Merry Christmas!

For God so loved the world that 

He gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in Him 

shall not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Merry Christmas from Our Plain Life to yours!

Thanksgiving #6

This was our 6th Annual Kansas Thanksgiving with Dan's side of the family. I can hardly believe that we have lived here for that long! Our first Thanksgiving here Landon was just 5 months old!

Just like the first one, the sixth one was loads of fun!

Dan, Grandpa, and the uncles brought the kids to Bass Pro Shop the morning of Thanksgiving. The only store that's open and it helps kill some time before dinner.  Also, keeps kids (and men) out of the kitchen. :)

I love a full kids table. Didn't get a picture of the adults table because we were all taking advantage of the kids eating so we were eating. No time to stop for a picture!!

I found a paper tablecloth with t'giving activities on it last year on clearance...
it was perfect while they were waiting for food.

The boys messed around outside and played some football. Nothing like getting the blood pumping before a big dinner.

We had our annual pool tournament. Let's just say it was a good time, and I am thankful there aren't any pictures of how good of a time it really was. However, I think I have a video or two to hunt down....hmm...

On Friday a.m., part of the crew went out to do some Frisbee golf.

And, we ate food. Lots of food. At all times of day.

On Friday, we went up north to Union Station to check out the Model Railroad Experience. Since we had been there before with this group, Dan and I thought we would mix it up a little and came up with a scavenger hunt where groups had to work together to find things things in and around the model railroad.  It was a good time! Adults and kiddos both got into the spirit of it.

The instructions...a rapt audience, as always.

The Judging 

Making sure they found everything (they had to take a picture as proof).

Throughout the days that everyone was here, we did some good old sitting around and working on a jigsaw puzzle.   I think that this will become an annual tradition because of pictures like this...doesn't it look perfectly cozy? And, it was!

The puzzle was finally finished by a determined and dedicated crew at 11:58 p.m. on Friday night. We had to move the puzzle to the kitchen table where the lighting was better.  It was a difficult, but fun puzzle to do together.

On Friday night, since Thanksgiving was officially over, we were guilt-free when we enjoyed a Christmas light show at our local farmstead. This is the first year they have done it, and we would highly recommend it for a little bit of family fun. Plus, you just have to tune your radio to the station that's synced with the lights and enjoy the show from the comfort of your warm car. Easy-peasy.

Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!! So glad I got to spend it, once again, with this crazy crew.

***Have to give a shout out to Ab and Sara for the pics! Thanks ladies!!

Giving Thanks!

Tis the season of Before-The-Pre-Black Friday Sales (lowest prices of the season!), feeling guilty for putting up Christmas trees early, and, let's not forget, thankfulness. What a wonderful time of year!

I haven't jumped on the bandwagon of the "30 days of Thankfulness" status updates, but I thought I would quick write down some things I am thankful for today.

1) Pinterest. Because if I didn't have Pinterest, I would have just made normal Rice Krispie treats for Annika's Thanksgiving Party. But, thanks to Pinterest, I found these cute little treats instead...which once Annika saw them said "Let's make those!!!" (Mental note: NEVER look on pinterest for class snacks with your child).

This is how they turned out...

NAILED IT!!

At least they taste good, right Simon and Taryn?

2) 4.5 quarts of Ice Cream. Because if I didn't get ice cream in buckets, then I wouldn't have extra buckets lying around for this:

At least he's still smiling!

Staying close to home today so we can contain this thing before we have all of Dan's family come in town for Thanksgiving!

3) Scrubbing Bubbles. Because of item #2.

4) Washing machines. Because if I didn't have a washing machine, I would be doing all of this by hand.

5) 6:15 a.m. Because this is where I get to sit for 45 mins of (usually) uninterrupted time with just me and The Word.

6) Coffee. Because sometimes this is is how I feel. :)

7) My family. Because they make all the other stuff worth it. I am thankful for each and every one of them. Without them, there wouldn't be much else to be thankful for. 

Don't think I will be getting any other posts up before Thanksgiving, so I hope and pray that you all have a blessed and wonderful day being thankful for all the little, and big, things in your life!! 

