Splish Splash

Happy New Years Eve! We are thoroughly enjoying the last day of 2010. Tonight Matt and I have plans to eat with 2 couples who are over the age of 4. Excited about that!!

Top 10

Here is our Top 10 list from 2010:

10. Celebrated birthdays #3 and #4 at Great Wolf Lodge.

9. Both kids started Montessori and are thoroughly enjoying it, as are we!

8. Swimming lessons were a success!!

7. Trips to Vegas, the beach, and NYC were a lot of fun.

6. Matt ran his first half marathon and plans to do another! I completed my third marathon with a personal best time.

5. Done with diapers and cribs at our house!

4. Landry Grace started ballet and Jake started gymnastics. He'll play t-ball in the spring and asks everyday if it's time play.

3. Matt was laid off in June and hired 2 days later by another company. God's glory saw is through!

2. Had fun play dates with friends.

1. Lost Matt's daddy but know that through his faith and ours that we will one day be reunited.

Hope you have a great New Years!

Belly Laugh

Seriously debated not posting this....but could not resist! He insisted on wearing some of Landry Grace's leotards. Matt and I could not stop laughing. We are having a fun week with Daddy home. Road trip coming up!

Off to watch to season premiere of Toddlers and Tiaras. The show makes me feel as though I have no issues at all!

Some of my favorites

It was really hard to choose which pictures I liked best from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I opted to just post all my favorites. For some reason I am having problems posting pics from my new Rebel camera. My old camera was a Rebel as well and I have no problems loading them onto the computer, just to my blog. I had a load pictures 2 at a time and that took a little too long!

On Christmas Eve we always go to my in-laws in Bossier. We eat and play Dirty Santa with gift cards. Since kids the gift exchange has taken a back seat just a bit but we still played and ended up with some useful gift cards. This year Uncle Harry also brought a birthday cake for Jesus so the kids sang "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed some birthday cake. That was the highlight of the night for LG!

GG's mother always had sweaters made for Matt and his cousins growing up, so GG started the tradition this year as well!
During the Dirty Santa game something was funny and I caught this shot. Another all-time fave!
And sweet Aunt Lou caught wind that Jake and Landry Grace had no Christmas pajamas and took it upon herself to have these ordered and shipped express. She's just the best and that is an understatement!
When we left Bossier on Christmas Eve, LG fell asleep on the way home and was unable to help Jake leave cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Next year we will have to leave a little earlier!
My little wild-haired Landry Grace with her brand new kitchen that Santa brought.
This is another favorite(LOVE my new camera!). Jake is really into race cars and this set was a hit!
The excitement in this picture says it all!!
I meant to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before opening gifts, but Jake had already rummaged through all the presents before he came to wake us up that morning. Plus LG wasn't awake yet so we just did this after presents. Notice the candles are from their 2nd and 3rd birthdays. Glad I saved them!
WISH I could figure out on my MAC how to rearrange the pictures but the mouse won't let me move this down so it's out of order. Aunt Lou surprised the kids with a new John Deer Gator. LG loves this thing more than the kitchen she's been asking for....go figure! Aunt Lou hits the nail on the head every time with gifts!!
Matt with his babies! What a difference a comb makes with LG's hair. I don't know how mothers with more than 1 girl do it. It is a constant battle to do her hair as she HATES it. I've gotten to where I will promise her candy so that she'll sit still and not scream while I do her hair. Hopefully she'll get better!
Putting on her silly bands. If I have to pick up one.more.silly.band.!!!!!
Wish this wasn't so blurry but it was right after Uncle Mark and Aunt Lou had driven up with the Gator.
I'm sorry but I have to say it!!! Another all-time fave!!
This picture and the next are out of order....A gift from my parents that we just about took back. But they love this thing! It's a scooter and ramp. Fun for indoor activities and it folds away for easy storage.
Jake cuddling with LG's new Bitty baby. He may like it just as much as she does:). Thanks Mom and Dad!
Thought this was sweet of all the parents minus GG who wasn't here yet. Look at sweet Aunt Lou's face!!!
And this captures the moment as well!!
Jake with Aunt Lou!
LG with GG!
On Sunday morning my brother Brian was in from Denver to celebrate Christmas with his sweet girlfriend Mandy Anderson and son Grant, also 13(they live in Monroe. Mandy and Brian graduated from HS together and recently reconnected), along with my niece and nephew Nick and Abby.
Love this sweet picture of the four of them. My nephew Nick,17, is autistic and sweet Abby,13, are always a JOY to be around. We had a lot of fun that day!

Below is all of us together, minus my brother Darrell and his girlfriend Stephanie plus my sister Laura and nephew Cameron,12.
My camera was on automatic but continued taking pictures and I thought this was a fun candid shot!!It was a great Christmas season and we are so thankful for what we have and most of all for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Unto us a King is born! Merry Christmas!!!

