parts by the confirmation kids and singing by all ages. Harper loved the song "Shaggy, smelly, sheep"...She's still singing it and wants to listen to the CD.

Harper singing one of the songs. Not sure what she was doing with her arms crossed but she did that numerous times during the program. I don't know if she was trying to strike a pose or what???

They had a live nativity after the program where everyone came out to sing "Silent Night" with candles. It was truly special for the adults and the children. Here's a picture of Hays posing with the camel..

Our annual picture with Carly.

As soon as the Christmas program was over Daddy went hunting in Mason. I had my annual ornament pary on Monday night so it was all business trying to get out of Brenham on Monday. We had to get food and litter for Checkers, we even got some new canned food for Checkers that our helpers said that she loved and finished her entire plate.

State Bound...the Cubs are going to Austin!

I'm pretty tired just thinking about our week ahead....other than the weather, it doesn't feel like Christmas is less than 2 weeks away or my birthday in less than a week. It does seems like 5 months ago when Wade started this football season...all things have to end and what a better way for them to this year. What's really crazy is that Wade's first season at Brenham was 7 years ago, the last time they played for the state title. That season I was ready for football to be over because the year before Sinton had played in the title game and playing football on my birthday, just isn't right.....



We've been regulars at the games this year. We've been hanging out in the cheap seats during the playoffs, since the kids really can't watch an entire game and Hays likes talking to all the ladies.(coaches' wives that want to watch the game) Uncle Don and Gregory joined us for the Dayton game last week so I got to watch a little of the game while they entertained and made sure we didn't have any falls, etc.

























Yesterday Hadlee was acting a little suspicious before we left for the game. I thought about going to make sure Checkers was o.k. but then forgot with getting all the gear together. Last night Wade calls while we were driving home to let me know that Checkers was in the kids' room with the door shut. Poor Checkers...and poor me...lots of laundry to do. I've gotten used to it because Hadlee has been having accidents about every other night. (I should have never bragged about her last month)

Pictures in the Snow/Sleet

On Friday I took pictures of the snow, which really was like sleet here in Brenham. I picked the kids up from school and was happy to know that they got to experience their first snow while they were at school. We went home and decided to document the experience with a couple of pictures but I don't think you can see much of the flurries. Hays and Harper are in their school clothes but not Miss Hadlee, she had to change into a dress for the occassion. It was a short sleeve dress at that, at least she did agree to wear a coat.

Hadlee and her outfits

For about two years now, Hadlee has been very particular about what she wears. Last year it was all about dresses, this year she's added other things to her wardrobe but she still wants to "dress-up" for everything. Since they pick out their clothes in the morning, I hide some of her "favorites" in the laundry room so she won't pick the same thing every couple of days. I also put some of their dressy dresses on the top rod of the closet. A couple of weeks ago she had the chair out pulling down one of her favorites.....

She's into jewelry, James Avery is one of her favorite catalogs to look at. Some kids look at toys, not Hadlee she's a jewelry and clothes shopper.... sure doesn't take after her momma. She's got some good and expensive taste.

Kellie and Hadlee at age 2. She loved this dress from Nana.

Hadlee in a favorite dress from Hannah. She would wear this to church every week if I let her.

Last years "Purple Dress" that Mema bought at Target. 5 bucks= a good 50 wears!





The "OUTFIT" of the season!! It's a size 4/4T that Mema bought for Harper. I pretty sure that Hadlee turned her nose up at it when we were shopping at Dillards in September. I made Hadlee wear this to church one Sunday because she lost her "reward" to pick out her outfit, Hadlee cried the entire time getting dressed and on the way to Sunday school. Somebody told her they liked her outfit and the rest is history.