A view from the other side

As I mentioned before, I am married to a stud, and, officially, now an Ironman.  I do think it's funny that when you ask most kids who are the same age as our kids "Who is Ironman?" They'll probably come up with the famous Superhero.  But not our kids, if you ask them "Who is Ironman." They'll tell you "My daddy." Take that Robert Downey Jr.!! Hmm...does that make me Pepper Potts? I have been told I look like Gwenyth Paltrow.

Anyway, Dan has been posting about the race and I thought I would share some slightly random thoughts as an "Ironwife." :)

First, just because my husband has done an Ironman doesn't mean that I am in anyway shape or form interested in doing one myself. As I had printed on the back of my Support crew t-shirt, "I don't Tri, but my husband does." That is Truth--with a capital "T." If I were to try a "Tri," I would drown. Seriously, I would swim...er...doggy paddle...to the nearest kayak and have them tow me to shore. And, you know how good I look on a bike.

Second, I have goals too.  They may just not be as impressive. I was recently asked "So, what's on your bucket list?" On my bucket list I have "Go on "The World's Longest Garage Sale." Phew! I know, it's a lofty goal, but I really think I can do it.  And, it will take me A LOT longer than the 11 hours and 39 minutes it took Dan to complete his Ironman.  I am thinking 3 days should be good. If you want to join me, let me know and we will make it happen!! We may have to hit some smaller events before, you know, as a part of our training.

Third, I am a Master at making motivational signs. "Every time a cowbell rings, an Ironman gets his wings" is my current favorite. Or "In 140.6 Miles, I get my hubby back." There is also a plethora of "That's What She Said" jokes but I didn't think they would be appropriate and I didn't want to explain them to my kids. Just so you know, it takes true talent to be able to hold a sign and not spill your coffee.  It takes lots of practice, but it can be done. If you face just the right direction you can even use the wind to hold the sign up against your body which means both your hands can be free for coffee and a doughnut!

Fourth, don't take your children to the race. If it's a race that's longer than, say, 15 minutes, leave them at home.  If you didn't catch it from one of my other posts, I will tell you again...kids do not like to watch races. Since there would not be enough candy in the world to get them through an Ironman, we left them behind in very capable hands. Every time I saw a crabby and tired child being pushed around in a stroller at the race, I said prayer of thanks for those watching over my kiddos. I am forever in their debt. Besides, if they had come with we wouldn't have this video...and Simon, I felt your pain, buddy, I thought they all looked like daddy too!


Thanks to P & L for getting this unforgettable moment on video. I think I heard their cheers all the way down in Florida.

Finally, I am proud. Very proud. My man had a goal and he completed it to the absolute best of his ability. He had a shirt made for the run portion of the race that said "Marriage is the ultimate endurance race...don't ever give up!!" The Ironman is a big race and a huge accomplishment and I was so glad I could cheer him on. But, I am even more privileged to be his teammate in life.  I know that no matter what we go through, big or small, he won't ever give up on us. There is nothing that we can't do when we're together. Except for triathlons, we don't do triathlons together.

The Ironman and his Woman of Steel

Skipping Halloween...kinda

When I told my kids that Dan and I would be out of town for Halloween, you would have thought that I told them that we were skipping town on Christmas. We try not make a big deal about Halloween, but the kids do get a kick out of dressing up and getting free candy.  I mean, really, are there any kids who say, "No thanks mom, I don't want any free candy.  But, thanks for the offer, I would rather just stay home." Yeah, didn't think so. But, since Dan's Ironman was the weekend after Halloween, I didn't want to force the friends that were so graciously watching our kids to dress them up and follow them around the neighborhood. Afterall, we wanted to keep them as friends.

We did, however, do our annual carving of the pumpkins. Every year Dan gears up for the carving.  He takes everyone's orders and spends the next 3+ hours cleaning out the pumpkins and carving them. This year 3 out of the 4 kids wanted to carve their own.  Dan didn't complain. Again, are there really any dads who would say, "I know that you want to carve your own pumpkin, but I would rather do it and have you breathe over my shoulder for the next 2 hours asking if your pumpkin is done yet."  Yeah, didn't think so.

They cleaned the pumpkins

And got started on their creations...they get the tongue thing from their dad!

Without any further ado, and before it's Thanksgiving...here are their creations:

Annika's

Taryn's

Landon's

All of them together...Simon requested Mickey Mouse (at the far end)...

