Thursday, December 6, 2007

Christmas Tree Time

We finally got the tree inside and ready to decorate! I can't tell you how much time I spent on the lights, I think there's 1,700 little twinkle lights all aglow on that beauty! Tuesday evening we reserved for family tree decorating, and we all had a great time! The girls loved hearing the stories about each ornament and the ones that didn't have stories they weren't interested in hanging- pretty cute! Trinity graciously let Emory put the angel on top since she is the one who had the honors last year. It looks beautiful! Addison entertained herself quite well during the decorating, and as soon as it was done she was THRILLED with the result! She was kicking and screaming, giggling and smiling- just staring at the tree! What a great time of the year!

Trinity hanging the first ornament, a candy cane she made at school when she was 3.

Emory hanging an ornament of Greg's from when he was little (you'll notice she's hanging it on the same branch as another ornament- spacing them out is a concept we're working on)

Addison putting an angel on the tree

Emory putting the angel on top!

I am so grateful to have such wonderful memories with such incredible little girls (and husband too)! I am truly blessed!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Trinity's journal

Trinity has just made the first entry in her journal, "Billy is so cute I want to marry him" and drew a picture of him. UGH! I'm in way over my head! I open to any suggestions out there on how to convince her that boys are YUCKY!

Trains, trains, trains!!!!!

Monday after picking Trinity up from school we went to Northpark to enjoy the holiday festivities. Greg joined us after he was finished with work and we had a wonderful evening as a family! We visited the Trains and listened to Santa's story time. If you haven't taken the opportunity to visit the trains at Northpark, I highly recommend it! The scenery they set up for these things is wonderful! Trinity and Emory kept seeing things they would yell and scream about and they learned a lot about several other US cities as well (Trinity learned a Subway was more than just a yummy sandwich shop) and Addison got a real kick out of watching the trains go round the room and all the lights go on and off and all the scenery move!

Trinity and Emory were so excited to see the trains moving they ran inside!

Addison trying to figure out what's going on

Addison as a train conductor

Greg the conductor

Spinning Around Ball!!!!!

Trinity the conductor

Santa at Northpark is AMAZING! He told the best story and all the kids participated in it! A truly magical experience!

Cookies, Crafts and Parades with Nana and Pops

Saturday was our second annual Cookies and Crafts at Nana and Pop's house and what a great time it was! We started out the day by all going to the Adolphus Children's Parade downtown. We had never gone before and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the floats! The girls loves every part of it! Addison was really excited to see all of the fun balloons and people dressed up, she loved the music too. She got so excited she wore herself out and fell asleep less than half way through!
After the parade we headed over to Nana and Pops' house to make Christmas cookies and Gingerbread houses. The girls had a great time participating in the baking, designing and decorating- it was right up their alley!

Ali and Aiden making cookies

Aiden decorating cookies

Sheridan, Trinity and Emory making cookies

Clark enjoying the gingerbread house he was supposed to be building

Trinity and Nana decorating her gingerbread house

Aiden, Clark, Trinity and Emory with their masterpieces!

Aiden enjoying the taste of his masterpiece
After a day of baking we had to play a little. Oh, I think I forgot to mention all the boys (Greg, his dad and brother) left to go shooting while the girls were taking care of and entertaining the kids. One of these days we're going to get the day off while they entertain!

Nana teaching Aiden to play the flute

Nana teaching Trinity to play the flute

Our nephew, Clark. He is always smiling like this! Aren't his dimples precious?!

Pops with Aiden's light saber. He was having way too much fun!

Nana and most of her kiddos

Here is Nana playing her flute with Trinity and Aiden sing. Couldn't not include this one

Christmas Trees Galore!

On Friday night we took our annual trip to the Christmas Tree Lot in Casa Linda and picked out the perfect tree. We had a great time looking at all the trees and feeling all the trees until we found the perfect one! While it was being loaded into the car we went to visit the huge tree in the parking lot and decided we would take a few pictures. They're not great (only two of many turned out at all), it was night time and we were all exhausted, but I thought I would share them anyway.

