Another AMAZING Lil' BanksTradition...

This is my FAVORITE Christmas tradition we have with our kids! Each year they have to spend their own money and buy a gift for a child in need.
They understand and LOVE doing this!!! It makes me so proud of them!

They are getting so BIG...

I can't wait...

... to meet these amazing people FACE TO FACE!!! We get to talk/text/facebook but it just isn't cuttin' it anymore! We are literally months away from a trip to LOUISIANA!

Meet our family, the BANKS...Cute huh???

Doug, is Ben's Brother and this is his Wife, Scarlett

I love them both VERY much!
These are my Nephew's Seth & Stanton and my sweet little Niece, Sabrina

Are they the cutest?

Even 1, 704 MILES away... Doug and Scarlett have ALWAYS made me feel loved!!!

Gingerbread Houses 2011

We are continuing our "Lil' Banks" Christmas traditions (these are the tradtitions that Ben and I have started with just US and our BOYS)... Making our Gingerbread town is just ONE of the many.... Mom's House & Dad / Jensen's Masterpiece Our FAMILY PHOTOJaden's CANDY GONE CRAZY House and Jackee Bums creation!

Ginger-BANKS Village Last year...

"He is SO your Son..."

The other night Jaden came into our room and said "I think my singulair (asthma pill) is stuck in my throat, it's burning and I can still taste it." I asked him if he swallowed it with water and he said "NO! That would make it slide right down." Ahahahaha!!! I looked at Ben and he said "he is SO your Son."

I love you Jaden Layne!!!!

I love the FAITH of a child...

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and, has made the Lord his hope and confidence.

- Jeremiah 17:7

Last week Ben, Me, Jaden, Jack and Jens were all in the car driving home. Out of nowhere Jack said "Mom how are we going to know where Aunt Ruth is buried?" ( Aunt Ruth passed away the beginning of November.) I said "Well honey, Aunt Ruth wasn't buried, she was cremated." He thought for a minute and said "Why did they do that?" We went on to explain that some people choose to be cremated and some choose to be buried. Jaden immediately said "that's what I want, to be cremated." (As if this whole death/kid conversation wasn't hard enough to swallow...) Jack jumps in and says "Not me, I don't want to be burned." Jaden stopped him and said "sick Jack do you just want your body to rot?" Jack (without missing a beat) says "NO! I want to be buried so I can be REINCARNATED!" Really??? Where does this kid come from?

In the same car ride home we have another similar conversation. It went like this:

Jensen: "Mom I want to hug Jesus."
Me: "I do too Jens, wouldn't it be great?!"
Jack: "It would be so neat because even if we have just a bruise, Jesus would hug it right away."

I wish he'd listen to me like he listens in church!!!

My 2011 CHRISTMAS Goal...

Call us crazy if you wish... I just want to remember the calm feeling I have right now as we approach the busiest time of year.

The last part of October while Ben and I were watching TV, a commercial for the list of upcoming Christmas movies came on. I thought to myself (the same thing 99.9% of adults think)

"YUCK...Christmas already???"

I looked at him and said "let's get all of our stuff done as soon as possible so that when we hear or see the word CHRISTMAS we don't have to flinch." He agreed and by that weekend... we were at the starting line.

It has been almost 3 weeks since we decided to celebrate Christmas 2011 STRESS FREE, and I am ECSTATIC to report... not only are we 95% finished with our shopping but, we are done wrapping and we have decorated!!!

I want to remember Christmas as a fun time with our little boys. I want to CONTINUE and MAKE NEW, traditions. I want to give to the less fortunate and most of all I want to snuggle on the couch in pajamas with the love of my life and our amazing little boys while watching Christmas movies and talking about Jesus!

Jensen's Christmas List

A few nights ago I was reading a story to Jaden, Jack and Jensen. In the middle of the story I was stopped by Jensen as he began randomly rambling off his Christmas wish list.

"I want a BATMAN BAT CABE (cave) with BATMAN, PENGUIN & JOKER. I want a COMPUTER. I want a FLIP CAR (?) with YELLOW & BLUE stripes. I want a COMPUTER. I want a PLAYSTATION... a blue one. I want a COMPUTER. Do you think I could have 2 PLAYSTATIONS??? Oh.................... and I want a MUSTACHE."

Seriously... this kid cracks us up ALL THE TIME!!!!

Jensen Dean, remember I will ALWAYS love you like my own!!!!

