Christmas Program Weekend

The 2nd weekend in December is quickly becoming Christmas Program weekend at our house.  Friday night the school has its Christmas program.  Saturday morning is program practice for church and then Sunday night is the the church Christmas program.  While it is a big weekend we plan in advance and there are NO other activities scheduled for this weekend.  We give the kids down time while they are home and there is the required Saturday morning sleep-in and Sunday afternoon nap. :)  With all of that in place the kids all did terrific!  So proud of all them (even Olivia who managed to stay in the pew for the entirety of both programs!)  Here are some photos from the programs.

 The K-2nd grade playing the bells at the school program.  Micah is in the back row on left and Rebecca is in the front row on the right.

 

 Rebecca waiting to begin.  Not sure what she is doing....

 The entire student body at the children's school.  

 Church program - Micah is in the back row 5th from the left and Rebecca is in the 2nd row on the left.

 Micah had a reading part and did a wonderful job!

 Miss Olivia enjoying some Cheerios and the church program.  Still smiling!

 Rebecca was in charge of hanging on of the ornaments on the Jesse Tree.  Stretching as high as she can!

 All of the Sunday School kids ages 2 1/2 to 5th grade.

I am so thankful for all the teachers at school and at church who take the extra time to teach our children some of the important lessons at Christmas time.  We appreciate all that you do for our children and we know that you reward will be great!

Cute Kids

I hate to break it to you folks, but our kids are the cutest. So thankful to have these blessings in our lives.

Thanksgiving

Before Christmas is here I wanted to take a moment to stop and post about Thanksgiving. 

The kids both had plays at school right before Thanksgiving.  Micah's class acted out the 1st Thanksgiving.  Micah played the Indian Chief.

 Here he is telling the white settlers how to hunt and how to fish . (He is in the red and white striped shirt)

 The first Thanksgiving meal.

 Our Indian Chief! :)

Rebecca's class had been reading several versions of the 3 Little Pigs.  So, as a class, they wrote their own version and then acted it out for us.

 Rebecca and one of her classmates held up signs for the audience so that we would know what was happening.

 Our cute pink pig!

We have kind of developed a routine with our family gatherings and so it has been easier to plan for them.  My family on Thanksgiving Day and Nick's dad's family on Friday night and his mom's family on Sunday.  I don't have pictures from all the gatherings, but here are a few.

On Thanksgiving Day the weather was beautiful!  Normally a large group takes a walk or does something outside.  Some years it has been really cold and so not many have gone.  This year there was a nice breeze and so my dad dug out his kites and we flew kites for a while in the afternoon.  What fun it was!

 Grandpa and Rebecca 

 My cousin and Micah!

 Flying the stunt kite with Daddy.

Olivia and my cousin's daughter.  So cute!

Friday evening was spent swimming in a hotel pool with extended family and cousins.  Of course the kids loved swimming and it was Nick enjoyed visiting with some of his cousins that we only see every few years.

Sunday lunch was again a good time of reconnecting with family and remembering all that we have to be thankful for.

God has blessed us in many ways!

Not a baby

We are officially done with the bottle and the pacifier.  Sigh.

Much like our older two, Olivia gave up the pacifier and the bottle without much fuss.  I forgot the pacifier when I brought her to the babysitter's one day and she did quite well with out it and so we decided that it might just be the easiest time to get rid of it.  

I really wasn't ready for Olivia to give up the bottle, but she was.  I kept hoping that she would drink her bottle, snuggle down and fall asleep in my arms one last time.  Olivia, like her older sister, isn't much of a snuggler.  Sigh.

While that is a WONDERFUL thing, it is also a little sad to think that my baby doesn't need these "baby" items any more.  The bottles are sitting on my counter all ready to be boxed up and put in the basement.  The pacifiers are in her dresser drawer just waiting for me to throw them away. 

I am so grateful that my children are healthy and happy and that they are growing and learning just as they are. 

Maybe getting rid of the bottle and pacifier is just another sign of how much I have to be thankful for and to never take my growing children for granted.

Trick or Treat

Once again we dressed the kids up for Trick or Treating, seeing some relatives and visiting my work.  Yes, if you know our family you will notice that some of these costumes have been worn before. :)  Just trying to get our money's worth out of them!  The kids had a ton of fun and it is always cute to see them all dressed up!

 Trying to get a group picture.  Trust me - this is as good as it got. :)

 I dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (thanks to Melissa for letting me borrow the costume!) and the girls came to hand out paystubs on October 31.  So Dorothy had the Cowardly Lion and Glenda the Good Witch!

 Our pretty princess.

 At my parents - Olivia was really not sure what to do. :)

 Me too!  Don't forget me here in the back!

 Again!

 This is so much fun!

 Done Trick or Treating and now handing out candy to others!

Fun times by all and PLENTY of candy for all! :)

Stitches

For the 2nd time in her 5 years, Miss Rebecca had to have stitches.  Sigh.  I truthfully never imagined that she would have more stitches than her brother.  Just over two years ago she had 2 stitches in her ring finger after getting it pinched in the mechanism of a reclining couch.  After two rounds of liquid stitches the dr. opted for the real thing and apparently it is one Rebecca's first memories.

Two weeks ago tomorrow night, Rebecca was being such a big girl by helping me set the table.  We were literally minutes away from sitting down to a supper that I knew everyone would eat without complaining when she slipped and her feet went one way and her head went the other way and smacked (and I mean smacked) into the corner of our decorative floor boards.

After much screaming, blood and a consultation with grandma (who is an EMT) it was a determined that trip to the ER was necessary.  Of course the dr. first words upon looking at the injury were "Yup, that's going to need stitches."  Rebecca started getting all worked up again and I could have smacked the dr.  Rebecca whimpers, "I don't want stitches, stitches hurt!"  (Apparently she remembers the battle to get the stitches in her finger.)  After lots of comforting words from mom and dad, a sheet (to wrap her up like a coon - which she thought was awesome!) and some magic medicine the dr. was able get 7 stitches in without much drama. Whew!

 Ouch!

I must say that the incident has not changed one thing about her.  She still skips and "floats" around the house like she has no care in the world and there is not a single ounce of danger.  I find myself telling her to be more careful all the time. I don't want her to lose her care-free attitude, but I would like this to be the last round of stitches for her!

Still smiling!

A Minute in Olivia's Life

I took a little video of Olivia the other day.  It seems to be a good representation of how she is nearly every minute.  Just imagine this video 60 times over for about 12 hours a day.  Busy girl!