SUPER BOWL!!!!

Mama H found some Jesus... way to start the pah-ty :) We were a little afraid we would run out of drinks.....are 19 options too much??? :)

I love food cooked in a crockpot...what do we have here....

Option number 1: pulled pork courtesy of Mama H for Brando :)

Chili courtesy of BIL L... my FAV!!!

Option 3: meatballs courtesy of Bets!!! Yummy! Heavy on the ketchup please!!!

under the towel...Mama H's MAC 'N CHEESE! Gobbled up by Minne for dinner!!! :)

Minnie showing the big boys how to REALLY play bball :) Can you tell who she was rooting for?

Indoor basketball is ALWAYS a part of our family get-to-gethers :) and it's all fun and games until the drink table pictured above comes CRASHING down :) (BRANDO!) :)

Pre-game festivities with a Celtics game

pretending like she doesn't love him....

faker faker :)

Mama H got a hold of her outfit...

silly sisters :)

helping BriBri with her homework...

SWEET SILLY UP PAST HER BEDTIME GIRL :)

ALMOST the whole crew...

there are the rest of them...

geeky geeks... math homework and this blog...

How 'bout that food CountryDad??? :)

day 7 ~ a picture of a person/thing who has had the biggest impact on you

I have been thinking about this particular topic since I first read it. Of course my mind went to God, The Countryrents, Mother-in-law, Mrs. P :) and of course Husband...but then it hit me... it is this girl. This one who has had and continues to have the biggest impact on me and my life.

Because....she "forced" (hee hee hee) the relationship between Husband and I, which is the part of my life I love the most.

She is the first one I call when I have a wife, friend, and now mothering questions. She is quiet strength, she loves her family like nobodies business and she'd give up her life for those she cares about. She takes the under-dog under her wing and I aspire to be just like her.

I want to be just like her when she's fired up and when she sits and just listens. I want to mother my baby like she does her children. I want to play and have fun. I want to praise Jesus and love Him more when I stand next to her every Sunday morning.

Oh yeah. And she bakes ALMOST just like her Mama and that helps too.

day 6 ~ favorite super hero and why

What's not to love? He's tall, dark, handsome and mysterious. He drives a SWEET car, hangs out with his best friend and has a butler. Lives in a mansion, gets to wear a cape and ALWAYS gets the bad guy. In his "real life" he's respected in the community, WICKED rich and amazingly cute! :)

and other than the "butler, mansion and WICKED rich" I'm pretty sure I'm MARRIED to Batman! :)

I LOVE Batman!!! :) Other than the Dark Knight, I have seen every Batman movie and even OWN the soundtrack to Batman Forever. Random little trivia? :)

day 5 ~ a picture of some place you have been

I tried to think of the most impressive (at least in my mind) place I have been and this is of course the one that came to me immediately... I've been to the Grand Canyon, twice. Once with the CountryRents, JJ, my Uncle R and two cousins. SUCH a fun childhood memory. It was on that trip I had to keep up the boys naming the make and model of each car coming towards us and it is a trait I haven't lost to this day. Husband will often ask me what kind of car something is... fun. :) It was also the trip that we stayed in an AMAZING hotel in Phoenix and ate strawberries in white chocolate cups every night for dinner and now I HATE white chocolate. I guess too much of a good thing IS possible. :) The second time was with my redheads... :) Girl trip and oh so fun. Even if I was grouchy, homesick, and recently engaged. :)

But the Grand Canyon is no less awe-inspiring, God-thought-provoking the 2nd time than it is the 1st. AMAZING. It is a dream of mine to experience it with Husband and when we take our cross country road trip, this is for sure a stop. I think everyone should see it. but you all know, the place I constantly dream of going/being/staying... is right here in my own state....I love paradise...aka Rangeley.
*Grand Canyon pic courtesy of Google Images, Rangeley Lake taken by me

Hosting a Play Date

This morning Minnie and I had some friends over to play. She was so excited she didn't take a morning nap. Ack. :) Little J there is her bud... he's not my bud though because when I look at him he cries. Sad. He is a big fan of his biggest sister though :)

Sweet C was able to make it and she even brought the new teenie tiny that her Mom has been taking care of a few days a week.

I can't get enough of her. She has personality plus and *might* be more strong-willed than Minnie... I said *might*!!! :)

One for GiGi... :)

and the little teenie tiny.... can I get a collective awwwww?? Put an 8 week old baby in a room full of Mom's who's "Babies" range from 9 months to 7 years old and watch 'em fight to hold and love on him :) Really? I don't remember Minnie this small... didn't she always hold her head up, help me put on her shoes and socks and say "Dada"? Feels like that...

The T family had to scoot out for lunch and naps...

and missed the opportunity to watch Mama H get her practice on :) Soon Mama H... OH SO SOON :) It makes me GIDDY with excitment to know that your OWN TEENIE TINY is going to be here OH.SO.SOON! :)

Pheebs was gracious enough to let me live vicariously (that was for CountryDad) through her thick locks of hair... for a few minutes at least before she yanked out her ponytail :)

so it was back to being entertained by the "runner" and the "thrower" :) as they will be fondly refered to in the house of their coach :)

I always have such an amazing time with my friends and I LOVE watching Minnie play and figure out her friends :) so cute! :)

day 4 ~ a habit you wish you didn't have

Volume control has to be on an even number....

Car radio: 6, 8 or 10
TV Volume: somewhere in the 26/28 mark

drives me kookie.

day 3 ~ a picture of yourself as a child

Per CountryMum's handwriting on the back of the picture:

Grampa T and (insert my name and if you REALLY know me it is actually the name my DAD calls me)

5 weeks old 7/8/77

My Grampa T passed away when I was in 8th grade from cancer. He was my favorite. Don't tell anyone. He was a building mover and with the size hands he had in my child mind I actually thought he picked UP the buildings and moved them. He had his own sawmill and always smelled of sawdust. He and my Nannie T's house was so fun for JJ and I. They had a menagerie of animals including parrots, cats, a monkey (Petey), peacocks and other various birds. And, at one point, (before me) a drunk red faced ape living in their basement. Seriously. Let me say that again. A Drunk.Ape.Basement.
I know. Just try to get your minds around it. And that's all I'm going to say about it because I can't do the story justice. We'll have to get the CountryRents to make a guest blog apperance. :)

*picture of red-faced monkey courtesy of google images