Merry Christmas!

Christmas eve with new PJs

Christmas eve we go to our neighbors the Mosmans.  We had a great dinner and the kids did a Christmas play.  We came home and wrote our presents to Jesus and put them on the tree watched Luke II and then we put out the cookies and milk and off to bed.  The kids all sleep in the same room - so Grace's room is still full of matresses!  They woke us up about 6:00am and we went down to see if Santa came!  HE DID!   Grace was so excited!  Steve has been really sentimental this Christmas he thinks this is going to be one our last Christmas's with a true believer!  Grace was also so excited to open presents - not for hers but for everyone to open the present she got them.  She made blankets for everyone and got a special build a bear for everyone!  She was so excited!  We got a waffle maker for christmas so we made waffles for breakfast and then Jackie made us a 4 course Italian meal for dinner and then we just watched movies, played with our new toys and just really enjoyed the day!

Grace so excited about the presents!

Playing with the new Wii

Christmas Vacation!

We started our Christmas Vacation by Skiing!  This was only the 2nd time for Grace and if any of you remember Derek as a beginner skier - She is just like him.  Absolutely no fear- she does not turn just goes straight down the mountain with a little snow plow when she wants to slow down!  When I would tell her to slow down or try to turns she would get mad and say " You keep saying to have fun - well its fun to go fast!"  hehehehe  She takes after Derek that is for sure!  It was a really fun day - lots of great snow!  Jackie decided to stay home and sleep she has been a little off with jet lag!   She wakes up at 4:00am  and goes to bed about 6:00pm  She is getting better each day!

Steve and Grace on the Chair lift

Savannah and Grace who are really cute but look behind them at the view of the Lake!

Here is the whole crew after lunch before we started our afternoon runs!

JACKIE IS HOME!

We went to the airport at 10:30 last night to pick up Jackie!   Everyone wanted to come - so we will have some tired heads today for their last day of School!  Derek assured me it wouldn't matter they weren't doing anything anyway!!!  

All Jackies flights went well and she is home!   We were so excited!   She is now already busy applying for jobs (Italy drained her bank account)  and making plans to see all her friends.  After school we are on our way to Schwietzer Mountain and go skiiing for the weekend!  Then Christmas!   YAH!!!

grace christmas program

Lauren Makes the Paper

We were reading the paper this morning and Lauren was in the paper.  She plays on the girls Varsity team and they had a home game last night and she was the picture!  They lost their game in the last minute of the game - it was really close!  She did great!  

ITALY!

We had so much fun! It was a great Success! Ever since I was in 4th grade and we studied Italy and Micheal Angelo I always wanted to go and get a stamp in my passport! I now have one! I loved every minute! It was so great to see Jackie! She is doing great! It was so fun to have Darren, Laurel and Nick with us! We got to see Venice which had those attacking birds, Rome and the Vatican with the Sistine Chapel. St. Peters Cathedral is impressive! Then we went to florence and saw the Duomo there is incredible and we got to see the David! We drove out to see the Leaning tower and the Ferari Factory! One of the Highlights of the Trip! I've never seen Darren so excited! Then off to Milan and a Day in Paris which was unbelievable! Then back to Viterbo and then home! We miss Jackie and the incredible Gelato! We took a million pictures - here is just some hightlights! This is in Florence over the Arno River

This is Uncle Darren really Buggin!
Venice
Leaning tower of Pisa
Eiffel Tower in Paris
Nick & Savannah climbing to the top of St. Peters Basilica
View from the Top
The cars are little Nick got the Trunk
Darren & Laurel at the Train Station with Darrens new friend - A crazy old Italian who didn't speak any English - Darren talked to him for about 10 minutes!

School Pictures have arrived!

The kids got their school pictures back! I love school pictures they can be so goofy!! Savannah & I leave for Italy on Tuesday and are busily packing and getting ready! Steve's mom is coming to take care of the family on Monday until the next Sunday and then they are on thier own for a week! We get back late on the 27th. I will miss Thanksgiving dinner so this sunday we are having Thanksgiving! Jackie is very excited for us to come! We will post pictures if we can while we are gone! If not when I get back! Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!Grace is in 1st Grade 6yrs old
Savannah is in 5th grade and 11yrs old
Derek is in 8th grade and 14 yrs old
Lauren is a Junior and 16 (almost 17) and not a school picture - She won a contest and got a free picture from a local photographer( who now wants her to be a Senior picture model for him) so she got to skip out on the school picture

THE LOST EASTER EGG IS FOUND!!!!!

Every year we can't find one easter egg. We look and look and still every year there is one missing. Grace found it! She was scrounging around in the couches and came up with an easter egg (YUK! it is 6 months old!) Plus she got her hair cut so it was a good picture opportunity!

Jackie just finished a trip to Greece you will have to check her blog! Her pictures are incredible! She is having a great time but getting homesick! She can't wait for us to come in 8 days!!!! The count down is on! I have lots of things to do this week to get ready!!!

A VARSITY HALLOWEEN

Grace, Savannah and Steve were out for 2 hours trick or treating! It was all Grace had dreamed of! We ended up having about 100 trick or treaters this year down from last year (we live in a busy neighborhood). Savannah and her friend were Smurfs, Grace and Zoey (our dog) were witches.

