Christmas is Here :)

We decided to decorate for Christmas this last weekend! We planned to get most of the decorating done while the kids were napping. But of course....... naps were way off schedule and so all the kids were up while we were decorating.

Gus did a really good job putting ornaments on the tree.

As you can imagine, he can't reach very high, so his area of the tree looked like this:

Oh- it made me laugh. I LOVED it.

The mantle looks so full with all 5 stockings! Yay- for Jack's new stocking!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I LOVE the magic of Christmas. I love everything about Christmas! And I love passing on the excitement and anticipation of Christmas to my kids. I want it to be magical for them. It is still magical for me. And I strive to make it magical for everyone in my family. 

Maddie is 2!

 Today is Maddie's 2nd Birthday!

We have had lots of celebrating!

We began the day early- all the kids woke up around 6:15. We filled the hall with balloons, and it was a big hit.

After mom and dad got coffee- opening presents began. Maddie enjoyed opening.

Then Maddie, Gus and Josh went to get donuts. Maddie got a kolache and a sprinkle donut. She and Gus watched Little Einsteins- one of their favorite shows- while they ate.

Maddie spent girl time with me while I got ready for the day.

For lunch, we went to our local Mexican food restaurant.

Afterwards we ate Maddie's birthday cake.
 

Maddie has been growing so much lately. She enjoys playing with her brothers most of the time, but she doesn't mind looking at books or playing by herself too. She loves to listen to music and dance. She's a good pretender and cooks in her kitchen. She likes playing with all her brothers' toys too. She has a favorite blanket she always sleeps with. Her hair has grown a lot the past few months and has curls on the end which is so cute! She asks almost daily for me to fix her hair. She likes girly things which is fun for me. She likes to watch Curious George, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Little Einsteins. She is a good eater and likes vegetables! She also enjoys fruit, yogurt, and crackers. She likes to share food with Jack when they eat yogurt or applesauce. She will try new things which is nice.

Maddie, we cannot imagine life without our precious baby girl. We love you so much.
 

Jack is 10 Months

 I really feel like can see Jack growing right before my eyes it is happening so fast! 

 

He is such a sweet boy!! 

 

He loves to play with his brother and sister. He will crawl to his (and Gus's) room or Maddie's room and just start playing with toys. 

 

Jack took his first steps!! He continues to keep trying to walk, and I know he'll have it down before I know it. Gus likes to hold his hands, and they walk together. These boys truly love each other. 

 

He is eating all kinds of foods. He still doesn't have any teeth, but I am able to give him bigger pieces of food and he does just fine. 

 

He loves to sit and look at little books. 

 

 

He and Gus are still enjoying being in the same room. Jack has slept through the night many times. It's so nice for us! Now if we could just get all the kids to always sleep through the night...... :)

 

Jack doesn't really let others hold him. He is shy. 

 

Jack- we all love you so much!! You are a ray of sunshine in our life. We are thankful for you every day.