Christmas Festivities

We have been enjoying all the festivities that this time of year brings!!

We helped my Mom decorate her tree. I love that she invites the girls over to do this and we get to have these wonderful memories!

Of course in order to do great tree-trimming work one needs some hot cocoa, with extra marshmallows of course.

 

We have also attended many a holiday performance. My Mom got she, the girls and I tickets to the Holiday Spectacular. The girls loved it!!! We also attended the performances in which they were the stars. Kaylee’s school program was first.

Followed by Ainsley’s Holiday Program. Hard to believe but this is our last Montessori Children’s program. After attending one every year since 2004, as either a teacher or a parent, this was our final program.

Ainsley had a speaking part and a dancing part.

This past weekend we had our traditional cookie baking day Christmas at my Mom’s. We go over in the morning, spend the day in our PJ’s and bake cookies all day long.

Sarah was excited!

Belle having a rest.

Daddy and his girls.

Me and my girls.

We do gifts with my Mom and Brian and Sarah on this day. We don’t get to see Brian and Sarah on Christmas, and although my Mom comes over Christmas afternoon it’s nice to our gifts earlier because it is less overwhelming for the girls. She does wait to bring their stockings until Christmas.

They got lots of wonderful things but one of the hot items was a guitar for Kaylee and a ukulele for Ainsley.

The next day was Ainsley’s big dance recital. She has been taking dance this past year with her buddy Olivia. They did such a great job and looked so cute!!

We missed the Duffy Family Christmas this year so Dad and Sallie brought the girls’ gifts to the dance recital. They got a gift card to Barnes an Noble and bookmark from their Great-Aunt Myra, and an art set from my Dad and Sallie (Each grandparent brings a gift for their grandchild.).

We have certainly enjoyed our Holiday season so far. We have donated our Toys for Tots, gone through our items for Goodwill, made various crafts, baked goods, wrapped gifts, written our Santa letters, worked on our advent calendars, talked with our Elf on the Shelf, looked at Christmas lights and so much more. Love this time of year and the memories that are made from it.

Fishing for Meat

On Thanksgiving we went to my Mom’s house, as usual and Brian stopped by for a bit. He and Sarah rotate where they do Thanksgiving and this year they were suppose to go to Sarah’s family. Brian came over to Mom’s for a bit before he headed to his in-law’s house. While he was over he went to get some meat our of Mom’s deep freeze. My parents always buy 1/2 a side of beef and have way more than they can ever use and are nice enough to offer some to my brother and I if we need some.

While Brian was in there he saw that everything was mixed up and was trying to clean and organize the freezer for Mom. The problem was that the freezer was too deep to reach all the way down to the bottom. His solution? Call Ainsley down for assistance and deem the task “Fishing for Meat.” The following pictures speak for themselves.

Ainsley’s Haircut

It was the day before Thanksgiving and Brad was home with the  girls because Kaylee didn’t have school. I was at work and later in the afternoon, with about 30 minutes left to go in my work day, my phone rings. It’s Brad.

Me: Hi! (I actually thought it was going to be Kaylee because she tends to call me from Brad’s phone the most when she’s with him and I’m not home.) It was Brad. Brad: I need tell you about something before you come home and freak out. Me: Ok? Brad: Ainsley decided to cut her own hair. Me: What? Brad: Well, she was suppose to be upstairs napping and she came downstairs. She had a hat on and went outside to play and I was outside with them and noticed her hair was in her face. I called her over so I could fix her hat and when I took her hat off chunks of her hair came out. I said Ainsley you just got us both in big trouble.

Me: (Silence)

Brad: Are you there? Hello?

Me: Yeah

Brad: Are you Ok?

Me: Yeah (Now I’m waiting for the just kidding, because Brad is as bad as the boy who cried wolf. He’s notorious for being with the kids and call me, or when I call him to check in, tell me some crazy story and then say “Just kidding! Everything is fine.” However, the “Just kidding!” never came.

Brad: Are you mad? Are you going to cry?

Me: No (If I’m going to be honest I was biting the inside of my cheeks because I wanted to cry.) How bad is it?

Brad: It’s not as bad as it could have been it’s not to her scalp, but it’s pretty short.

Me: Ok, well I will take her in to get it fixed when I get home.

I realize it is only hair and that there are so many things worse that could happen. I also realize that the hair will grow back and really the cutting of her own hair could have been much worse. But I was: 1. Disappointed in Ainsley because someone who knows how to write their name and knows all their letter name and sounds knows that scissors are not for cutting hair. 2. All her pretty curls that have been there since she was a baby are now gone.

Now there were a few text pics that came through of her hair and her crying because she knew what she did was wrong. I know that as this little 4 1/2 year old gets older there will be many more situations of her doing things she knows she isn’t suppose to and I also know she is her father’s daughter and will always have that part of her that will do things just to see what happens or because she wants to…just because. Growing pains and learning for all of us.

I put below a photo of Ainsley a couple weeks before “the haircut” and one of her after.

