Birthday and Holidays

It has been an incredibly busy month. November and December are fast pace for our family with 2 birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and school functions. I seem to be baking, making and preparing for one thing after another. So here's some pictures of what we've been up to these last few months, newest to oldest.

The girls all sang at church this past Sunday. Emily had a little solo. She did really well, even though she forgot to sing the sheep part the first time around and started out singing the cow. It was cute though! They sang The Friendly Beasts and Go Tell It On The Mountain. Ally and Emily sang especially loud. I could pick up their voices both services.

Emily at the second service...she actually was the cow this time!
Allyson had her school performance, and I think she'll forgive me when she reads this someday but is was a HORRIBLE night. LOL! All the kids looked adorable and did a great job. Even though it was preschool, Ally's teacher miss Cindy asked Emily to be the Ghost of Christmas past, present and future. She did a great job. And Ally opened the play by welcoming the guests and announcing their play title. Unfortunately the room was packed beyond the max. capacity. There was no air in the very hot room, no microphones, no music, no stage. So we couldn't hear a thing. The only person I heard talking was Emily. I leaned over to my dad at one point and told him Emily was the entire play. =). The whole thing was utter chaos and a fellow mom and myself vowed to take over the performance next year. This is not my first unorganized play at this preschool. Thankfully her teacher is very capable in the classroom.
Next up that week was Emily's 8th birthday. Her actual birthday was on a Wednesday so I made blue cupcakes with rings on top (her personal request). Then, Mike and I took just her to dinner. She really wanted Red Lobster but that didn't work out with the restaurant not functioning correctly, so we took her to applebee's. She loved the mozzarella sticks, strawberry lemonade and chicken strips. She had a really good time. It was nice to spend one on one time with her.
On Friday, I was preparing for her Saturday party. Actually, I was all week by running tons of errands looking for the best prices on the things I needed. But the actual baking and prepping was Friday. I made 58 Christmas tree cookies. 30 were being wrapped up for her class to take home along with a candy cane, pencil, and yo yo for their goody bags after her party.
My mom and I made Emily's under the sea cake. It turned out adorable and she absolutely loved it.
We had her party at round table. 4 friends from school came and a bunch of friends and family. It was very fun. We played 2 rounds of bingo, 2 rounds of pin the tail on the donkey, ate pizza, cake and ran around a lot!




For her birthday, Emily received 2 Barne's and Noble's gift cards so on Sunday, Mike and I took her to pick out some books before we took her to the movies. It was a lot of fun, she got great books and we got to hang out with just her for a few hours again. Below is her with her stack of books. She couldn't decide between them all so daddy stepped in and paid over $20! He has a soft spot for his girls!
After picking out books, we took her to see Narnia. She was so excited. She had been waiting months to see it. We splurged and took her to the XD 3D showing. It was definitely worth the money. Below is Emily practically running to the theater.
Here she is with her snacks and glasses waiting for it to start. She never even noticed the camera flash she was so into the movie.
After that busy weekend, it was the final week of school. Ally had pajama/game day. She brought Disney Bingo on DVD. It was a huge hit. Then I made pretzel sticks dipped in white chocolate rolled in either smashed butterfinger, candy canes, mini chocolate chips, or assorted Christmas sprinkles for Emily's class and Mike's office. I sliced cheese and used cookie cutters to make holiday shapes for Emily's class on Friday. It was a lot of work but also very fun. Then, after a crazy day of cooking for Mike's office party, it was FINALLY Christmas break.

Below is the girls making a gingerbread tree. It was a lot of fun. They got to frost the star shaped cookies, then I would stack each layer. Then they put on the star and candy ornaments. It took a decent amount of time, little mess, little explanation and it was just a fun time. I think gingerbread houses are fun but I'm just not patient enough with the ages of my girls. This was perfect because you didn't have to be super careful.


Finished product!
Next up...Christmas and Allyson's birthday.

