a kiss while cutting down our Christmas tree

It's the most wonderful time of the year. 

 Really it is.  I love Christmas.

  I love baking and sharing

 and having carolers come to our door

and looking at lights

and taking the kids out to shop for eachother at Walgreens or the Dollar store

and the smell of our Christmas tree

and planning big special meals

and stocking stuffers

and Christmas music

and looking at my nativites

and thinking about our Savior.

I am sad when people say it doesn't feel like Christmas.  I have heard this from quite a few people this year.  I say...make it feel like Christmas.  Share some cookies with your neighbors and friends, give some extra service to those in need, sing Christmas carols with your family... at least that is what works for me:) 

Tis the season

This is our last minute...hurry the rain stopped!....you better smile or else!...seriously can't believe someone had a huge wad of gum in his mouth and his shirt all the way buttoned!...run to Ross to find something to cover my butt!....throw on a turquoise bracelet and now we all match!...our photographer cancelled!...ask Jenny's bff Ashlee to take our picture with a 30 second tutorial!..just leave the headband on for a little longer cutie!...oh crud it's almost dark!...family picture.

I'm sure none of you can relate.  hahaha.

Baked Oatmeal, anyone?

Baked Oatmeal
When I lived in the dorms at UC Irvine, there was one breakfast dish that was heavenly.  It was Baked Oatmeal with Warm Milk.  I actually tried finding the recipe from UCI but the recipe was too hard to down size from their gigantic recipe.  So I gave up for 10 years.  I found a baked oatmeal on all recipes recently and then made my own version.  Here it is: 

6 cups rolled oats                           1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup brown sugar                   3 eggs

3 teaspoons cinnamon                   2/3 cup melted butter

3 teaspoons baking powder           3 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix together the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients.

Spread into a 9x13 dish

Bake for 40 minutes.  Serve with warm milk.

December

Sophie and a gnome
Christmas is around the corner.
And Sophie hasn't attempted to destroy any decorations-of course we haven't got our tree yet:)
In one month Jenny will be at BYU Idaho.  It is finally here.  I can't wait for her.

I am singing a solo in church on the 19th.  "The First Noel".  Arranged by Mack Wliburg. 
There is a recording of it with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Fredrica Von Stade. 
 It is awesome!  If you haven't heard, you have to.  
So ever since I heard it, I have wanted to sing it. 
So this is the year.  Yay!  It is fun. 

And that is all I got.  Back to work:)

Thanksgiving

My Favorite....Thanksgiving.

  I love this holiday. 

 I love what it represents. 

I love the name of it. 

I love that it gives us all a chance to realize how blessed we are.

  I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who loves me.

I am thankful for my husband who loves me dearly.

I am thankful for my darling children. 

I am thankful for the title of "Mom".

I am thankful for my cozy home.

I am thankful for yummy food.

I am thankful for warm showers.

I am thankful for chubby babies.

I am thankful for the beauty of the earth.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Enjoy the blessings that surround you.



Thankful for the 18 kids you see right here...so happy my kids have lots of cousins whom they adore. 
 Miss you Austin!



captured

You know how your kids will make certain faces when they are happy, sad, frustrated, mad, etc.

 Well, my friends, I could not be happier to capture Bridgete's "pouty" face. 

  All the kids agreed with me when they saw this picture.

Classic Bridgete.

I love it.

Happy Halloween

The three older kids are passed the festivities of Trunk or Treat at the church and Trick or Treating.  That is why they didn't make it into the pictures:)  These three had a great time. 

 Note to self:

  Tootsie Pops make for one content baby for about 20-30 minutes.

  Of course everything is a sticky mess, but sooo worth it.



The Cheetah



The Hippie
(tye dye shirt done entirely by Spencer.)



The Cowgirl

In other related news, I did win two awards at the Trunk or Treat.  I won "Best Candy in Trunk" and "Scariest Family Car".  Oh yeah!  I won a hershey's bar and a few balloons.
  The Young Women were the judges and since I am in theYoung Womens presidency, they might have felt slightly inclined to go with me.  That's my girls:)

Happy Halloween from ours to yours!



The official pictures

Finally got all of the kid's pictures taken. 