WOO-HOO IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Trying to keep up

Man, I feel like it's been forever since I made a post about what we've been up to. Well, I think we're finished battling the serious yuckies in the girls (three weeks with at least two of them having a fever at all times is enough for me!), but we are still dealing with the lingering effects. They are all three still really fussy and clingy and tired, and Trinity has a runny/stuffy/yucky nose she has wiped so much it's just one giant painful scab (yuck!) and still has the awful cough. Trinity and Addison both had the congestion settle behind their left eyes and I swear they both looked like Popeye for several days (Emory still resembles him when she wakes up) because their eye was so swollen. The bad part is now that the girls are feeling better, Greg and I are both dealing with the yuckies now too. Greg has pulled a muscle in his chest he's been coughing so much (I'm sure tailgating and watching football in the thirty degree weather and rain for six hours on Saturday helped that out tremendously). Anyway, as a whole we are so much better than we were last week, and that's the important part!

We are so psyched about the holidays! We have most of our decorations up- or should I say I have most of MY decorations up. We have the inside done and my part of the outside done and Greg will put lights on the house this weekend we hope. We are going to buy our tree tomorrow night and we can't wait! The girls are so excited about all the fun stuff we get to do and the fun music we listen to all the time! I love experiencing the magic of Christmas through their eyes! Addison seems to be starting to catch on, or at least she is getting into the idea of getting new toys! I am about 2/3 or more done with our Christmas shopping, and that makes me happy!

Speaking of Addison, she is really figuring out this getting around thing! She pulls up on anything and everything now and her favorite thing to do is to walk in circles around the coffee table! She has started moving from holding onto one object to holding onto another. She is starting to crawl on her knees, though she's not as fast that way, so when she's in a hurry she will just drop down on her tummy and scurry away like a little snake. She is starting to talk more too. She will sometimes say "yes" and "no" when that's what she means, and we have heard her say "cracker" a couple of times too (although that's not exactly what it sounds like). She is now up to six teeth and will eat anything! Anything that is, except the food she's supposed to eat!

Trinity is "playing" basketball for the first time this year. I put that in quotes because she has yet to participate in anything with the rest of her team. She is on a team with Billy (her boyfriend) and his dad is coaching. We had no idea this would be the case, but she is the ONLY girl on her team! I don't think she likes that at all! Once we get to the gym she hides behind a wall and won't come out to save her life. If she catches Billy looking at her she panics and runs to hide! We're working on getting her more comfortable with the whole thing, but I'm not holding my breath!

Greg's evil twin

We all know how much Greg loves the holidays, so this must be his long, lost evil twin.
http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=9606441211

Seriously, he sings Christmas songs all year hoping it will make the holidays arrive sooner! Too cute! When they really do arrive...watch out!

Check out my silly family!

Check out all four of my children. If this doesn't get you in the spirit of the holidays, I don't know what will! Well, I guess Greg's "sweater" from last year's sweater party might do the trick.
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9636644867

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Shopping Spree at no cost?!?!

What a wonderful thing that is!!!! I love shopping and I love the look on Trinity's and Emory's faces when they get new clothes they absolutely love and that combination of things tends to get me in quite a bit of trouble. This weekend I got the best of those without spending a dime and it was awesome! I finally got Greg to climb up in the attic and get down the crates of clothes now Emory's size and crates of clothes now Addison's size. We found so many neat things we had completely forgotten about. Emory will only wear clothes that spin or sparkle and it's pretty difficult to find too much of that kind of stuff that isn't so cheap it falls apart the first time she wears it, so I was really excited when I found several items packed away! I took a picture of her in her "new" pajamas and boots. She has worn these pretty much around the clock- that is when she's not in the new spinney dresses and skirts. She is in hog heaven!!!!!

Trinity has been a little jealous of all her sisters' "new" clothes, I guess she doesn't realize she's actually getting the better deal on this whole thing! I'm sure she'll figure it out soon enough.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Emory on sugar

Last Thursday Trinity had a play date after school with one of her friends, so Emory had the special treat of Hot Chocolate, something becoming more and more rare around here. This is the result of giving a sugar deprived child something so rich...


This went on for at least thirty minutes. She only briefly stopped when it really dawned on her she was being recorded:)
Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker
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