Merry Christmas!

Just a glimpse at our Christmas.

It truly couldn't have been better--except maybe Josh Oliver getting sick.

Treats From St. Nick

Today is St Nick's Day--oh, the excitement!

The boys put their shoes out last night and then woke up super early to see if he had left them something.

The must have been good boys because St Nick had, indeed, come for a visit!

Guess Who Broke His Arm?

Josh Oliver broke his arm last Wednesday, and it has not slowed him down one single bit!

It wasn't awesome timing considering he did it the day before Thanksgiving and I had a ton of things to do, but really isn't that the way it usually goes?

He was apparently standing on the footboard of our bed, said to Henry, "Watch me!", and then jumped backwards off the bed. Obviously he didn't land well!

By the time we got to the Emergency Room he was no longer crying, and other than holding his arm and not putting any weight on it, he looked fine and he moved his arm normally.

Ben and I both knew without a doubt it was broken, though. It was all exactly like when Luke broke his arm at 17 months--only then it took a full 24 hours for us to realize something was wrong!

It took 4 hours for them to get him all splinted up, but he did awesome. He was super cuddly and a bit sleepy, but also silly and tear-free!

He had to wear the terrible above-the-elbow splint/cast for five days, but on Monday he got his awesome neon green permanent cast. He was so excited!

Olivia, who went with us, thought it would be even better if he broke the other arm and got a red cast so he could look like Christmas!

A Date at the Duck Blind

Henry and I went on a date today after we took Josh Oliver to school.

I let him plan it.

He picked a walk down to Great Grandpa's lake so he could show me the duck blinds.

It seemed like a good idea until we got about 100 yards down the road. It was super windy and below freezing. We dressed warm, but I obviously underestimated how cold it was going to be.

When we got to the blind, he opened it up and we climbed inside. I was ecstatic to find a single glove the boys had left behind from their hunting trip last weekend. I really thought my hand was going to just break off, it was so cold!

We hung out in the "warm and toasty" blind for awhile. Henry told me all about what they do in there, how shot gun shells work, showed me some goose blood on a decoy. He is very knowledgeable!

Here's some of his duck calls:

(He always talks like he's making a documentary when I tape him!)

On our way back we looked for some nice "snowman" rocks--we were just so numb from the cold that an extra five minutes or so didn't make a difference.

After that we went to Target and warmed up with some hot cocoa.

I don't really think I want to do it again until it warms up a bit, but it really was such a fun date--and such a very Henry thing to do!

The Year I Overcame My Fears

Clearly, I am thankful for all the obvious things, Ben, our boys, our family, but this year I was equally, if not more, thankful that my Thanksgiving Dinner turned out so well.

It sounds a little shallow, but I was really, really worried about it!

I mostly feared that big frozen butterball.

I'd barely even seen a whole, raw anything before--let alone cook something like that. I went back and forth about passing the turkey off to someone else, but ultimately I decided to do it on my own.

There were some set backs. I shed some tears and said some choice words as I tried to get it thawed and into the brine, but in the end it turned out better than I thought. It was so juicy and delicious!

This year was so different from the last Thanksgiving I hosted. Everything came together so well. The food was good, my tables were nice, and I planned it out well enough, that there was no stress on the Thanksgiving Day.

I absolutely love this holiday--and now I can say that even on the years I have to host!!

The Day Josh Oliver Got Married

Josh got married on Saturday.

She was a princess.

From the minute Emery walked in the door, Josh was in love.

He spent the party watching her and trying to sit next to her any chance he got. Occasionally he would steal a feel of her beautiful dress--touching it oh so gently.

I even heard him invite her up to his room, but she passed on that one!

Towards the end of the party, Henry came inside and announced that Emery and Josh Oliver got married. From Henry's account, Josh asked if she wanted to, Emery said yes, they kissed or hugged--I heard it both ways--and the deed was done!

He's a fast mover!

Arm Candy

Silly Bandz have taken over our house.

Luke got a couple of packages of them for his birthday and so the craze began for the Jonker Boys.

Henry especially loves them. He likes to wear as many as he can get his hands on. He also made a yarn necklace to hold some of them. The boys also now have couple of actual Silly Bandz necklaces.

