11-23-09 Monday

This is Thanksgiving week and we have so much to be thankful for.  I am so grateful to spend time with family all week.  Today I just enjoyed playing ping pong with my dad, Josh, and Jaydon.  We laughed the whole game.  Jaydon is quite the little competitor.  Corey and Jared went fishing at Angostura with Roger.  I'm sure they are thankful the weather is still nice enough to fish!

After ping pong, we had to play a little pool!  Jaydon could play games with Pa Pa all night!

He actually looks like he knows what he's doing!!

11-22-09 Sunday

Today we drove to Nebraska for a week stay and Thanksgiving.  When we got to Staab's, they were preparing to close for the season.  So rather than wash the ice cream mix down the drain, we put it all in a big bowl to freeze and eat during the week.  The boys thought this was awesome...a HUGE bowl of ice cream, just for them.  Talk about a brain freeze!!!!

11-21-09 Saturday Honor & Integrity Award

Our Bandits won the Honor and Integrity Award for our division.  The coaches and refs rate each team they play or officiate during the season on sportsmanship.  So this is quite an award to receive!  We were very honored and proud of our kids, coaches, and fans for winning such a respectable title.

11-19-09 to 11-20-09 Thursday & Friday

Puppy Love

The boys are absolutely in love with this dog.  We really didn't plan on getting a dog and just stumbled across this breed.  While he is a playful puppy, he is also quite calm and cuddly.  He really fits well with us and is a good addition to our family.  Even Corey cuddles with him at night while watching TV.  Josh has been very responsible, taking him out, picking up poop, and giving him a lot of attention!  Jared also helps a lot with him, brushing him, taking him out to pee, and picking up "poop bombs", as he says!  Jaydon is on food duty and loves sneeking him little snacks.  He is definately learning to be more gentle!

11-18-09 Wednesday

This year, the football team had great sponsorship and was able to buy these jackets for all the players and coaches.  We had their names and numbers put on them and presented them at the year-end party.  Since then, the boys have had them on every day.  They wore them to church and to school.  When I picked them up at school, I saw Riley, Jace, and Draven with them on too.  I guess the jackets were a hit!! 

On a side note,  we don't know what to do with ourselves this week.  It seems like something is missing.  No football practice and late suppers.  We are missing our football family, the players and the parents.  We were so fortunate this year to have a great group of people involved and I'm hoping we can all get together in the off season.  I guess we need to have a monthly game night at the Staab house, the kids can play the Wii and parents can play cards! 

Tuesday 11-17-09

Josh sang in a 4th grade concert at school.  The program was on Colorado history.  There were 73 fourth graders this year.  So the gym was packed.  Josh is standing next to his buddy, Jace, from the football team. 

11-13-09 to 11-16-09 Friday to Monday

Friday:  We practiced in a big snow storm!  Our last practice of the season just showed our dedication and how hard we worked all season! 

Saturday:  The boys had great time at the bowling alley for the year end party.

We all gathered at our practice field to caravan to the Carnation Bowl.  Everyone decorated their car windows and showed great team spirit!!  The Banditis ended up losing 26-25 after a very hard fought game.  It really could've gone either way, but we just came up short.  It was so disappoint for the kids.  There were a few tears shed (I didn't let the kids see me, heehee). 

Monday:  Bandit is sleeping in his kennel with his favorite toy, a football.

11-9-09 to 11-12-09 Monday to Thursday

Monday:  Jaydon's last day of football class at the rec center he demonstrated all the skills he learned.   I think he had a good time.  I was really hoping he wouldn't try to tackle the other 3 and 4 years olds to play like his big brothers do.

Tuesday:  Jared loves getting kisses from Bandit!

Wednesday:  I made these frames to give the players.  The pictures are of the boys with the incentive t-shirts they won during the season.  They were all so proud of those tees!

Thursday:  We couldn't get a field with lights reserved tonight for practice tonight, so we made our own lighted field.  We rounded up 3 generators and lots of halogen lights with extension cords to light our home practice field.  The kids thought it was awesome and had a great practice on their home field!!

11-5-09 to 11-8-09 Thursday to Sunday

Thursday:  We added a new member to our family tonight...Bandit.  He's a 9 week old (birthday was August 31) Lhasa Aspo/Bichon Frise cross...a LaChon!  He is non-shedding, so he shouldn't bother Corey and Josh!  He's so sweet and cuddley.  The boys love him. 

Friday:  The boys have been treating him like a real baby.  He takes lots of naps and loves to play.

Saturday:  Game 2 of the play-offs, we beat South Jeffco 40-6!  We are going to the Carnation Bowl!!!!!!!!!  Josh is tackling the ball carrier in this photo.

Sunday:  After teaching LBC at church, I shopped at the 3rd World Jubilee arts and crafts show.  I bought this woven basket made in Uganda.  It is so beautiful and supports the poor people there who have been at war for 25 years.  I also took care of some other Christmas shopping while there!!

