Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Blessings

We have been blessed in more ways than I can count this year.  I am amazed everyday as I watch our girls grow.  They are learning more and more about God, life, academics, behavior, and in every other way!  We are blessed that God chose us to parent such wonderful girls.

This year we spent lots of time with family, went on some amazing vacations (Six Flags, Alaska, The Ranch, Kansas City, Junction, etc.), remodeled our kitchen, celebrated our girls' 4th birthday, bought a new car, and many other things.  It's been an awesome year!  We are excited to see all the blessings God had in store for us in 2013!

Kansas City Vacation

The day after Christmas, we loaded up the car and headed to Kansas City.  My cousin, Brittany, was getting married, and we decided to make a vacation out of it.  So we went a couple of days early to participate in some touristy activities.  It was a long trip, but the girls were very good travelers!  The next morning, we headed to Crown Center and LegoLand!  We arrived a little before our scheduled time, so the girls played on the giant toys under the giant Christmas tree while waiting to enter LegoLand.
I'm not sure who had more fun in LegoLand, Daddy or the girls.  There were a couple of small rides, which was our favorite parts, but we also enjoyed looking at the models and building some of our own.  
When we had all the fun we could stand, we walked across the street to a shopping center for lunch at the Crayola Cafe.  Very fun and kid friendly.  The girls loved getting to color and draw in the Crayola store while waiting for our table to be ready.
After lunch, we headed to my Aunt Cindy's house to visit with the family a little bit before heading back to the hotel.  Ella and Emma were all worn out from our activities that morning.
Ella
Emma
On Friday, we decided to visit a Children's Museum.  But first, we went to a mall to visit the Disney Store.  We were surprised to fine a double leveled carousel in the middle of the mall.  We rode it several times while there.
Emma
Ella
The Children's Museum was actually an old elementary school which has been converted.  They had different activities in the classrooms.  Ella and Emma had a blast here!! So many fun things to do, and all of them right on their level.  It was wonderful.
This room had hundreds of ping pong balls and several different apparatuses
to use them on, learning about force, gravity, and angles. 
This room was set up as a nursery/ doctor's office/ vet office.
The gym had legos on one end and this vacuum tube set up
by one of the walls.  Such fun to make the scarves blow through
the tubes and out into our faces!
What kid doesn't enjoy playing in the water?
Daddy- after going through most of the museum
After the museum, we loaded back up and headed to a large house in the country where the cousins would be staying for the remainder of the trip.  We spent that night and most of the next day visiting and catching up on various cousins' activities.  Saturday afternoon was the wedding.  Very beautiful bride and wedding! Very fun reception.
Daddy/ Daughter(s) Dance
Sunday, we enjoyed a nice worship service with our cousins, followed by lunch at Cindy's house.  We went to The Plaza portion of Kansas City for a very cold, but fun sleigh ride to look at all the beautiful Christmas lights.
The scarves with attached puppets/ mittens I made for the girls while on this trip.
Ella, Aleisha, Emma

We spent one more night before heading home on Monday.  It was a very nice mini-vaction.  We loved the time with family and witnessing Brittany's wedding.  

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Painting with the New Easel Santa Brought

Emma and Ella were so excited to get to paint with their new art supplies on their new easel!  They did a great job, too!!
Emma's Artwork
Ella's Artwork

Christmas Morning

What fun it is to have children at Christmas time!!  Ella and Emma were so very excited that Santa came to visit.  They were even more excited to see he had fulfilled the items they asked for in their letters.  It's been a great day full of blessings!
Ella and Secret Bear
Emma and Wish Bear

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve

Reindeer Food
Opening 1 Present on Christmas Eve
New Jammies and Slippers
Emma and Ella
Daddy Reading about Jesus' Birth
(as we remind our girls of what CHRISTmas is really about) 
Mommy reading "The Night Before Christmas" 
Goodies for Santa

Family Christmases

We celebrated Christmas with Mommy's family a few days ago and with Daddy's family this afternoon.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful, caring, and generous families.
Handprint Calendar for Grammie
Princess Castle and Figures from Grammie and Grandy
New Scooters from Memaw and Datt