Exciting December

Thanksgiving was spent with my Mom and Mark coming to visit this year it was very relaxing and quiet and perfect!  We had such a nice time with them and the kids got a lot of one on one which can be hard when we're in Boise being pulled in so many directions so it was good for them too.  Haylee took lots of drawing tips and lessons, we did puzzles, ate really great food and played some fierce games of banagrams! :)

 

We did have some pretty amazing food on our big day and no shortage of pies either thanks to Nana so we all had full bellies and lots of sweats being worn.  I am so glad we got to make this memory.

Both our girls got the chance to be Western Washington ball girls this Fall and they got the same night which was very fun.  They were super excited!

We sat in the stands and ate popcorn. :)

Sweep girls sweep!!

Well done!

Grace has been in school choir and has had two performances we got to go watch.  It's been a good experience for her I think learning a little about the music and not just singing.  It's not too structured yet but still a fun activity.

After the Christmas performance we raced off to get our tree before rain hit and the stand closed.  We go with the Stoddards every year and babies slept while we picked.....and posed for some shots.

This little boy LOVES his Ben time!!!!  Ben has Gavin as his screen saver of his ipod and is always so good with him whenever we see him.  We got his old lamp and you would have thought Gavin won the lottery......so cute!!  Makes me smile. :)

Haylee still smiling even though sisters' head's coming off.....nice!

Cute little friends.

Stoddard family babies sleeping......

Stoddard family babies awake......crazy!!!!

Brandon and Alexa looking at the train.

Nicole and Avery

Gavin has LOVED all the decorations and ornaments this year.  It has been one of my favorite parts of this season to watch him play with all of it.  Just melts my heart it's so sweet.  He plays with the mini trees as rocket ships.

 Ornaments were all his little friends.

And his train always had some pretty special passengers. ;)

With baby Jesus taking the lead of course. ;)

SOOO CUTE!!!

Don't know if it's a youngest child thing or what but this boy has an amazing imagination!  He will do this for hours......

Kids did a great job on the tree too.

In other exciting Christmas news we got a dog!! Crazy I know since this is numero tres but we really felt like this little guy belonged in our family and there has been not one regret!  We told the girls to just start praying about a dog and when one was right for our family we would know and here is his story:

                                    Meet Jake!                             

Justin saw him at the pound about a month or so before we got him and mentioned a cute little dog we should look at, I of course said "take your meds dear because I think you just said DOG".....a few weeks later he went back and he was still there (getting over kennel cough)so he sent me a picture and said "he's really cute".  Well he was pretty cute but I still said "no" but began to pray that if and when there is a dog out there right for us we would know....well a week or so later Justin says he's bummed out because he went back to check and the dog got adopted so he felt like we missed our chance.  I thought: "not right for us, moving on"......well he goes back again a few days later and here is Jake back at the pound because the lady who took him had unfriendly dogs that didn't care for him.  SO....we decided we would NOT tell kids but go look on Justins lunch hour and see how he is with us.   K- so we get in there and find that not only is the phone ringing off the hook for this dog but he has 2 holds...yes 2 on him for the next 48 hours. :(  I once again thought okay we need to let this go and move on...right?  Wrong!  48 hours later they tell us he was never picked up by either person and there are lots of people requesting to see him but because we had been in so many times they would hold him one more day for us(actually 3 because it was now the weekend and they were closed Sun and Mon) so we had a while to ponder what we were thinking  and told the kids we had a dog we needed them to meet.  We got in there and we just sort of knew there was no way this dog was not meant for us. :)

So a little 7 year old poodle/Maltese mix who doesn't shed, bite, bark, who listens, obeys, has the sweetest temperament ever has found it's way home to our family.

 And he is a perfect little addition to our family this Christmas.

A little scraggly and no one knows where he even came from but now he's ours and we are thrilled we found him!

Sheesh just finished pre Christmas and tomorrow is New Years Eve.....maybe I'll find some time in our weekend to finally get caught up.  If not happy New Year......2012 will be a good one I just know it! :)

some time i'll catch up......

Picking up from summer vacation we got home to a warm, beautiful August and September and got to snuggle and love on these little ladies a lot. 