Emily's Story

Santa's Funniest Trip Of All Trips In All The World

This is the story of Santa's funniest trip of all trips. Once Santa landed on a house red and green with sparkles and snow on the roof. Santa looked in the window and saw two puppies looking in the window. He told them, "shh" cause they were about to bark. Then Santa goes to the roof by a sparkly red and green ladder. On the roof he almost slips but he makes it. Then he goes down the roof. The puppies jump on him quietly. They see Santa at the chimney where stockings are hung. Immediately he delivers presents for you and me under the tree. And finally Santa finishes the last stocking and goes up the chimney. He gets in his sleigh, clicks his reindeer and says MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY. AND GOODNIGHT. GOODBYE!!!!! The end

Emily wrote this in school! I thought it was cute.

Busy 1st Week of December

We've had a very busy week. We started the week off with Emily's 2nd grade pow wow, a doctors appt. for 3 of my kids, then Emily's award ceremony at school, then Ally had a field trip to All Fired Up. Busy weeks like this are always nice because they make the week go by fast but it also makes it a little exhausting when you add in the regular day to day routine.

Emily was so excited about her 2nd grade pow wow. She talked and talked about it for weeks. At home, we made a guitar out of a shoebox. We decorated it with feathers and beads and Indian signs. She loved it and used it during their pow wow.

Here she is holding her instrument right before they did a dance.
I thought this was so cute, doesn't he look absolutely bored out of his mind?
Walking around chanting. She didn't smile at all. She was very serious. I think she was nervous.
On Friday, Emily got an award for being a top reader. She's now gotten that award 3 years in a row from 3 different teachers. I think she's ready to get something different but we're proud of her. She's reading over 200 wpm and all the time. I can see why she gets this award.
After Emily's award ceremony I took Ally on her preschool class field trip to All Fired Up. This field trip was a reschedule as the lady who owns the shop didn't show up the first time. Ally was very sad. So today was a big day for her. She chose a butterfly to paint and wouldn't let me help her, not one bit. She had to coat it three times on each side and so we had to take it over to a blow dryer to dry it between coats. She wouldn't even allow me to help dry it. Very independent my girls are! The owner drew a face, eyelashes and wrote her name on her butterfly at the end. She can't wait to get it on Tuesday when it's done being "fired up"!
Here's Ally and some school mates waiting to paint.

Nathan had a 12 mo. check up on Thursday. He weighed in at 21 lbs. He was 10% in weight and 70th in height. No shocker there, seems to be our pattern. He is healthy and doing great. He is mostly sleeping all night now and is a very happy boy. He loves balls and brushes. If he has one of those things, he can play for long stretches on his own.

Next week isn't going to be much better. My first baby girl is going to be 8! That is crazy. The years are not going by any slower, in fact, it seems to have sped up. We are so very proud of who she is becoming. She is so smart and fun to be around. I can't wait to have her big birthday party at the pizza parlor next weekend. Lots of pictures to come so stay tuned! And Ally has her school play that even Emily has a part in. They are doing the Christmas Carol and Emily is one (if not all ) of the ghosts. Ally is very excited about that night. Emily is too, except she's missing the AWANA Christmas party and is learning that in life there are choices that need to be made. It's not always easy, but it's necessary.

Happy 1st Birthday Nate

Man, it's been a super long time since I've blogged. I thought there was no better way to pick it up again than with a blog about my little man turning one. We had a really nice day. I didn't fully plan an outside party because November can be warm or really cold/rainy. But we woke up that day to beautiful weather. It was truly a perfect day to play outside. The kids got to play on the swing set and run around and the adults got to sit and visit. I was sooooo thankful not to have a princess party again so I went all out boy with a monster truck party. My mom and I made the cake for Nate and we bought and re-created a cake for just him to eat.

Nate started walking just before 11 mo. and was fully walking by his birthday. He's my earliest baby to walk.