Happy Belated Halloween everyone! (Yes, by the time I actually got around to posting about this all the pumpkins above are now in our compost pile).

Would you rather...

...run 13.1 miles in 35 degree weather or watch others run 13.1 miles in 35 degree weather? I suppose the answer is obvious. But, what if I said, "or watch others run 13.1 miles in 35 degree weather with 6 kids under the age of 9?" Hmm...now the answer's not so obvious, is it?

Well, I did the latter on Saturday.  Bundled up six kids to watch my hubby, sister-in-law and mother-in-law run the Kansas City Half Marathon. This was the picture my father-in-law took.  We had just walked from our prime parking spot to our prime viewing spot by the 9 Mile marker.

It was all going perfect.  Then the heat from the van wore off and the cold settled in.  And Simon started crying, not just whining/whimpering but full-on ugly crying.  I should have taken a picture.  But, that was really the last thing on my mind. Let's just say that there were people running and feeling sorry for me!!! They were on mile 9, and were giving me looks of pity!!

We saw Dan run by...best picture I got of him. Remember that I am a star-photographer!

Then we sat to wait for my sister-in-law and mother-in-law to come by.  Their timing was off so they were about 20 min after the time we thought they would be by.  Not because they were running slower, but they just started later than we thought.  So we waited, and waited, and Landon decided to take off his socks and shoes.  Yes, it was 35 degrees out. Since my father in law was messing with that he missed Sara running by! Just fantastic! We weren't annoyed or frustrated at all! *insert sarcasm* Thankfully, we were all put back together by the time my MIL ran past us.  We cheered and then loaded up to hoof it to the finish line. Yes, Simon was still crying this whole time.

Again, we found a prime parking spot and walked to a prime viewing spot by the finish line. Yes, Simon was still crying.  Yes, the kids were still cold. But, by hook or by crook, we were going to watch them finish!!

It was worth it! We were treated to this...Dan had actually finished and then ran back around to the course so he could encourage his big sis on all the way to the finish.  Ahhh....how sweet.

They did it! And they were all feeling great and looked like they just took a quick jog around the block. Way to go fam!!

So, if you want to know a prime parking spot, a prime viewing spot, and a prime place to watch the finish just ask me! But, I'll be printing out a map for you, because next year I am staying home.

If you want to read about the race from my hubby's point of view go here.

Just call me Mrs. Handy

Did you know that my Grandpa was an electrician? He owned and operated Cascade Electric up in Northwest Washington State.  I know he would have been very proud of his granddaughter last week.  I fixed something electrical and I lived to tell about it.

We love our screened-in porch.  Being from Southern California, I didn't realize how much these things are worth every. single. penny.  We can dine al fresco without our Midwest friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mosquito, dining with us. 

"Sorry, sir, I don't see a reservation for a Mr. Skeeter. Please wait outside."

Our little screened in porch is so nice and cozy, and, up until last week, dark.  Granted, during the summer months when it stays light out until 9:00 or later, this isn't a big issue.  But, now that it's dark by 7:30ish, we would like to, as my mom would say, "shed some light on the subject." For over a year (or more?) the pull switch on the light switch connected to the ceiling fan has been broken.  Dan is super at completing tasks on his "honey-do" list, but this little problem has eluded him.  Not that he didn't know how to fix it, it just wasn't on the top of the list. This is where I came in.  

I knew we were going to be wanting to sit out on the porch during these incredible Fall nights, and as much as I love candlelight, I do like electricity too. It's a wonderful invention.  So I rolled up my sleeves and asked Google for some help.

And sure 'nough, youtube came in and saved the day like Super Grover (sorry, we've been on a Sesame Street kick lately). I found this handy dandy little video.

O.k. Got the video. Watched the video. Now to get the part.  Thanks to the super huge and orange hardware store around the corner, I was able to find what I was looking for in under 10 min. That's an accomplishment in itself! Part bought for $3.22.

Even messed up my nail polish in the process :)

Now the real test: fix the switch.  Deep breath. Turn off the breaker. Double check that the breaker is turned off. Climb up ladder. Climb down ladder and quick teach Landon how to dial 911 in case his mommy starts to light up like a Christmas tree. Climb back up the ladder. Deep breath.

