Christmas with the Grandma's and Grandpa's

We went back to the rest home this week to sing some Christmas songs to our new friends, the Grandma's and the Grandpa's. We are becoming regulars there!!

Gingerbread Houses

During the week we were invited to our friend Christie's house for dinner and to make gingerbread houses. She was so thoughtful and gave each of the little kids their own aprons with their names on it!! We had a wonderful time at her home for dinner but didn't have time to make the gingerbread house because of another engagement. So we used that as an excuse to have a few other friends over on Friday for a gingerbread extravaganza!

Owen, Jake, Katie, Ali, Anna, and Kevin were the builders!! I totally cheated and bought the gingerbread house kit.... which included an already built house! All we had to do was frost and decorate. Totally the way I am going every year!!! The rest of the kids had graham crackers and were amazingly talented and putting them together and making them so cute!!!

Emily and Ellika were in charge of the icing!

The kids getting a tutorial from Amie before getting started

Katie and Ali getting into the action...

Ali and Anna busy, busy...

With a little help from his mom, Kevin even completed a great little house

Ha ha.... just having a little lick!!

Not bad for his first gingerbread house!

Jake and Owen concentrating pretty hard on their houses

All of the little creators!!! I happened to have to Joy School box at my house that had lots of extra aprons in it, so I loved that they all had one to wear.

Ellika enjoyed watching the action from the counter top. These bumbo seats are great... have I already mentioned that?

Ta-Da!!! Here are the finished products!!!

December Birthday Party

To be born in December is quite an honor, so on Saturday we had a little celebration for our four friends who turn a year older this month!! We met at the Burger Spot for dinner and then most went off to the Plymouth Whalers Hockey game. We skipped the hockey game in favor of bedtime for the kids! Thanks to Emily for helping me make the birthday cake balls, they were a hit! Happy Birthday Alisha, Ryan, Trish, and JoJo!!!

I did it!!!!

We are so excited for Christmas this year!!!! Only a week and a half before we fly home to the west!!! Family... here we come!!!!!!

On Saturday I was crazy enough to register for a 5K race. It was about 30 degrees outside which was a little chilly! It wasn't bad while I was running, but I think my cheering section got a little cold! Owen was so excited though to go to "Mom's big race". I think he thought he was going to see Lightning McQueen or something!

And here is the proof that I entered, ran, and finished the race! I just started running about a month ago so I'm pretty proud of myself for doing it. I finished in 33 minutes. I had to walk a little of it, maybe a quarter of a mile, but all in all I think I did pretty good and I had enough fun that I think I could enter another one... in a couple months when the weather warms!!!

Tony and Bibe did it with me too. That was extra fun and motivating!! Brian said he would do it with me next time too. Anyone want to watch the kids??? I saw people running with kids in strollers, but I can barely get myself across the finish line. I wouldn't want to be responsible for a little person at the same time!!!

Here's my cheering section. It was pretty motivating to run past them and have them cheering for me. And I tried to run a little faster because I knew they were freezing and needed to get going!

We started a new tradition this year too. I feel like we don't really have any, so this is one that I liked and that I would like to continue. Every night in Dec. we take a treat from the Advent Calendar and take it into the Christmas tree where we read some Christmas books. So far so good. I might have to start collecting more Christmas books though. I think we've been through them all already!

I LOVE Christmas time!!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Owen made this cute hat at Joy School the week of Thanksgiving. He was so proud of it!

Ellika turned 3 months on the 27th and is now in 6 month clothes! Can you believe it?? She is a chubby baby!

Owen cracks me up when he starts playing with a toy he's into. This day it was his lizard on the kitchen flour.

For Thanksgiving this year we made our way down to visit Brian's cousins in Indianapolis. We have been lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with them for the past 5 years. This year was another great time.

Carson and Brady... it is so nice to see brothers that get along so well!

I love the tradition of eating Leland's Banana Cream Pie for Thanksgiving breakfast!!

Hadley, Brady, and Carson loving the pie too!!

As it was getting close to dinner time, Owen was eyeing the pumpkin muffins!!!

