Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! The Gebbens had a great Christmas, I think that Santa brought everyone exactly what they were wishing for. Ryan and Tyler are headed to Talladaga in April to see a race, Breyanna got her Nintendo DS, and I am going to get a real good tan in Florida in February! My room is already reserved at the Barrett Bed and Breakfast! You just can't have a better Christmas than when everyone is happy and healthy! That is every ones ultimate Christmas wish! So, Merry Christmas again and I hope that the New Year finds you surrounded by family, friends and tons of fun!

Putting up the tree!

I know you are all thinking, it can't be time for the Christmas tree already! That is what I have been thinking all morning as I was putting out my Christmas decorations and listening to my favorite Christmas music. The kids could hardly wait to start on the tree. Once I got it up and plugged in, they went to town. Remember back when we carved pumpkins and I told you all how I was a bit controlling about the pumpkins, well the Christmas tree is worse. But I let them do it all by them selves. This year we went with all hand made decorations. The ones the kids made in school, some that friends have given us over the years, and the ones that my cousin made. It looks really cool. My kids did a great job! Now that everything is out it almost feels like Christmas, now if I could just get my shopping done!

Breyanna Ballerina

Yesterday I got to go and watch Breyanna during dance class. For those of you that don't know, she takes a ballet/hip hop class. She has 3 other little girls in her class and they all look so cute in their leotards and tights. She tries her best to be excited about the ballet portion, but I could tell right away that she was totally board. She was doing it, but with a lot of drama. I know, you are all thinking, "Breyanna drama, no!" Then we got the hip hop portion. She was all into that. She even knew where she was supposed to be when! She was looking good, I can't wait till May and see how it all looks at the end. I may have a little hip hopper on my hands!

Halloween Fun

Its a pink witch, it is Anikan Skywalker! It's Tyler and Breyanna! Yes, those are my kids all dressed up to go trick or treating. Now I know that some of you are thinking, don't you live way out in the boondocks, where you have to walk miles and miles to find a house. The answer is yes, and we only have to walk 1/2 a mile to find a house. But this year our neighbors had this great idea! Lets have a Trick or Treating hayride. So that is what we did. We all piled on the ride and went from house to house. Where all 9 kids jumped off and went yelling up to the door. It was so much fun. The adults all got to chat and the kids got to hang out and get their candy! Only in the boondocks can you have trick or treating hayrides!!

Jack-0-Lanterns

It is pumpkin carving time! So the Gebben's got out their carving tools, found the perfect pumpkins and got to work. This year we cheated a little bit and followed a pattern. The kids each picked out one and Mom did too. Then Mom traced the pattern and the kids cut it out. All by themselves. I know, that seems like no big deal, but to Mom it was! I let them do it all. Even clean up around the openings. I have this weird control issue about carving pumpkins! So I just stuck to my own and let them go to town. They turned out really good. Who knew that my kids were pro pumpkin carvers! Maybe next year we can start a business! Okay, maybe not!

Hey All, as most of you know the last week or so has been a difficult one. But this last weekend we almost got back to normal. Tyler and Breyanna both had soccer games Saturday morning. Breyanna scored her first goal and Tyler and his team won their first game! Yea! Sunday we went apple picking. It was a beautiful day, almost 80, and we met Nick and Kay and the kids. My kids found the biggest apples and even posed for a few pictures. Then we all went out to eat. So that was our fun weekend.

Fun With Friends!

Yester-day we met Nick, Kay, Dylan and Nikki for lunch at Coral Gables. After we finished and were walking around trying figure out what to do when we discovered that they had never been to Mt. Baldy. Well, we got in the cars and drove right over there. We climbed up the 282 steps. Then had to sit and rest! Tyler found a really big tree to climb across, which he would have if his Mom hadn't told him to stop. Then we climbed back down and walked across the street and sat by the channel. We talked and the kids played. Okay, so they ran, but they had fun. Tyler tried to be a "grown up" but he couldn't resit running around with Dylan!

Where does time go?

Wow how time flies! It seems like just yester-day that I put up a new post. We have been busy over here. Between the soccer games and practice, guitar and dance lessons, Brownies and Boy Scouts, the Gebbens are having a hard time finding a free night! I know that I shouldn't complain, my kids could not want to do anything and just sit around watching TV and playing video games. Some days I wish that is what we could do! So, that has been the Gebben family fun! Oh, does anyone want to buy any popcorn, you will be supporting the Boy Scouts!!

Chuck-E-Cheese Fun

On Saturday night we took the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese. We met my sisters and their husbands and their kids too! We ate pizza, talked like adults, and played the games. I think that put $20.00 into one machine. We even made the alarm go off! It was fun to get together with everyone and just hang out. Oh, and the kids had fun too!

Rain Damage!