I don't totally love Silly Bandz--it's a pain finding them all over the house--but I get why kids like them. They are pretty neat and kind of fun to wear!

Ben on the other hand HATES Silly Bandz.

I often hear him mumbling grips about them. He also likes to question whether boys actually wear them. (Hello?! All kids wear them!)

He's apparently forgotten back in the day when he french rolled his jeans--I often question whether other boys actually did that!

I don't know where Ben's coolness has gone!

Halloween 2010

This year for Halloween the boys went as characters from Super Mario Bros.

There was Mario, Luigi, and a Koopa. (Josh Oliver was dead set on being a turtle so we worked around it!)

Unfortunately every other kid at their school also went as Mario and Luigi. How did I not know that was such a popular costume this year? Josh's was unique, at least!

Halloween night was perfect.

The weather was just a little crisp. The boys trick-or-treated for a couple of blocks and then happily came back home to pass out candy. All of the adults got to just sit back, eat, and watch all the kids in their costumes.

Next year I think we may dress up too, so to add a little extra fun to our Halloween night parties--that is if I can talk anyone else into it!

Annual Halloween Weekend

Two weekends ago, we had our Annual Halloween Weekend in Kansas City.

It was fabulous!

The weather was perfect--overcast and windy, yet still warm and lovely!

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch first. It was fun--as always! I've come to the realization, though, that I hate picking out pumpkins. Every year it's a nightmare trying to carry them back to the tractor and this year I think they picked out the biggest, heaviest, yet. Next year I may go with a strict, "You Pick, You Carry" rule.

We also took the boys to Night of the Living Farm at Deanna Rose. Instead of wearing their actual costumes the boys wanted to pick something out of the dress up room. Henry picked his "Spiderman" costume--the one where Spiderman has a cape and looks very similar to the devil. We made Gigi claim him!

Among all the fun stuff at Deanna Rose, I think my favorite is the Dance Party Stage. I love watching those boys jump and spin around up there--plus they get candy after ever song so they really love it! They started it off kind of slow this year with some Phil Collins, but soon enough they livened it up with some real dance music. My goal next year is to get Eli up there!

Before we left we also got to go to a Trunk-or-Treat. It was full of hair spray painting, fire trucks, fresh kettle corn, and the park. The best thing about it was that we got to sit down and just watch the kids for most of it! It was nice and low maintenance!

It was a jam-packed weekend. I loved it! It's a weekend that I look forward to all year long!

(if only that was the size he acutally picked out!)

Fun at the Laundromat

Yesterday, I spent the morning at the laundromat thanks to a broken washer at our house.

Henry and I dropped Joshers off at preschool and decided to see if Olivia wanted to join in on the excitement.

They spent their time running around and acting like a bunch of maniacs. Olivia tried to teach Henry how to do a cartwheel--she was unsuccessful--and he showed her how he stands on his head.

He also tried to quiz her on what type of guns his plastic army men were holding. He didn't understand why she didn't get any of them right. Clearly Gretchen isn't teaching her girls the important things in life!

I actually don't really mind the laundromat. It's terrible having to lug the baskets in and out, but I get a bit of down time and walk away with every last piece of dirty laundry washed and folded in an hour or two.

It's a lovely feeling!

Even better, my washer is now fixed and I have absolutely nothing to wash!

Military Boys

A couple of weeks ago, Ben took the boys up to see one of his buddies who was getting ready to go back to Afghanistan.

He let them have a tour of their trucks and equipment.

The boys came back totally ecstatic about everything they got to see.

It was quite a treat!

I'm pretty sure Ben was just as excited about the outing as the other three were!

The boys each got a turn with the ginormous gun, too. The one of Josh Oliver cracks me up the most!

From the Chinese Kitchen of Josh Oliver

Dear Dan and Linda,

Earlier today Josh Oliver whipped up a batch of his special Chinese food just for you.

I'm not 100% sure what all went into the special creation, but it involved cereal, granola, water, a dash of garlic salt, some basil, coconut, and a few other "secret" ingredients that he didn't let me in on.

He planned on bringing it over to your house today for you to enjoy. I, however, took the last lid for my own delicious soup, so we couldn't bring it over. (Your welcome!)

