Helper elves

The good weather allowed us to get lights on the house and the kiddos and I got the tree decorated and ready to go today.  Bless Ryan who spent Friday night getting my prelit tree to be 100% lit instead of 75%, and who handled outside light duty.

Thanksgiving

My mom just can't keep a secret.  Doesn't matter if its related to a Christmas gift or a piece of information.  So it was no surprise to me to learn that the recipients of the Christmas aprons became Thanksgiving aprons because she had them done and couldn't wait.  She'd been working hard on them and sewing like crazy to get them done; and then the next thing we know everyone is wearing their aprons and running around.  They look good, Mom--upside down cupcakes and all :)

Christmas Cards past

I am going through old pictures and I have saved Christmas cards we gave received since we have been married.  I feel old as the first few years we received cards from single couples with vacation photos, and now they are family pictures with like 4 kids per family!  I am keeping them by year with the letters and such by punching a hole in the corner and running a ribbon through them to make a grouping with our photo card on top.   Luckily I have a card from each year I have done a photo card.  I'm going to store them with our Christmas decorations and keep them in a basket to look at for fun best the new cards.  It'd fun to see how so many people have changed.

Oh its been a while. . .

I realized I haven't posted in quite a while.  My goal was to keep this updated and get the blog published on an annual basis into the photobooks I see advertised for blogs.  Probably not going to work so well for 2012!  Some things I want to remember from the recent weeks:

• The giggling squeals of my two children on weekend mornings as they run and play in their pjs.  Paige looked at me today and told me she loved playing with her little brother.  Lets keep in mind she also called him a maniac baby later in the day when he was taking her stuff.  I had to correct her and say he's not a baby anymore. 
• Cooper is becoming quite a talker--not super clear, but too us its seems like leaps and bounds each week as more words are clear and the sentence structures are expanding.  He'll randoming say a complete sentence and then Ryan and I will look at each other dumbfounded--like, did I really  hear that?
• Cooper is OBSESSED with Toy Story.  I think I can literally repeat all three movies word by word if I had to.  Plus, we have pjs, a blanket, a pillow, etc.  He likes Buzz more than Woody which I find odd since we live with a real cowboy; but maybe that's why a space guy is cooler.
• Paige is reading everything in site, and I did not know first grade was advanced as it is--not sure what I was expecting; but not this.  Its awesome and she is doing so well.
• Paige is also playing a little basketball--its a 3 weekend camp; and I was told she might have a competitive spirit.  Hmmm, wonder where that came from in her gene pool . . .certainly not from the basketball obsessed family I married into :)
• Halloween was such fun.  6 years old is such a fun age as she is big enough to totally understand things; and she's not scared of strangers or the unknown so much.  She was fearless and I think I could have dropped her off on one side of town and picked her up on the other.  She was polite, said thank you and goodbye, and made a killing with candy.  We still have two huge bowls of candy; and her Dad has been gorging himself at night with it. Cooper tried to imitate his sister and sort of had a version of "trick or treat" but he was still much better than Paige was at 2.  He was excited when he realized he got candy in his pumpkin. 
• I'm excited for Christmas this year; as I think she is at a magical age for it and Cooper is going to understand more this year than just the paper wrapping.  I'm trying to prep now so I am not a crabby Mom come December and can enjoy the baking, decorating, etc. that I can do with Paige.   I think I may do all my shopping online if I can with a few trips to my small local stores.  I get crabby having to do a one day trip to some other town to shop for everyone in a small time frame--so not worth it.

A few of my favorite pictures from the last few months:

 He thought the pumpkin guts were awesome and just kept tossing them back in

the pumpkin his sister was carving.



 A moment that made me realize I have a big kid.

 

First day of 1st grade, age 6.  A seasoned veteran with no first day jitters--it was a fun morning with a lot of excited energy waiting for time to go to school.



Fire

Mom and a link to some of the aerial pictures from the large fire on 10-17-2012.

 

My parent's home is directly to the left of the tall cement elevator.

 

 

Shot facing east of where the fire must have started and the path of destruction it started on.

 

The area directly above and around Bucyrus.

Camping with the Clarke's

We spent this last weekend camping with the Clarke's up at Lake Rafferty in Canada.  To say my kiddos had fun is an understatement.  Paige loves the boat and fishing--she even had her first time on the tube this weekend.  Cooper liked the boat as well; but once there was a fish in the live well that was more entertaining.  We had a nice swimming area with a nice sandy area; so lots of sand was shovelled and a few gallons of sunscreen used--except for on the tops of my feet which are bright pink :(  It was a great weekend.

May 2012

So I looked at this blog and realized I am not good at putting things on here anymore!  Here is a quick recap of items since the end of April.

 Cooper acquired a pair of boots--a size too big so he can't wear them out of the house, as they fall off.  However, he will find them and wear them whenever he can--not matter what is outfit is.  Elmo butt and cowboy boots, its a classic.

 Danielle graduated this last weekend--Uncle Ryan feels really old!

 Paige and her hero

 One of Paige's last days as a kindergartener--the night of their spring concert.

Cooper having a zen moment in front of some cartoons--loved the animal and trucks lined up with him like a little Forrest Gump beside them!  He is in love with Toy Story and Woody and Buzz.