Today as we were standing outside in the rain at Tyler's soccer game, my friend the Cabana was fighting to keep it's integrity! But after a fierce struggle with nature it finally gave in and came down. It is not save able. It is a very sad day for us. As many of you know the Cabana was our friend during many a sunny afternoon, protecting us from the sun and shading the TV so we could see the race. It will be missed!

Another Weekend Gone!

The Gebben family had another great weekend. First we got to have Christmas in September with the Gebbens, Gebbens, and Borgmans. It was lots of fun, we played the dice game and got lots of presents! Then Saturday morning the kids each played soccer. I think that Tyler lost, but only by 1, and Breyanna I am not sure, they really don't keep score! Then we invaded the Hawks Nest for lunch with the Lynemas and the Bennetts. Saturday night we just hung out as a family. Sunday we went apple picking with theGebben, Gebbens and the Borgmans. Then had apple cider and doughnuts. Yummy! Then we watched Jimmy Johnson win the race and then we watch Carl Edwards win! I think that was everything. One weekend soon I will write and say that we did nothing all weekend! I wonder when that will that will be! Oh, I almost forgot! Breyanna lost a tooth too, so we had a visit from the tooth fairy!!

First day back!

This morning at 7:59 I put my 5th grader and my 2nd grader on the bus. With their new shoes and supplies they said "bye" and "love you mom" and off they went. I drove to work thinking that there is no way that summer is over already and hoped that school would call and tell me that it was a joke and they had another month left of summer. I thought about them throughout the day and hoped that they were having lots of fun and at least learning a little bit. Then at 4:00 they got off the bus and said "Hi Mom, we had a great first day and we can't wait to go back tomorrow!" I said what did you do today? They both said nothing and I knew that we were in full back to school mode. Then they both asked whats for snack and can we go next door!

The weekend that was!

The Gebben Family sent out the last weekend of summer in style! We started out hanging out with the Bennetts all day and having dinner Friday night in Saugatuck. Then we had fun at the Lynema's and then had the Jones' over Saturday night for a BBQ and riding quads and dirt bikes. We picked peaches and had fajitas with the Marcovics on Sunday. Then we had pizza and played games with the Borgmans and Gebbens on Monday. From finding the best peaches at Cranes to trying to paddle a canoe with a spatula we had a great weekend. It is hard to believe that we are headed back to school and work tomorrow, but we are. So what do you think that we should do today? Beach, errands, laundry? I guess that I better go find out!

11 Years!

Today is August 23, 11 years ago today I married my best friend. It still amazes me that after 11 years he is still my best friend. We have managed to have a really good life since that day. We have two healthy children, a home that we love, all of our family is only a phone call away. It isn't easy, but then if it was, it would be boring. Everyday I fall in love with him even more and I can't imagine my life without him. I hope that we have many more years together. I also want to thank everyone that has made it possible through all of your support and love. We hope that everyone out there is as happy as we are! Love to all!

A day at the beach!

"The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand" is the line from one of my favorite songs. That is the thought that ran through my head yesterday as the Gebben family sat on the beach. Okay, so my drink was water but I got to look through my shades and see everyone that I love. Breyanna was bobbing up and down with the waves and Tyler was trying not to get knocked down by them on his skim board. Ryan was reading his book. It was so nice to sit and do nothing all day. We watched the people walk by, talked to a few people that we hadn't seen in a while, and got some nice color from the sun! Then we moved the party up to the channel and grilled up some burgers with Nick and Kay and the kids. The kids played and the adults chatted. It was nice to sit there and catch up with them about their trip and talk about how the summer was almost done and everyone was going to have to get back into their school routines. As our time at the beach came to a close and Nick started giving Tyler a hard time about not having a girlfriend, I was thinking that I hope when our kids are grown up that we will still be getting together at the beach and that Nick will still be giving Tyler a hard time about his girlfriend!

Quite Friday Mornings!

This morning, the third to last Friday of summer break, I was sitting in bed watching this weeks episode of Project Runway, with my third cup of coffee, thinking how nice it was to have a quite morning. I was watching the sun come through the trees out my window and thinking that I would never wear what the designers on TV thought was "cutting edge fashion" when it started! Through the wall came the pop star herself, Breyanna. She was singing as loud as she could to the other pop star Hannah Montana. Then not 30 seconds later came the sounds of the Jonas Brothers and the electric guitar that Tyler plays along with every song. My first thought was "that is what I get for thinking how quite it was!" My second thought was that Breyanna really can't sing! But overall my thought was how lucky I was to have lots of noise. To have kids that want to make noise and enjoy doing it and without them I think that I would go crazy from no noise! So the next time your kids or your grand kids are making lots of noise think about how luck you are! As I finish this up the Jonas Brothers are playing again and there goes the guitar!

My first blog!!

Okay, here we go! I am not really sure what to write about. I think that I just created this so that all of the people that we love can see what we are up to. So I will try to keep it updated with pictures and stuff so that you all know and can see my kids getting bigger and bigger! So let me know what you think!