Nate just waking up from a nap. We got him in his birthday shirt, hat (which he hated), and we were showing him his balloons. He liked them as long as we didn't put him down near them.
His race car/monster truck theme table. I thought it turned out really cute.
The cake!
Nate's personal smash cake. He didn't like it at all.
Grammy and Nana with all the kiddos.
Nana and the birthday boy.
Grandma and papa John came up to celebrate with Nate. We took them to dinner afterward to celebrate Grandmas birthday which happens to be the day before Nate's.
I had to include this picture. Those two LOVE each other, they have since birth and I think they take the cutest pictures together.
We had Tessa, Bella, Jackson, Devon, Kara and Jason at the party. They all had so much fun on the swingset.
Grandma and Papa John bought Nate this Buzz Light year car. He loves to be pushed on it or to walk and push it, that is, when he gets a turn. Rylee, and especially Ally, Love to ride this. They rarely let Nate have a turn on it.
Nathan getting some much needed help from Mommy opening his presents. Can you guess what that is? He loves balls.

Grandma decorated Nate's face in frosting because he didn't even want to touch the cake much less get it on his face. He was less than trilled about this so she took pity on him and cleaned him up.

I am so blessed to have my little boy. Who says the third times the charm? In our case the fourth time is. I think he's going to grow up and be a very easy going person. We love him a lot. And he has the 3 best sisters to share his life with. Mike and I are very blessed.

1st day of preschool, 2nd grade and the dentist

August 16th was a big day for Allyson. It was her first official day at preschool and her first dentist appt. She was super excited for both. The morning of school she woke up and got ready for school. She was slightly disappointed to find out she didn't need a backpack or lunchbox. The school provides the lunches. But she had a great day and loves going.
Right after school we went home, brushed and headed for the dentist. My kids LOVE the dentist. Go figure. We have a great dentist who usually doesn't take kids but if they're really really good he'll keep them. We're 2/4 so far. Hopefully Ry and Nate will be just as easy. Ally's teeth looked perfect and she walked away the proud owner of a new Sleeping Beauty toothbrush and special toy she got to pick out from their prize basket. She asks all the time when she gets to go again.
Here is Ally playing at the first table she could get to. That was right before she had to go write her name on a piece of paper. She knows how to write her name really well but I made the mistake of teaching her Ally and not Allyson. At school they have her write Allyson. She looked at me like, "What's this?" when she saw the paper. She now proudly writes Allyson!
Emily was so excited to show her the ropes and this was Ally doing her own version of hop scotch which Emily promptly taught her the correct way!

Emily is a big 2nd grader. She is having the best year so far. She is so grown up. She's made several new friends and each day so far has been declared, "the best day so far." I love it. She has such a positive attitude this year about school and soccer. She just loves both. She's always liked school, though, so that doesn't count I guess.
Being goofy. At least I got one cute picture.

Nathan

Nate is 9 months and growing by the day. I have been very bad about blogging pictures. Not nearly as good as I was with the girls. He is a very happy easy going baby. He mostly only cries when he wants to be held or is hungry. He learned how to crawl a month ago and loves to roam around the house while I do stuff. He quickly learned how to climb up the stairs. He loves to do that and has fallen backwards several times onto the hardwood floor. It would hurt any kid but he especially cries because he is the biggest baby, no pun intended. He has zero pain tolerance.

Nate weighs in now at 18.5 lbs. I can definitely feel that weight increase carrying him around. I'll be thankful when he can walk.

He loves to feed himself. He gets this resigned look on his face when I feed him baby food but when I bring out a finger food for him his eyes light up and he has a light-hearted countenance.

His favorite thing to do right now is growl. He loves to growl. It doesn't matter what he's doing, he's usually growling. It's always a happy growl, though. It's really cute. He also loves to blow raspberries. That ones a little more challenging as he soaks his clothes.

Overall, Nate is a happy, easy going baby. I just wished he slept all night!