Merry Christmas

This Christmas I was reminded why I rarely take pictures of my children. It started out with trying to take a Sunday picture in front of the Christmas tree. I finally got so frustrated Pete took over. This picture shows how the process went. At least Abbie and Josh were both looking at the camera in this picture.
For Christmas Eve, we were invited over to some friends house for a Scandanavian tradition.

We talked, sang a few carols, and then were visited by Santa. The kids were all told before we started caroling that if they heard bells they were to be as still and quiet as they could, and Santa may drop by, but if he heard them he would leave. We had a room full of kids and I thought for sure there would be plenty of noise. However, there was not a peep from the kids. They sat in awe as Santa dropped by and left them each a present. You would have thought Abbie had won the lottery from the way she acted. Her night was made!
After the visit from Santa, we went back home and read the Nativity while the kids acted it out using the Little People nativity. Then we exchanged sibling gifts and got our new Christmas Pajamas. After watching The Grinch, it was off to bed. I tried telling the kids that Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep, but Abbie reminded me all they had to do was be quiet like at our friends and Santa would never know they were there. Try arguing with that!

Christmas morning, Abbie woke up with the flu. After throwing up, she felt much better and perked up as the day wore on. Josh and Kelly slept until about 7:30am which made for a nice relaxed morning. The kids enjoyed themselves, while Pete and I enjoyed them. We spent the rest of the day playing with toys, talking with family, and snacking on food.

Thanksgiving

First, we started off the holiday with the kids making turkeys! This was something I remember from my childhood and is a tradition I hope my kids will remember just as fondly. Pete was on call, so he didn't get to join in the fun with us but the kids did a great job and enjoyed eating their turkeys almost as much as making them.

For Thanksgiving, Pete actually had the day off! After not celebrating last year, it was nice to have a Thanksgiving dinner again. We got together with some wonderful friends and enjoyed both the food and the company. Thanks Jamie and Nick for including us in your family!

I am so thankful for all my blessings. I have a wonderful family, both immediate and extended. We are blessed with great friends and all the temporal things that we need. Most especially, I am thankful for my Savior. I have always thought it so appropriate that we start off the Christmas season with Thanksgiving because it puts me in the right frame of mind for celebrating the birth of Christ. May you all have a wonderful Christmas season!

Behold Your Little Ones

I have been reminded lately what wonderful children I have. Each of them have made me very proud and I am truly grateful for them.

Abbie was chosen to receive the Character Acheivement Award at school by her teacher. She was chosen because she showed great teamwork and was a good example to her peers. She also gave her first talk in primary today. She worked so hard to try and memorize her talk. I would find her in her room or in the bathroom practicing all week. We are so proud of her and know that our Heavenly Father is as well.

While Joshua loves preschool, he has continued to be a homebody. No matter what we are doing, he always wants to know when we get to go back home. He has turned into such a big helper. He loves to surprise me in the morning by getting ready for the day without me having to ask. So, he will get up and get dressed, make his bed, brush his teeth, and say his prayers all on his own. He also loves to help me cook and help keep Kelly happy.

Kelly is growing quickly and has found out she can do things on her own. She is talking more and can even say "yes" now (everything used to be answered with a "no")! Abbie and Josh claim she is the best at playing tag and horsey (she rides on their backs). Her favorite past time however, is reading and taking off her pajamas. Oh the wonders of being a child!

Pete's Projects

Since Pete only ended up working 74 hours the last 3 weeks he was able to complete some projects around the home. He made the following home improvements.
-New coat rack for downstairs
-New fireplace mantel downstairs
-New light fixtures in the bedrooms

Here are some pictures of the mantel

Happy Halloween

Halloween seemed to last longer than one day this year. Abbie and Josh both had Halloween parties at their schools. Abbie's school does a Halloween parade where they walk from room to room wearing their costumes. Abbie got to lead the parade and was very excited.

Halloween day was filled with anticipation for the kids and a little bit of dread for the parents. It always seems to take forever to get the kids dressed in their costumes and out the door only to have the kids want to head home because they are tired or cold after only a few houses. This year, the kids actually held up pretty well. Even Kelly insisted on walking and did pretty good at keeping up with her older sister and brother. After trick-or-treating we went to some friends house for a little Halloween get together.

All in all, it was a fun night enjoyed by both the kids and adults. And like most Halloween's, we will still be eating the candy for months to come!

Abbie as a Ballerina



















Josh as Spiderman (yes, again)



















Kelly as Little Red Riding Hood

A Month of Firsts

What an exciting month for Abbie.First, five years ago on September 1, we added a beautiful baby girl to our little family. Abbie Marie has always had a happy temperment and kind heart. She is such a good big sister to Josh and Kelly and my little helper. She is always willing to do whatever is asked of her and tries her hardest to do what's right. She continues to be a bright spot in our lives who will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to!














The day after Abbie's birthday, she had her first dance class. She and her little friend Madi are in a creative dance class which she absolutely loves! She asks everyday if she has dance and just beams when she comes out of her class every week.














