ferguson superheroes
Great Grandma & NoahBaker
A picture of Madeline composing. She works better with Mommy's glasses...
Sam's picture of 'Three Red Birds On a Branch In Winter' is now officially hanging above the fireplace. He feels like an "official artist" now. :)
Remembering Olen...1916-2009. It's hard not to have favorites at the nursing home; pictures from spring 2008. 
Armed with my before picture and a smile I walked into the Community Center this morning for the Health Fair. Hopefully the word is out about what a great place Curves is to get fit!!! I know that I need daily inspiration with 60 pounds to go...but not having 85 feels pretty good.
Sam is on the couch telling one of his stories with his action hero figures; I pass by on my way to the kitchen. He is talking, talking, talking & I hear "damnit". I stop, turn around, "what did you say Sam?" I knew perfectly well he would repeat it, I was just buying time...thinking thinking thinking...."damnit" he says, straight face. Amy-Sam, you know that's a bad word right? Sam-Yeah, but I'm telling a story. Amy-It's still a bad word. Sam-But we are inside. Amy-Okay, these are the words you cannot say, inside-outside-or in any story you are telling: Damnit, Hell & Shit, got it? Sam-okay mommy. And on he went with his story. SIGH.
Madeline decided to get married. She got on her wedding clothes, told all of us we could come & then Rob told her she wasn't allowed to get married...ever ever ever! She came over & talked some sense into him. It was sweet...
Madeline is Hannah Montana, she is totally rocking out the show in her new gear.
Meanwhile Miss Madeline has had so many outfit changes today I had to start taking pictures of her wardrobe choices...it is so fun being 4!
Once we were over at the grandparents Noah & Grandma finished the gingerbread train...
Christmas Eve was spent at Grandma & Grandpa's...the cousins 9, 7, 5, 4, & 4 watching out for signs of Santa.
After our afternoon, evening, night filled with food, presents & great company we set out for home. Unfortunately Madeline had left her big pink hippo over @ grandmas. (Not bringing the hippo in the first place was the one struggle I just couldn't face on the journey of getting ready to go over with clean faces, wrapped presents, etc..) Madeline-after a long day- said there was no way she could ever sleep without it; we needed to turn around, yaddy yaddy yadda, we told her NO. She was very upset. Sam from the backseat re-assured her with, "Santa sees you, he knows that you left your hippo, he will probably just swing by grandmas house first & then drop it off when he comes to our place". Sigh. So phone calls were made & the drop off was completed...Santa left pink hippo by her stocking. 
Noah Baker on his way to wake up the big kids 
*Madeline (4) had asked Santa for a tiger cub that purred when she would pet it or super hot pink SPY GEAR to spy on her brother Sam
Here she is with her spy gear and her tiger that purrrrrrrs...Zoe Ferguson is what she named the tiger cub *Noah Baker (2.5) asked Santa for a big red monster truck. 
Santa did not disappoint...it was a marvelous Christmas morning. We had guessed they would let us sleep until about 6AM & that is when Noah came in; I had just turned the coffee pot on when Sam stumbled through the kitchen. We told him to wake up Madeline & we will get started...suddenly it was 6:02AM & we were knee deep in tape & wrapping paper.
By 7AM it was all over...
Sam's artwork for the day: Bigfoot Bone Crusher
The lilac bush bent over the lane almost to Mrs. Houghton's driveway...
So it's Saturday. 5:46 AM. I had hosted the Women's Auxiliary Meeting the night before. I didn't crawl into bed until the 2's. So in my sleepy state I remember looking at the clock & hearing Sam say to Madeline, "Let's just make a balanced breakfast and we won't have to wake up Mommy." "Yeah!"...she says. I'm awake, after hearing about a healthy breakfast thoughts of eggs, frying pans, toaster burns, the fridge left open for the next 30 minutes somehow kept me up. I just stayed in my spot & listened to what happened next. Sam very carefully instructed Madeline to get out the jelly, he will get out the bread & peanut butter. I hear Sam in the cabinet, I hear the PB being placed on the counter & then there was silence. I was expecting to hear the cabinet door shut, Sam hop down, etc... next I hear the loud crinkle of what sounded like a bag of chips. I hear the fridge shut, Madeline proudly announcing, "I have the jelly!" And then Madeline, "Ooooooh yummy! Do we get Cheetos?! " Sam says, "Yes, but we have to be very careful to not have handfuls, and we have to count out ten Cheetos very slowly, and put them on our plate in a row, and then we have to eat them last; because we have to have our healthy sandwich first." So I hear Sam getting the plates; Madeline is reaching for what sounds like utensils for spreading PB & J. I don't hear any crinkle of the chip bag for a few minutes. Once it sounded like all was done & they were digging in I got out of bed, walked into the kitchen, grabbed the camera & took a picture. I told Sam that his breakfast looked amazing.
So this is George. Georgie. Curious George. George of the Jungle. George Frosty Ferguson is his actual name. Santa came a bit early this year & left us a tiny-tot-toy-rat-terrier.
Sam & George get along swimmingly; Sam is old enough to handle him with the perfect amount of fragility and fun.
Dad flew back late Friday night for the funeral; he is staying in Tarkio & came over Sunday to spend the day with the kiddos. It was wonderful to see him & fun for the kids to share George with Grandpa Curt.
Noah Baker & George have a great you chase me & I will chase you relationship. I can see that these two may get into some mischief...
Miss Madeline reading to George, going over their homework. She was actually singing one of her many daily songs about her brothers. :)
This morning we were pumped to see Santa...today! Izik was not so thrilled.
The time had finally come. We had filled our day with as much ice-cube painting as we could do in one day. We needed to go see Santa.
Madeline is just unsure what to think in general...
Hmmmm...
Madeline writing her secret Christmas list for Santa, on it she said, "A real pony".