Before:

After:

So…yeah she’s still cute and she’s still our little spitfire, no scissors could ever cut that out!

Happy Halloween!!

As I’m sitting here typing this post and looking at Christmas stockings I realize I am a little behind on my Halloween post, but tis the season for being busy and trying to play catch-up when you can.  This year Kaylee went as a leopard and Ainsley went as one of her faves Strawberry Shortcake, she had pink hair and all.

This is Kaylee after her school parade. Each year her school has a Halloween parade and then they all gather in front of the school for a school photo. A benefit to a smaller school.

Kaylee in her classroom waiting for their Halloween party to begin.

Making her craft at her party.

In years past we have always carved pumpkins about  a week before Halloween, however this year we did them the night before. I was worried we weren’t going to be able to get them carved. Time seem to just fly by!!

The girls hard at work getting the “goop” out.

The final product! These were completely designed by Kaylee and Ainsley.

Here is Ainsley “Miss Strawberry Shortcake” herself in the Montessori Halloween parade. She didn’t have pink hair for this, but did that night for Halloween.

Happy Anniversary Bentley and Ginny!!

In August Brad's parents, Bentley and Ginny, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary! As this special day was approaching I asked what they would like us to do for them and they opted for a intimate family dinner at one of their favorite restaurants.

The happy couple!! 40 years of wedded bliss....


My Mom and Tim were there to join in the fun.

Mee-Maw and Ainsley

The four of us. I did bring in some flowers and their wedding photo in a frame for a little table decoration:)

Kaylee and Brad's sister Kristin

We had a nice dinner with good company. It's not every day that you get to celebrate something of this magnitude! Forty years is a long time to be married and I've been blessed to be a part of their life. They exemplify everything a marriage should be and make the work that you need to put into a marriage look easy. I only hope that Brad and I can follow in their footsteps and be the same amazing example for our own children. They are such a great pair, somedays similar to the Barone's on Everybody Loves Raymond but in a very good way! Here's is to 40 more!!!!

Fall Fun

Our fall has flown by! I can't believe that Thanksgiving week is here. Although I do love the Holiday Season it is still a little bittersweet to see all the festive decorations up in the stores. Even though I have started my shopping and even created our cards I'm still clinging to colored leaves on trees and all the pumpkin spice smells and tastes I can get. So what are some of things we've been doing, you might ask? Here are some of the photos to show you.

(Again all photos in random order, but at least I got the photos on here:))

Jumping on the large "inflatable pillow" at Rader's Farm. We go every year. I have to say it has changed a bit since attending bon-fires there in high school, Brad and I went to school with Adam, one of the sons. I asked Adam this year if after hours they have wrestling matches on it and if so could we come:).

Trying to lasso. Daddy helping Kaylee.

Grandpa helping Ainsley. Brad's parents always go with us. Brad's dad sells farm equipment and does a lot of business with the Raders. They are a great family!

Kaylee is now 4 foot 2 inches, exactly 1 foot shorter than myself. While I realize it doesn't take much to become taller then me I didn't think she would be catching up so quickly.

While Ainsley remains a peanut she is still sprouting right up!

We went to an ISU Fall Festival thing with some of Kaylee's school friends and their moms. This was on the hay rack ride.
Celebrated Brad's birthday!

It has certainly been a fun-filled fall!!!

Go Upward Go!

Kaylee was involved with a program called Upward this fall. It's an athletic program put on through a church in Bloomington-Normal. In the fall they offer Flag Football and Cheerleading. At first, I admit, I was a little hesitant to have her do this. I'm not sure why. However, several girls in her class were participating, and it is a program that teaches good sportsmanship and offers spiritual lessons as well. So we signed-up. We were very fortunate because one of Kaylee's classmates Mom was the coach and all she and her classmates all got to be on the same team. They had 1 practice during the week and a game on Saturday, each lasting an hour. It was cute to watch them and each week after practice and a game they got a star sticker to place on their megaphones. There were different color stickers each representing a different characteristic. The coach would go around and give each girl their sticker and say why they earned it. I have to say I was really glad we did this and I think it was the first activity that Kaylee did that she didn't ask when it was going to be over. At the end of the season they had a final celebration where the girls did a dance and all the kids received their participation gift. All in all it was a great season. Go Upward Go!! Here are some of the photos (I've been having issues getting my photos added to posts, so they aren't in order but I got photos on her so I'm going with it. See if I can get some of my draft posts actually posted:)):

Kaylee before her first game.

Brad and Ainsley at the end of the season celebration.

This is Ainsley with Ava. Ava's sister is in Kaylee's class and was on the squad with Kaylee. Ainsley and Ava will be in Kindergarten together next year. Side note there are 6 or 7 kids in Kaylee's class who have siblings that will all be in Kindergarten together next year.

Pre-game prayer huddle.
Kaylee and one of her best buddies Grace!!

Kaylee in the ready position, waiting for the cheer to start.

This was taken at the end of the season celebration. What a great squad!!!