CHRISTMAS COOKIES

ALAINA AND HER FAMILY CAME OVER THE WEEK OF X-MAS SO WE COULD MAKE SOME YUMMY COOKIES FOR SANTA. SHE BROUGHT A PIZZA FOR DINNER AND THEN THE BOYS LEFT AND US GIRLS GOT BUSY BAKING AND DECORATING. JUST LOOK HOW MUCH FUN WE HAD WITH ALL THE FLOUR AND CUTTING OUT THE COOKIES.... KAMBRIA, SIENNA, LEXIE, AND I DID ALOT OF GIGGLING WHIL ALAINA WAS BUSY CHASING HER LITTLE MS. ARIAH...FOR BEING ONLY 20 MONTHS SHE IS A LITTLE BUSY BEE.... SHE HAD US LAUGHING ALL NIGHT LONG. SHE FOUND THE TOILET AND PLAYED IN THE BLUE WATER... PUT A WHOLE ROLL OF TOILET PAPER IN THE TOILET...FOUND LOTION AND SQUIRTED IT ALL OVER THE CARPET...HELPED DECORATE THE COOKIES BY POURING ALL THE COLORED SUGAR EVERYWHERE...YEP SHE IS A BUSY ONE!!! THE 3 OLDER GIRLS HAD FUN PLAYING WITH EACHOTHER WHILE THE COOKIES WERE IN THE OVEN AND THEN COOLING OFF. ( OF COURSE THERE WERE SOME MELT DOWNS...WE HAD 3 GIRLS TOGETHER )KAMBRIA AND SIENNA DOING A GREAT JOB DECORATING....AND HERE IS MY LITTLE LEXIE WITH HER COOKIES ALL DECORATED AND READY TO EAT... FOR SANTA CLAUSE OF COURSE....

LEARNERS PERMIT

ON CHRISTMAS EVE ZACH HEADED UP TO THE DMV TO TAKE LEARNERS PERMIT TEST. HE PASTED WITH A 92%. HE WAS SO EXCITED!! KINDA FREAKS ME OUT TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND HAVE HIM DRIVE ME AROUND. LOL..... WE HAVE BEEN LETTING HIM DRIVE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OUT HERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT ITS A WHOLE NEW BALL-GAME NOW THAT HE CAN LEGALLY DRIVE ON THE ROAD WITH TRAFFIC. I REALLY DONT WANT MY KIDS TO GROW UP BUT I CANT REALLY STOP THEM EITHER. SO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE ON THE ROADS AND WATCH OUT FOR THE SILVER COROLLA!!!!

ZACH TURNS 15

ZACH TURNED 15 ON DEC 12,2009. HE IS SUCH A TERRIFIC SON. NEVER WANTS MUCH FOR HIS BIRTHDAY. HE DIDNT WANT A PARTY OR ANYTHING BUT HE DID REQUEST THAT HIS BUDDY JORDAN COME OVER AND SPEND THE WEEKEND. ON HIS BIRTHDAY NIGHT WE RENTED A FIGHT ON TV AND SOME OF JEFFS FRIENDS CAME OVER AS WELL. THEY ALL ENJOYED PIZZA AND THE YUMMY BIRTHDAY CAKE THAT GRANDMA GRACE MADE FOR ZACH. ZACH HAS BEEN WANTING A GUITAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND HE WAS STOKED THAT HE GOT ONE FOR HIS B-DAY. ZACH GOT A COUPLE GAMES FOR HIS XBOX AND IF YOU KNOW ZACH HE IS MR FASHION... SO INSTEAD OF GIVING HIM A GIFT CERTIFIATE TO ZUMIEZS... I BROUGHT ZUMIEZS TO HIM. HE GOT A BUNCH OF CLOTHES AND ALSO WENT SKIING THE NEXT DAY.
AWESOME VANS SHIRT
A NEW VOLCOM HAT... HIS NEW GUITAR...A VISIT FROM GRANDMA AND GRANDPA STREBEL...
AND OF COURSE A HUG FROM HIS MOM!!! YOU KNOW, I CANT BELIEVE HE IS 15. JUST BLOWS MY MIND. I COULDNT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER SON. HE IS ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS. LOVE YOU ZACH! XOXO

CHRISTMAS KIDS

I THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE MY OWN PICTURES FOR THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS CARDS. FOR HOW CRAPPY MY CAMERA IS AND THAT I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL I DID ALRIGHT. IT HELPS THAT MY KIDS ARE SO STINKING CUTE.....

