Christmas Eve (Part Deux)

I love being Santa! I love putting out presents for our kids. Bryan went to sleep early (the faster he goes to sleep the faster Christmas comes) and so we brought out all the presents. How Fun!

Stuffing Stockings

The not so secret Santa Elf

A full Christmas Tree :)

Can't WAIT for the kids to open them!

Christmas EVE!!!!

It is a little hard for me to think that it is Christmas Day tomorrow. In Georgia it's not really cold, wintry or anything that sparks that feeling of needing a hot chocolate and fire. Mostly, I just need an iced tea and some shorts. But, God, in his infinite wisdom, put us here to enjoy the season of His Son's birth. And, being the troopers we are, we make the absolute best of it!
There is a large garden, called Callaway Gardens, that outdoes themselves on Christmas lights. I wanted to take the boys, but it was a 2 hour drive and it cost a whomp-ton of money to get in. So, we did the next best thing. In our town there is a family called the Ludy's. Every year they create lights on their house in time to music and broadcast it for people to hear as they pass or stop. They do this to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation. So, we went there. And, it might have been only one house, not the whole neighborhood, but it was beautiful. And the kids didn't want to leave. :)

The lights are all connected to a computer and flicker on and off in time with the music.

They really out-do themselves. They even have a Santa come each night before Christmas.

Hansel, Hansel, Hansel and Gretel

I got gingerbread house kits. I got one... because I wanted to make one, and everyone else said they didn't. Knowing my boys, I got two more just in case. Today I sat down to make my gingerbread house. Three boys sat down to watch... so I gave them a kit. And the hilarity ensued. A contest was created... who can make the ugliest gingerbread house. I lost. :)

Their structural beginning.

More icing on fingers than on the house :)

Steve, Ray and Chris being diligent at (eating) putting candy on their house

The contest winner!

Demolition derby after pictures were taken

My little losing house. :)

Happy Christmas Eve(x23)

In our house we do not decorate or put up the tree 'till December. That way, we have 25 full days of Christmas decorations, but we don't lose the excitement from them being up in the middle of November. Today was tree/decorating day. Advent calendars will be given out, and names will be drawn for secret santa. I am giddy with excitement. Merry Christmas is coming!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

Ahh turkey, ham, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs... need I go on? My favorite food holiday ever. :) Happy Thanksgiving from the Swicks.

Table full of food and family

Bryan and Chris smiling because I threatened them with no pie if they didn't

Steve is sad because we are taking pictures

A stray cat that was left behind after her owners moved. We gave her a bath and are contemplating keeping her if she gets along with Hopkins. Naming won't happen until we decide to keep her or not.

A Table Story

This is a story of a table, a sad and quite lonely table that had been through many moves and hard times. This table had four chairs, and as time went by, one by one the chairs left because of broken legs and broken backs.

When there were only two chairs left and Alison was forced to sit at her own table with a dilapidated computer chair to eat, Alison and Eric made an executive decision to put the ole table out to pasture. (That just means it moved into the kitchen and became counter space.)

Out with the old, in with the new.

This is the new, not so lonely or dilapidated table. The table that fits 6 comfortably. The table that won't make Alison cry when she looks at it every night sitting in her computer chair.

But, Alison won't be sitting in her computer chair anymore... This is her NEW chair.

Sometimes you just have to...

I had an urge, a large urge, one that could not be quelled unless I did something, something drastic...

I just HAD to make homemade donuts!

So I made the dough last night, rolled them this morning and fried and glazed them for an early Saturday morning treat for my family. :) I haven't heard any complaints yet from them.

I had to make them square because I currently own no cookie cutters

Glazed and cinnamon sugar coated. MMMMmmm

Finished product, the one round one was formed by hand. They're rustic looking but very scrumptious.

Happy Birthday Chris

Today Christopher is 14! We had our usual family party with Italian food and chocolate cake for dessert. We had a good time as a family. :) Happy birthday Chris!

Homemade chocolate cake :)

Sooo many blinding candles

Playing rockem' sockem' robots rings.

A new watch!

Happy Howler Ween

On Saturday, we went to the pumpkin patch in town. Each kid picked out a pumpkin then we came home and did some carving. The results were a lot of fun. :)

I realize that they have the greatest expressions, but I woke them up very early for this trip... and had to bribe them with Starbucks.

This year we didn't do the trick-or-treating, I didn't make costumes, and frankly, I'm not answering my door tomorrow night when it rings.
We did, however, have an awesome family Halloween party and movie night. Each of the kids got a pumpkin filled with candy, we had more junk food than has EVER been in this house, and I didn't even make real dinner. I figure, let 'em get sick one night a year on pure candy. :)

Happy Big 1-0!

Bryan turns 10 on the 17th, but we did the party today. The neighborhood kids came over for hot dogs, chips, cupcakes and general mayhem. I'm glad we had it, and I'm glad it's over. :)

A dinosaur party, with fun cupcakes.

The double digit birthday boy (doesn't it look like the dinosaur on the shirt is eating the cupcake?)

Please be a gun, please be a gun (that is what all the kids were chanting)

Eric's fabulous magic tricks for the kiddos.

Not saying this is every day or anything...

This is my update on my star chart. It went very bad for two weeks (only 4 stars in two weeks), but!!! And, that "but" is what we have all been waiting for.... TODAY BRYAN GOT 4 STARS! Four stars in ONE day. That, I was pretty sure, was near impossible. He had, what his teacher called, a perfect day at school. Ah, I know there will still be ups and downs, but it is SO nice to hear that he was "perfect" today. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling like something is going right. :)

This is what a perfect day looks like. :)

Pictures I (not so sneakily) Snuck (???)

All of my boys crafting

I mean, come on! How cute are these guys?!?!

You're never sure what might be fun

I have no pictures for this blog, mostly because I know that I would be disowned. I have been slowly weaning my older boys off video games, but they were bored today. So... enter the craft store. Their dad has been making candles as his hobby lately, and I love the fact that my house finally smells good. The boys, however, made a huge stink over how "gay" it was for him to do crafts.

Well, today, my two oldest boys are sitting at the kitchen table. One is making a bead necklace (because, hey it's cool if you make it for a girl) and the other is painting a wooden lizard that he found. I am genuinely surprised that for this entire evening, not one XBOX or computer game has been played. And, if the only concession is that I have to listen to really bad loud music, I'll take it. :) It's so nice to see them doing something creative.

Happy 17th Birthday Ray



Boys, pretending to talk so they don't have to look at the camera. :)






Ray's birthday was actually yesterday, but our family had a couple issues with having a family dinner at home yesterday. So, we planned the party for today. In this family, on your birthday you choose the menu. Whatever you want. Ray chose salmon, risotto (rice in cream of mushroom soup, he calls it), Caesar salad and french bread. For dessert he wanted a blueberry cheesecake. So... I made them all. :)



I'm not normally pictured in family events, but I didn't want the cheesecake to slide so Eric took the pictures





gonna blow out the candles


We did presents today. Grandma sent Ray a wonderful quilt. He was so excited he exclaimed "YAY! Now my blanket isn't white anymore!"


Reading quilt inscription from grandma and grandpa



This is the quilt his great-grandma made for him. How perfect! Great color choice!



Today was a lot of fun, good times, and good food. Now I'm tired and gonna nap.

The nap, of  course comes after they set off the birthday poppers that I got them. :) Noisy little buggers.