Merry Christmas Week!

I'm listening to Glee Christmas (love it!) with the Christmas tree lights on, Christmas candles burning and pretty much all things Christmas this morning ... and yes, I'm on Christmas vacay because it's calm & quiet (other than Torie cleaning & getting the basement ready for stereo/tv/wii/etc install today and carpet tomorrow...yay...the basement is almost finished! Merry Christmas to us!) ... anyway, my point to this post is that I love Christmas music so much that I start listening pretty early and this year I noticed as I was listening on the radio I was just focusing on the basic holiday tunes (It's the Holiday Season ... a fam fave - you should see my brother Eric do a lip sync rendition complete with trench coat & fedora ... Baby, it's cold outside .... I'll be home for Christmas (always bring tears because it makes me think of my mom ... her home was always so home-y & especially @ Christmas) and then @ church we sang Away in a Manger and it hit me (a big reminder) to remember what Christmas is all about and why we celebrate and that I should be so thankful that Jesus was born and came to save us. My mom was definitely a big reminder of Christmas and pretty much her life in general ... so when I hear O Holy Night or Angels we have heard on High ... it's like a sweet reminder from my mom. So Merry Christmas to you mom and to all my family & friends! My cup runneth over!

Too long...

It's been way too long since I wrote anything about our sweet Phillips Fam! And of course, there's always lots of things to blog about...especially when it comes to Hannah & Hank...and well, Torie too...he is pretty funny and keeps me laughing. In fact today, I was talking to him (probably about our 4th or 5th conversation since he's on the road out in the fabulous Midwest!) and the topic of dinner usually comes up (by me) in hopes that I don't have to cook...because let's face it...I'm not a cooker...I'm a baker (yes, my husband agrees!)...so I asked should we go out tonite or tomorrow nite (we are trying to only eat out once a week) and he quickly said, well, not tomorrow nite (hello Nebraska is on!) and then he said he was kind of looking forward to a home-cooked meal...I wanted to ask @ whose house? LOL...anyway, though, I'm so blessed, because he said my 3 favorite little words..."let's eat out!" LOVE IT! Yes...I'm spoiled with my sweet peepers and my hot husband! CHEERS everyone & Happy Weekend!

Gotta love 5 year old boys....

So...on the way home from Hank's soccer practice last nite ... obviously, I'm in the front driving and listening some very intelligent conversation on marriage between 5 year old boys (we were bringing home a fellow teammate/friend) ... Hank says to Ryan, "to get married, you have to make the reservation (how does Hank know about reservations let alone that word?) at a special place (while echoing, "oooooh"), then you have to say, 'will you marry me' (followed by giggling), and then you kiss!" (followed by lots of laughing which included Hannah from the way back too) .... yep, guess that pretty much sums up marriage! Didn't realize it was so simple .... once again, simple life lessons from the mouth of babes!

Day 1 Done!

H&H ~ 1st Day @ Morse

Well ... we made it through Day 1 of school ... a few pictures (too many according to Hannah) and a few tears (watery eyes according to H&H) ...still can't believe both our babies are in school. When Torie & I pulled up to pick them up this afternoon ... it just didn't seem possible Hank was out there on the curb with Hannah .... I almost started crying again .... they both were just beaming when they got in the car ... Hannah loves her new teacher and Hank said, "Kindergarten Rocks!" They both just talked non-stop about their days ... seems like we've entered the next phase .... just when I thought they couldn't get any cuter, funnier or talkative .... the moments just keep getter better. What 2 sweet blessings we have!

Observations...

@ the mall yesterday doing yet some more school shopping and sweet Hannah (very observant) notices the girl helping us has her tongue pierced ... Hannah says, "mom, ewwww, what's in her tongue?" I say, "she has her tongue pierced ... don't do it."  Hannah quickly says, "mom, if she's talking outside during a storm, she could get struck by lightening ... I'm not doing that!" I say, "yep, that's right!" Good girl Hannah!

Ready for soccer...

Hannah's last game with the Pink Tornadoes

My sweet Hannah started soccer practice last nite with her new team Cape Town...actually wasn't too bad heat wise...think she was a little nervous but quickly got excited learning some new things... especially "juggling"... not sure if I'm using the correct soccer term... I'm not really an official soccer mom yet but may be soon, so don't be scared! After practice, Torie & I were telling her how proud we were of her... new team, new girls, new skills... she did great! I told her maybe we could go on a run the next day to get her running going... didn't think she'd take me seriously so when I got back from the gym this morning... she got dressed and said, "mom, ready to run?" Love it! Then later, Hank came down... "mom, when are we going on our run?" Talk about motivation!

Bee in the basement!

All I hear from the bowels of the basement from Hank are...quick. loud. footsteps up the stairs...coupled with "mom! there's a bee in the basement! Quick...get the "swonker"! I about fell outta my chair...nothing like a mid-afternoon bee sighting to make you laugh!

School days...school days...olden golden school days!

Good thing I can't record my lovely voice so you can have the pleasure of hearing the School Days song...but seriously...I can't believe my babies are starting school 2 weeks from today!

