Christmas, Two B-days, Family Visit, and a Baptism

We have had a c-r-a-z-y busy month. I guess it would help if I blogged more than once every 3 months :) Super long post coming right up.....

Chan's 6th birthday bash. Loved having my mom, Rick, Em and Kadee here, going to Build-A-Bear, and eating chocolate cake!

Chan at age 6: Loves baseball (especially the Phillies), very obedient, contagious laugh and endless energy, trains, cars, tacos, anything with sugar in it, mama's boy, playing with his favorite friends, jumping, building, and wishing for everything in the toy store to appear in his room....

Our newest family member from Build-A-Bear "George"

Maddie's Baptism was a very special and important day for her. Having her grandparents and best friend here, made it even better. We still cannot believe she is eight....we are so proud of her. Thank you, times ten to Melia for the beautiful pics!

We took the girls to New York to go ice skating in Rockefeller Center, and to the American Girl store. They had their dreams fulfilled with getting their dolls ears pierced, and cleaned up. They had a blast being city girls for a night.

A little r&r after a rather LONG day........

It's GREAT to be eight!! Unless you are the mom who can still remember when she would run around in her underwear and a princess crown, fight over the Cinderella dress with her bff, dance (literally) like no one is watching, and kiss her reflection in the stove....

That went by too fast.....

Maddie's wish for her B-day this year was that she could have her best bud Kadee come out and they could go ice-skating and to the American girl place, her ver own scriptures...oh and to have a cake that weighed as much as she does :). We are so proud of who you are becoming.......

I kind of have a new yarn obsession......

Christmas Fun.....it was great we had Dave home, all day........

Dave's gingerbread mansion (of course they are Steelers fans)

He was so thrilled to have the whole plate to himself.....

After the many crazy stress moments, of which I just about pulled my hair out.....it was hilarious that we drove by this random church in Amish country......we do need to be reminded of how much we have to be thankful for....hope you all had a great holiday!!!!

Just For Laughs.....

So here it is my quick short post that I had to share, on those "I will always remember this moments".......

I woke-up to the other morning to find this on my night stand......such a small thing, could have been bigger :)....

this is just a small sample of our creative 2-year old painting the basement with white-out....he also got the treadmill, desk, desk chair, carpet, couch, and himself....lesson learned: white-out is completely different than paint.....

our 5-year old, thinks everything can be fixed with tape, super-glue and batteries...here is his attempt to fix my favorite glasses from NYC....

I never knew a person could study, all the time....this here is our ceiling in our bedroom....it is slowly moving into the bathroom, and I think his goal is to cover all four walls...somewhere....I can't wait :). Truly love him...

Happy Fall

After a year of planning, anticipation, and all the "little" details, our Halloween fun has come and gone, but was for sure, one of the best. The kids decided November 1st last year, that Pirates of the Caribbean would be so fun. Chan was thrilled to be the bad guy, Maddie loved her sword, and Dave looked so way good in a braided beaded beard :). Our favorites this year were: Maddie-"Trick-or-treat pirates feet, whatever,"and absolutely no clue why she didn't get a real sword like dad. Jackson-"Trick-or-treat", what do you say? "More please," eating pumpkin... raw, in BIG chunks, and liking it. Chandler-silly poses, and goofy Kindergarten Halloween songs. Who knew chocolate pirate booty, cheap gold-hooped-earrings, and plastic swords meant so much to pirates....Happy Halloween!

....just breaking our new Hawaiian elder in....

......We think this is the one :)