Happy Valentines Day!

For Valentines Day we were sent some fun Valentines table settings stuff from family. We ended up having a "thanksgiving" dinner. It was really fun. We set the table all fancy with candles and hid candy hearts in our heart nut cups. We all laughed and read the messages at the end of the dinner. Alexis really enjoyed that part. Colbie was being silly the whole time and almost lit her napkin on fire! We moved the candles a bit farther away from her! It was a really fun Valentines, it may even become tradition.

 We got this new love sac and Cade thinks it his personal cat bed! It's so funny to see him up on it because it is huge and he's like a little dot in the middle.

Colbie let me put this cute headband on for a couple seconds before church. It didn't ever make it to church though.

New Year!

Can't believe January has come and gone. The new year is going great so far. We had an awesome December and loved seeing family. I got to see my cute nieces and nephews! Lately we have been going to exercise quite a bit at the YMCA. Hope it lasts! Alexis is taking an art class there so Shaun and I have been playing tennis on Mondays. We found two great babysitters who live on our street so we have gone on two Friday night dates. Not much to do here in town but it really doesn't matter cause it's just so nice to have quite time. Colbie is as wild as ever. Her favorite thing to do right now is climb on the table and couch. She has started throwing little tantrums too so the fun has begun! We have officially hit winter with snow and wind and cold. I love it though. I think it's so pretty when everything is white. Shaun had his 32nd birthday. We got him a dartboard and ice cream cake and had a little get together with friends. I have been sewing dresses for my girls. I have made a few now. I try to find the discount material at Walmart which makes it pretty affordable. Mostly it gives me something to do during these Arctic winters! Looking forward to a great year!!

December

I can't believe that December is half way over. It has been a great year. We are having a mild winter so far. Tonight we got freezing rain and everything was super slippery. This year has been the december of creativity. We found this awesome website http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/ where we digitally made snowflakes and then Alexis and I recreated our designs with real paper. We have them hanging in our windows out front.... super fun! (I'll have to get a picture). I decided to make Barbie clothes and then turned some of my "barbie design" ideas into Christmas jumpers for the girls. I think next time I will find a pattern! We also made some popcorn garlands for the Christmas tree.

Alexis continues to love art and I sit down and color with her almost daily. Colbie is as loving and happy as ever. She hugs and kisses us and wants to be held all the time. It's hard to get much done around the house when she is so active or wants to be held all the time. Today she kept opening up the drawer in our kitchen and climbing inside. Yesterday she found a box of plastic silverware while I was in the bathroom and scattered the utinsels all over the kitchen floor. Other favorite activities include dumping all the crayons out of the crayon bag, rubbing food in her hair, sneaking into the baracaded off kitty litter box, taking all the dishes out of the dishwasher while I load it, and unfolding all my folded clothes. 

Our kids have seen Santa a couple of times. Alexis has informed him she wants a real car meaning a hotwheel car. Colbie liked seeing Santa and was excited but didn't want to sit on his lap. I think most of it is for the candy canes she knows he gives out! Colbie told santa she wanted a bobby (Barbie).

As far as our new cat (Cade). We are loving him as pet. He has been a great addition. Alexis plays with him probably a half hour to an hour a day. She absolutely loves him. He is very social and keeps me company when Shaun is gone. I didn't realize I would love having a cat so much. I guess I thought he would be smelly or shed a ton which hasn't been true.

Shaun continues in his same job. We are hoping to have him work into a day shift position this next year. 

We will be heading to visit family for Christmas and are very excited to see everyone and the new babies that have been born who are growing up so fast! 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thanksgiving

This year I got sick again with the flu. Luckily I was able to still go to dinner. We were invited by some of our good friends the Millers to eat Thanksgiving dinner. It was really relaxing and fun. The kids all played well together and we enjoyed visiting with their family and watching football.

Alexis and Raevynn

Mae

Colbie kept trying to climb up and be by this little boy 

We headed to the zoo on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and the animals were super active. Colbie loved the aquarium.



Our outdoor picnic

After the zoo we tried and failed to go shopping at the mall with two tired kids. All in all we had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Halloween Catch up!

Halloween this year was just about perfect except for Colbie and Alexis being sick. We made sugar cookies while listening to fun music, carved pumpkins, got delicious "daylight donuts", and drank apple cider.  Shaun made his homemade chili with some chili base I canned from our garden tomatoes he got creative and added chunky stew meat and a few other secret ingredients to make it super yummy! I got to go to Alexis's classroom Halloween party as one of the volunteer parents. It was really fun to see her walk around the school during the halloween parade in her costume. We went trick-or-treating at the church "trunk or treat" . We also went to an assisted living center to visit Shirley (an older lady that I go visiting to monthly). Alexis wanted to go to all the fun and scary looking houses. She was a sparkle witch and Colbie was a bee. Colbie loved her costume and would ask to put it on when she saw it hanging in her closet. She liked to run around in it making buzzing noises. The fall weather has been beautiful! It just started getting cold the last couple weeks. The foilage is always stunning this time of year. I love Halloween! What fun ages with my kids this year. I will cherish the memories!