Mike and Bonnie came to visit for a long weekend and while the boys golfed we did some school shopping.

Did some treasure hunting at the ocean.

 And just enjoyed ourselves. ;)

Grace also got her 1st sewing machine fixed up like new from Grandpa Hebdon and Mike and Bonnie drove it up.  She was so excited to try in out and has already come along way, it will be a fun thing for them to learn. (then they'll teach me)

They were also here for Grace's surgery which was very nice to have the help from Bonnie for the week.  Grace finally got her tonsils and adenoids out.  We are so happy we did it there have been huge improvements for her!!

Still don't like seeing her like this though even if it's a small procedure. :(

Meds are kickin in about this time and she went from this silly happy thing to a very upset little girl hallucinating, shaking, and hyperventilating.....scared me but they said "totally normal" and thank goodness they whisked her back to put her out!

Grandpa had to get the "all clear" from his girl before he could hit the road home.  She woke up and did AMAZING.....we were shocked at how easy she made it look. 

She hit a bump in the road about day 3 for a few days and she was pretty crabby through the week but she didn't take her heavy meds except day 1, she was okay with Tylenol and she was drinking from the time we left the hospital and eating the next day. Wow!  So proud of her.

Surgery over, feeling like a new kid and ready for 4th grade.  She's actually in a 4/5 split this year which has been challenging but we like that it pushes her.

Haylee our 2nd grader:

Not too long after starting school we had a visit from my sister, brother in law and my niece Tekyiah.  It was beautiful weather so we got to do alot outside and just enjoy our time.  This is their first time up here.

Now it's back to Gav man and me every day all by our lonesomes......sort of sad....and quiet. :(  We have fun though and he is  pretty wonderful so I can't complain. ;)

My man around the house when Justin is not home.

                                                      He even draws portraits of me. ;)
                                              



It seems crazy that Fall has already come and gone and we managed to get through it snow free which in my opinion is pretty great!  We took the kids to the farm tour and did our usual Fall outings of pumpkin patches and corn mazes. 

I need to compare I think this is the 4th time doing this so Haylee would be where Gavin is here.

MMMMM....apple cider doughnuts......it took us about 10 min of looking around before we all admitted that we were really just here for the doughnuts.

 My girls.

 Hay ride

The kids basically did their own pumpkins this year (besides Gavin) so it really makes our lives much easier we get to sit and take pictures and watch them get frustrated with them. ;)  Grace did a great job and I ate my words big time because I told her there was NO WAY she would do the one she chose without help. HA.....she apparently likes a challenge because not a peep from this girl till it was DONE!!! No help! Showed me!

And it turned out really good!

This boy surprised us when he did not want to get his hands dirty with the insides...hmmm...too much time around his sisters maybe??

This girls an animal though she cleaned out hers, Gavin's and helped with Grace's then had it all cleaned up lickity split! After dinner of course. ;)

 Haylee's

  Gavin was pouting during this part so he was not invited to the picture party.

Right before Halloween we had a 3 day weekend so we went down to visit Wendy and the girls to get some time before the cold weather and bad roads set in.  We are staying home for the holidays this year.  Gavin and Peyton are still the best of sweet cousins and they are so fun to watch and listen to.  Here he's helping tie Grace's scarf on her. :)

We went to happy hour pie and I tell you what I am glad it's not by my house because unhealthy amounts of pie would be consumed and I would not feel bad about it either!  Flavor that day was fresh strawberry rhubarb, using LOCAL ingredients......pretty much the best thing ever!

 We played

 And kissed these wonderful cheeks!

 and played

 kissed some more cheeks.....

 raked some leaves

 played some more

went with Uncle Ben to hunt mushrooms.

Kissed some more wonderful baby cheeks.....

Went to the trunk or treat at their church.

and some of us were pooped before we even got to the party.  Takes alot of work to look this cute! :)

We had a wonderful time and Whitney and Zoey coming out to visit was a bonus for our trip.  We love our cousin time! Thanks Smith family for taking such good care of us, we love you tons!!

We made it home for the actual Halloween where we got to change costumes and do it all again this time with Maddie the Egyptian princess joining us.

Happy Fall everyone now that it's winter! :)