I'm BACK and giving it 100%

I am so sad that I have let so much time pass with-OUT journaling. Really??? My kids are growing so fast, they are doing so many things, and changing every day. AND... I haven't been keeping a journal? SAD!!!

I decided it is time to (really) focus on what matters most and what I want to look back on. I decided an updated status, how many friends (acquaintances) you have, who commented on what and the BIGGEST thing... who is hurting who, are not memories that "I" want to keep.

So from here forward, this is MY JOURNAL... MY LIFE... MY MEMORIES!!!

One of the many things I NEVER want to forget....

... when Jack is telling or trying to tell us something and he gets frustrated trying to explain he says "everymind" aka... nevermind!!!!

I love you my sweetest baby boy!

Memorial Day 2011

Each year I take my boys to decorate graves of our loved ones. I also started a tradition (a morbid one I've been told) a few years ago of taking their pictures on my Grandma Shirley, my Grandpa Verlo, and Donna & Elmo's (my God Mom's parents) graves.
This year when I got to Grandma's all I could do was cry. I forgot the oil and it looked like nobody cared about her... I HATED every second of it. Since I had just had my double scopes on my knees I couldn't drive myself (my cute Dad took us with him everywhere) Kim took me back up to the cemetery a few days later and we cleaned it up real nice!
I wish I had a picture of the boys with her AFTER!

My babies with my BEST FRIEND, Grandma Shirley My boys with our REAL angel, Grandpa Verlo

My Dad, His Dad and my boys!The boys with Donna & Elmo

(Elmo loved my Jaden)

Can you say "L-U-C-K-Y" ???

AGAIN, it is so wrong that I haven't updated my blog, especially with memories like this...
I have an amazing God Mom, KIM. With her I get Lori... DOUBLE luckiest God Daughter EVER!
Kim is like another Mom to me, I get the great, good, bad and ugly. She is one of my best friends and favorite people in the WORLD, I'd be lost without her. With that being said, my boys ALSO get the love from Kim and Lori. They are always there for our boys from them being sick to not missing a sports event or buying from a fund-raiser they hit it all! They also spoil the crap out of our boys. This year for Easter Kim and Lori bought the boys a basketball standard and each of them a basketball. Now my title "LUCKY" makes sense huh?!

Here is a great picture of the 5 of them!!!
Jaden and his friend Jericho throwin some hoops!
Jack loved the basketball stuff but lets be honest...
He is just not a sports kid! Stephan and Jaden playing a game of HORSE
Jensen patiently waiting his turn!
THANKS SO MUCH KIM AND LORI!!!

Pre-Easter Fun, with-out little Jackee...

This year for Easter, Jack went camping with his Dad. Even though we missed him so much, he sure did have fun!

Jader and Jens

Daddy helping
BANKS - 2011 + FOREVER!

Ben, Jadie & 3 J's

Awwwwe...

I love Jaden's CURSIVE!!!

Never forget Jack!

Jensen LOVES mom!

Our Easter, TWENTY ELEVEN ...

Jaden's Stash...Jack's Stash:

Jensen Dean's Stash:

Jens was SO dang EXCITED for his new bike!

I'm okay with a skate board on the carpet... it's so much safer then cement!!!

Excited about a CANDY BABY RATTLE!!!

Excited for his new shirt! He finally fits in Aero clothes!!!

Morning Easter Craft!

Dad is SiLlY...

but, the love of my life!!!

Dinner time!!!

Jensen at the 3 and under table :)

Tommy at the 3 and under table with Jensen!!!

We had my Parent's and my little Brother's, little Family for dinner. I made Green salad, fruit salad, funeral potatoes, ham and homemade honey rolls! It was sooooo YUMMY!!!

After dinner my Parents left and we all hung in the sun waiting for Jackee to get home.

Bikes, scooters and skate boards OH MY!

Oh and GUNS!

YEA!!! Jack is home!

Come see what the Easter Bunny brought you!

Ready for an EGG HUNT!

Tommy found one!!!!!

Jensey's on a roll too!!!

Uncle Brady helpin' Jack get the high ones!!!

Jack finding the real hidden ones!

Jaden... I see 2 in this picture you haven't found yet! HaHaHa

Looking to see whats in their eggs!

My little brother, Brady's Family!

Little Banks Family!

Jack loving his new scooter!!!

Tommy

My 3 boys and my little nephew on our evening walk!

Jaden and Jack were WAY AHEAD!!!

The little boys were falling behind!

Time to go!

Relaxing after a very fun day!