He was angry with me, but we smoothed things over when we decided to put in the fridge and save it for you to come over and try later. (Sorry about that!)

So, whenever you feel up to trying something new, feel free to come by. Josh Oliver has a special treat just for you!

Love,

Christine

Sick Day at the Park

Lucas was sick on Friday.

When I called the school it really was legitimate. I promise!

A couple of weeks ago, Ben sent Luke to school when he told him he didn't feel good. Within 15 minutes of school starting, Luke threw up in a trash can in his classroom. It was sad.

On Friday, he spent most of the time before the bus came in the bathroom. He wasn't "lay in bed" sick, but I didn't want to risk him not making it to the bathroom in time at school. That would be far, far worse than throwing up in front of everyone.

After an hour or so, it was clear that he had gotten it all through his system, but before taking him to school, we went to Gigi's and then made a stop at the park.

We just kept saying, "we'll go to school after...."

We ended up deciding it would just count as our Fall Holiday, and just enjoyed having Luke at home all day.

Henry still had to go to school and I made sure Luke knew that this wasn't a normal "sick day", but really every once in awhile you just need those kind of special fun days!

A List Making Date

While getting my oil changed on Thursday, Henry and I took advantage of our time waiting to make some lists.

He went through a couple of toy catalogs and decided what he wanted to put on his Christmas list. It included everything with the exception of a few things that were too girly or too babyish.

I appreciate him narrowing things down for me!

I worked on my own book of lists. Random things that have been cluttering up my brain.

It was productive and really quite a lovely date--I only wish I would have walked away with an idea or two for Christmas!

Celebrating October

We spent last weekend welcoming in October.

It's such a fabulous month--definitely my favorite!

We spent the weekend going through all of our Halloween stuff. We did some decorating and played with the old costumes. The boys worked on buildings for the haunted ghost town they want to put up on their bedroom walls.

We also took the dogs on a walk and stopped by the park. You just can't beat this weather!

I made us a spooky dinner which included all things "gross"--monster toes, brains, eyeballs. The goblets of blood was by far the favorite! Oddly enough we didn't have anything pumpkin. In October, every meal really should have delicious pumpkin in it somewhere! I dropped the ball on that one!

It's going to be a great month. I'm going to make sure that we make the most of it this year!

Three Shirts are Better than One

Sometime this summer Josh Oliver started wearing several shirts at the same time.

Some days he will only wear two and some days it's as many as five. His favorite number to wear is three, though. (He likes three the best because he is three--obviously!)

It's not too dorky or noticeable when he wears the longest sleeved shirt on the outside. There have been days, though, when he puts on a long sleeved shirt, then one or two short sleeved ones, and tops it all off with a tank top.

Those are the days we don't run any errands! Just kidding!

I like it when kids are quirky--it makes them extra fun! And, my kids are definitely quirky dressers! I try to get them to dress half way decent for school, but if they want to get creative with their outfits the rest of the time, then I say go for it!

(Ben doesn't really agree. He only likes to leave the house with "non-quirky" dressers!)

Plus, there have been times when the extra shirts have come in handy. We just peel off the top dirty layer and he's a whole new, clean kid!

And Now They Are All in School

On the 14th, Josh Oliver started preschool.

He was super excited about it, but was a little mad when he realized he didn't get to ride the bus. "But I'm a big boy?!" he kept telling me.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that I dread the day he is big enough to ride the bus.

When we dropped him off at school, he couldn't get inside fast enough. He'd been waiting weeks!

He really loves preschool! I'm glad. I'm especially glad that he only goes 2 days a week!

(Henry kind of stole his thunder as he went in by yelling "hi" to his teachers. Luckily, though, Josh didn't care--especially since Henry hollers at them every time we pick him up or drop him off!)

Buttons

There is one room in our house that is far more exciting than the others.

My heart always races a little the closer I get to it--especially if it's been a week or more since I've been in there.

I never quite know what I'm going to walk in to find in the Art Room. Sometimes it's play-doh everywhere, or paint, or the games all mixed up on the floor. The possibilities are endless!

