Life Moments: January 2013

Happy 4th Birthday Kate!

Kate has been looking forward to her birthday for.....364 days! She has talked about birthdays and birthday parties just about every day since last year. Last year her obsession was Dora. This was the year of Barbie, so it was appropriate that she chose a Barbie and the Three Musketeer party. We colored pictures, decorated masks, had a ribbon dancing showcase, opened presents, and had cake and ice cream. Kate felt pretty special and I couldn't ask for more. I was so grateful that my mom and sister showed up early and helped me out. Recovering from the flu didn't really lend itself well to decorating or cleaning. We love you Kate! Happy Birthday!

We love you Kate! Happy Birthday!

Christmas 2012

Christmas Eve 2012

Christmas Time Performances 2012

Macy had her Christmas dance recital

Complete with Reindeer hair

Avery had her Christmas dance showcase...

her reindeer hair didn't survive the tunnel

Carston and Avery were in A Christmas Carol as part of an after school program. They did a great job memorizing their lines, and had fun picking out the perfect costumes at D.I. Avery was the ghost of Christmas Present, and Carston was Bob Crachit. Considering the limited rehearsal time, I was quite impressed with how well done it was.

Thanksgiving 2012

What would Thanksgiving be without some homemade costumes from Avery? Followed by a parade through the neighborhood? They were a little short on characters because Kate decided she didn't want to wear the turkey hat, but it was still a great parade.
We had Thanksgiving Dinner at our house for the first time this year. With over 40 people, we figured there would be a little more breathing room than at John's mom's house. It turned out great. I ALMOST ruined the turkey, but there was a Thanksgiving miracle. The kids all disappeared into the basketball court and nothing got broken. The women sat around chatting and resting after a long day of cooking. And we finished it off with a game of baseball in the court with all the adults. We love living close to so much family and enjoy all of the holidays that bring us together for good food and lots of laughs.

Gingerbread Houses

Mommy Skips Town

The day after Halloween, I left town for Texas. All by myself! My mom went with me, Dustin came later, and Chelsey drove to Heather's from Houston. It was so much fun. And so relaxing. And so greatly appreciated. We had one day of shopping, but after that, we pretty much were content to hang out, play games, and eat food. That's what happens when you have two sick pregnant women :) I love my family. They are all so supportive and loving and encouraging and compassionate. They are some of my greatest blessings in life. And I have to give a shout out to John. He is amazing to make it possible for me to skip out on all my responsibilities for 5 days. I love him so much and couldn't ask for a better husband.

Dustin wasn't really that grumpy. He just really loves taking pictures.

Halloween 2012

Grandma Robin had a great Halloween party for the kids. We are so lucky to have a grandma who is always making great memories for the kids. We carved pumpkins. It was pretty funny because most of the kids didn't want to touch the guts. We all got a good chuckle over Kate who was adamant about carving her pumpkin all on her own. She did a pretty good job. Dustin came out and asked who did the bat. I'm not sure that was her intention, but it turned out great nevertheless. We played games and had prizes. It was awesome.

We had a busy day on Halloween. We had our ultrasound that morning, then hurried the kids over to John's work where they filled bags with candy (also took our old neighbor Tara who had always wanted to go). We ran from there to the school so the kids could make the parade and their parties. After that, dinner at home, visit grandparents (3 stops), trick or treat, and back to the Haunted Garage. Carston skipped the trick or treating; he is at the age where working in the garage is better than candy. The girls were super cute at the end, dancing on the driveway with signs telling everyone to get some candy.