The biggest moment (for me anyways) was Abbie's first day of school! I had a harder time than she did. I cried the night before and while she did get a few tears in her eyes when we left, that was it. She came out of her first day excited to go back. Her teacher is due to deliver her second baby in just a few weeks, so I am hoping having a substitute doesn't change the way she feels. My baby is growing up!

Residency Madness

If anyone ever wonders about the long hours and intense pressure residents are under, this picture says it all. Let me explain....Pete and his fellow residents on the Infectious Disease service decided that in order to fit in with their consultants they needed to grow mustaches. I am sure this was done during a very intense, sleep deprived moment - otherwise I have to blame it on insanity.....you decide.

Our summer in a Nutshell....

Building retaining walls and planting grass,
wrestling with dad,
making the kids own pajamas,
lots and lots of riding bikes,
and a quick trip to Utah for Ben's wedding!

(P.S. - does anyone else find it a little wierd that Kelly rubs her belly button to fall asleep?)

Rain

Luckily my children inherited my love of rain......

Fourth of July

We were able to go over to our friends and have a BBQ, fireworks, and roast marshmellows! From their backyard we could see fireworks from several counties. It was fun to be with friends and celebrate since last year I opted to stay home (Pete was on call). Although Pete came out later, at least he got to be there!

Strawberry Picking

Some friends from out ward invited us to go strawberry picking at a local farm. What a fun thing to do. The kids got to help pick (and eat) the strawberries. They have decided they love gardening if it involves picking and eating yummy food! This is definately something we will do next year. Thanks Jen!

Hike

I haven't been to great at keeping up on the blog lately. Oh well, here are some fun pictures we've taken recently.

Saturday we went to Oxbow park (a few miles outside of town) with a friend for some walking. We brought the strollers thinking it would be a paved trail. It wasn't and we ended up having to carry the little ones, but it was fun anyway. We will definately go back a little more prepared next time.

Here are some pretty purple flowers that were all over.

Here are Josh and Abbie at the beggining of one of the trails - notice the lack of hiking shoes!

Madi and Abbie

Happy Birthday

It's that time of year again. Josh had a wonderful birthday and we had a great time celebrating it. Josh is now an incredibly mature 3 year old. He continues to amaze me with his vocabulary. We started the day by opening gifts bright and early and then Josh got to be in charge of the rest of his day. Abbie continually sang to him and they played until they were both worn out. For dinner we had a BBQ where Josh got to eat outside - something he's been wanting to do for months now. We ended the day with white cupcakes and vanilla frosting - his favorite!















We are certainly glad Josh is a part of our family and especially glad that he is patient with his sisters and his parents! Love you Josh!

Utah

We (meaning me the kids and I) made a quick last minute trip to Utah in April. We did the drive in one day (my dad drove with me) and while it was insane being in the car with kids that long, I was glad we didn't have to get up the next day and do it again. It was fun to see everyone even if it was for just a short period of time. Jeff and Steph were kind enough to arrange going to the Hansen Planetarium one afternoon. The kids had a blast and loved being together.

On Easter we woke up to a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny. The kids were so excited that the Easter Bunny knew where to find them. We went to church with my parents and then had an easter egg hunt in the back yard. We actually hunted them several times since Abbie decided they needed to be hid and found over and over again. Thanks mom for being a good sport.

That afternoon we were able to go to a dinner with Pete's family. Bailey was so good to Abbie. It was great to see everyone and how all the kids have grown.

1 Year Old

I can't believe a whole year has passed already. Kelly turned one on April 14 and unfortunately celebrated the day in the car. We were on our way back from Utah so we waited to celebrate a few days later with Pete. Kelly loved all the attention she got from her brother and sister and while she loved all her presents, her favorite part of the day was eating the cake.

Kelly is such a sweet little girl. She has loved the independance she's gained from walking and being able to be one of the "big kids". I have enjoyed watching her grow and develop her own little personality. She has been more clingy than my other kids and while at time it is a challenge, I have to admit, I love that she just wants mommy sometimes. Happy birthday Kelly!

Friends

About a year ago we made the move from St. Louis to Rochester leaving behind one of our best friends. Fortunately, we did this knowing that our friends were planning on moving to Rochester a year later. Abbie and Maddi have been friends since they were born just a few months apart. Then along came Josh and Spencer, and then again Kelly and EmmaLee. We felt like our families just meshed! When they came out earlier this month to do some house hunting I was a little worried about how the kids would react to each other. Would it take some time to get to know each other again? Would Spencer and Josh even remember each other? Well, I shouldn't have worried. They acted like they had never been apart. Abbie and Maddi just picked up where they left off and Josh and Spencer joined right in. I had forgotten how fun (and yes crazy) it was to have all the kids together. I am glad my kids will get to continue making memories with their best friends!

Abbie and Maddi on a walk














Decorating sugar cookies