Mid December Update

We had a lot of fun with the kids in the beginning of December.  Here is a video of the kids dancing.  Owen has become quite the dancer.  It's pretty funny!

 

 

 

Olivia and I had a mommy-daughter day with our neighbors.  We took the girls to breakfast with a ballerina and they got to meet lots of ballerinas from the Cary dance company then watch some performances from the nutcracker.  Here is Olivia, Ava and Madeline with all the dancers:

 

The girls even got their makeup done by the dancers:

Here they are watching the show.  Madeline was letting Liv sit on her lap for the show.  They looked so cute together.

 

Then we took the girls to Build a bear.  This was Olivia's first time and she made snowflake:

Then we continued spoiling Olivia that Sunday when we took her to Disney Princesses on Ice.  She had a great time and loved seeing all the princesses skating around.

 

Merry Christmas

And now we get to Christmas morning.  Here is what it looked like after Santa visited, but before the kids got there.  I'm sure that Santa's helpers must have been up really late putting that dollhouse and train table together. . .

 



 

Here are the kids coming down Christmas morning:

 



 

Onto opening presents:

 

Owen got his anywhere chair, like Olivia's:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Owen playing with his new phone.  He loves phones - every time he picks up anything he even thinks is a phone, he puts it to his ear and says "Hey!":

 

 

Here he is playing with his new bowling set.  He's got the brewer blood and is a natural:

 

Here is a picture and a video from the day after Christmas.  The video is a pretty good one of him showing off some of his vocabulary.  He's becoming a pretty good communicator now - he can definitely get his point across.  One of the funny now (but maybe not so much down the road) things he just starting saying was "me" - he uses it like "mine" when he is fighting over something with Liv.  It is kind of funny now with him yelling "MEEEE! Me!  MEEE!", but we will have to brake him of that habit before he gets too crazy with it.

 



 

 



Christmas Eve

Christmas eve was busy and fun.  We had our dear friends, Jenn and John stop by with Reese and Riley.  We are sad to see them move away, but wish them well in South Carolina.  You guys will be missed terribly!  Here are all the kids hanging out together:

 

Olivia and her buddy Reese:

Our Christmas eve tradition since I was little - to make cookies with my mom.  The last couple years, Olivia has been a good helper:

Notice all the flour on her face from sneaking bites of dough. . .

Our chrismas elf had to go back to santa the night before, but left the kids some christmas jammies:

Here are our cookies and milk for santa (and we didn't forget to leave the reindeer some carrots, too!):

Olivia's School Holiday Program

Olivia's class did a fun holiday program for christmas.  They even went and sand to the folks at the retirement home next door.  They even made their own reindeer shirts with their foot and hands.

 

 

(Notice that Olivia isn't very animated in any of these videos, it was right after nap time and I don't think she was awake yet)

 

Santa Claus is coming to town:

 



 

Silent Night:

Part one - in dutch: 

 

Part two - in english:



 

 

 



Rudolph (I had to split the video to upload it because it was too long):

 



 

 

 

 

We wish you a Merry Christmas:



 





Owen had a pajama day at school that same day.  Here he is with Ms. Ashlee after we put his cute hat on to go home.   I love that hat!

 





Early December Update



Here is our thanksgiving trip to Lenoir.  We spent a lot of time outside playing and riding on the four wheelers.  Here are some pictures and videos from us goofing around:

 



 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

We had thanksgiving at our house with my parents (then we went to Lenoir to have thanksgiving with Grant's family the following weekend).  Here are some pictures of us hanging out:

 

Thanksgiving dinner:

 

Here is Olivia pushing Owen around in one of his ride-on toys.  This happens quite often around here:

 

 

 

Fall Pictures

Here are the family pictures we took this fall - in November.  We had them done by Lundies on their farm and they came out really well.  Here are some of them: