A Weekend At The Wilson's

Monday, January 19, 2009

We just had the best weekend ever up in Atlanta visiting Donnie's sister, Ursula, and her hubby, Keith. They are both big into motocross... in fact, Keith was a youth champion. So now all three of our boys have the motocross bug... and Donnie & I have caught it pretty bad as well.

Urs & Keith decided it would be best to start us out on the mini bikes, and gradually work us up to the bigger bikes. Even though they were small, they were pretty quick and took a little getting used to.

Kaleb just couldn't go fast enough!!!! Here he is with his Aunt Ursula.

Here's Mom, getting ready to give Kaleb a ride.

Keith is pretty ruthless on these bikes... but kept it pretty slow riding Kaleb... even though Kaleb BEGGED for him to go FASTER!!!!

Kaden and Ursula

Kaden had just as much fun riding as Kaleb did!!!

It turns out Sky is quite a natural on the bike... it didn't take him long as all to get used to it on the trail, taking some pretty tight turns. However, it'll be a while until he's able to give Uncle Keith a run for his money!! =) Sky loved riding SO much, he was outside riding in the dark on the trail behind their house for hours... long after the rest of us went inside.

It was REALLY cold on Saturday... it actually SNOWED on us, so we all had to bundle up!! But we had SO much fun!!!

Saturday night, we celebrated Keith's birthday. Ursula cooked the YUMMIEST roast and we totally pigged out!! Of course we saved room for birthday cake and loaded sundaes... yum!! Urs also got these really fun poppers... you pull on the sides until they pop, and out come cute little novelties. Each of them had a crown, the boys thought it was SO fun!!!

Here's Kaden & Kaleb playing on the seesaw in Urs & Keith's backyard. They thought it was so cool, that we needed to get one too! It was a lot warmer on Sunday, so we spent quite a few hours playing outside in the backyard, at the park kicking around the soccer ball... and of COURSE, some more riding!! In fact, Donnie, Sky & I rode until our rears were literally sore!! AND... we've decided to get some bikes!!

Ursula & I have gotten REALLY close... it's SO great to have them so close by!!

We didn't get home until Monday afternoon... as we were packing up, the younger two boys were literally crying because they didn't want to go home!! They can't wait for Urs & Keith to come down in a few weeks for their visit. Of COURSE, they're bringing their bikes so we can hit some trails down here. =)

I'm waiting on Ursula to send all the photos she took over the weekend... so I'll be adding those soon!!

Our Star Student Made The Honor Roll Again!!

Monday, January 19, 2008

We are SO proud of Kaden for making the Honor Roll again this last quarter. Neither Donnie or I were able to make the breakfast at school... we felt so bad, we promised him a family breakfast to celebrate!!!

Kaden is also the Star Student of his class... and got to fill out an 'All About Me' to share with all his friends in his class. Of course, he said his dad was his hero. And before we went to visit Aunt Ursula and Uncle Keith this weekend, he had baseball as his favorite activity... that is, until he got to ride on a dirt bike!! His favorite subject is science, his favorite movie is 'Bedtime Stories', his favorite song is 'Jingle Bells', and his favorite food is pie.

You are doing SO well, Kaden, keep up the GREAT work!!!!

Date Night

Friday, January 2, 2009

Donnie and I FINALLY went on our first date night since he returned home from overseas in mid-October. It was definitely worth the wait... we got all dressed up and went out for some yummy sushi. You've got to love photos from a cell phone though... I look even paler than I already am (as if that's possible... hahaha), and my hair looks brown. Oh well, we had a GREAT time!!!! =)

Celebrating New Year's Day

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Donnie's sister Ursula came down from Atlanta to celebrate New Year's Day with us. Her husband, Keith's, mom is still in the hospital so he spent the day with her and his family. Our plans for spending this coming weekend with them had to be rescheduled again, because she is recovering a little slower than everyone had hoped. But the blessing is that she is recovering.

When Urs walked through our door... our younger two boys literally ran to her, threw their arms around her, yelling 'Aunt Ursula!' It was SO cute... and of course she LOVED it!!!!

Since we had to reschedule our Christmas weekend... Urs decided to bring all her gifts down for New Year's Day. We all were quite spoiled!! The boys received some really great books and games... and Sky got a 5x5 Rubik's Cube. He had 2 sides solved by the time Urs left that evening!

Urs brought Donnie a really cool wooden Mind Benders game... which him & Skyler played with for quite a while.

As for me... I got QUITE pampered! Urs is now retired... but has done hair for over 20 years. So I got the royal treatment... complete with a gift bag full of salon hair products! We're working on putting platinum blonde highlights in my hair, to really brighten it up... but today, we needed to put some medium ash blonde low lights in it too.

It looks a lot shorter in this photo... but she cut only 2 inches off the back, and gave me a lot more layers. I LOVE it!!!

We had SO much fun visiting with Urs today... the boys can't WAIT to spend the weekend at her & Uncle Keith's house and ride dirt bikes (neither can Donnie & I =) !!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Happy New Year's Eve!!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

We had a GREAT New Year's Eve, with some great neighbors & friends. We went down to the Call's house and barbequed with them and the Gerling's.

Taking FULL advantage of living where we do, we shot off lots of fireworks and all the kids ran around with sparklers.

It was pretty cold outside, so us girls had the men light all the fireworks... while we snuggled in the tailgates of our cars with the heaters on. Here is Leiah, her sister Maya (who was visiting from college), me, little Lydia (Leiah's daughter) peeking through in the back, Shelly and her adorable baby girl, Ambria.

