Xmas cookies 2011

Another favorite xmas tradition with my very talented sister! This year, my sister is gracious enough to watch the kids for me while I go to a work meeting. While I was gone, she started decorating cookies with the kids and took some very amazing pictures.

I was able to join in on the fun when I got back and we all had such fun time decorating the cookies! I'm just glad that my sister has the patience and such creative talents to do this with us. We had so much fun. Can't wait to do it again next xmas!

Xmas outtakes

You never know what you'll get when you try to get these kids to pose for pictures. Here are some that didn't make the cut on our xmas cards, but I thought were so cute, I had to share:

 

Gingerbread Houses

We spent an evening with Dane & Caitlin during the holidays and decorated gingerbread houses! Actually, Darin & Aden and Dane & Kadence had a Gingerbread throwdown, while Caitlin & I watched them make a mess. We had so much fun and looking forward to making this as one of our xmas traditions with them. The kids loved it!

With all the fun and excitement (and drinks) I totally forgot to take a picture of the finish products. Let's just say that Caitlin & I voted a tie - it's not about the quality of the work, it's how much fun we had doing it! 

Xmas Tree 2011

I'm doing a bit of a catch up from the crazy few months we've had. We had the best time getting our christmas tree, the kids were so excited and had the funnest time celebrating one of our favorite traditions. We had the best weather for it also. My favorite moment is in the truck, as we are heading to the tree farm, the kids were belting out christmas songs at the top of their lungs. Very fond memories that I hope to remember forever.

We were joined by great friedns who made the entire experience funner. The kids had so much fun running around and playing together.





6-year old cake

Aden requested an airport/airplane cake for his birthday. So what did my husband create? An aircraft carrier cake. It was awesome and delicious! It was a hit.

Six years old

Aden's first picture as a 6-year old, right after he lost his front tooth...

It's been 6 amazing years since Aden made us parents. This boy made our lives so much more meaningful and amazing because he is in it. Every night, I check on him before I go to bed and to see how much he fills up his bed now makes me sad at how fast time flew by. To see him turn into a boy - a very gentle, kind, sensitive, smart, thoughtful boy - makes me so proud that I am his mom.
Here's a look at the past year:

Our cutie pies

Celebration

Darin did a great job "surprising" me with a night out for my birthday. The best part was that I was surrounded with a lot of our closest friends. It was definitely one, if not, the funnest birthday celebration I'd had in a long time. I couldn't believe that we were in Oba for 6 hours, followed by drinks and crazy straws at Trader Vick's. And the 9 blocks walk to Karaoke helped all of us that night...I feel so blessed to have such awesome people in my life!

Love Notes

Here's a sample of love notes I get from my sweetest son...I hope in 10 years, I'll still get the cut-out hearts and notes that he leaves me on a daily basis.

Translation: It's been a wonderful Halloween, Mom. From Aden

He gave this to me a few days after Halloween. This is what he does most of the afternoons when he's supposed to be in his room while I'm working for a couple of hours. He writes me notes...makes cut-out hearts. I don't know how or when it started...all I know is that I feel so loved :)

Taking after mom

During lunch, I sat at the table with the kids and found Aden reading a book while eating...

Since he started reading, I see him do things (like brush his teeth, eating, etc. ) while reading a book. He reminds me so much of myself...this is something that I do quite often. And today, I had to take a picture since I caught a glimpse of myself in my boy and made me so happy that he loves to read!

Halloween 2011

This is a post I haven't made before - Halloween pictures! That is because this is the first year my kids decided they want to do Halloween. Actually, Aden decided that he will give Halloween a chance...at the last minute. After I picked him up from school, we went to Freddy's. Talked to him about Halloween and sort of talked him into it. We found a costume on the rack (for a fraction of the price!) and we were set! Kadence costume came from the Tillett's, so we were set! I made an impromptu call to the Tilletts and joined in the fun. Aden loved it - mostly the running around part with his friends. Kadence had a good time too, although had a hard time catching up to the big kids. Thanks to Dad who took her to each door. Neither one of them wanted anything to do with the candy, which made me so proud of them. Aden wanted to save the candy to give away to kids next year! Funny kid.

Perfect October day at the beach

We made an impromptu beach trip last weekend. It was a short trip - but it was definitely worth it! A nice, warm day at the beach at the end of October is what we needed.

Swingin'

Pumpkin Patch 2011

My Romeo

My sweet boy - I get something like this at least once a week! He's such a sweet, sentimental and sensitive boy. He's definitely my little charmer!

Big Girl Bed

Our baby is officially a big girl! She transitioned to her big girl bed first week of October. I was really afraid that Kadence will have a hard time giving up her crib - she loved sleeping in there and had never tried to crawl in and out of it (both of our kids never tried to get out of their cribs!) Good thing we had a good excuse to move on to a big girl bed...new baby in the group! I was a little sad to see the crib go...it was a sign that our kids are growing up way too fast.

Kadence did so well and up to this day, we haven't had any issues of her sleeping in her bed. She just loves it! Even nap time is not an issue. I am so amazed! She picked out her own sheets and everything and she's loved it ever since!



Last camping trip of 2011

It's now a tradition - camp one last time the next nice weekend after the Surfslam event. This year did not disappoint. The weather was awesome for Friday and Saturday - the packup on Sunday was a bit challenging due to the changing weather. But even with that, we still had an amazing time that we will for sure plan on this again for next year! Darin even dusted off his party hat from Fiji - a sure sign of good times ahead!

D trying to slide down the sand hill using a kite board!

Kadence swimming with Dane