They Get It From...Being A BOY

So last night we took the boys out to celebrate their amazing grades (they get that from their father's side). They were being so good (they get that from their mother's side). They were being so cute (umm, both sides). They ate their dinner (they get that from me, I am still a human trash compactor). And then they got silly (they get that from being a boy). The kids menus had a fill in the blank story...and well only a boy would have come up with these answer:

Elijah's story: (the all caps is what Elijah put into the story)

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls welcome aboard the BLUE POTTER. I will be your tour guide today along with the marvelous BUTT. Thank you for joining us for your safari adventure! we will be traveling through the POOP desert on our journey today. We are guaranteed to encounter many WEIRD animals, including the famous ELIJAH BUTT the silliest one in the world. We're about to take off, so sit tight and hold onto your BUTT!

Noah's story:

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls welcome aboard the BROWN POTTER. I will be your tour guide today along with the marvelous BUTTCAKE. Thank you for joining us for your safari adventure! we will be traveling through the TERD desert on our journey today. We are guaranteed to encounter many RED animals, including the famous BUTT APPLE the silliest one in the world. We're about to take off, so sit tight and hold onto your ?!

Umm, after they read these, chaos ensued (defiantly from their father's side) and they could not stop laughing (certainly from their mother's side). Boys...the only things on this planet that find these words funny!

This One is For Ashley...

Dear Ashley -
I will never forget the first time I met you. Jim, who was driving his black Honda Civic SI, came to pick me up from work in Salt Lake. I remember running out of the building with a big smile on my face as I ran to greet him however I quickly noticed he wasn't looking at me. His attention was focused on an innocent looking 9 year old, blond, blue-eyed, Ashley who was sitting in the front seat. I quickly observed that you were looking at him in awe and wonder...Uncle Jimmy...the uncle that would play mario kart, hide and seek, and every other crazy game you could think of.

I almost hated to ruin the moment by opening the door but then again I didn't want to stand outside in the cold forever. As I opened the door you looked at me like who is this stranger but you quickly hopped out and got in the back. I remember trying to talk to you and you were so quiet and shy but you instantly won me over by the love you had for Jim.

Through the years, I have watched you become this amazing, smart, funny, talented girl that still puts a smile on my face. I wish you the best of luck as you embark upon this new chapter of life. Ken is a lucky, lucky, lucky man and my hope for you is that you will always be happy together, that you will always love each other and that you can always laugh with each other (frankly I think the last one is the best and certainly the funnest).

Congratulations to the both of you we love you and can't wait to see you!

Love,
Auntie Ann

Miss and The Mrs

This one is for Haley...

The Tradition of Self Portraits 09

okay...just a little bit to the left? or is that to your right....wow what nice eyebrows we have

at least we got Caleb

And laughing so hard Marianne got cut off completely

So the last two years Marianne and I have started a tradition...taking self portraits with a camera that weights at least 20 pounds and then laughing our heads off. So here is this years tradition dash attempt. Maybe next year we will actually get one with US in it!

A Man...His Puffy Coat...And of course, HIS GRILL

You can take me heat...but you will never take my GRILL!!!

I love that he had to shovel just to get to the grill

So as many of you know, or rather have felt the rather of mother nature, we have been on the chilly side of the thermometer...Okay who am I kidding it has been seriously 'snot freezing in your nose' cold here in Brrr-ma-a-ha (aka Omaha). But yet a man cannot stay away from his grill for too long. There is just a magical bond between grill and boy, one that cannot be broken or understood. So Jim has a love of grill...I get it, because I get to eat it...I mean come on, at least he was safe by wearing his apron!

The Rock Band that...WASN'T

The Singer...Suave Dave The Drummer...Jimmy Jams

The Guitar Player...Spence the Menace

So the potters were able to live out a fantasy this Christmas...to be in a rock band because really, everybody, at least once in their life, has thought about being in a rock band. Well, Christmas is all about fantasy so we got to live ours out...guitar hero style.

You know you are in the South when....

...when your kids start to eat everything fried...I know you can't tell but this is a deep fried orange.

...when you go to a restaurant and they employees yell at you "What'll ya have"

...when you go for a nice Sunday hike and find a bright yellow "Lynard Skynard" tribute truck parked right next to you

...when you feel the need to make this face...what the what-what?

Dahlonega...loved this town

Downtown Dahlonega

Marianne, Caleb, Ann and Alyssa

what a cute couple...

Jimmy-Bob...that you?

yaaaa....banjo music!

Dahlonega is actually where Haley goes to school...it is a quaint little college town with lots of fun shops. However we got there at 4:00 on Christmas Eve and there wasn't much open but we still had lots of fun.

With the Turning of 8...Elijah Gets Baptized

Ann and Marianne

Elijah and Mom...

The whole Potter group...notice Jim's nice 'janitor' outfit, I know, I was jealous too...

The family...Christmas Eve 09

The boys...Josh, Elijah, Spencer, Caleb, and Noah...all the boy's who will carry on the Potter name.

We decided to baptized Elijah in Georgia. I am glad that we did as he will not soon forget the amazing day that he had. He decided to get baptized on Christmas Eve and have Josh and Caleb talk with his Papa confirming him. It was a special day for all of us and we are so grateful that we got to share it with family.

Hiking and Riding the Tire...Orange Shoals We Heart You

Noah on the tire swing about to nail Jim...luckily he didn't!

Elijah and his stick and his dirty knee

"we live in a van...down by a river"

Spencer on the swing...

Football in the Yard...this is why I love Georgia

Spencer made a touch down!

getting ready for the play

And HIKE

The boys were playing football while it was dumping snow in Nebraska...how can you not love a place where you can play football outside 2 days before Christmas!

Christmas in Georgia 09

Josh and his 'gingerbread dump' aka our mexican shantee town...complete with...

the broken down house...

the worm garden...

and other adobe like structures only to be eaten...by Spencer of course

And we even had our church that Caleb made...only to be eaten by Spencer of course!

Spencer being...well Spencer

If you have ever wondered what it is like to raise Spencer, well, this picture sums it up...all his glory can be summed up with 4 q-tips. BTW the next picture was of him putting the q-tips from his nose into his mouth...I just couldn't put it up, it makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth every time I see it!

Pictures of the Past...well 2009 Past

Noah and Elijah...brothers, crazy face makers, piano players extraordinaire!

Noah announcing what he was playing...I can't believe I forgot to tell him to take off his coat, oh well he did amazing!

Elijah in his new blazer and tie...yes, yes he is the fashion divo I always hoped for!

Piano recital...it was the first, and most definitely not the last!