My sweet Hannah will be in 2nd grade...just seems like we were anxiously waiting for her to get here...getting her room ready...lots of pink! Watching Torie put together the crib and me leaving the room...and counting what we thought were contractions on those days we thought Hannah would be arriving! Lo & behold, she arrived just in time then we started wondering what we did...but together, Torie & I got through it and now she will be our BIG 2nd grader!

Our baby boy, who is now 5 1/2 (and don't forget the 1/2!) will be a big Kindergartner in 2 weeks...Morse watch out! He was so cute the other day talking about school and he told Torie & I, "Dad, Mom & Hannah, I can't wait until Kindergarten so I can learn cool things"...I love that! With Hank, Torie & I felt a little more like real parents before he came...when we found out we were having a boy...I never saw blue paint go up on a wall so quickly...Torie was especially excited and of course, we couldn't feel more blessed to have one of each! The crib thing was much easier this time around...it was more rolling it from one room to another...watch the trim! Once Hank arrived...our family of 4 was complete...healthy, happy & definitely blessed!

So when school days start in 2 weeks, I'm going to try not to cry (although it may happen) and focus on our 2 sweet blessings making their mark in this world!

What color was Hank when he was born?

Yesterday, we were driving to get school supplies and as you may know...a car ride always seems to spark interesting & thought provoking questions...usually they come from Hank but yesterday, the question came from my sweet Hannah. From the back, Torie & I hear, "when Hank was born, was he a different color?"...a bit of a pause from both Torie & I because I wasn't sure how to answer this question plus I was trying to figure out what sparked this question. During the pause, Hannah asked a follow up question..."was Hank yellow, brown, white?" So I went with a general response..."Hank was the same color he is today when he was born...white". And then Torie added when Hank was born, he was kinda yellow (jaundice) and had to be under the biliruben light. Of course, after that story, Hank thought that was cool and laughed. Gotta love those car rides...at least questions are much better than whining!

School Shopping...

This past Saturday...my sweet husband got up early and did ALL the grocery & household shopping ... even called me while he was @ the store to see what kind of shampoo I needed and then proceeded to read all the different types to be sure he was getting the correct type...yes, that's my man! Next up on the list was Home Depot for some paint...yay! we are ready to start painting the basement...however, before Depot, we somehow got off track a bit and ended up school shopping...Dick's, Justice, Gap, Children's Place, etc...well, the funny part was when we got in the dressing room for Hank to try on some clothes, we said, okay, take off your shorts/shirt so we can try these things on....a smirk came over Hank's face, like only Hank can do, and mind you, we are ALL (yes all 4 of us) in the dressing room @ the Gap...after the smirk, Hank quietly says, "I don't have any underwear on"....then Hannah repeats, "Hank, you don't have any underwear on?" Torie & I are trying to quiet everyone down so no one hears and kicks us out. Well, have no fear, we found some underwear...Hank picked out some sweet skull boxers...talk about cute! Once we finished school shopping, underwear and all...we still managed to get to Depot and pick out some paint...talk about a day...just goes to show...good to have a plan but also good to be flexible and just take life as it comes...no undies and all!

Our Sweet Hankie Graduated Pre-K!

Well....I thought maybe I could hold myself together and not cry when Hankie walked down the aisle to the commencement song (not sure of the official title)...but lo & behold, I didn't...nothing sweeter than seeing our baby (who's 5!) look so big and proud in his cap & gown. I try not to look ahead too far and not sure how I'll make it through a real high school graduation...at least I have some time to prepare and then of course, Hannah's will come first...talk about tears! But enough with the tears, I could just feel myself beaming about Hank...I couldn't love my love bug more!

Okay...so it's been way too long since I wrote anything about the Phillips Fam! Of course, lots is always going on and Hank is always saying something (in the car as we're driving no less) that about causes me to laugh so hard I may wreck. The other day we were driving down the road, me, Hannah & Hank or Hanker (as sometimes he refers to himself) and we see an ambulance, fire truck, crazy speeding police cars (necessary?) which always sparks questions about death. H&H begin guessing what/where the rescue squad is doing...did someone die? maybe there was a really huge big fire? maybe there are robbers somewhere? well, the list goes on but I'll stop there. As I'm trying to navigate our way down Quivira on a crazy Saturday...I attempt to answer some of these questions...well, maybe someone did die and the ambulance is taking them to a funeral home. Wrong answer! Hank starts asking questions...what's a funeral home? are there dead people there? does the funeral home "put" people in Heaven? All very good questions. Again, I attempt to answer without getting into embombing and the like, but simply say, well, the funeral home takes care of the body and as for Heaven, the bodies stay here and just their souls go to Heaven because Jesus provides us with new bodies! Silence...mmmm, what's going through Hank's big inquisitive brain? Here it comes..."So, mom, are Grandma Colleen & Michael Jackson back alive in Heaven?" That, my friends about caused me to drive off the road...between tears & laughter...my Hank (& Hannah too) always seem to put things so simply. Man, I love my peepers...what a daily blessing they are!