Leeland did the honors of carving the turkey.

Yummy!!!!

It was pretty cold outside but we all bundled up and took a walk to work off some of those yummy calories!

Owen did really well with his cousins... sadly Mindy's kids weren't here for the picture. But as always it was so fun to see them all!

We drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to visit Josh and Monica. It added an extra hour or so in the car, but the kids did great! Owen can now knock out a two hour car ride like it's no problem. We didn't even have to use the DVD player until the car ride home that night.

I think Brian and I were the ones that got the most bored! I started taking pictures just to pass a little time.

Ellika did great too. She slept most of the car rides! I love this baby!!!

The boys stayed at the house to watch a little football and Monica and I got a little Black Friday shopping in!!

Ellika had her first Black Friday shopping experience too!

Owen and his friends Miles and Jack

We drove home on Friday night so that Saturday we could spend getting ready for Christmas! Here are the Teddy Bear Elves that watch the kids to see if they have been "Naughty or Nice"

We had fun picking out a Christmas tree too!!

Oh the things we do for the holidays!!!

Here is the tree pre-Christmas lights!

And here is my beautiful little girl! Last night she was "talking" up a storm. It was so cute to hear her little voice!

Singing for the Grandma's and Grandpa's and day to day life

Owen is so into his letters right now. He loves to bring us a letter from the fridge and tell us what it's for (D is for dad etc.). He can also spell his name. If you look on the fridge behind him he put up three words... one is just spelled backwards and a little out of order!

Aren't these some of the cutest kids ever? Yeah, I thought so too!

Is it weird that Ellika looks just as big as Owen in this picture???

Ellika likes her dad too.... but she mostly likes mom! And hello fridge... I totally need to clean it up! Does a toddler live her or what?

Owen loves to color, paint, glue. Whatever I put in front of him he usually really enjoys doing. What a happy kid. We drew and colored a tree and then we glues leaves on it from outside. The leaves didn't stick that great but it was a fun time anyway!

Thanks to Emily (we are borrowing her Bumbo seat), Ellika can now join us for craft time or dinner time and I have free hands!

Today we had the opportunity to go to an Assisted Living Home and sing to the Grandma's and Grandpa's that live there. It was fun for the kids to show off their singing skills and I think the people enjoyed it too. If blogger works and I have the patience for it, there is a little video at the end of this post.

Owen has gotten so much better at physical/close contact with other children! He is even holding hands with kids now!!! Great... just in time for flu season!!! All the kids did really well staying on their little square so they were all lined up to sing.

One of the songs we sang was "B-I-N-G-O" and the elderly people helped us out by holding up the letter signs. It was fun to get them involved.

Aren't they all so well behaved and cute??? By the last song they were wondering a bit, but for the most part they did SO well!!!

At our library you can check out these big books with puppets and other things. So Emily read A Hungry Little Caterpillar while the kids held up big pictures about the book. They loved to participate and stick the pictures on their heads!!

I love the zoo

Doesn't this picture just make you want to be a 2 month old. Even the life of a two year old looks pretty pleasant!

But seriously....

We had some friends over last week for an hour or so. The two girls are the same age as Owen and Ellika. It was fun to have them over, but I never want twins!!!

We went to the zoo yesterday. and I really do love the zoo for some reason. It was a perfect day. A little chill in the air but the sun was shinning and there were hardly any other people there!!!

Aren't these funny little things for them to play with!

The zoo has this new in-door play area that was really fun. This means we can go to the zoo all winter long!

Emily picked up the face paints and decorated all the kids! Thanks Emily!

Here's my little bear!

Ellika was so good to stay in her stroller the entire time, but I felt bad and took her out to play for a minute while we were inside the playroom. Isn't her little hat cute?

All the busy bees!!!

Owen likes to get right in Ellika's face and "talk" to her. Doesn't she look like she loves it!!

Ellika has started reaching for her toys now!! Not with any accuracy of course, but she still tries!

Here are my kiddo's from today. It is fun to see them growing and getting bigger! And that they already love each other so much!

Miss Chubawuba herself!