Insert boost of confidence

I can do this!!

And, I did!!!

Can't see it very well, but there is a brand new switch in there.  I even had to strip some wires, and put on some little things called "wire nuts." (Yes, I had to Google that too).

TADA!! I did it all by myself!!

Electricity is a wonderful thing!

Don't you think my Grandpa would have been proud?

Just another day

My birthday was on Monday.  This isn't a guilt trip to those readers out there who didn't wish me a Happy Birthday.  No worries, I got lots of real life, texts, calls and Facebook love so I felt plenty special. But, I think for most moms a birthday is just another day. As much time and effort that we put into our kiddos bdays, we usually don't get much in return.  And, really, I am o.k. with that.

Since Dan was out of town, the kids didn't even realize it was my birthday.  But my favorite search engine did...

...cool or scary? I am leaning more toward the scary side...but maybe I'm a cynic. I just won't think about it too much.

I think when we get older it's the little things that make our birthdays special. Like being able to sit and chat with a good friend who took the time out of her morning to bring me some yummy coffee. And then another friend dropping by unexpectedly with some beautiful flowers for my coffee table. Getting calls and birthday cards from friends and family.  A present from my Momma Lou coming in the mail...on time! Your kids giving you big birthday hugs when they get home from school because the mom you carpool with reminded them that it's their mom's birthday. Three happy birthday calls from my hubby...think he was feeling guilty for being gone? :) 

I did decide that since it was my birthday I wasn't going to make dinner or do dishes.  We went out to eat mor chikin and I had one of my most favorite things of all time...a Cookies and Cream Milkshake.  I think my love language is cookies and cream. Don't worry, I shared with the kids...a little. 

Then the best present of all. The kids went right to bed and I was able to catch up on "my shows." And since Dan wasn't there to complain, I had complete control of the remote.  Bliss.

See, it's the little things.

Biking for Fairy Houses

My post title sounds like some charity event, doesn't it? Well, it would take something special for me to get on a bike. Yes, I know that my hubby has been spending an enormous number of hours on his bike. Me? Not so much. I have a bike that my Father-in-Law has given to me...thanks to his fantastic bike shop in NW Iowa (PSA...if you are from that area and need a bike, let me know in the comments and I'll give you his info!). It's a pretty bike. Red with, um, gear things, and wheels. Sounds fancy schmancy, right?! But, sad truth to be told, I don't ride it often.  It took my kids, Dan and some fairy houses to get me to jump on my two-wheeled contraption and take it for a spin.

Sunday night was a beautiful, gorgeous, can't-get-any-better-than-this-in-our-part-of-Kansas kinda night.  If weather was like this all the time, then no one would live in Southern California. They would all move to Kansas.  But, then again, I guess our humidity is good to keep the riff-raff out. :) Anyway, Sunday night was one of those nights where you are so happy to be living in the Midwest. A night when Fall and Summer are having a perfect night out. You know what I  mean? Anyway, we decided to go on a family bike ride and go on a hunt for some fairy houses that we heard are on a trail not too far from our house.

We were not disappointed...a sweet and creative person in the neighborhood has decorated four bases of trees to look like fairy houses. Complete with doors and decorations. The kids were spellbound!

Fairy House #1...have to say that the kids drew back a little when they first opened this door...someone had put a troll in the house which startled the kids a bit. Since it was the first house we saw, they didn't know what to expect and when they saw the spikey haired troll, I think for a split second they thought it was real! :)

There was a place to give a note to "Fairies." 

Hey, Fairy House! The 1990s called and they want their troll back!

Fairy House #2...this one was a "stand alone" fairy house. Maybe for the fairy that likes to have more privacy?

Off to discover the next one!

Fairy House #3...didn't get a picture of this one. We actually saw a friend that we haven't seen since we moved here. We were chatting with him and his kids while our kids were checking out the fairy house. But, it was just as cute and creative as the others.

The last house, Fairy House #4, was the kid's favorite. They loved the little path and there was a little broom that they used to sweep off the front step. I was happy to see that the fairies are patriotic.

Glad I donned my bike helmet and joined the fam for this bike ride.  And, since I look so cool on my bike, I may even do it again!!

Cutest Biker Gang Ever!!