Isablel's First Pigtails!

Isabel's hair is finally long enough to play with!  Today I put some cutie little pigtails in her hair and she looked adorable!  Mike thought they looked silly because they stuck straight out but I love them!  Having a little girl sure is lots of fun!

Her first pigtails!

Getting Ready for Christmas and Santa

We have been super busy getting ready for Christmas and it has been tons of family fun!  Last Saturday we took the kids to see Santa at the mall.  Before we could do that we had to color Santa a nice picture and make him a list.  The kids were so excited to see Santa.  Isabel loves to see Santa in books and on TV and it is so cute to hear her say Santa!  I was hoping that she would be excited to see Santa and sit on his lap but that wasn't the case.  She was excited as we waited in line but as we got closer and I got her out of her stroller her grip started getting tighter and tighter on my arm.  The boys walked right up to Santa and handed him their lists.  They sat next on the bench next to Santa and as I started to put Isabel down she started to cry so I put her on the floor instead and Jude held onto her hand.  She sure does love her big brothers!  After we were done and I was waiting for our picture Isabel couldn't take her eyes off of Santa.  She liked him as long as she wasn't too close. :-)

Eli with his picture for Santa

Eli's list.  We helped him sound out the letters and he wrote them.  There were a few that he needed help with but he knew how to write most of them!  1. Donatello 2. Fish Face 3. Skylander Friend 4. Surprises

Jude's picture for Santa

Jude's list for Santa.  Mike helped Jude write his list hand over hand.  1. Rapheal 2. Metal Head 3. Skylander Friend 4. Surprises

Doesn't Isabel look thrilled to go see Santa! :-)

Isabel's list

Looking over their lists with Santa!

Santa 2012

Watching Santa as we left

This past week was spent baking some Christmas goodies!  I made fudge, peanut butter fudge, some pies and Christmas cookies.  I had a few little elves to help me make the cookies!  The boys had a blast helping me roll and cut out the cookies and then we iced them on Tuesday.  Isabel played with the cookie cutters and has really enjoyed eating the cookies!  This was my first time making the fudge and peanut butter fudge!  I got the recipes from my mom and mother in law.  It was fun and they turned out yummy!

My little elves!

A smile

Doesn't she look ornery!

The best helpers I could ask for!

The boys enjoyed a green candy cane!

Jude requested that I take his picture in the mirror :-)

Eli after his green candy cane

Icing the cookies

Icing the cookies

Waiting for a cookie!

Eli with his cookies

Jude with his cookies

We have also been busy making some Christmas crafts.  The kids really enjoy making things and I enjoy doing the crafts with them!

Snowmen and Reindeer

Santas

Christmas Trees, Candy Canes, and Stockings

Christmas wreaths

Now we are all ready for Christmas!

Night Out!

Mike and I had a fun night out tonight!  We were able to celebrate with our friends Kyle and Lindsey as they got married!  Mike went to high school with them both so it was a fun evening with some of his high school friends.  We hadn't seen most of them in 4 1/2 years when we went to a different wedding.  The kids had a blast with Grandma and we were able to enjoy ourselves on a rare night out!  And it is always fun to have the chance to dress up!

Dressed up for a fun evening out!

Love this guy so much!

Meet Elfie, Jingle, and Icee!

Our house has been invaded by some elves!  They showed up on Thanksgiving and hangout during the day then at night they fly back to the North Pole to report to Santa how our kiddos have been.  Their is one elf to watch over each of our kids.  Elfie is here to watch over Eli, Jingle is here to watch over Jude, and Icee is here to watch over Isabel. They were here last year too but they didn't move around too much.  This year they have gotten down right ornery.  The kids are having a blast looking for their elves each morning are they are really getting a kick out of what they find their elves doing!  The whole family is having fun with it, even Isabel is getting into it!  If she sees one of them she gets all excited and says Elf!  I wonder what Elfie, Jingle, and Icee with do next!

This is where we found Elfie on Thanksgiving day

Jingle was on our wedding photo

And Icee was hanging on the blinds

All the elves moved to the stockings one day but silly Elfie ended up hanging upside down!

The next day Jingle was all tied up in the blinds

One morning we found Icee all cozied up to this Pooh Bear

The boys were so shocked when Elfie got a hold of Eli's pez dispenser!

Everyone was super surprised to find Jingle and Elfie reading with some flash lights.  Especially because these are the boys bedtime stories so that meant the elves had been in their room while they were sleeping!

Silly Icee found the dinosaur

Jingle was a little tired on Monday morning and stayed all curled up in this little sleeping bag. :-) Who could blame him.

This morning the kids found all three elves under the tree playing Cootie!  They giggled and giggled when they saw this!

Isabel is in aww of the elves!

I wonder what trouble our silly elves will get into next.  I can't wait to find out!

Meeting Baby Sarah!

We have a new niece in the family!  Sarah Gianna was born on December 6th and is as sweet as can be!   We were able to meet her on Friday 12/7.  There is just something magical about holding a newborn baby!

Sarah Gianna

I could hold her all day!

Isabel checking out her new cousin

Uncle Ken is so much fun!

Eli's Christmas Program (video)

Tonight was Eli's preschool Christmas program and it was just the cutest! He had a blast and did great! Here is a video of one of the songs. He is in the 2nd row in a white sweater behind the boy with a vest. My favorite part is his big wave at the end! I can't believe I just went to my very first program as a mom!

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Eli's Christmas Program

Tonight was Eli's Preschool Christmas Program.  He was so excited for it and he did such a great job.  I was also very excited for it.  Not only was this Eli's first school program but this was my first school program as a mommy!  It was a big day for us both. :-)  He had been practicing his songs at school for a few weeks and his teacher sent home a few of the songs so we could practice at home too.  At first Eli wouldn't sing his songs for us.  He kept saying they were only for at school and he couldn't sing them at home.  I kept trying to get him to practice with me but he wouldn't.  Then as we were decorating the Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving he started singing one of his songs.  I had tears in my eyes as I listened to him sing about little baby Jesus born on Christmas day.  Then as he finished his song he turned to me and said "I sang it for you because I love you."  I gave him a huge hug and told him that I loved him too as those tears in my eyes came pouring down my cheek.  I love this boy so much and he is such a sweet heart.

As they opened the curtain all the kids were waving and it was so cute!  It took us a few seconds to find where Eli was standing.  He was in the 2nd row and the boy standing in front of him was about the same size.  Eli did a great job!  He sang each of the songs and did all the hand motions too!  After the first few songs Eli waved really big to us!  I loved seeing that!  Afterwards he told us that he saw daddy but he only saw my hands and my camera, not my face. :-)  I had to make sure I captured this big moment!  It was so very memorable!  We were very blessed to have both Papaw and Papa come see Eli at his program.  Eli loved having him there and it meant a lot to the whole family.  

All ready for his Preschool Christmas Program

Brothers

With Papaw

Papaw and Isabel

All the Pre-K classes

Singing away!

Pre- K and the 3's classes

Eli and Papa

Proud Daddy

Proud Momma!