Family picture

Finally! We got it done! Here we are - 2008. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we are looking forward to a GREAT 2009!

Halloween

This year it was Indiana Jones complete with skull, rock princess and pumpkin. Man did he want to be a pumpkin this year. Once he had decided, there was NO changing his mind.

First day of school 2008

Well here they are - My 2nd grader and my 5th grader. Where did the time go?

Patricia's 10th birthday party

For Patricia's birthday we had a Spa party. Our friend, Beth, brought over all her spa gear and we had a little mini spa right in our living room. A facial, a foot soak and scrub, a 5-minute manicure and a relaxation. Then we had cake (shaped like flip-flops) and the girls went and painted toenails. It was a ton of fun!

Rye's skateboard

Here is Rye's skateboard. It is yellow

and is known as the Bob-bob board. Dad traced the design on for him.

Waiting for the fireworks

We got together with Beth and her family again. Yes we hang out with them a lot. Call them an addition to our family. LOL. Rye made another new friend, Jasmine. I think they took a shine to each other because they didn't leave each other's side all night. The boys played football and skateboarded. The adults sat around shooting the breeze. It was late when the fireworks started but it was a good evening.

Fourth of July Parade

Riley knows what to do when the American flag goes by. Isn't he stinkin' cute?! Of course the Boy Scouts walk in the parade. Lance, as Cubmaster, had to walk too. This year there were only the four boys from Eric's pack though.

Rye's new buddy

This Cooper. Eric's coach's youngest child. He is 3. He and Riley struck up a friendship during practice and t-ball games. It was great fun to go to the park and "play with Cooper". This is their buckethead moment.

Making skateboards

First we had to have skateboarding 101. Joe - seen here patiently waiting to start helping, was the instructor. Eric's board was of course, green. Then his friend Austin and his dad got to build one. And Austin's little brother, Cooper, got to try one out.

Eric's 7th birthday

For Eric's 7th birthday we had a party at the skatepark with his friends. He had a skateboard cake, made by Beth and her boys. They all got to put together their own skateboards (Thanks Beth) and then got a chance to try them out in the park. We also did a skateboard pinata.

Castle cake

My sister and her husband and two nieces were in town in June for the week. We decided to have a birthday party for all of the June people. Araceli requested a castle cake way way back and I told her I would make it for her birthday. Here is my first castle cake. Yes that is a dragon on the cake, made from flow fill icing. So now, my other neice, Norah, has requested a castle cake for her birthday. Thankfully that isn't until February.

Girl Scouts

Well we have officially declared ourselves insane. My best friend, Beth, and I took our girl scout troop camping in Moab, Utah for 2 days. All they had to last was two days. We hiked in the Arches, we cooked on the campfire. They all even got their own mess kits. Unfortunately it was the hottest day of the year so far that weekend and all the girls were melting. We retired a 9/11/01 flag at the campfire that night, sang some songs, made some smores then called it a night. The next day was bound to be hot again so we called it an early trip and went home to the air conditioning.

Boy Scouts

May marked the end of Boy Scouts for the summer, except for summer day camp. My handsome Eric went from being a Tiger Cub Scout to a Wolf Cub Scout. And Lance went from being assistant Cubmaster to full Cubmaster. This next year should be very interesting.

Grass friend

Just in case you hadn't seen, this is Rye's grass friend. We grew these as a Girl Scout project so Patricia could earn her Bronze award this year. Rye's grew the best and even got a cute haircut.

Tball - 2008

Well here we are again - a third year of tball for young Eric. This year he learned to hit balls pitched by coach. It was a pretty exciting year. We definitely saw improvement in his hitting and throwing skills by the end of the year. Maybe next year we will be all coach pitch or machine pitch.

It's a birthday party!

Our Riley turned two and I swear that the moment that happened he turned into the ugly two-year-old. It is seriously his way or the highway around here.

The outcome

Eric took fourth in the overall competition - out of all the cub scouts and boy scouts of Pack 342. He took first in the tiger scouts area. We are pretty darn proud of him.

One of the races

Eric's little green car wins.

My scouts

Well Eric is in Cub Scouts this year. This past weekend he did his first pinewood derby car race. Here is Lance, cub master, and Eric's car. Shhh, don't tell him I put his picture on here.

Our New Addition

For our 12 year anniversary Lance got me a puppy. Drake likes her too. She is yellow lab and golden retriever. Right now she thinks she runs the house. Her name is Kix.

A good beginning to 2008

On January 2 I was able to attend the birth of my new nephew, Jack. It was quite the honor!

Of course then....

Auntie Jen has to get in on the group hug action.

Grandpa Tim gets a bear

Grandpa Tim buys a new bear for every new grandchild that comes into the Witsman household. This year the grandchildren bought him a bear, complete with glasses and fishing outfit. Then it was group hug time.

Christmas 2007

We actually got to have Christmas at our house this year for part of the family. We had Brock and Anne, Grandma Norris, Carolyn and Dewey and Donny (their friend) and the five of us in here to eat at a table all together. It was so much fun.

Christmas Picture 2007

I know its been a while since I updated but we have gotten a new house, survived Thanksgiving and are having a wonderful Christmas so far in our new house. Here's to wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a GREAT 2008!

true buddies

They are truly buddies. Drake doesn't mind when Ry pulls his tail. Ry doesn't mind when Drake licks his face. They can even nap together (yes they really are both asleep).

Our fourth grader

Patricia has grown up on me too. Now a fourth grader. One year left until middle school. Please pray for our sanity and nerves as she gets ready to enter her pre-teen years.