Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was full of traditions. We first baked and decorated cookies for Santa.

We played games, ate homemade clam chowder, and opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Austin. We read about Jesus' beautiful birth and talked about how grateful we are for him. The kids were all anxious for the big man and what he was going to bring. They tried to wait up for him but I think they only made it to 10 o'clock. Us parents were waiting up for him to........I think until close to 1 o'clock.

A Fabulous Holiday Break

We had a fabulous Holiday break with this wonderful family:

It was so nice that they drove 883 miles to spend Christmas with us. It was definitely a Christmas to remember.

We went to the aquarium while they were here. It's always a hit.




The best part was to watch Amelie ooh and aah over all the neat new things.

Most of us went to the Botanical Gardens in Bellevue to see all the lights. It was so crowded and cold but the lights were absolutely beautiful.

A few firsts

The first of the firsts is Belle's 18 month stats:

Weight 17lbs 4 oz---20% One more pound, yeah!

Length 28 1/4 in---25%

She is still a petite little thing.

Belle has really taken off the last couple months. She is doing so many new things. It is so fun to see her grow and learn because every little thing is such a big milestone for her. It is very exciting and we find ourselves constantly oohing and awing over her.

She fell down the stairs for the first time, ate dog food, and got her first finger tip snipped while getting her fingernails clipped. I know....horrible mom. Because she ate the dog food I found out she got her first two teeth which were molars. Last week her front bottom tooth decided to make an appearance. Because of the fall we now have a lovely gate (did I mention I hate the look of gates) that traps babies, dogs, and adults upstairs. As for her finger it is now healed but it was a bad one that bled forever. I admit I shed a few tears over that one.

Other firsts are: having her first piece of cheesecake which she thought was heaven, she is now pulling up to EVERYTHING, and she is just starting to crawl on her hands and knees. She still relies on the good ol' army crawl since she can go much faster that way. Her hair is getting so long and I don't have it in me to cut it. When it's wet it is down to the middle of her back. I keep telling myself that when she is two she can have a big girl haircut but for now she's still my baby. She/we have started a co-op class at Kindering (the center where she gets all her therapies) and she absolutely loves it. The first time was interesting which is a post in itself but she was such a big girl and loved the group activities. It made me realize how mature she really is.

This is how I found her when she woke up from her nap one day. It was so cute, I love firsts.

And just a couple more because she's just so cute.

Veterans day and Jonah

Every year the elementary school honors the veterans. Kiegan's grade got to be the choir this year. I love to see the boys sing and perform. Kiegan did a great job. At the end they announce the names of the veterans and where and when they served and then they all go up and stand in the front. A teacher and playground helper both served. It was so neat when they announced their names because all the kids went wild. I have to admit I got a bit teary. I am so thankful for all the many men and woman who served and currently serve our country so that we can be THE LAND OF THE FREE. Not only them but also their families who sacrifice and share them with us so that they can serve. I am also grateful that our kids are learning to respect the past and the many sacrifices others have made for us.

Jonah had his birthday last week!!!! YEAH!!! He was spoiled by many loved ones and friends. He said it was his best birthday yet. Thank you to all of you who sent your love to him. He decided this year he wanted cheesecake and cookies and cream pie. I thought it was a brilliant idea since I don't like cake much.

HALLELUJAH!!!! I am finally caught up..... I can breathe again now!

Halloween

The kids always love Halloween. This year I was to exhausted but they made the most of it and had fun anyway. Tate was the cutest Harry Potter I've ever seen. Jonah was one very smart doctor and Kiegan was a clever hobo. They carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating with their friends.