BLACK FRIDAY

I FORGOT TO POST ABOUT MY ANNUAL BLACK FRIDAY!!! SILLY ME.... I JUST LOVE ALL THE THANKSGIVING ADS! I SPEND HOURS LOOKING AT THEM OVER AND OVER! THIS YEAR KYLEE PICKED ME UP AT 3:10 AM AND WE WERE BOTH SO EXCITED....WE MET UP WITH CRYSTAL AND TASHA AT JC PENNYS AT 3:30AM. IT WAS TASHAS FIRST BLACK FRIDAY. I THINK SHE WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AT ALL THE PEOPLE AND I AM PRETTY SURE SHE WAS IMPRESSED WITH OUR SHOPPING SKILLS!! HEHEHE..... I GOT EVERYTHING I WAS LOOKING FOR, KYLEE GOT SHOT DOWN ON A COUPLE OF HER ITEMS DUE TO THE LONG LINES. THEY WERE HORRIBLE! WE GOT TO TARGET AT 4:20AM... TARGET OPENED AT 5 THIS YEAR AND THE LINE WRAPPED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE STORE AND WAS HEADING DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD THE DRIVE IN MOVIES. YEP WE WERE NEAR THE END OF THAT LINE! I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING WE ARE STUPID BUT WE JUST LOVE ALL THE ANTICIPATION AND ALL THE PEOPLE! WE SHOPPED TILL 11AM. THIS YEAR AND I GOT ALL MY CHRISTMAS DONE!!! YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE! THIS IS TASHA, CRYSTAL, KYLEE AND MYSELF AT 5:45 AM AT SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE. IT WAS SOOOOO FREAKING COLD! ANYWAYS, AFTER A FULL MORNING OF SHOPPING KLYEE AND I DECIDED TO HANG OUT AT HER HOUSE. THE KIDS PLAYED WHILE KYLEE AND I WORKED ON SOME CHRISTMAS PROJECTS FOR HER FAMILY. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AND THE PROJECTS REALLY TOOK ALL NIGHT THAT LEXIE AND I DECIDED TO SPEND THE NIGHT. WE MADE A FORT FOR THE KIDS AND THEY FELL ASLEEP SO FAST! THEY PLAYED SO HARD THAT DAY! FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WONDERING ...WHAT ABOUT THE HUSBANDS? WELL, THE HUBBIES GO TO THE SAND DUNES FOR AN OVERNIGHTER WHEN US GIRLS GET BACK FROM SHOPPING. YOU KN0W ITS FUN STILL HAVING SLEEPOVERS WITH YOUR GOOD FRIENDS WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT. THANKS GIRLS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SHOPPING TRIP AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR!

DECORATING THE TREE

LAST NIGHT I BAKED SOME YUMMY APPLES WITH SUGAR N CINNAMON AND THE KIDS AND I DECORATED THE CHRISTMAS TREE. LEXIE LIKE TO GROUP ALL HER ORNAMENTS IN ONE AREA....LOVE IT!!!! ZACH LIKES TO REMIND LEXIE THAT THERE IS A WHOLE TREE TO HANG THE ORNAMENTS ON! I JUST SAT BACK AND LAUGHED AS MY 2 KIDS WOULD ARGUE (LIGHT-HEARTEDLY) AS TO WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO PLACE THEIR DECORATIONS! JEFF WAS SICK SO HE DIDNT COME OUT OF THE BEDROOM. BUT THE KIDS AND I HAD A GOOD TIME TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT DECORATIONS AND ENJOYED OUR YUMMY TREAT!!! I LOVE MAKING MEMORIES WITH MY KIDS....WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!

Thanksgiving Day

WE ENJOYED OUR THANKSGIVING DAY HERE AT THE STREBEL HOUSE! WE STARTED OUR MORNING OFF WITH OUR ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSES! WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE ZACH WAS PROBABLY 4. THIS YEAR THEY PICK OUT TRAINS TO DECORATE.... LEIXE ALWAYS NEEDS HELP GETTING THE FRAME UP AND AFTER THAT SHE IS CANDY GUNG HO!!! YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES.....A LITTLE CANDY ON MY PROJECT AND A WHOLE LOT IN THE BELLY! ZACH STILL ENJOYS DOING THIS LITTLE PROJECT AND HE IS REALLY GETTING CTREATIVE WITH ALL THE CANDY. MY TWO KIDS DID A FANTASTICE JOB ON THE TRAINS THIS YEAR! I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH CANDY MADE IT ONTO THE TRAINS BUT THEY SURE HAD A FUN TIME DECORATING THEM. WHILE ZACH AND LEXIE WERE DECORATING THEIR TRAINS JEFF AND I WERE ABLE TO GET THE TURKEY IN THE OVEN. ANDY, TAYA, MICHELE, AND CODY CAME OVER EARLY. WE HAD SOME DRINKS AND DID A WHOLE LOT OF LAUGHING. MY STEP-BROTHER, JASON, AND HIS GIRLFRIEND ,CELSTE AND HER DAUGHTER JASMIN CAME OVER LATER ON IN THE DAY. DINNER WAS FABULOUS MINUS MY PARENTS ( THEY WERE IN CALIFORNIA) FOR THE HOLIDAY. SO THIS PICTURE IS FOR THEM.... AFTER DINNER OF COURSE CAME THE APPLE AND PUMPKIN PIES!!! OH MAN THEY WERE SO YUMMY! LATER ON IN THE EVENING OUR FRIENDS BRIAN AND "ROXY" (AKA STEPH) CAME OVER FOR SOME DRINKS! WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT THE ADS FOR BLACK FRIDAY! SOME OF MY CO-WORKERS FROM TIMBERMINE WERE OVER AT GINAS AND RICKYS SO WE LOADED UP THE CARS AND HEADED OVER FOR SOME COCKTAILS AND GAMES. LEXIE RAN AROUND WITH ALL THE OTHER MILLION KIDS AND ZACH HUNG OUT IN THE GARAGE PLAYING ROCK BAND ON THE HUGE PROJECTOR TV! THIS IS A GROUP SHOT OF ALL THE GIRLS. I JUST LOVE ALL MY FRIENDS! THEY ARE SO AWESOME! YOU KNOW I REALLY ENJOYED MY THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR....MY 2 KIDS, MY WONDERFUL HUBBY, MY BROTHER, MY NIECE, AUNT MICHELE, CODY, AND MY FABULOUS FRIENDS! IT REALLY DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.....I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TURKEY DAY!