MERRRRRRYYYYY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Christmas morning was a great time for all. Mark got all the stuff he needs to really "pimp" out his shot gun. Natalie got a nice little diamond ring for her right hand. Audrey got a nintendo ds and lots of games. Savanna and Jakob got these great giddy-up and go ponies that when they sit on them and hop up and down the scoot across the floor. They have handles bars that you can steer with, and even brakes. The kids look so cute hopping across the floor on their ponies. I don't know why I didn't get a pic of Savi on hers, but Jake rode his in his diapy with his new Buzz Lightyear laser gun (very loud) and had a blast. More than the presents we opened, we loved being together as a family and have high hopes for 2009! Merry Christmas to all! We love you!

Mark's friend from work and the Sherriff's office Cliff came with his daughter.

Lorne and Heather Vaclaw and their sweet kids Mitchell and Rylee came.

Kristen and Steve Loggins and their boys Dakota and Noah came, and that is Cammy in the pic too.

Christmas eve!

Christmas eve! We had a really nice time with a few couples over. Our friends the Vaclaw's and the Loggins and Mark's friend from work Cliff and his daughter Cammy. It was a nice time with fondue and great friends.

Cute kids

Some cute pictures of the kids. Savanna got herself dressed and said she needed a "bra" on. That is a pair of underwear that she is wearing. Also a very layered on the bottom. Panies, pajama pants, another pair of pajama pants, and another pair of panies over all the other layers. All in all she is wearing 3 pairs of underwear. She's got style. Jakie "Roaring", and the girls dressed up to go to the Murphy kids christmas party. Also caught a pic of princess Savanna. Being a stay-at-home mom is lots of fun. : )

The kids were having fun with each other this time. Usually it's fighting, but today they were loving.

Bad Habit

Savanna caught me at one of my bad habits, and so she had to try it. Yes, I drink milk right from the carton. There is a double standard, if Mark did this I was holler, but I really like to drink out of the carton. That's why I don't buy gallons very often. : )

COME AND SHAKE YOUR BOO-TA WITH US!

AUDREY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

These are pics from the press conference Audrey was invited to. There are further explanations down below all the pics. We are very proud of her if you can't tell! : )

This is Audrey's newspaper picture. She is 4th from the left, right below the first kid on the left that is standing up. She looked really cute that day!

Audrey entered an essay in the union county 5th grade writting contest entitled SOUNDS OF THE SEASON. She came home dissappointed because a boy named Jared Pugh (pronounced like you might say something is stinky) won. Well the school called me a few days later and told me that Audrey was one of the runners up. Jared was a banner carrier and had to hold a banner and walk 3 1/2 miles up hill in the parade. Audrey got to ride on Santa's float and wave at everybody. I think Audrey got the better deal. She got to go to a press conference in the winners honor, and got her picture in the news paper. In the top photo she is just under the flag. Bottom photo she is in the white coat. We are proud of her. Her essay follows:

Sounds of the Season

The sounds of the season of winter are many! Such as the silent sound of snow fall. The wonderus crunching of snow beneath your feet is also a sound of winter. The roaring and crackling fire will warm you inside and out. I love the sound of my mom cooking sweet sugar cookies, and other great food with many aromas wafting to my nose from the oven. She hums a nice tune that always makes me happy. I also love the whistling of the tea pot on cold winter days.
In the woods the distant call of the wolf may ring in your ears. You may hear the clip-pity-clop of the horses hooves pulling a slay. Or maybe the din-dong of the doorbell, and the “errrrrrrrch” of the door, as you open it to hear voices raising in carols. The sweet melody rings through the house and makes us all smile.

I love to have snow ball fights! I love the slap, slap, slap of your hands on the round puff of snow. The bursting sound of snow hitting your coat. The laughing and screaming of you and your friends as you run through the snow trying to hit, and be missed. I love the feeling of the squelching snow against my face, after being hit by a snowball.

I injoy the winter foods and drinks.My most favorite winter drink is hot cocoa. Just to see the steam rolling off a freshly poured cup of hot cocoa is a site to me. My most favorite winter dish is fondue, no matter what kind it is. We have meat fondue, cheese fondue, and dessert fondue at my house. I love the sound of the bubbling oil cooking your meat, and the site of cheese drenching bread and veggies. I love that usually it’s chocolate and it’s messy. It’s so yummy!

When my family gets together for a Christmas feast it’s one heck of a time. With all the delicious food and drinks, there’s no mistaking it’s a feast. But with all the laughing and talking it sounds like we’re at the circus. Take it from a kid with one BIG family. With my family of 3 kids, together with my mom and her 11 brothers and sisters and their families and my dad and his 2 sisters and their families, trust me there’s a lot of people!!

I love this time of the year, because of all the sounds and the happiness I feel. I feel like my cheeks will break from smiling to much. The sounds of the season of winter are many, and I love them all.

By: AUDREY
RAINEY
I LOVE WINTER!!!!!!!

Just some candid shots of the kids. Jake eatin breakfast, Savi muggin' for the camera, Audrey and Savi in their makeshift chairs, Ya know, fun stuff!

I took the test of a 1930's wife and much to my dismay found that I am very superior. I like to think that I am much more modern than that. I think it's the fact that I cook and sew and I really do like my kids and husband. I do have dinner on the table when he gets home, but that's because me and the kids are hungry, not cuz Mark expects it. I do keep my house clean and laundry done. OH well, some of the questions were a riot! Take the test and see how you rate!

Mama got a new hairdo!

Well the time has finally come for me to whack all my hair off. It's very short, but I like it. It's sassy. One of the finalists in this seasons Americas next top model had the same 'do. I told my stylist to make me look like her. She did a good job apart from the neck down. But as I told my mom this morning.... There is a skinny girl inside of me screaming to get out, but I can usually shut her up with a cookie. : ) What do ya think of the hair???

Some of you know that Mark is a Sheriff's reserve officer. I tease him and call it his Peter Pan syndrome. You know....I don't wanna grow up! I just wanna play cops and robbers and wear a gun and handcuff's. He really does take it seriously, and loves it. He is helping out in our community but donating his time to keep the peace. And he does look handsome all decked out in his Sheriff gear. Hear that honey..... I am giving ya props!

Savanna learned how to "SWAK" today.....Sealed With A Kiss! She has a cute pucker!

FINGER PAINTING WITH PUDDING

I can't remeber where I got the idea, but I decided to try it. Finger painting with colored vanilla pudding. You put a few drops of food coloring in with vanilla pudding and let them go to town. It was a lot of fun to watch them get into it. It was also a big mess and clean up was a pain, but worth it I think. I love trying new things with the kids and so do they. It's little things in life that they will remember most. I am so blessed to have 3 sweet kids and to be able to stay home with them. I thank my sweet husband for working so hard.

2 YEARS AGO

WHEN JAKOB CAME TO US 2 YEARS AGO. WHAT A FUN 2 YEARS ITS BEEN!