Easter 2012

Wow, I hadn't realized it's been so long. I've been here taking pictures, reading blogs, etc., but I guess sometimes I forget to update my own. I'll make up for it with an absurd amount of pictures!

We had a nice Easter this year. It seemed a little lonely without the Wysowskis, but Connie & Ben and Jack & Zuly made it better.

The kids had a rainy Easter egg hunt at the church the day before. They loved it, of course! Then we had our own little one on Easter evening. We had a delicious dinner of home-made sushi, (cucumber rolls), steamed potatoes, and roasted asparagus. We didn't even miss the meat!

Christmas Day 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas Day this year. I love having Christmas on a Sunday and actually getting to go to church and worship our Lord on His day. We let the kids open their Santa gifts and then went to church. Church was wonderful; I especially love the singing of the Christmas hymns. Afterwords we had a Christmas morning brunch and then let the kids at the gifts. We went to dinner that evening with our friends, the Wysowskis, and just had a beautiful, peaceful day. I hope you all did too and we wish you all a  belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve Pajamas

We have the family tradition of opening a present (pajamas) on Christmas Eve. We did it a little earlier in the day, but that way the kids got to enjoy wearing them for a bit before they had to hop in bed. It was so fun and the kids are darling (at least I think so!).

 This little girl kept ripping open this one present and no others! Luckily, I knew what it was. Spencer had already repaired it 4 times by this point!

Thanksgiving Day

We had such a great Thanksgiving. We are so very blessed in too many ways to count. I love Thanksgiving; it is one of my favorite holidays. It seems extra important now, in our culture of wanting, to take the time and think of all that we have been given. I love the quote, "Gratitude makes what we have enough." I want this to be the mantra of my life. We are very thankful for our friends, the Wysowksis, for welcoming us in their home, with their family there, so we had people to celebrate with. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Holly's nieces loved Lucy

 Playing soccer with the kids

 Our friend, Zuly, and Lucy

Happy Halloween!

We had a wonderful holiday this year! The church had their trunk-or-treat which is always very fun. I even dressed up! While searching for a cheap pair of pants for Aidan's costume at the Salvation Army, I came across the most perfect suit to be Professor Umbridge from 'The Order of the Phoenix' (Harry Potter!). Couldn't pass it up! 

Spence ended up flying (surprise, surprise!) so I stayed home to hand out candy while Sienna walked around the neighborhood with Aidan and Madelyn. Poor Mad and Sienna! Mad's bag was so heavy that she couldn't carry it by then end so Sienna did it for her. Such a sweet sister!

I had fun making Sienna and Lucy tutus, Lucy's shirt, and knitting Aidan's scarf for their costumes. It gets a little crazy, but still oh so fun!

 Mad's hair looks so long when it is straight

 Shirt I made for Lucy thanks to Pinterest

 My little Tinkerbell

 Harry Potter

Sienna was a candy corn something...

 L to R: Aidan's, Mad's and Si's