Christmas 2011

Our Christmas morning began with opening presents at 7am!  We each open one gift at a time to allow the moment to last a bit longer.....

Their faces are full of joy, while the little one wants to help open all the presents.  It's all so precious and priceless!

With little sleep, even Mom & Dad wouldn't trade these moments for the world!

Then, off to church to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas!  Have a wonderful Christmas season everyone!

Birthday Girl!

     


Our little girl turned 5 years old today!

Our family tradition is to serve breakfast in bed.  She chose mini waffles with syrup, fresh fruit, and milk.

After a busy day at school with piano lessons and another party, she wanted McDonalds for dinner.  Yeah - we were all so thrilled....  Anyway, ate some nuggets & apple slices, played with the happy meal toy, then off to gymnastics.






Finally, we're home for the night and we get our family time to open presents and eat cupcakes!    These are the memories of being a mom, and I wish time could stand still....  :)

             

Christmas Program

Our little one had her annual Christmas program on Sunday. The alter was decorated beautifully, and the students marched in perfectly.

This first clip is one of her 3 class' songs. They just sang one, played hand bells on another, and then this final song. You've probably heard the 12 Days of Christmas, but I'll bet never like this!

http://youtu.be/ULFin4v9COo

This last clip below was supposed to be showing off the talented voices of the staff while the children clapped along. However, one of the students decided to dance, and others eventually began to dance as well. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgNMn2Gi5tM

Zoo Birthday Party

Our little girl is turning 5 this week, and with gorgeous weather, we decided to have her party at the zoo!














With 12 boys & girls, all running from exhibit to exhibit, the parents took turns on who had to run to catch up!

They saw elephants, giraffes, orangutans, and lions, each more alert than I've ever seen them before. I guess the cooler weather made them more active.

The kids looked so cute pressing their little noses & cheeks against the glass. I can just imagine all those finger prints.

We had time to play on the playground before eating cupcakes and opening presents.

Before we sang the birthday song, everyone had to wipe their hands with wipies & germex. Not that any of them needed it, though. :)

Then, lots of icing on the faces to clean up!

Afterwards, the birthday girl enjoyed opening up all the presents! She got Barbies, Dora legos, games, a doll, and a cute outfit. She talked all the way home about how she was going to play with them all.

Breakfast with Santa

We enjoyed waking up last Saturday morning and starting off our day with a wonderful breakfast with Santa!











The physicians plan this for all the employees and it's such a great time for all the kids (and parents, too!).













There are crafts like cookie decorating and making ornaments, then the best part, talking to Santa!

What a wonderful morning to kick off a beautiful Christmas season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As you gather with family this week to cook the turkey........

Prepare the vegetables and side dishes..........





Add secret spices to the cornbread dressing.....









And bake the pumpkin pies......

Remember to give thanks to the Lord for all the loved ones in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Campout

Our oldest wanted to go camping with some friends for her birthday, so why not? It was going to be a cold weekend, and most had never camped before, so we packed the gear, bought some groceries, and away we went. Except for the cell phones (so each could call home to assure they hadn't been attacked by a bear), it was an electronic-free weekend!

They each received a "camping pack" upon arrival. This contained a bandanna, whistle, glove & sock warmers, and a plastic bowl. Each item would be needed during the outing.

For dinner, we brought chicken breasts with a variety of spices and condiments. We prepared our meat to each individual preference, then wrapped in foil and placed over the fire. While they cooked, we enjoyed salad and dinner rolls baked in our box oven.

After dinner, dishes, and a hike to the restroom facilities, it was time to get all snuggled in 200 lbs of hats, gloves, sleeping bags & blankets. But at 35 degrees, they were all needed.

It was a cold night, but the warm egg & cheese sandwiches made a perfect breakfast. Since we woke up early, the girls had time for one more nature hike while Mom got everything packed up.

On the drive back, still wearing bandannas and smelling like campfire smoke, the group decided we needed to eat again (teenagers!). So, we stopped off at a pizza buffet.

Happy Birthday (my not so) little girl!

Spirit Week

The little one had spirit week at her school. Each day of the week was a different theme. Not only was it a fun activity for the school, but the parents really enjoyed it. All the kids hopped out of bed each morning and was excited about getting ready for school!

First was "crazy hair day". We teased her bangs and put in 5 poney tails.

Day 2 was PJ day. Her big sis braided her poney tails the night before so that all she had to do in the morning was potty & brush her teeth.

The next theme was sports day, and she had plenty of soccer & gymnastics outfits to choose from. But, like her big sis, she wanted to wear volleyball. Those knee pads were so big on her they just kept falling to her feet.

It was a fun week, and as you can tell, she wasn't shy about posing for pictures! :)

Mature Decisions

After the trip to Carowinds, our son decided to make the best of a long week. It was a 5-day weekend where the kids were out of school, but with no TV, no friends, no electronic games, and no cell phone, what is a kid to do?

Since computer use for educational purposes was allowed, he learned to play piano. He plays not by reading music, but by listening to the notes and watching his hands. The songs are amazing!

He also decided to take up running for exercise. Even in the rain, he was diligent with his workout. All this training gave him his best time ever in a 5K: 25 min! Awesome!

And the best for last- he now loves to read! In just one month, he has gone through three 400+ page novels and is asking for a fourth for Christmas! I have never seen him so excited about books!

Once it was time to play outside again with friends, he definitely made up for lost time. But, the new hobbies he gained that week are still a part of him, and I couldn't be more proud.

Carowinds

In October we made our annual trip to Carowinds in North Carolina. The weather was perfect, and so were the crowds! No waiting in line and you could even stay on the ride over & over again!!

The two youngest enjoyed kiddie town while Mommy, Daddy, & the oldest rode roller coasters.

By the end of the day, we were all ready to leave, exhausted, head spinning, and feet sore. We're good now until next year!