The boys love to play in there, but if I'm not in there to control the mess, it will get out of control pretty quickly!

The other day I got about two steps in before I stepped in a puddle of goopy glue on the floor. Henry was trying to fix a toy that had broken and had managed to get a full bottle of glue on the floor and table in the process.

The toy, however, wasn't fixed.

I quickly shut the door and decided to deal with it later.

I went in the next day and was surprised, yet again, with my collection of buttons spread all over the floor. Apparently Henry was looking for more glue and knocked half of the stuff on my shelf off. He tried to clean it up, but it really was an awfully big mess for him to pick up.

Sadly, the toy still didn't get fixed and Henry has discovered how lovely buttons are, so I now have to share my collection with him.

I guess I should just be glad it's a pretty easy room to clean, and if nothing else I can just shut the door and deal with it another day--although that is a risky gamble!

We Love Roadtrips!

Because of his work schedule, Ben doesn't get to go to Kansas City with us very often.

Luckily, he got to go the weekend after Audrey was born.

Unfortunately this picture pretty much sums up how the trip up there went:

Luke and Henry were being loud and rowdy the first half. Animals were being tossed, blankets were being stolen. If only we could figure out how to make a barrier between them some how.

The second half Josh Oliver was throwing a fit because he didn't get to pick out a movie at the RedBox. Can you tell he was pretty angry? The horrid stare down was actually a welcome break from all the screaming and yelling he was doing!

We spent most of the trip with the radio up while we chatted and pretended like we left the kids at home. We are getting pretty good at it!

I'm wondering if Ben's going to feel sorry for me the next time I have to take the three boys to K.C. by myself?!

Audrey Reed

We have a new baby!

Well, technically Amy and Dave do, but I'm over the moon about her like she is one of mine!

Audrey was born on the 24th!

Josh Oliver was the lucky one to go with me to meet her for the first time--Luke got to go when Eli was born and Henry will get to go with the next one!

She is so super sweet and oh so cuddly!

She has so much hair, even more than Eli had. I was shocked because I was really convinced she was going to be almost bald like all of my boys. I apparently really am trying to live through Amy!

It's so exciting to have another baby in the family. I just love all the smells and noises that go along with babies. Even the crying is lovely!

Back to the Real World

(Henry--kindergarten)

I'm a summer mom.

I love having the boys at home all day long, being able to do fun things on a whim without worrying about a boy or two missing out because of school. I love getting to sleep in and not worry about having to worry about signing papers or checking for homework. I love that the boys get to wake up each day and throw on whatever mismatched outfit they want. I especially love that I get to spend so much time with the boys--even on the days they make me want to pull out my hair!

It's all part of the fabulousness of summer.

(It wasn't that long ago that all year long was like summer for us. I miss those days.)

With that being said, there is something so fabulous about the start of school.

The fresh boxes of crayons, the new back packs and clothes, and best of all, a return to organization!

I feel like I actually get things accomplished during the day--like cleaning and errands! No one is in their pajamas past 8:30. I'm much more productive with my to-do-list. I love being on a schedule! It's like getting back to the real world!

After about two months of being in "the real world", though, I start getting antsy for summer to come back around!

I just miss those boys so much!

(Lucas--2nd grade)

Nintendo DSi

About a year ago Lucas discovered the joys of a Nintendo DS. He wanted one bad, but I thought he was to young.

We made a deal.

Once he turned 8, I would let him have one for his birthday OR he could buy one himself as soon as he saved up enough money.

All year long he has saved and saved. While his other brothers were buying toys and treats, he was saving his dollars.

With all of his birthday money--apparently a lot of people thought 8 was too long to wait--he had enough to not only buy his DSi, but also an extra game and some accessories.

Getting to set all of that cash on the counter was a proud moment for him!

Imagination

I had a ton of things to do last weekend and Josh Oliver was my date for most of them.

He was quite entertaining!

While I was trying on shoes at Penney's, Josh Oliver took my keys and drove off in my car. Luckily he came back to get me when I was done!

He also told me about the lights that shine up from the basement of Target. I always thought that it was the reflection of the lights above, but he says no.

While we were swimming, he kept going to the store at the bottom of the pool and bringing up goodies like new sunglasses, soda, ice for his daddy, pretty much anything I might need!

