End of the Season

This morning Avery received his basketball trophy. He really enjoyed playing and plans on doing it again next year. After watching Avery, Bryson and Ashton also want to give basketball a try.
Coach Brown with Avery and Victor Brown.
Avery's team had ten players total, but only five play on the court at a time. Avery and Victor were in the same group of five. The two of them worked well together -- two of the three highest scoring players on the team!
Good job, Avery!!

I love a bargain, especially on food!

Anytime I go into Gettysburg I make a stop at the Pepperidge Farm outlet store. It's right on my way. They will often have "day old" bread for a dollar a loaf. Last week one day the manager was working. He and I often talk about our large families. He has eight children! While looking at the bread he told me he would give me anything with a blue slash on it for BOGO, although it wasn't marked that way. My lucky day!24 oz. loaves of bread for .50 cents!
That night for supper I decided to make puffy French toast with our cheap day old bread. Delicious!

I had started cleaning up the meal before Kaden was finished. I was in the kitchen with my back to him. I turned around to see him sucking what was left in the syrup bottle down his throat! UGH! I guess you could say that around here, we let nothing go to waste!

2008 Wagner Christmas

The Saturday after New Year's Day we met at my brother Tim's house for our Wagner Christmas. My nephews received a mini bike from Santa. The first thing the boys had to do was take it for a spin! Uncle Timmy gives final instructions before Bryson takes off.

Avery gets his turn.

It was then time to eat and socialize before opening gifts.

Kaden got more Geotrax pieces from Nana and Pappy.

We gave Mitch this Hot Wheels alarm clock. Turns out he needed one! Maria almost called to give me the suggestion, but never did. Great minds think alike!

Here are my parent's fourteen grandchildren. (Half of them are mine!)

This picture of Nana and Pappy with their grandchildren makes me laugh! Joey is checking out Pappy's bald head! LOL!

My oldest brother Michael and his wife Lauren.

Next in line is my brother David, here with his wife Brenda. Not a very flattering picture, but the best one I took! Sorry Dave!

I'm third in line, sixteen months after Dave.

Here's my "little" brother Timothy with wife Maria.

Mom and Dad

a.k.a. Nana and Pappy

Later I was wishing we would have taken pictures of family groups. This was the first time in years that all 24 of us were together in the same room. Usually one of the older grandchildren has to work.

Thanks again for having us Tim and Maria!

New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's Eve at the home of our friends the Niedererr's. Cathy and I have been trying to get our families together since summer, but just couldn't work it out. We had a great time talking, playing games, laughing and eating!
The kids had a great time up in Katie's room using her computer and watching movies! Katie has an awesome bedroom. I love the handmade fairies she has hanging from her ceiling!

Cathy, thanks again for having us over! We had such a nice evening. You're so brave inviting a family of nine into your home!

He's now a Teacher!

I can't go too much further without going back and mentioning Brady's birthday. He was born 14 years ago on the 13th of December. We celebrated that night with pizza from LaBella's -- Brady's favorite.Kaden became very upset when he wasn't the one blowing out the candles, so Brady re-lit them to let Kaden blow them out.
Every year Brady asks for the same cake -- cherry crumb, so that's what he got. We originally planned on celebrating Brady's special day the day after his birthday, but at the last minute Brady decided he wanted his "party" on the actual day. Ashton helped me to quickly make the cake. We had it done in time, but it was still very hot. In fact, the candles melted on both ends! LOL!!

Brady opens gifts from his siblings.

Earlier in the month Brady picked out a pair of sneakers that cost more than I typically spend, so they were a particle birthday gift. He also got the shirt he had been wanting, a new Moroni tie clasp and a large bag of his favorite candy.

The Sunday after his birthday, Brady interviewed with the Bishop and was found worthy to become a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. He had completed the required goals in his Duty to God book for Deacons. He was ordained a Teacher on December 28, 2008 by his father. The following Sunday he was recognized in front of the congregation. I was so glad that by then he had gotten his hair cut! (I'll try to get an updated photograph so you can see his new and improved look!)

Happy Birthday, Brady Boy!

Who's afraid of a dead mouse?

I AM!!

This morning when Kaden and I went to leave for a trip into Hanover, I opened my van door and there it was! You would never had known it was dead by the way I screamed and ran around the van!

What was I going to do? How was I going to get it out of the van? I didn't want to go anywhere near it! Kaden told me Daddy would get it. I reminded Kaden that Daddy was at work. Kaden then suggested we get Brady to take care of it, but of course, Brady is at school. I asked Kaden if he would like to help get rid of the dead mouse, and he jumped at the chance. My two-year old is so brave! I found a piece of cardboard in the trash and a stick from outside. First I told Kaden to poke it with the stick to be sure it was dead. He did, and it was. Next Kaden used the stick to push the mouse onto the cardboard which I was holding. I held the cardboard with the dead mouse out in front of me as far as possible as I made my way to the outside garbage cans. Now, are there any more? If so, how many more? Avery and Bryson have been asking for jobs in which they can earn some money. I think I've just thought of one! Clean out the van while looking for mice! I'll pay extra if they find one and get rid of it!

More mice!!!

Just when I thought it was safe to drive my mini van without fear of mice running up my pant leg... I found this box of South Beach snacks at the Dollar Tree the other week! Perfect for in Kassie's lunch (she likes this kind of stuff) and also a perfect snack for me on the way home the day I bought them. I must have put it in the compartment between the seats and then forgot about it. A week or so later when I went to put something else in that same compartment I discovered mice also like South Beach snack bars!
They couldn't just eat on one, they had to chew open each pack! Didn't their mother teach them to finish the first before opening another?
Ahh, and yes... more mice TURDS!

The day after Christmas the girls and I went to Wal-Mart just after lunch. When we got there Kassie informed me she hadn't eaten anything yet that day. I purchased bananas and the girls were eating them on our way to the next store. I assumed they had eaten them all. My bad. Ashton had gone out to the van to see if she could find the mice, but instead found the bananas she and her sisters had left behind! No wonder mice love our mini van! Yes, I've learned my lesson... don't leave food in the van. I didn't intend to, it just happened that way!

I have since purchased mice bait. They apparently smell it, chew it open, eat some and DIE! Now the wait.