Old Friends and Young Friends

Tuesday we headed out to the Halls for our Craft Extravaganza. Katie is always a great host and we made apple snowmen and I brought a Lifesaver wreath craft that didn't turn out so well. My motto is "it's the thought that counts"! The kids had a great time and the weather was pleasant so that made it all the better. Thanks Katie!

Here is part of the crew with the Lifesaver wreaths.

The group: Jonathan, Landry Grace, Harper, Baylor, Kennedy, Jake, and Landon
LOVE this picture of the girls! With Buzz in the background!
And one of my oldest and dearest friends from childhood was in town from Chicago. Mary Catherine and her husband Clay were exposed for a couple of hours to our hectic life with 2 wild kiddos. We had a great visit!
And last but not least is one of my all-time favorite pictures. This was taken 2 years ago and it is priceless. I found this frame yesterday and thought it would be perfect for the picture.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas Eve. We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season. Praying God's blessings upon your family.

Merry Christmas!

Matt surprised me last night with an early Christmas gift. I was not expecting this AT ALL, but he did good!!

Christmas Break Fun!

Our Christmas break fun started yesterday after naps when we made "Puppy Chow". They had just gotten up from naps and I cannot remember what Jake was so upset about. Oh well.

I let them help me as much as possible without getting burned. Of course when we were done neither of them wanted to eat the snack. Go figure. Yet today LG decided she liked it and ate it pretty much all day. Mother of the Year award for healthiest snacking....
In September Landry Grace took some pictures at Barnes and this came in today. She is growing up way too fast and I'm so glad I went ahead and bought this collage. Thought it turned out great!
Tomorrow is our annual craft making play date at the Hall's residence and this year could be really interesting!

Friends and Christmas Programs

We had an impromptu play date last Thursday when the Hall kiddos dropped by and some older neighborhood kids also stopped by to play. I must say that they did a great job of entertaining the younger kids while Katie and I visited. Katie...you scored big one with the camera for LG. She hasn't put it down and wanted to take my picture at 6:15 Saturday morning. Currently the batteries are run down so she is awaiting a trip to Wal-Mart to replace those batteries. Then she can resume shooting;)!

Friday the kids had their programs at school. I was busy video taping and didn't get any still shots. As for Jake, he was busy crying during the program because he wanted the chocolate from his cubby and I refused to give it. For the love!
Only shot of got of LG and her buddy from school and ballet, Maddy.
Friday night my brother Brian's sweet girlfriend, Mandy, had a gift waiting for them at our house. My daughter that will not eat anything gobbled this entire chocolate snowman up in a matter of minutes. I have nothing to say.....

Festival of Lights

Matt and I decided to take the kiddos to Natchitoches on Saturday to see the lights and fireworks. We hadn't been since our second date 9 years ago and figured the kids are finally at an age where they would enjoy it and tolerate the trip without meltdowns. Mom came with us and we left Ruston around 5. We had just enough time to maneuver through traffic and find a spot to watch the fireworks.

Here they are on the pallet and giggling. They had a lot of fun.
Family pic without Jake's cooperation. They were ready to get out of the stroller.
Love this picture!
And of course Big Mommy with her grands.
We have several fun things planned before Christmas so stay tuned....

PRICELESS

Went into her room last night to cover her up and found her with (mis-matched) heels on....ran back to get my camera and could not stop giggling. This is probably my favorite picture ever. Hands down.

Explanation

I received a call from Montessori today telling me that Jake and Landry Grace had been involved in a fist fight with another boy. Apparently LG was trying to protect her brother. After talking to both teachers, it was determined that they were not in the wrong. So here's LG's explanation of the confrontation.

Gift Idea

Yes, there is already a picture on my blog of Jake just like this....but I had to post it again. He took the note that "Podie" had written him to school and was so proud. This picture just makes me smile.

Here is Jake with his teacher, Mrs. Renee.
And with his buddy Peyton Beck.
Now to the gift idea that I wanted to share! With Jake and Landry Grace being in school, I had a total of 7 teachers/assistants/administrators that I wanted to give thoughtful gifts to without spending an absolute fortune. I picked up the Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Cookbook and picked out the Instant Spice Tea Mix.
Then found some cute jars at Target and gift tags in the $1 bin. Also put the directions on the back.
I also enlisted Sharon Haddox's talent in greenery extraordinaire and VOILA...you have 7 precious gifts!

Here is the recipe:

1 cup Country Time Lemonade

1 cup Tang

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

I quadrupled this recipe and made 2 large batches of it to cut down on the work. It was very simple and something I think all the teachers will like. Happy giving!

Jake is 4!

Happy Birthday to my first born! He found Podie in the box of cookies this morning with a "Happy Birthday Jake" card and was thrilled. His request for cookies was planets, so we did the Earth. Mrs. Renee will be so proud:).