A Dollhouse from Santa

Santa's helpers were very busy this year building a special purple dollhouse for Lia for Christmas.  It's huge!  It's girly!  It's a very special gift for a special girl.  Merry Christmas, Lia!!

More funny things that Lia said

Mom, can we have Sand Boogers (Hamburgers) for lunch?

Mom, my mouth is too small for this piece of food.  Can you eat it?  (Just call me big mouth)

I can open all of Owen's Christmas presents because he's too little!

We're going to a Cracker Nut (the Nutcracker)!

'Mom, I love you so much'.   Me- Ahh, I love you to Sweetie.  A few minutes later- 'I love this bowl so much'!  I see.

Photo Shoot!

My sister Michelle takes the most amazing pictures.  If you remember, she took a bunch of black and whites of Lia at 3 weeks old.  Well, here is Owen's first photo shoot.  Very precious and sweet. And Monkey enjoyed his chance to lick baby toes. Thanks Michelle!  I will cherish these forever!

Thanksgiving

 Family, Love, Visit, Smiles, Hugs, Feast, Food, Pleasure, Games, Laughter, Sunshine, Cuddles, Kisses, Sisters, Brothers, Singing, Home, Health, Traditions, Holiday, Gratitude, Fun, Cherish, Honor, Happiness, Thanks, Rest, Peace, Silliness, Excitement, Quality Time, Memories, Giggles, Party, Importance, Help, Joy, Heart, Tickles, Stories, Movies, Date Night, Wonder, Ceremony, Friends, Cousins, Play, Family, Love.

Aunt Michelle and Uncle Pete made a visit for Thanksgiving.  It was the best visit!  We had such a wonderful time just being together and playing and laughing.  And we had Owen baptised with Michelle and Pete as the Godparents.  It was a fun filled weekend, girl movie night, museum, bowling, thanksgiving feast a visit with cousins and lots of cuddle and playtime with the kids.  We love you Aunt Chelle and Uncle Pete.  Come back soon.

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween from the Princess and the Pea!

 And the Princess and her Horse!

We hope you all had a fun halloween.

From the mouths of Babes

Lia-isms:  Funny things my daughter has said recently,

While combing my hair Lia says 'I'm brushing the nuts (knots) out!'

'I paint so hard I have to rest my body!'

'I'm tickling the raisins so they come out (of the box).'

'Mom, can you keep my treat company until I'm ready to eat it?'

Lia- 'I'm making a carnip pie.'  Me- Um, what's a carnip?  Lia- 'Caramel and turnip!'  Me- Oh, yum.

Lia- 'Here's a sprinkler with cake on top.'  Me- hmm, that sounds interesting.  I've had cake with sprinkles on top but never a sprinkler with cake on it...!

Lia fell off the stool in the kitchen (she didn't get hurt) and immediately got up and said 'Mom, we need to go to the store and buy a new stool.  This one is no good'.

Vroom Vroom!

If I had a motorcycle, I'd vroom vroom to Colorado!

Seeing Double!

 Lia at about 2.5 months.

Owen at about 3 months.

 

Yes, I'm a geek.  Yes, my kids will probably Not appreciate these photos when they get older.  But, I have to have a little fun here.  Aren't they cute?  They make me laugh, they make me smile.  Lia looks sweet.  Owen looks like he wants to punch the camera!  Hope they bring a smile to you!

A Visit

 Story and 'Fluffy' hair time with Grammie!

 The guys hanging out.

 Naptime.

 Stories and playtime with Grandpa.

 A school field trip to Sunflower Farms.  Lia took this picture of Mom and Grandpa.  Nice job!

Happy Girl exploring and climbing hay bale mountains.

We had a visit from Grandpa and Grammie Linda.  Lia enjoyed all the attention, fun and stories.  Owen enjoyed all the cuddle time.  Paul enjoyed the company and good laughs.  I always enjoy seeing you guys and just spending time together.  Thank you for a great visit.  It was fun!  We carved a pumpkin, cooked great food, went to a farm and just spent some great quality time together.  Thanks for the wonderful memories.  Love you guys!

Pumpkin Carving

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  It was wonderful having you here and spending time with you.  Thanks for the great visit.  Come again soon.  We miss you and love you!

What's going on with us.

 Lia ready for school.  Happy girl.

 Here's my yoga, zen child!

 The boys hanging out on the couch.

 Lia lovin her brother.

Way to go, Paul!

Paul just completed his first Sprint Triathlon yesterday.  It was a .5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run.  He told me he accomplished both goals he set out for himself:  1. he didn't drown and 2. he didn't come in last!  He actually did very well for it being his first race.  Lia, Owen and I were there to cheer him on.  He worked very hard for this and I'm so proud of him.  Congratulations Sweetie!

Our kids

Kids grow up so fast!  Lia, you're 3 years old now and in preschool!  You are the only girl in your class right now but that doesn't seem to bother you at all.  You are making new friends and learning new things.  You know that 1 plus 1 is 2 and 2 plus 2 is 4.  You know that when you mix 2 colors together you get a different color (especially red and blue making your favorite color purple).  You are working on sharing and taking turns.  You have a great sense of humor. You are always laughing and being silly.  You are a big help around the house.  You like to bring me things and pick out what clothes your brother is going to wear.  You love to cook, from cracking eggs to stirring batter to taste testing everything, you love to be in the kitchen with mom and dad.  You love to paint and listen to music.  You love to play with baby dolls.  I am impressed with how gentle and loving you are towards your brother.  He smiles at you often and loves when you talk and sing to him.  You make him feel safe and loved. 

Owen,  you are 2 months old already!  2 months have flown by and you've changed so much already.  You are gaining weight well and getting stronger and more alert every day.  You are getting good neck control.  I can't even tell that you came 1 month early.  You smile more and more these days (giving the majority of them to your sister).  You recognize my voice and love to snuggle with mom.  I love giving you hugs and kisses.  You are such a super cuddly baby!  You are starting to sleep longer at night which makes mom happy.  You are starting to grasp things in your hands.  You like to hold your sister's hand (just leave Daddy's chest hair alone)!  You are a joy to be around and I look forward to watching you and your sister grow and learn.

Thank you, Mimi!

Dear Alice,
Thank you so much for coming and taking care of all of us during this special time in our lives.  You helped out so much with the kids and around the house.  Saying 'thank you' doesn't even begin to express the gratitude we have for everything you've done for us.  Lia got alot of attention and playtime with you which gave Paul and myself time to bond with our new baby.  And you spent time with Owen so Lia and Mommy could have some important one on one time together while Paul was working.  Monkey loved all his walks and playtime too!  You also helped take care of things around the house so I could focus on both of my kids and catch up on some much needed sleep.  The love and support you gave to us really made this transition easier for everyone.   We all miss you very much and can't wait to see you again in a couple of months.  Thank you again, for everything!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love!

 Best friends already!  Hope it stays that way.