A Necessity

At least, some of the boys make this claim.

We were able to get it assembled on a nice day.

Christmas Morning

Aidan and Luke were up early, but not too early.

This little man was snoozing away in our bed until almost 9 a'clock, when we finally gave his brothers permission to interrupt his beauty sleep.

It is so difficult for them to resist giving him unneeded assistance.

I just realized that somewhere along the way it has become almost a tradition for me to take a picture of the boy(s) sitting on the couch before they open their first present on Christmas morning.

One of these days I need to compile these to see just how far back it goes

I am not sure which they enjoy most, ripping open their own present or observing each other.

♥ Breakfast time - my "6 boys" ♥

Finally, its time!

"What could it be?"

A small box that rattles when shaken...

Luke totally tricked Drew, who believed it was a puzzle... not all that exciting... when it reality it was an entire collection of guitar picks... very exciting!!!

Offering assistance... if needed

  

LeBrons

Christmas Eve

 Such an exciting evening at our house!

The kids are very good about going to bed in a timely fashion; and while they moan and groan and worry that sleep will be elusive, they are in the land of Nod 

almost immediately.

Our living room... a work in progress... at Christmas time.

  

The story behind our stunning tree:

Just days before Dec. 25th, Patrick and I visited both Walmart and Lowes only to discover that the pickings were oh so slim. The trees were either wrapped up so tightly that it was impossible to get an idea of their condition or much too short. After much consideration, I finally decided that the boys would prefer a better tree, so we returned home empty-handed. Sean, Aidan, Luke, and Asher loaded up and off we went to visit a local Christmas tree farm that I spotted online. It was a bit of a trick to find this place, and I'll admit that I had two concerns: first, that it no longer existed, and second, that they would accept cash only. We persisted and eventually found this perfectly charming, "cash only" tree farm.

At this point, what did I have to lose?

So I asked the sweet woman ,who met us in the parking lot, if she had any trees that would fit our budget. She responded that their trees were priced by foot, and then proceeded to show us 1 tree that might fit the bill (needed to be less that 6ft. tall). This tree was GORGEOUS and closer to 7 - 8 ft., and they graciously sold it to us, packed it up , and secured it on top of our van!!! 

It is truly the most beautiful tree we have ever had; and needless to say, I know exactly where we will be heading next year to pick out and cut down our tree!

So excited that the presents arrived in time (Dec. 24th), and they are exactly what we think the boys really want.

 Cookies and milk.

Stockings stuffed to the brim!

Per Our Tradition...

the night before Christmas.

They still LOVE this tradition and look forward to it all year. 

Christmas shopping and dinner with their Dad, and then choosing one gift to open from the brother of their choice.

Sean - 17 years old

Drew - 16 years old

Luke - 7 years old

Aidan - 12 years old

Asher - 3 years old

Around the House

When Patrick accepted this call, we had every intention of renting. We searched high and low, and never found a single place that seemed suitable for our "large family" + a husband who works from home.  Halfheartedly, we began touring homes that were on the market, but again none of them felt right until finally... was it exactly what we had envisioned? No. But did it match all of our many requirements? Yes! We made an offer only to discover what felt like many insurmountable barriers, but one by one they were all resolved. We have officially joined the ranks of proud homeowners for better or for worse.

Proverbs 16:9 states, "A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." 

This house is OLD and with that comes many idiosyncrasies, but there is one thing that it possesses in abundance - STORAGE!

Playroom:

toy closet and game closet

Playroom:

puppet house/playhouse and book corner (which I have since reconfigured)

They are doing an awesome job keeping their toys picked up and the floor vacuumed. 

I moved the bookshelves under the windows, so that the older boys had an official spot to drop off their backpacks when they walk in the door from school, and installed a shoe rack in the corner where the bookshelves had resided.

 Downstairs bathroom:

Not 1, but 2 large closets

I LOVE having a bathroom that I do not have to share with 6 males!!!!

Upstairs cabinet:

guests towels and sheets, swim towels, duffel bags, blankets, etc.

Hard at Work

Luke conquering his addition problems.

Asher using stickers to assemble the alphabet.

I helped him find and sort them, but he was able to peel and stick most of them by himself over the course of a couple of days.

I was floored when I opened this book... just when did they first DUMB DOWN these books, and if children were already not familiar with these words, how would simplifying help matters???

Way Back When

These same friends hosted a costume party.

Drew as Prince Caspian

Sean as Aragorn

Oh goodness, they were soooooooooo cute!!!

"B" Stands For...

Boys, Best friends, Birthdays

A table full of boys ready to decorate their gingerbread men.

Luke and his masterpiece

 Well done, Asher.

The teenagers

Angry Bird pinata

Check out that cake!

WOW!

And the inside... impressive!

How many kids can you squeeze onto one couch?

The Early Days

You know those days when you first move in and everything is still in boxes scattered all over the place. And we were truly blessed with the opportunity and many helping hands to do a lot of work to the house before moving in... ripping up carpets, assembling beds and making them up with freshly laundered bedding, cleaning... 

First things first (especially with a house full of males): the kitchen.

My brand new set of dishes ready to run through the dishwasher for the very first time - Thank you very much, Mom and Dad!!!

Another very important first, especially if you know me: the coffee corner with our new (cheap, but works super well) coffee maker and Nova Scotian memento mugs.

  

Nothing like eating a home-cooked meal together as a family... even if the table is missing.

Trust a 3 year old to find a seat amidst the boxes.

 Napping in the winter coats box. After all, it is super padded and comfy!