Anyone can build a snowman!

Instead of the traditional snowman,

Josh & the girls built this caterpillar

next to the porch in our front yard.

With all the the snow storms we've had

in the past week, they could build a whole

family of caterpillars!

Happy 9th Birthday Kylie!

Christmas is also Kylie's Birthday, Lucky kid!

This year for her birthday dinner she

asked for crispy chicken sandwiches and french fries.

She wanted me to wait until her

family party to make her cake,

so we stuck a candle in her sandwich instead!

Kylie opening "coconut".... a dog for her American Girl Dolls.


The Cake complete with trick candles
that didn't know they were trick candles!

I can't believe we have a 9 year old!
I just can't make the math work out,
being how I am only 21! :o)
Happy Birthday Kylie! We Love You!

Merry Christmas!

This year, as with every other year, Christmas

took forever to get here

and then was over way too fast.

I wish my kids could stay little forever!

The kids telling Santa what

they would like for

Christmas this year...

Aiden really only cared

about the candy-cane!

Spiffy new pajamas on Christmas Eve!

Family Pictures...

We had our family pictures taken this week to send out with our Christmas cards.

My brother took them and he did an awesome job!

I had been procrastinating because I really wanted them

to be in the snow.... the weather finally cooperated!

This field is next to our house and we are

lucky enough to enjoy that beautiful view every day!

Dancing Queens....

Kylie & Megan had their winter dance recital last week.

They are such good little dancers.

Megan danced to the song "Cruella DeVille"

from 101 Dalmatians, and Kylie danced to "Hero" from the

movie Shrek. How cute are those costumes?

The girls with Sara, their cute dance teacher.

And of course, Aiden has to do everything his sisters do.......

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we had Josh's Dad & Grandpa come to our house for dinner, I cooked a turkey with all the trimmings.... mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, gravy, brown sugar carrots, apple pie, banana cream pie... And what do I get in return? A horrible case of the stomach flu! Thank goodness it wasn't food poisoning! I still don't think I will ever eat turkey and stuffing again! Stomach flu aside, it was nice to have a little time-out from day to day life and take a moment to count our blessings.... given the current state of things, I sometimes forget how much I really do have to be thankful for. We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we sure did!

Megan painted this turkey at school...

He is saying... "Don't Eat Me... Eat a popsicle and cherries!"

Kylie made this delicious apple pie

all by herself at Activity Days.
Needless to say, we had it all eaten by Thanksgiving
and she got to make us another one!
YUMMY!!

I know, I know....

You are asking yourself..., Christmas already?
What can I say?

Aren't they cute as a button?

This is what happens when

you let your kids play with the camera..... Kylie & Megan

Happy 6th Birthday Megan!!

Megan is 5 + 1 and it was tons of Fun!

Megan's Birthday weekend started on Friday when she was "STAR of the WEEK" in her Kindergarten class at school. She got to tell them all about herself, and they each took a turn asking her questions like...

What is your favorite color?
PINK & WHITE
What is your favorite food?
CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN

What is your favorite thing to do?
PLAY OUTSIDE

Part of being star of the week is bringing home
"STAR BEAR" for the whole weekend.
He is their class teddy bear and he
brings his journal with him and you get to write

everything that the two of you do together.

You can also read everything he did with

the other members of the class.

Megan took STAR BEAR with her everywhere!

Saturday night we had a family party for Megan.


She got a toy cat named Licorice, and a pink snow outfit for her American girl doll.

Grandpa Jim, being silly like always,

got Megan a trailer hitch and a dura-flame log.

The Birthday Cake....

She asked for a purse cake with cherries on it

and chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting.

Some of the other fun presents she got:

A Tinker Bell Pillow Book~ Grandpa Jim

Pink Cowgirl Boots ~ Grandpa Dave

A Cat Condo for Licorice~ Grandma Karen

Polka Dot Vest & Pink Cowgirl Hat~ Uncle Toby & Aunt Denise

Tinkerbell Story Book~Kylie (that she bought with her very own money!)

Hannah Montana Pajamas~ Grandma Lisa

Happy Birthday Megan! We Love You!

The First Snow of the Season!!

When Kylie woke up this morning and looked

out her window, she could not believe her eyes.

Enough so that she just had to come and wake

me up so that I could look too. :o)

SNOW!!! GREAT!!!!

Aiden of course said, "Somebody put snow in our garden!"

We then spent the rest of the morning filling up cups

with the blasted stuff making homemade "SNOWCONES"

Needless to say, the kids couldn't wait to get home from

school to play in the snow, and I couldn't

wait for them to keep it outside!

Ryan, Aiden, Kylie, FROSTY, & Jacey

(Jacey & Ryan are our neighbors!)

Little did we know that our innocent little snowman

was going to turn into a not so friendly

"our snowman is better than yours!"

contest with the much older kids

who live across the street! Kids!

Aiden loved making snowballs....

... and then throwing them at Uncle Toby's jeep!

Aiden really wants to mow the lawn!

FROSTY

I am really not ready for all of this cold weather...
...Snow suits, gloves, hats, scarfs & runny noses.
Hopefully this first snow will melt tomorrow! BAH HUMBUG!

A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water!

~Carl Reiner

Trick-or-Treat!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Halloween this year consisted of the usual dressing

up as silly things, trick-or-treating until we had blisters

on our feet, and enough candy to last until next year.

The weather was unusually warm so the kids could actually

wear their costumes without the 15 layers of

coats & hats & gloves, that made it so much funner!

Aiden the clown

Megan the witch

Kylie the lady-bug

Carving Pumpkins at the Firestation

15 years ago, Josh's captain, Captain Gaulke

started a tradition at his firehouse.

He invites the families of his crew to the station for a fun

evening of dinner and pumpkin carving.

Josh helping Kylie get all the "GUTS" out.

Aiden hard at work.

Fireman or Axe Murderer?? Engineer Kevin Forbes

Captain Gaulke

The final results ~

"HAPPY" ,"PUNKY", "AIDEN" & "HARRY"

Megan & her pumpkin "HAPPY"

Traci's pumpkin "HARRY"