We like Torture

Our most RECENT Goodwill-Goldmine-Find would have to be this Chess Drinking game we found. Each of the glasses have a chess piece on it. 

Although it didn't come with any rules the boys came up with their own torturous rules because well......we're a family that delights in another's discomfort....you know, like Bean-Boozled.

Their cups were filled with either water or lemon juice.

When their player dies they have to drink whatever was in that cup

Yes, I think this picture is hilarious....and at the time everyone did too.

Camden would get the lemon-juice shake after he drank it. hahaha

This funny thing is, they played this on a Sunday night. 

I'm thinking a Drinking Game is appropriate for the Sabbath, right?

Dallas Fam

We haven't lived by family since our newly-wed days so the fact that we have family 5-ish hours away has been fun. Earlier in the fall Brooks' brother, Bronson (we call him "Bug") and his oldest daughter Elle drove up for a weekend.

Kellyn was ESPECIALLY excited because Elle is just two months younger than her!

Elle really loved her too.....but maybe NOT as much as she loved the babies.

The babies were good sports with all the attention but sometimes wanted their space. Elle assured me they didn't.😂😂

However once the first day novelty of the babies wore off it was all Barbies and dress-ups from there on out.

And jumping on the trampoline in the rain

and chalk.

Elle was like a rockstar here among all my kids.

The boys got some mean golfing in as well.

Their last day was Sunday and Kellyn and Elle went to church all matchy-matchy like twins and were so excited to go together.

Until they WEREN'T and estrogen got the best of them. Here they are NOT walking together to church. hahaha

BUT they made ammends before they left and when the WHOLE Dallas family came for Thanksgiving it REALLY was a dream come true for my family.

(Not pictured: the twins.....since we scheduled dinner during their naps on PURPOSE so we could enjoy the food)

And the kids sitting in the kitchen.

We had a FEAST!!!! And so so so SO much food. Even though Linsey and I stayed up until midnight to go shopping at Walgreens the night before for some sales (turned out it was closed and NOT a 24 hour one......never trust a lady w/o teeth in Walgreens who tells you the store hours), we still pulled off a super tasty dinner. 

It was fun to have two extra players for our family Turkey Bowl Game!!!!

Actually, it kinda stunk for one aspect that they actually took the TITLE away from Brooks, Aleeya and me!!!!

It did make it a little better coming back to the house (a loser) knowing we had a WHOLE lot of pies waiting for us!

We also had fun guessing the mystery flavor of Oreos (I'm a SUCKER for these limited-time-junk). We're pretty sure it was Fruity Pebbles and we WERE pretty sure we were going to win a lot of money. #stillwaitingbythephone

Little Houston was a liiiiiiittle overwhelmed by all the action at the house. Brooks never won him over but I DID get him to go to me.....however, of all our family he preferred Aleeya the most.

The fact that there's a Turkey Bowl Football-trophy in my living room WITHOUT my name on it for 2017 can ONLY be okay because Brooks and I were able to beat the two Bronsons in doubles in Ping-Pong. Maybe I should put this picture by the football?

I feel BAD I don't have more pictures from Thanksgiving, but probably because Linsey and I were too busy talking, making extra treats, watching our chick-flick or planning our Walgreens-shopping to take pictures.

Maybe next year....... :)

Halloween!

This year for Halloween a few new things happened. Like the introduction of the drill gun to carving pumpins (an activity I haven't done in probably....um 4-5 years? I hated doing all the carving, but now that most can it was pretty easy.)

They turned out cute!

Another new thing is I actually SEWED a (that's a singular word) costume. Okay, okay, not from scratch, but I DID go to Goodwill, buy four different tops/bottoms and combine them to make what Iris wanted to be. 

(Yes, I used a shirt with a chicken on it)

Iris wanted to be DJ from "Trolls". Let me tell you, there are NO DJ costumes. Zero.

Iris was super excited about it until she put it on and I did her hair. She did NOT like the smell of the hair dye and DEFINITELY wasn't going to paint her face like Aleeya did to be "Poppy".

The TRICKY costume idea came when Kellyn wanted to be Guy Diamond from Trolls

you know, because he's NAKED!!!!

So I convinced her to wear a shirt with him on it, gray pants and I would get her hair "just like his".

Well THAT didn't happen but she was THRILLED anyway.

I can't even describe how OBSESSED Everly is with "Cooper" from Trolls. He's not even a main character but she always says, "You're a dude?!?" like Cooper does. I just love this little Cooper

Everly really thought she was transformed into Cooper and OH so pleased.

She's already talking about next year being Cooper again. haha

I couldn't convince Royce to be a Troll but since he's forever stuck in Ninjago-land at least he gets a new sweatsuit. I love costumes that can be useful after.

I DID however convince party-pooping-on-costumes Brooks to be Branch from Trolls.

Well, I bought him a shirt with him on it and he wore it. I call that winning in my book.

The BEST part were my little Troll-twins though and their "connecting hair" like on the movie.

Such a good idea, however not the MOST practical of mine considering they are everywhere....

And I was Lady Glitter Sparkles Seriously.....well I made a shirt with her on it and bought a wig, but really, she's the hilarious on the movie.

Here is the Trolls gang......and Bronson photo-bombing in the back

We went to our church's Trunk or Treat where the Sasquatch was a PERFECT mummy.

First pumpkin-carving then decorating our van?!?! WHO AM I?!?!?!

There were so many games to play and my kids had a blast.

(Apparently Cooper never put on shoes because "he doesn't have shoes in the movie". There goes THOSE tights!)

It was actually kinda chilly there so eventually I had to put on jackets on the babies and they ripped off their hats.....BUT I got this picture right? They were on dum-dom-devouring mode that night.

I didn't get a picture of my Devil-ish Bronson, Packers Football player Camden and Emerson in his full body red suit. Well actually I DID get a picture with Emerson in it, but that red suit is REALLY REALLY tight and......how should I say it, the picture wasn't.....um......too appropriate? Anyway, the night of the party he wore shorts over his costume.

Lady Glitter Sparkles wig was a hit at home too. Here's Miss Iley-May

and Miss Wynn

With my pumpkins, van and some coordinating costumes it MAY sound like I was an overachiever right? Well, not as big as my Mom!!!!! She DREW all my kids on a little Halloween bag for each of them. 💗💗

TOFW

In September I drove down to Dallas to go to TOFW with my sister-in-law, Linsey!

(can we get any closer?....we were clearly excited to be with each other)

In case you don't know what TOFW is, it's "Time Out For Women" and they even give you these letters to pose with. Now Linsey can attest that I had a brilliant idea on which order I wanted to put them in, but the adult-side of me assured me of my age and I changed my mind.... so we just randomly held them up so eveyone else in line could look at us like we're idiots. #missionaccomplished

But I'm getting ahead of myself....... FIRST let me talk about the highlight of my drive down to Dallas: A ROOTBEER FREEZE FROM A&W!

Yes, there are two cups there......I got two on the way down.

and two on the way back....shhhhhh

We decided we were going to be all adventurous while we were down there and use Groupon and eat at one of those places. But man oh man did we SCORE with this Peruvian restuarant. 

No, we didn't reserve it for a private party, there was just no one there.

BUT IT WAS SO GOOD! Thanks to Linsey's time in Peru she knew EXACTLY what to order and it knocked (or "blew" as Emerson would say) BOTH our socks off.

When we got to the place where all the presenters were there was a huge line to get in. HOWEVER, kindness pays off. I saw a lady in a wheelchair trying to maneuver to get to the front. I asked if I could help her and her (older) companion. After we got to their handicap entrance she told me to just stay in line with her.....meaning we got in front of about a thousand people. Well not really, but we sure ended up with good seats. #kindesspays #andnotjustinwarmfuzziestoo 

We got our TOFW bags....

It MAY look like they are just stage lights behind us but they really are halos.....or the shine of our kidless dispositions? Nah, probably halos.

There was amazing music, even BETTER presenters and turn-you-to-butter-Nathan-Pachenco singing.

(and we waited in line to meet him too. Oh yea)

(I'm sure he totally cares what I'm saying too)

These next few pictures are kinda why I shouldn't be allowed out in public....

As we were waiting in line we saw this guy all dressed up.

We didn't know who he was BUT it was Time out for WOMEN, so the fact that he was there must've meant that he was famous and we weren't going to miss out on getting a picture with him!

Turns out he wasn't famous.

But at LEAST Linsey I know we are prepared when we DO see someone famous!

and awesome......like Brad Wilcox! #weareoldfriends #actuallywearent #butwehaveselfiestatusnow

The hotel stay was dreamy, the Texas-shaped waffle was huge and we loved the presenters the next day too!

At lunch we Groupon-ed a Chicago pizza place nearby (with one of Linsey's best friends)

I have never tried Chicago style pizza. 

MIND. BLOWN.

Then I pulled over by QuikTrip (QT) gas station because I MISS THAT PLACE SO MUCH. This picture made my husband jealous.

And then I GOT TO SEE MY SWEET NIECES AND NEPHEW!!!!!

Lucy and Elle are the sweetest

And Houston LOOOOOOOVES me. Like a LOT. See?

Actually he tried his best to get as FAR away from me as possible. He even resorted to trying to climb up his sister's kitchen to get away from me. #starauntstatus

What I'm trying to say is, Linsey and I are ALREADY looking forward to next year's TOFW. :)