And We're Off!

On the morning of December 9th, we were all packed and ready to head to Disneyland with my family. We had our suitcases by the door and the kids had each set out their special travel companion. I dropped Cristian off at school for a few hours and ran a couple of last minute errands with the other two kiddos, put Carter down for an early nap (which proved to be smart because we finally had to wake him up after 3 hours to head for the airport). Here is Carter sitting on the airplane with his beloved lamb. I had to take a picture of his first time flying in his own seat... he's no longer my lap infant.
Look at him walking through the airport with his own suitcase... he's just getting so big, so fast!
A very excited Ava at John Wayne Airport! It was time to shed the coats and sweatshirts and enjoy the warm California weather!
Cristian, equally as excited to be in California, but even more excited to go to Disneyland the next day.

The Happiest Place on Earth

We're back from Disneyland, the Happiest (and Merriest, this time of year)Place on Earth! We enjoyed a very warm and sunny trip with my parents and sister, and I have a lot of pictures to sort through after our 4 days spent at the park. Here are 2 that I took from my phone... California Adventure's Paradise Pier.
And Disneyland's Matterhorn. Isn't the sky so pretty! I've missed the sun :) I will post Disneyland pictures tomorrow night :)

Advent Calendar

The kids really look forward to waking up each morning to see what Mrs. Nannie Claus has left them inside their advent calendar. Sometimes it's a toy, sometimes it's candy, sometimes it's money or a gift card. Each morning they have to wait until all 3 of them are awake (Carter is always the last one up... and as soon as they hear his feet walking down the hall, Cristian and Ava bounce off the couch and run straight for the calendar). They take turns opening the doors... Cristian opens the odd days, and Ava the even. Last Thursday the wrote letters to Mrs. Nannie Claus to let her know that they were going to be in Disneyland the next 4 nights in hopes that she would find them on vacation too. Well, Mrs. Nannie Claus got the memo, because she left the kids a $10 Disney gift card and a candy cane each morning we were at Disneyland!
Cristian opening up Dec 9th
And he found an Army guy for himself
Ava got a squinky. (if you are the mother of a little girl and have not yet heard of squinkies... you will soon) Amazon.com rates them as this year's "IT" toy for girls How lucky that they fit so nicely inside the advent calendar.
Carter still waking up... Carter got a wooden block to add to his collection that Mrs Nannie Claus started for him!

An Apple Cup Birthday Party & Kyle's B-day

Saturday December 4th we had an Apple Cup Birthday Party for Kyle with my parents and sister. There was a lot of anticipation for this game, because a victory would mean a bowl birth for the first time in 8 years. Carter loved all the hors d'oeurves... especially the salsa :)
So TRUE... No more needs to be said!!!
TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON!!!!!! The game came down to the last drive... ending with a Jake Locker to Jermaine Kearse TD pass in the final minute of the game to seal the victory, and a trip to the Holiday Bowl!!! What a birthday present for Kyle. As you can see, everyone was excited!
Everyone singing and signing Happy Birthday to Kyle... and what better dessert to have on Apple cup day then my mom's homemade apple pie. (which also happens to be Kyle's favorite dessert).
This is one HAPPY boy! I've never seen a 7 year old as into the Huskies as Cristian is. This boy eats, breaths, and sleeps Husky football!! What can I say... it's in his blood :)
The Husky Celebration!
Tues December 7th was Kyle's real birthday. The kids could hardly wait for daddy to get home from work so they could give him his presents. Ava helped me fix Kyle his favorite dinner, Meatloaf.
Kyle's been wanting a pair of Nike Plus shoes :)

Family Fun Night - Dec 3

We did some fun Christmas crafts for family fun night last Friday. I got each of the kids 2 wooden ornaments to paint. Here's Carter painting his Santa.
Ava painting her Santa
and Cristian painting his
Carter painting his tree
Ava painting her tree
Cristian painting his tree. After the ornaments dried, we played hide the ornament on the tree... They took turns putting their ornaments on the tree and when they were done, the rest of us had to look for them.
When Kyle got home, we also decorated our gingerbread house. Kyle frosted the frame work of the house just to insure it would stay together, but the kids did the rest all on their own...
Carter worked harder at trying to sneak the candy then he did participating in the activity :)
Cristian putting the candy on the house
Ava icing the roof
We decorated some gingerbread cookies too :)
The finished house
other side of the house

Introducing Baby Colette

Ava was so excited to meet her new baby cousin! So last Friday after preschool, I picked her up, and we delivered dinner and a Starbucks to the proud new parents of this darling little girl!
Ava admiring baby Colette
My mom holding baby, and Carter peeking at her too.
Ava helping Christina open baby Colette's presents
Carter kept saying "Nan, my turn. Hold that baby"
I've been doing pretty well not catching that baby "bug" again... even with 2 of my cousins having babies recently I've really been feeling like I'm done... UNTIL...
this happened. Carter just melted my heart... he was smitten with this little baby. He kept smiling at her, and kissing her, and talking to her. He just LOVES her.
He would be such a great big brother =)
Nothing like watching your "baby" climb into an infant car seat to make you realize he really isn't a "baby" anymore.
The cute new family... my cousin Dane, his wife Christina, and baby Colette (born Nov 28th)
So sweet!!
She's a cutie!!

Apple Cup Festivities

The week leading up to the Apple Cup, Cristian wore a different Husky outfit every day to school. And on Friday, each of their schools had "Wear your school colors" day in honor of the in state football rivalry. Of course, my kids really get into this, and were both decked out in Purple ;) I didn't get a picture of Cristian before school on Friday, but I did get one of Ava... sporting her purple husky shirt, purple husky coat, purple fingernail polish, purple W tattoo, and 3 different purple hair accessories :) Cristian wore his Jake Locker signed jersey, his husky coat, a W tattoo, and of course his Husky back pack and lunch box. It's safe to say, we're AVID fans =)

Ava's Playdate w/ Ari

Ava had her best friend Ari over to play after preschool last week. Here they are enjoying their lunches :)
Little mommy's in training.
Playing dress up and barbies
Cute girls! Ari will be in Ava's Kindergarten class next year too... so I have a feeling they are going to be BFF for life =)