$800 = $3700 in 1.5 years

If this were a stock investment, it would have been a pretty good buy. Awhile back, I mentioned a certain painter.... we'll call him Jeffery Wallace, who took our $800 down payment and never showed up to paint. He changed his number and moved. I took him to small claims court and won, but wouldn't see any money. So I got a lawyer to help me and took him and his bond company to Superior Court. We won the case and just got our settlement from the bond company last week. Our portion was $1800, the lawyer took the rest (we were happy to give it to her, she did an awesome job). We just wanted our money back plus the court fees we paid and damages. We are happy it's over, we can finally move on.

What we took from this experience was to always be sure a contract is involved when hiring someone (this was the key evidence which won our case) and ALWAYS make sure the contractor is both licensed and bonded. We were able to get money from his bond company since there was no way we'd get our money back from Jeffery Wallace. And lastly, don't give up. It seems like a small amount to fuss over, but it's the principle of the matter. Not fighting to get it back would be like supporting theft, he never learns a lesson and we lose hard earned money.

White Christmas

For the first time in many many years, we had a white Christmas. Jared was so sweet to shovel snow yesterday, he really wanted to do it too.


I can't remember the last time we had so much snow and especially a white Christmas. It made today much more fun, but let me begin with last night........ After the boys went to bed, Larry put on a Santa costume that I got on sale last year after Christmas (I've been waiting all year for this). He went into the living room and pretended to stuff stockings while I yanked the boys out of bed to sneak up on Santa. We were very quiet and very sneaky, the boys got a good look at the "real" Santa (as they say it). Santa turned around and said in a gruff voice, "You're suppose to be in bed." The boys bolted to their rooms and then hid for a second before deciding to sneak another look. Santa peeked a couple of times as well, it was fun to watch. Santa said "Merry Christmas, ho ho ho" and went out the front door. The boys ran to their window to look for him and his sleigh with reindeer. At that moment (a very lucky moment) an airplane flew by. It was far enough that it was quiet and the boys were 100% convinced of what they saw. They are already firm believers in Santa, I'm thinking that will last well into their teenage years. :)

This morning we enjoyed time together before going to their Papa & Grandma's house (Larry's parents). We spent some time there and then headed for Grandma and Grandpa's house (my parents). Some of the highlights are that my sister got engaged to her boyfriend and Grandpa took them sledding with his 4-wheeler. The boys were happy with what they got for Christmas and we really enjoyed time together.

This is what it looked like when the boys saw their "big" gift for the first time at my mom & dad's house.


The engagement....


Trying on the ring (a perfect fit)






They boys were having too much fun to realize how cold it was, David spent 10 minutes with his hands under warm water. We had to chuckle about that because David is our sensitive "creature of comfort" boy. He loves warmth, bath time, lots of blankets, cuddling and hot chocolate any time of the year (even summer). Jared just came in and shook it off, he was ready to go back outside. He is our tough boy, but we all know there is a soft interior - I can still get him to cuddle up to me when we watch a movie. Can I keep them like this for at least 30 more years?

Merry Christmas!!

They keep deleting these off of youtube, but I keep finding more. If it goes off and you're curious, then search for "spongebob christmas santa" and you'll find it.

Santa's Reindeer

We took the kids to a local nursery where they had a couple of Santa's reindeer visiting. They sure love raisins!



In case you happen to notice the mustache on David's face, we have a mischievous elf this year. He drew it last night while David was asleep. Jared got a smile drawn on the side of his face.

What could this be????

If I took David to a doctor, do you think they'd quarantine him?




If something like this could be diagnosed, what would it be called? I asked some friends online and here is what they came up with so far.....
Dalmation Disease
Rotten Banana Disease
Igotasharpieanduseditwhenyourweren'tlookingitis

Play Day!

More than a week ago, we had a nice foggy day and I meant to go out with my camera to play, but I procrastinated and the sun burned it off. So I've been hoping for another chance and today was it. As soon as David got onto the bus, I headed out with my camera for some playtime. I found horses and a vineyard. Here are a few of my favorites.

Just one more :)

I can't help myself, this little baby was just too precious and I love using layers! So here's my shameless project showoff.

All I want for Christmas.....

.....are my two front teeth. Jared will be singing that song this year because he lost his other front tooth tonight. I'll have to put up a picture when I can get around to it.

Two nights ago, I had so much fun with this baby and just have to share a couple of my favorites. He was a little tired when he arrived, but didn't cry or fuss. The parents and I spent some time getting him to go to sleep (patience is a huge requirement when working with babies). It took us about 20 minutes, but it was all worth it.