It's Carnival Time

It was carnival night!

The Porter Family had been waiting all year for our cheesiest of Christmas traditions, the Bull Run Festival of Lights CELEBRATION (minus the lights)

Garth started the night with a picture with our dear friend, Spongebob.
Sommer and Calvin were given their "unlimited" rides wristband and were off gallivanting through the grounds.

The rest of us, headed for the ferris wheel. I really thought it might malfunction and cause the small rusty capsules we were in to drop suddenly to the crowds below...luckily that didn't happen.

Ashton was amazed at how high we were. Here we are at the tippy top, my legs are shaking as we slowly rock back and forth on what seems like a very small and weak metal thingy. No seat belts? Come on!

These two were loving it.

Garth posing in front of the wheel. He looks thrilled.

We will be back next year...the kids go crazy for this tradition.

Happy NEW YEAR!

Perfect Gift

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Novakovich for the perfect gift:

A FIRE PIT!

We love fires at the Porter House.

We had been using an old decrepit pit I found in someone's garbage.

When that turned to ashes, we used a clay chimney pot gifted to us from our friends.

That has since been cracked (due to overuse).

Garth and the boys have wanted a new fire pit forever!

Fires will abound.
Garth is THE fire starter.

Joey likes fires too.

Ethan is the king of fires...

Tonight we had a family smore night. With 70 degree temperatures (yeah, you read that right, 70 hot degrees out), we found it a perfect night to roast in our new gift.

It will be well used

and loved.

Thank you!

Everyone Merry

It all started at 6:00 sharp, maybe a bit earlier as I could feel the presence of an unknown child (gray shirt) entering my room every 15 minutes to check my clock starting around 5 am. The unnamed child was trying to be quiet as a mouse, but with age has come an outrageous light sleeping habit...totally unfair.

I kept them to our "deal" of no earlier than 6 am and laid in bed as they counted down from 5:55 to 6:00 cheering loudly every time a minute would pass. Pleasant for sure. But remembering my Christmas' past, I couldn't deny them for long...

Santa had come!
Everyone was excited, except Ashton, who has been labeled as our "Debbie Downer" child as of late. He is only happy when he is eating candy, getting his way or eating candy.

We were thrilled we extended the opening presents time to a whoppin' 45 minutes this year! Pretty darn impressive with 5 totally anxious kids.

By 7 am, they were ready to go outside.
We made them wait until 8.
Then we set them free to bother all of the neighbors.

Bikes, Scooters, Ramps, Uggs, Legos, Pixos, Air-soft Gun, Paintball Gun (I think some will even be sleeping with their paint balls tonight...think grey shirt)
were some of the gifts given for our good little children.

And they ARE good.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

May your day be filled with pure JOY.

Christmas is Coming!

It is almost here.

Gifts under the tree have been shaken, held, begged to be opened...

Christmas Cards from friends and loved ones adorn our wall and door...

The children are trying to hard to be "last minute good" for Santa's list...

Siblings have earned, shopped and purchased the perfect gifts for one another...

School is out...

The countdown is about counted...

Garth is out shopping at 10 pm...

Sugar is flowing through our veins...

We tell the Christmas Story often...

It is almost here.

Christmas!

Closing the Door on the Cell Phone Saga

I think my cell phone saga is over. Whew! After making three calls to speak with "supervisors," we ended up getting one month of our normal bill credited (a third of the cost of calls made internationally...but I will take it!), and an awesome new phone for $9.99 (brand new Samsung Gravity...in stores for $200). Thanks Brian for all of your expert advice!

My number will be the same so don't worry about changing it.
The one problem I have is the loss of all of my stored numbers! I will be emailing you in the next few days to get yours!

So the moral of the story is:
If you lose your phone, call immediately to suspend your number. It only takes one more quick call to re-activate that number if you happen to find your phone in the depths of your purse a day later.

Our Little Joys: 2008 Piano Recital

I had my first piano recital this week! It was a HUGE success!

The kids were amazing...and the cutest things ever.

Here is a look at all of my scrumpteous little ones getting a final round of applause.

And can you believe these lovely roses...thanks everyone!

Take a peak at a few of them in action!

EVAN:

CALVIN:

SAVANNAH:

GRACE:

LAUREN:

I am loving my role as piano teacher. Fun, fun, fun for ME!

The sweetest little joys ever.