The gang... Donnie, me, Leiah, James, Shelly & Jason

After shooting off the fireworks, we came inside for dessert. It was SO funny because just a few minutes after I took his picture, Kaleb's eyes blurred over and he started falling asleep right there in his seat! Just a few minutes later... he was OUT!!!

We watched the ball drop and had a sparkling white grape juice toast. Kaden had asked to go to bed at 11:30, but we told him we would go home right after the toast. He ended up falling asleep during the 20 second drive home! I think we were all a bit tired at the end of the night. We had SUCH a good time!!! Thanks again for having us all over, Shelly & Jason... can't wait to do it again!! =)

A Fantasy In Lights

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Donnie & I took the boys and Kaden's best friend, Braydon, up to Callaway Gardens tonight to see Fantasy in Lights to ring in the New Year a little early. We were hoping to be able to go to on New Year's Eve, but tonight was the last night. We decided to take the trolley instead of driving our car through... it was a bit colder, but we were told it was a lot more fun! So we bundled up, snuggled together... and got some hot cocoa afterwards.

This picture came out a bit blurry... hahaha, but I wanted to show how bundled & puffy we were. =)


Kaden with his buddy, Braydon.


There was Christmas music playing over speakers as we drove through... and every one Kaleb knew, he wasn't too shy to sing along!

Hahahaha... I'm not quite sure what Sky was doing in this picture!! We were driving through Snowflake Valley. The trees were completely covered with lights... it was gorgeous!!

The boys had SO much fun!!

The light show lasted for about an hour. We went through the North Pole, the 12 Days of Christmas, Snowflake Valley and Swan Lake. Quite a journey!!!

Sky's FIRST Calling...

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sky received his first church calling today as the Teachers' Quorum President. He is SO excited, and we're extremely proud of him! He sets such a good example to the other young men in our ward, I know he's going to be great!! Congratulations... we love you!!!!!!!

Family Fitness Day

Saturday, December 27, 2008

We couldn't BELIEVE how warm it was today... up in the 70's!! So we decided to go take advantage of it! Donnie went to the fitness center on-post and worked out for a few hours before meeting me & the boys at the 1-mile track. There is a road race in a suburb of Birmingham in a few weeks that we're getting ready for. Donnie couldn't run with us because of his leg, so instead he took a bunch of pictures of Sky & I.

At 4:30 on the dot, Donnie stopped what he was doing and stood at attention... as did everyone else on the track, and a few cars driving through the fitness center parking lot pulled over to stand at attention. It's been six years now, and that still gives me chills. =)

Warm up before our hard mile

Atlas lunges... lunges have kicked my REAR these last few days!!

Doing some stretches

Family strides =)

We all worked up a bit of an appetite... so we went for some Mexican food, and took the boys to go see 'Bedtime Stories.' If you haven't seen it yet, we DEFINITELY recommend it... we laughed the ENTIRE movie!

All in all, it was a really fun day!!

The Unexpected Is ALWAYS Expected!!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

We were supposed to leave this morning, to spend the weekend in Atlanta with Donnie's sister, Ursula, and her husband, Keith. But after Christmas dinner, Keith's mom had a massive heart attack... and they had to rush her to the hospital for an emergency surgery. Thank GOODNESS she is okay... and is expected to have a full recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with them!!! We love you both... and are here if you need us! And hopefully our visit for next weekend will work out!!!

It turns out our original plans to spend next weekend, playing in the snow in the Smokies, also has to be rescheduled. Because... there ISN'T any snow up there yet!!!! The little two boys have been begging SO much to make a snowman... we decided to take a trip. But it looks like that trip will have to be rescheduled as well! (Hahaha...perhaps we SHOULD have gone up to Chicago for Christmas, they have gotten quite a bit of snow this year!!)

So... it looks like a relaxing weekend at home!! Although... tomorrow is a big day for Sky, we have some exciting news to share with you all after church!!

We hope you all enjoy your weekend!!!!!!
xoxo

Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas!!!!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmastime has always been my favorite time of year! I love it's sounds, it's smells... and most of all it's feeling. Since Donnie was overseas last year, we decided we would stay home this year and just enjoy being together.

We spent the day playing games, watching movies and playing more games. I don't think we changed out of our jammies until well into the afternoon (Hahaha, yes Kaden put Kaleb's jammie bottoms on last night... and after we told him, he didn't think it was important to change them. So try not to laugh too hard!)... what a great Christmas!!

Kaden & Kaleb received this book from their primary.

The boys definitely weren't spoiled like they were last Christmas, when we went up to Chicago to visit my family, but they still received some really great gifts from their grandparents. And Santa was SO kind to bring all three of them nerf rifles... apparently, he didn't converse with Mom first!! =)

Donnie and I were a bit stressed... we've been trying to locate a Wii for the last two weeks for their main gift, but had no luck. Thank goodness the boys didn't seem too upset to open MarioKart... with no system to play it on!!! Hopefully it will be back in stock soon!!

Gram sent Chicago Bears shirts... what can I say, we're all fans!!!

Because Sky loved his art class SO much last semester... Gram also sent Sky a professional acrylic paint set, complete with a wooden case, a tabletop easel and a canvas. I can wait to see what he creates!!

Grandma Kari sent the boys a tabletop air hockey game... what a HIT that was!!! They played with it throughout the entire day!!

This evening we enjoyed a small dinner at home... complete with brown sugar baked ham, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables, homemade yeast rolls, sparkling juice, eggnog, apple crumb pie and, of course, homemade Georgian pecan pie!! Yummy!!!!

But the BEST part of the holiday, is remembering all of our wonderful family & friends!! We hope you all had a very blessed day!!!!! And we PROMISE... the cards are in the mail!! =)