Merry Christmas!!

So many Playmobils, so much wrapping paper.

So much JOY.

Helen gave me the best gift any mother can hope for:  Life-sized Christmas wreath earrings.  Because five kids in tow and a huge white van doesn't draw enough attention.  You better believe I wore these to Mass today and every Christmas Mass for all of eternity.

Feel free to enjoy these photo outtakes of us trying to get a nice shot in front of the manager with all of our winter coats on.  (It's really just me trying to pry the hair out of my gorgeous earrings.)

Christmas Eve

My friend Kasia was born in Poland and moved to America when she was twenty.  I'm glad our paths crossed because she is awesome and an excellent cook!  The last several Christmas Eves, she has invited friends over and cooked an authentic Polish Christmas dinner.  I don't have the vocabulary to describe how wonderful she makes Christmas Eve!

Martin & Katherine resting up.

The little kids dressed up and put on a play.

Martin reading the Christmas Story.

Katherine was an angel!

Look at all of those kids!!

Santa's cookies.

Forty-One

As you can see by this cake, I turned forty-one.

I'm officially in my forties.

My family bought me a record player and a couple of my kids are mesmerized.  They even holster their weapons.

Ballerina Helen

Still going strong.

O Christmas Tree!

Here are some action shots of us finding this year's Christmas tree.  The kids really wanted the red one, which I would have agreed to, except Brian said Christmas trees are always green.  Who knew?

Also, some kid threw his (or her) sippy cup way up into our green tree.

Saint Nick!

Saint Nicholas was here!

Sleepover - Helen Style

Can you spot the impostor?

Thanksgiving - Part II

Remember that text our friend sent yesterday?  The one about joining them for Thanksgiving if our plans were cancelled due to the weather?  Well, we took them up on it.

Their family and extended family is so big, they host their Thanksgiving at the community center in town.  They also invite so many friends and I'm so glad they included us.  Even though it wasn't our original plan, we still had a great time!

The Thanksgiving That Didn't Happen

Ever year our family looks forward to driving to Omaha to spend Thanksgiving with some of our favorite people, the Dziowgos.  Last year's plans were cancelled due to their family having respiratory illnesses and pneumonia.  So of course we couldn't wait to get there this year.

Earlier this week the weather was starting to look questionable with snow, ice, and wind.  But the news likes to instill panic and fear when it comes to the weather, so Brian & I ignored it.  When other people started cancelling their Thanksgiving plans, we thought they were crazy.  Another family texted Brian and said If you guys don't go to the Dziowgos, come down to our Thanksgiving.  We laughed at that.  The Logues are never afraid of the weather.

This morning, my family woke up early and started loading our stuff into the van.  I had a huge bag full of board games, M&Ms, and an awesome apple pie.  The roads were clear in town and we stopped at the liquor store before getting on the highway.  I even texted Kati to tell her we were heading out and we would see her in about six hours.  I think I even sent her this picture:

Locked, Cocked, and Ready to Rock.

I grew up in Northwest Indiana on Lake Michigan pretty close to Chicago.  Never have I ever been spooked about the weather.  Never.  

Thirty miles into Minnesota, we turned around.  It was that bad.  Several cars in the ditch between the lanes, snow drifts like I've never seen before, and it was so windy that I thought my van was going to tip, or worse if we slid into the ditch ourselves.  There was no way I was going to sit in a ditch, in a van, with one angry husband and five obnoxious kids while we waited for a tow truck capable of pulling out my twelve seat passenger van.  No thanks.

We turned around and told the kids (over their screaming protests) we were going to Family Restaurant instead and they could order whatever they wanted, including something else to drink besides water.

Disappointment.

And then we went home to ready this book one thousand more times.

That Mayzie bird is so damn selfish.

Friends!

Two doctors, an engineer, an IT guy, a fundraiser, and three stay at home moms walk into a pizza place without their combined twenty children....

....and ask for another round.

(Really I just wanted to archive this picture. I doubt this will happen again for a very long time.)

Helen Clare

You would think I named her after her favorite store....

(Hours of my life have been lost in here.)

Eagles (and not Joe Walsh)

 Brian, Martin, my dad, and a friend spent the weekend in South Bend, Indiana for the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game.  Meanwhile, that friend's wife and I, plus our combined seven children drove to the Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota.  In my opinion, this was much cooler than the International Owl Center.  The Eagle Center is located right on the Mississippi River and you can watch bald eagles fly around and see their nests in the trees.

We were also able to see some eagles up close and personal, which the kids loved!  I don't ever remember hearing an eagle make a noise, but the sound they make is like a weak scream or a low pitch laugh.  It definitely gets your attention!

There are so many things to see and do inside the actual center.  Two of my favorite things were the life sized eagle's nest and the eagle vision goggles.  Not only that, but there was a great presentation on bald eagles.  I'm not kidding, it was fantastic!  I would recommend making the beautiful drive up to Wabasha!

Helen & Sophia's outside observation.

One of the eagles.

Eagles Nest!

Liquid Lunch

Uh oh.  I sense attitude...

Ohio Meets Wisconsin

When Rick and Sheree come to town, my kids are on their best behavior.

I wish the Krassows lived with us.

Snow Fits

When you have a lot of kids, there tends to be a lot of fighting and tantrums (and that's just from the parents. Ha!).  Helen was outside with the boys trying to build a snowman that wasn't stacking the way she wanted it to, plus the boys kept knocking down whatever progress she did make.

I thought the entire thing was ridiculous and went outside to get a hold of the situation.  The next four pictures are live shots of Helen throwing a 

Nine Year Old Girl Fit.

I intend on showing these to her first boyfriend.

(Love you Helen)