Quite a feat I might add when there is six of them. 

 So I just wanted to share them.

Now I just need one of them all together:)

Jenny 18

Evan 16 1/2

Filippo 13 1/2

Spencer 8



Bridgete 7



Sophie 18 months



Happy Anniversary

Today is our 10 year anniversary.  This is the picture you get to enjoy since we have no pictures together ever!  That's ok. 

I love this man like crazy.

  I can't wait to see him everyday after work. 

My heart still jumps when I hear him come in. 

I don't want that to ever change. 

 Next week we are planning a little one night getaway and maybe we will have someone snap a shot of us actually together:)

 I have truly been blessed with this man.

I cannot wait to spend eternity with him. 

The Adventures of Sophie

Oh....the daily adventures of Sophie Mae Schramm.  She keep ALL of us on our toes.  Well, mostly me.

"I can finally reach the napkin drawer....now what do I do with them?"



"Ok, I thought this would be a little more comfortable."




"Where is the food?"




"Oh goody, they left out the cooler.  I'll just tip it over and crawl on in."




"Perfect fit."





 "That looks yummy.  One of these days I am going to try it when my mom isn't looking."




"Finally, someone left the bathroom door open."



"I'll just smile and then I can get away with anything!"



"Maybe if my mom put some clothes on me, I wouldn't be forced to cover up with toilet paper."

I love this baby.  She brings happiness everywhere she goes.  Not a single day goes by  that I don't rejoice that she is here with us.  My heart still aches and tears fill my eyes every time I hear sirens and see firetrucks go by.  I am transported to that day we almost lost her.  And now...her she is.  18 months old and taking on the world.  Life is good.

Say Hello

Say hello to my little friend, Mr. leaf bug!  When I went to take Filippo to school, we found this big guy chillin on my passenger side mirror.  He hung on while I drove Filippo to school and back.  He was huge.  We watched him groom himself and check himeself out in the mirror for an hour or so and then he hopped off.  I have never seen a leaf bug up close.  It was huge!

late summer highlights

It was a pretty mild summer.  Because of that, the blackberry bushes by our house bloomed late.  But don't worry, we were patient.  Is there anything better than warm blackberry cobbler with ice cream.

Bridgete

Happy Birthday to my darling Bridgete.  I love this girl so much.  Daughters are so special. 

I love talking to her about life...you know, life when you are in first grade.....

the boys that talk too much in her class,

 her request for a heart shaped sandwich in her lunch,

 the necessity to sing "I Am A Child Of God" every night before bed,

 pretty toenails,

 what clothes her baby dolls should wear,

how we have the cutest baby in the whole universe,

the fact that she is the fastest girl on her soccer team,

how far she can jump,

the need for daily art projects,

made up stories for her baby dolls,

and the list goes on. 

Sons don't talk about any of that,

just daughters.

My daughter.

I Love You.

a typical birthday picture.  Love this one even though it is blurry as heck.  LOOK everyone, Evan is smiling his regular smile and I captured it.  And he is holding Sophie...I think that is the third time that has EVER happened :)

Summertime

Summertime...and the living is easy.

School is in full swing and the kids are not used to it.  They loved this summer.  Spencer told me over and over again how this was the best summer ever.  Cute. 

Since I didn't post any pictures over summer, here are a few. 

I think these photos definitely represent the Summer of 2010 :)

And now we will move on.

I'M BACK!

School started yesterday.  I now have a chunk of time while Sophie is napping to blog. 

 Who cares about that sink full of dirty dishes,

or the four loads of laundry that needs to be folded

 or the floor that needs to be vacuumed?

Ok, the vacuuming needs to be done...I'm funny that way. 

 But stay tuned for our summer highlights.  There were a lot of highlights.

Here is a sample.  She is a water lovin baby!

 

Happy 18th Birthday Jenny!

Today is Jenny's 18th birthday.

Wow.

Where does the time go? Jenny is such a loving sweet girl. She brings happiness wherever she goes.

On Saturday she will FINALLY be baptized. She has been waiting for ten years. She has asked time and time again and her mom would not budge.

But now that she is 18, there is no stopping her.

Happy Birthday Jenny. We love you