winter break

We're on Winter Break! No school and lots of snow make for fun days! Days we don't get dressed until after 11:00. Days we watch cartoons or movies all afternoon. Days we're just lazy and play together! Today Austin, Becca and Rachel came over for the day and we had lunch together, played outside, drank cocoa, played games and watched Bolt. I love spending time with them - I wish they'd come over here more often!

merry christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have a magical day full of fun with your family!

Love, The South Family

christmas eve

We spend Christmas Eve at home every year. Charlie cooks for his family. Yep! All I'm in charge of is the mashed potatoes and mmmmm, this year they were so good! Oh, we also started a tradition last year making Buckeye's, these yummy chocolate-y peanut butter "cookie" Charlie loves. His Mom & Dad, Chris, Lynn, Braxton & Brooklyn came over this year.

the tree and all the presents

just before present time

ava's the only one who was willing to pose with her presents

just before bedtime

santa's milk, cookies and a note from carter

"deer santa hav a nice snak. frum carter"

it's a pretty big snack he put out, huh?

let it snow let it snow let it snow

Carter decided he wanted a "winter chore." He went next door to borrow two kid shovels and he and Logan shoveled the driveway today! It's actually snowing again right now so I'm glad it's not just piling up out there. They did a good part of it, but toward the bottom the snow started getting heavy, so they asked me for help. Afterward, I came in to whip up some hot cocoa and they played soccer out back, pushed the play mower around the yard, and threw some snowballs at eachother. I love when it snows but it's nice enough out there to let them play. Now all the snow gear is in the dryer and they're cuddled in blankies watching The Santa Clause. I love Winter Break!

on sunday the boys made a snowman with charlie & their neighboor friends.

he started to melt, but now has been getting snowed on again!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

christmas party

Saturday was our annual Christmas Party here at the house with all the friends Charlie's known since practically middle school and more including neighbors and my sisters! For some of the night lots of kiddos were running around but once presents started, the kids were tucked into beds and the grown-ups got to have some fun!

early in the night

cory, lisa, vin, sean and some little ones on the floor that include lo, ava and evan

shannon not sharing toys with logan and his own son

carter admiring the snacks and snacking and snacking and snacking some more

carter and logan didn't fall asleep real easy at first.

carter marched down the stairs and passed me a message:

a sign that 20 adults opening silly gifts can be a bit loud

It was a great time spent with the greatest friends anyone could ask for full of food, fun, presents, games and drinks of course. Thanks Marco for taking some great pictures that I could steal. Until next year!

and the award goes to...

Me! Check it out! They like me, they really really like me! I love that my blog helps bring happiness to someone's world! Thanks, Jenn!

Here's what I have to do to accept my award:

List 10 things that make you happy.
Try and do at least one of them today.
Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.
Link back to the person that tagged you.

This is in no particular order...

1. sisters - shopping, dining out, just being together either on the computer, on the phone or in real life! a few years back we went to lake geneva. we gotta get away more often! this is at jamie's wedding rehersal a few years back.

2. the way ava sticks out her tongue lately. pointed and out to the side. cutest thing ever. gotta capture that.

3. the laugh - carter, logan, charlie, and i think it's come out of ava once or twice. look at this. if you know the laugh, you hear it when you see this picture. the first one of carter is blurry, but you can hear it. oh, logie, that face. do you hear the laugh?

4. games - scrabble, apples to apples, a new fav: blokus. i don't have to win, i like to, but i don't have to win. it makes me happy to see how much carter and logan like games. i have memories of playing games with my sisters and my dad. at the time i didn't have a clue it would be something so special to me. we still play games, my sisters and me, my kids and me, austin-becca-rachel and me, the boys and my dad. it makes me happy to see them play go-fish and chess with my dad.

5. blogging. sharing all these moments and memories with family and friends makes me incredibly happy. even started a blog for my students and their families this year! reading other's blogs. it's amazing how connected i feel to family and friends through the computer. i also love that my kids can have all this to read someday.

6. summer. fourth of july, the pool, the sun, baseball, no school! here is a shot of from this past summer. logan conquered a waterslide.

7. babies. my three babies. anyone's baby really. not gonna happen, but i'd keep having babies! here's a picture of my ava, my baby that's less and less of a baby every day. 8. photographs. i love love love looking through photos my mom took of all of us growing up and am amazed at how many images i have that capture millions of memories of my life especially from the past eight years. wish i would have started sooner! i see some shots pop up on my computer screen saver and it amazes me how that moment is forgotten until that image reappears. sometimes the memory floods back and other times i feel like there's no memory of it at all and i'm glad the photograph's there! photographs of my family (i need to try to be in more of the photographs) that i need need need to save somewhere other than on my computer!

9. chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. yum. i found a old old photo of logan eating an ice cream cone.

10. reading. bedtime stories really. some nights to be honest, i'm just too wiped out to do it, but when i hear logan creep into the hall under the light and read a couple to himself thirty minutes after we've tucked him in or climb up to carter's bunk to get his sheets off and see thirty books spread all over the place without much room for him to even sleep comfortably i'm happy. my kids reading makes me happy.

Ten Bloggers who brighten my day...
1. Becky from The Graske Family Blog

2. Lisa from Bob & Lisa, Addison & Lucas

3. Marina from Marina & Cory
4. Kris from Scherman Family Blog
5. Venessa from the Laskey's
6. Jenn from From My Front Porch Looking In
7. Chrissy from Grinnen Barretts
8. Pam from Thirty Something... and her Knot site
9. Lisa from The Burtons
10. Cory and her babysites