Christmas with Grandma Iowa

When Grandma Iowa comes at Thanksgiving, we usually celebrate an early Christmas with her while she is here!  Luckily I also usually get my tree up the day after Thanksgiving!  Yay!!

 

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the tree is loaded with gifts!

 

 

 

Let's just say our kids are very blessed by all they get!

Brooklyn got a bracelet loom maker which she is really good at, Jamison got some Lego's, and Raegan got some make up.  They got many other things as well!

 

The girls also got this very cool vanity that they can use to put their make up on!  Very exciting!!!

 

 

 

  

Grandma and Santa must know each other very well. :)

Happy Thankgiving!

We have so much to be Thankful for this year!  Truly blessed with our new home, our health, happiness, friends, family, jobs, cars, etc. etc. 

 

Jamison thinks we have the coolest house ever! :)  I agree!

We turned one of our door decorations into a place to list things we are thankful for!  The kids did a great job and came up with everything on their own.  They had family members names, our house, food, teachers, etc. 

Raegan's cute little foot turkey!

 A few other thanksgiving decorations Kandle did with J and R.  So cute!!

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house.  Grandma Iowa came down again, and we love having her here!  It was nice to have our house full of family!   Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Our little turkey!

What a turkey in deed!  He is doing great in Pre-K, and sounds like he may even have a girlfriend!  He often has notes in his backpack from Stella with hearts all over them!  I guess he asked her to marry him, she said yes, so they are engaged technically! 

Ms. Hoffman said Jamison is doing really well in Pre-K, and he is learning a lot!  He has really gotten smarter, doing better with his writing, and is starting to pay attention and saying some pretty bright things!  Also looks like he is for sure going to be left handed!!

He is a boy though, and most days says he doesn't want to go to school!  Looks like it is going to be a long 12 years ahead. 

He is still in love with his little stuffed puppy, obsessed actually!   And looks like we may have to get him a real one sometime in the future  (its either that or a brother...so the puppy may win!)  He loves being with his dad, and hates being the only boy when dad isn't around.  But boy, I sure do love him!!!   So ornery and sweet all at the same time!

Brooklyn

This girl got a new hat from Ms. Kandle, and wore it everywhere for the first couple of weeks!

She is also quite the fashionista!

She also got a Positve Action Award at a school assembly.  The teacher wrote on the award that it was for Resourcefulness, and that he loves how she finds ways to solve problems, and finds new ways to do things!  I am so proud of her!  She really does do that, she is a problem solver and has common sense (which I love about people!).

Her and Elke after a playdate of going back and forth between houses.  They ended up dressed similar and with make up on!  Love them!

Ready for one of the hawkeye games!

I think this was her first quarter report card.  But she is doing so well in school.  Her first parent teacher conference lasted about 27 seconds.  The teacher was just so pleased, and couldn't think of anything to say!  Since then she has progressed to third grade homework.  She is ecstatic about it (she doesn't realize that it just means it is harder and takes more time, but that is ok!).  Yes, we are proud of her, she is reading very very well, likes math as well, and is doing third grade level homework for first grade!  You go girl!!!

Lights on at TU

TU had a special night where they were turning on all their blue Christmas Lights to Turn TU Blue.  They had hot chocolate and some kids sang.  A fun little adventure out for mom and kids.  Then we got to go find dad at work before we went home! 

Halloween 2013.

This year we had a fairy, a football player, and Cinderella!

 

And for the first time we actually went trick or treating.  (yes, we are lame, and have deprived our kids of trick or treating!)  We couldn't put it off any longer!  We went in our neighborhood with a group of friends, and had a great time!!!  I have a feeling we will be doing this next year and many years to come!!

Get your run on!

This year B and J participated in Zoomerangs.  A weekly run club through fleet feet.  They went once a week to Carnegie and did some running and running games.  The end of year event included running in the Graveyard Dash.  It was a 1K race.  So, not wanting to let me 6 year and 4 year old run off on their own, meant that Mom and R were in for a run as well!  So I laced up and off we went.  Since it was a Halloween race, they dressed up as well! 

 

 

 I am proud to say that we ran the entire 1K without stopping once!  The kids had a great time too, so maybe we need to try this again in the future!!! 

Dad hurried from work and ran to the finish like to meet us just in time!  (I think he ran further than we did since he parked so far away!)

So proud of the kids for finishing the race and running the whole thing!!!

 

More random looks into our life

Sport of the day for Jamison and Lars--Golf!

A little more outside play time! 

Our house this fall.  The marigolds were all planted before we moved in, but they took off once we were here to take care of them a little!  Loving the fall weather and the fall colors, and LOVING our new house!!!!