After all the fun of Halloween was over Lauren came home from Basketball Tryouts and made the girls Varsity Basketball team! She was so excited! So here goes our Basketball season in High Gear - Savannah - parks & rec - Derek 8th grade A team - Lauren - Varsity. Grace is so excited she can hardly stand it! (she hates ball games - we figured she has probably seen about 1000 already in her life time)

Derek is 14

Derek's Birthday was on Friday. He is now 14. He also finished up Basketball Tryouts and is on the "A" team again this year. When I went to pick him up he told me he didn't make the team and was messin' with his mom! Boy 14 year olds are really funny! He took a bunch of Friends to the Haunted Palouse. It is a small town about 15 miles away that the whole town is haunted for Halloween they have Tarot card readings, people in scary masks sneaking around behind you and scaring you, 2 really scary spook houses and corn field maze with a guy running after you with a Chain saw! It was really scary and really cold! Then they came home and played Halo for 24 hours! He had his Birthday dinner yesterday - Swiss Steak and Mash potatoes and his favorite dessert Brownie hotfudge cake w/ vanilla ice cream!
Now onto Halloween - Grace can not wait she has marked everyday off the calendar just waiting for the 31st to arrive! I asked Grace this weekend what I could do to be a better mom to her and she thought for a minute and then said "Well you could write notes in my lunch" . That was pretty painless. She is so cute!Waiting in line for the Spook House

PUMPKIN CARVING

For family night we carved pumpkins. Grace had been so excited for days that we were going to do it for family night! We cut her pumpkin open and it was rotted out! It was disgusting! I have never seen a pumpkin like that! She kept saying " I thought this was going to be fun but instead my pumpkin is rotted!" The other kids said she could have theres but she had grown attached to the rotten pumpkin - so we cleaned it out and she carved it anyway!

Derek is 14 on Friday! No big plans he is in the middle of Basketball tryouts so he is totally focused on that! Savannah & Steve leave on Friday with the Vandals they play Nevada! Savannah is so excited (she is panicked she might get sick and have to stay home)


I bet you can't guess which one is Dereks

Here is Grace and her rotten pumpkin

Derek really loves pictures! Don't you want a 14 in your house! They are so happy!


Lauren was also disappointed in her pumpkin carving skills. She is quite an artist (didn't really show with the pumpkin)
It is suppose to be Mickey Mouse Trick or Treating (I think she need remedial art classes) Just kidding Lauren!


Finally a happy Pumpkin carver - Everyone should have a savannah in there house!

BI-STATE CHAMPS

Derek's team has been undefeated all year. They have had at least a 20 point spread in every game. The championship was tonight and they knew it was going to be tough! The team they were playing was also undefeated. It was a tough game. It was pouring rain, only 40 degrees and the wind was blowing! We had a few turnovers but so did they - the ball was really wet. Derek did great - This season he had a lot of intercetions, tackles and a touchdown pass! Next week starts basketball tryouts! Last year they only lost 1 games (the boys said it was bad referee's.) So we will keep you up to date on the next season! Lauren starts Basketball in 2 weeks so does Savannah - It will keep us out of trouble! Derek & Steve leave tomorrow with the Vandals - they play New Mexico! GO VANDALS!
Score board at the end of game!

Assisi & Perugia

Here are some fun pictures of our poor student having to study so much she has no time for fun! She leaves for Florence on Friday for a Heart of Italy tour. Then in a few weeks she is off to Greece. It is so hard to be in college!
What an incredibly cute suit - it must be Hapari!!!!!
This is the town of Assisi
Black sand beaches at the Mediterean sea!
This is the city of Perugia where they have an incredible chocolate festival - she sent us a package with Dereks birthday present and some sea shells from the sea and some CHOCOLATE!!!!

Undefeated Football!!!

Derek is # 82 - He is the defensive Captain - this is my favorite part of the game - they march out there all tough - it's so cute!!!!

Tried to get some action shots but not so great at the camera - I will keep working on it!
Here is finally getting to take a drink and watch the game after they were up by 24-0.


Dereks 8th grade football team is still undeafeted - Thursday they had another win to add to the win column. They played Clarkston Jr. High and beat them 24-6. They were undefeated last year and are continuing there traditon of totally overpowering the other team.
Jackie is doing great in Italy and has recently been to the Mediterranean sea where the beaches are black. Savannah & I can not wait to go and visit! I have been reading books and watching movies made in italy and about italy to get ready for our trip! Savannah is reading a novel of a young girl in Venice.
Steve and Lauren went to San Jose to watch the Vandals play this weekend and should be home tonight! They tried to go to Great America last night - but it was closed! So they just went out to dinner and watched a movie

Homecoming 2007

Well the weekend was a success! Derek's team won thier football game 38 - 7. The coach had Derek call all the defense plays and he caught a pass for a touch down in the end zone. Lauren was the quarterback for her Powderpuff team (homecoming week activities) They lost to the seniors but it wasn't really fair - there was never any kick offs and they made the juniors start with the ball on the seniors goal line! They had fun! Her date to homecoming was a senior who is one of the running backs so she got to wear his jersey on Friday to school. The dance was fun so the weekend ends up a success! Watch out - Big muscles coming through!
Cheer leaders and part of the football team (lauren is the one in the middle) GRRRRRRR
Its always a plus to get asked to homecoming by a football player - get to show off the jersey!
This is the group Lauren went with for Homecoming!
Lauren & Her Date!

Italian Update

These are the most recent updates from our European Traveler! She says she is having a really hard time with her Italian class - but the last test she got a 96% So we aren't believing her!! Savannah & I just bought our tickets yesterday to go and visit Italy! We are super excited! My brother Darrens family is coming with us! We leave November 13th and get to stay 2 weeks! YAH!!!!! Jackie is off to Venice this weekend so we should have some pictures from that soon! Derek has another football game tonight! Lauren has Homecoming this weekend! So Stay tuned!This is Jackie on the Spanish Steps - with her new boots - which she loves very much!!!!
This is Jackie making Lauren Very Jealous (PRADA Store)
This is Jackie making Steve Very Nervous
Finally she does some sight seeing!!!!! This is the Trevi Fountain in Rome

This is from the top of the Spanish steps looking down at what she calls the greatest shopping ever!