11-1-09 to 11-4-09 Sunday to Wednesday

Sunday:  I went to Target to check out the Halloween clearance and found these pre-lit pumpkins for 75% off.  This still works for Thanksgiving, so I'm leaving it out until Christmas decorations come out.

I finished decorated the spare bedroom by hanging the curtains I made with Grandma Doris and hanging these decorative metal stars on the wall.

All of these photos were taken at Yellowstone this summer.  Jared helped me hang them in the toy room!

10-30-09 to 10-31-09 Friday and Saturday

On Friday, the kids all had Halloween parties at their schools.  I volunteered to make treats for each kid.  So I took pumpking shaped sugar cookies to Jared's class and bat cupcakes to Josh's.  Jaydon wasn't feeling well, so he didn't want to go to school.  The parties were lots of fun and the cupcakes delish!

The Bandits played in their first ever play-off game today.  Of course, there was still lots of snow, but it was piled on the sidelines.  The weather was quite warm.  We won 49-0 and will advance to the next game in the play-offs. 

Josh and Jared were both football players for Halloween.  Cheap costumes for me, we already had everything!  Jaydon was Wolverine, but thought the mask was too scary and wore a spiderman mask.  He looked funny, but at least he dressed upt his year and trick-or-treated.  Last year he didn't even go!

We went to a Hallow-Wii party at our friends house.  Corey was an OB/GYN and I was his pregnant patient.  Dr. Staab's name tag advertised "Free Exams, tonight only!"  The kids came along and went trick-or-treating with a group of boys!  We all had a great time!!

10-26-09 to 10-29-09 Monday to Thursday

Half-time of the boys last game and a few encouraging words from the coaches!

Joey intercepted this ball and ran it in for a TD.  He was so excited to get a pick 6!

And today, Wednesday, the storm hit.  They called off school before the storm really got going.  The kids and I scooped all the neighbors walks and drive-ways...and then we got 10 more inches.  Oh well, it was a great work-out and the kids had fun playing in the snow.

Thursday:  No school again today!!!  The kids were so excited and had Gavyn, our neighbor, over to spend the night.  Total snow tally ended up at 28 inches.  Hope this isn't how the rest of the winter will be.

10-22-09 to 10-25-09 Thursday to Sunday

On Friday, we carved pumpkins with the Gallagher's.  We broke out the stencils and got busy with the electric carver.  Josh carved a skull and Jared carved a scary face.  Jaydon even worked on his own pumpkin this year. 

Saturday:  Josh had his hands full with this big kid from Arvada.  We scrimmaged the same team we played last weekend and beat them again, 49-0.  We are ranked 2nd in the league and will play in our first play-off game next Saturday. 

Sunday:  The boys made great jack-o-lanterns this year.  Jared's is on the left, Josh's middle, and Jaydon's on the right.  Luckily, nobody stole them this year, but the squirrels started eating them.  Guess they weren't scary enough to keep them away.

10-19-09 to 10-21-09 Monday to Wednesday

Monday:  Jaydon's favorite song at school is "We're Going on a Bear Hunt".  When I saw Cassie and Jaydon exploring in this tall grass, I could just hear him singing..."we're going on a bear hunt..."

Tuesday:  Jared is always starving in the mornings, so I fix a big breakfast before school.  Today we had French toast and sausage links.

Wednesday:  Jaydon learned to climb trees and now I can't keep him out of them.  I worry that he won't be able to climb down, but he always finds a way!  I think he enjoys the view and peace from sitting that high.

10-15-09 to 10-18-09 Thursday to Sunday

Thursday:  After our games, the parents form a tunnel that the kids run through.  He are Jared (14), Jace, (32), and Joe (35) after coming through the tunnel. 

Friday:  Joe stayed with us for the weekend while his parents were gone, so Corey decided to take the boys to a Standley Lake High School football game.  They also took Jace with them.  They had a great time together!

Saturday:  The boys won against Arvada 35-20.  Josh is chasing down the play.

Sunday:  We watched Cade play in a flag football tournament today.  His team of 2nd graders played 4th and 5th grade teams because there were no other 2nd grade teams signed-up.  They got beat, but really  played well against the older kids.  Cade is so fast and has great hands.  He will be an awesome football player!!!

10-11-09 to 10-14-09 Sunday to Wednesday

Sunday:  Jared drew me this picture as a thank you...I guess for just being mom!

Monday:  Jaydon found my bread maching in the cabinet and said, "Mom, what's this fing?"  After I told him, he said, "Let's get this baby out and make bread!"  So we made a loaf of whole wheat bread.

Tuesday:  I actually took this picture of Josh at a game.  It was hot and he was sweaty.  I'm not sure what he was thinking about...maybe the last play!

Wednesday:  Our Bandits football team.  We were missing Dalton for this photo and coaches Gerry and Tom.