On our many errands, he also insisted on picking out and carrying everything we were going to buy. He's such a good helper! When we bought a gallon of paint, he had a good go at trying to carry it, but eventually gave in and let me carry it.

The best thing, though, was that he insists on holding my hand always. He acts like it's the end of the world if I don't have a free hand for him to grab. I love that!

Smooches

Henry kissed a girl yesterday.

He said it was her idea.

When I picked him up from the KidZone at the Y, he brought her to the door to introduce her to me. He didn't get her name right, though. He said it was Joey, but really it was Josie. (I was impressed that he was even close!)

After we left he told me about the kiss.

It was on the lips.

Henry's a bit of a germ-a-phobe. He especially doesn't like to share things like drinks with other people. If he absolutely has to share, he always sneakily wipes off the straw before he takes a sip.

I gave him the ,"you're really too young to be doing that" speech, but I thought maybe the germ route might work better.

It didn't.

The conversation ended with him saying, "well, I guess I don't care about germs anymore."

Are we going to be those parents who get called up to school because our Kindergartner can't keep his lips to himself? The only thing that gives me hope, is that it wasn't his idea--this time!

Garage Sale Finds

A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I helped my Aunt Michele with a garage sale.

The boys love to work at garage sales--LOVE TO!

Henry is especially good at helping people find hidden treasures! I kept hearing him asking things like: "Is there anything I can help you with?" and "Have you seen this over here?"

He's a natural born salesman--and quite entertaining to listen to!

All the boys spent a lot of time perusing the goodies that they were suppose to be selling. Some of the stuff that they asked for was just ridiculous--really? a 20 year old manicure kit?

I started putting limits on what they could put in their take home pile.

They eventually just started hanging around Uncle Terry, who was more than happy to send them home with anything they could get their hands on.

Amongst their many treasures, they each ended up with a container of screws, washers, nails, other random little metal pieces.

I originally fought it, but really is was some good junk for Uncle Terry to send them home with. They have spent so much time in the garage creating new inventions with all those little bits!

I guess I just don't look at things the way boys do. Good think Uncle Terry was there!

Ben's Weekend at the Recovery Spa

Ben had knee surgery last Friday.

He tore his ACL during a soccer game about a month ago. (Unfortunately he didn't even make the awesome goal that he was going for!)

He spent the first couple of days of his recovery at his parent's house.

He wanted to "recover" without three noisy, crazy boys running in and out of the bedroom. In all reality, though, he just wanted to be pampered for a few days the way only his mom can!

I couldn't blame him!

Linda makes for a fabulous nurse!

The rest of us also enjoyed Ben's weekend at his parents. It meant we got to swim our little hearts out, while still keeping tabs on how he was doing!

He's back home now. Sadly, our house hasn't been nearly as spa-like as his mom's was. I just keep forgetting just how limited he is.

I feel bad!

Back from England

Gran and Papa, along with Brad, Gretchen, and the girls, came back from England last weekend.

We were missing them.

The boys were also anxious to see the goodies that they brought back for them--she always finds the most fabulous stuff!

We are all so glad that they are back.

I only wish their plane would have gotten in early enough for boys to met them at the airport when they came home! They would have loved that!

A Rainy Fourth

I love the 4th of July.

It's like the very best of summer all on one day!

This year was super wet and even a bit chilly, though. Strange, I know! I was a bit sad at first, but really I think the rain made it even more fun.

We went to the pancake feed/bike parade again this year. The boys did an awesome job of decorating their bikes and did so well riding in the parade. (I was nervous for Lucas. He hasn't been riding on two wheels for long, but he managed to not crash or run over anyone! I was proud!)

There weren't very many kids in the parade so everyone ended up with a prize. Lucas was the very last one to have his number drawn. Towards the end we couldn't help but laugh every time the number called wasn't his. He was a good sport about it, although he desperately wanted to win something! In the end, though, the last prize was probably the best!

The rain managed to stop soon enough for us to set off our fireworks. It was perfect, really.

It was a fun 4th, even without the summer weather, although next year I'm hoping to be able to hangout by the pool like normal!