Some nice photos to share :)

Since I am on a role with the blogging these last couple of days I thought I would post some other cute photos from the last 2 months or so...  I keep thinking I should write about something "deep" on my blog but I can't really think of anything so I will just keep posting pictures of my family.

                                             Eden playing "Dr." with Beckett

                              A common sight in the evening at our house...Kyle and Sawyer on the ipad.

                                         Eden with her new haircut...she loves it short.

                                     Beckett in his underware and dark socks doing tricks with Faith

                                  Since I have been sewing I helped Reganne (my friend, Jenny's daughter) sew a bag for a class at school.  She got an A+.  It was fun to help her and she was proud of herself when it was done.  I have known Reganne since she was 1 year old and now she is heading into high school in the fall...sniff...sniff.  Oh...and it seems that she is taller than me too.

                                 Beckett in roller blades and his "Ming Ming" Wonderpets underware :)

                              Beckett with his cute friend, Devin, riding the train at the mall.

                                 Beckett eating Sawyer's cupcake at his school Christmas party.  Sawyer has a serious crush on the girl sitting next to him.

                        The kids with my dad on his b-day!  Cute picture!!!

Beckett's Birthday Party

I resisted having a birthday party for Beckett this year because...well...I am lazy.  I thought I could get away with one more year.  Kyle told me he would really enjoy it so I gave in.  Beckett very much enjoyed his party.  He used all his manners and had a great time!  We invited 8 or so of his little friends to McDonald's to eat dinner, enjoy a cupcake and play in the "playland."  He received a lot of great toys (that he enjoying sooooo much).  All the kids invited were very well-behaved.  Four year olds are pretty great!!  We celebrated at home on Sunday (his actual b-day) with leftover cupcakes!  We got him a Lightening McQueen bike and a few other smallish things. 

                                         The Birthday Gang

                                          Gifts

                                          "Reading" his card.

                                          New bike.... and yes I am only in my underware...

                                           Birthday cupcake

                                            Before church on my b-day holding my very loved Buzz Lightyear.

                                              Faith posing with her cupcake.

Beckett is "4!!"

I am a few days late posting on Beckett's birthday.  He turned "4" on Sunday the 15th.  It is hard for me to believe that his "babyhood" is officially over.  It makes me sad but he makes me happy every single day.  He is so friendly and outgoing...much more than the other kids in our family.  As I have posted before he has changed a ton in the past six months or so.  In fact....I went in for a PT conference yesterday with his pre-school teacher and she told me how much she enjoys him as well.  This is the same teacher he had last year that gave me the "nervous laugh" when I happily told her that he would be in her class this school year as well.  She told me how much he had changed....soooo...it isn't just me.  I feel bad that she was "dreading" the class with him this year.  Beckett LOVES pre-school and his friends.  He LOVES his sisters and his brother.  Eden is his favorite playmate.  His favorite color is green and his favorite food in mac and cheese.  He loves "The Grinch" movie and book and "Green Eggs and Ham" is also a favorite book.  His favorite shows include "Handy Many" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."  He loves his toys and anything from the "Cars" movies.  He also likes "Dora."  He had a very nice birthday party at McDonald's and I will post pics from that later.  So...I took him in today to get his pictures taken at Portrait Innovations and he did amazing.  Such a difference from past experiences.  She took 53 pictures and all of them were cute...MIRACLE!!!  He was a huge HAM!  Here are a few.

2011...in review...

2011 was a great year for us.  Here are some highlights in no particular order....

-By mid-year Beckett turned into a much easier child.  In 2010 he almost became a full-time daycare child because I could barely keep up with his crazy, naughty, active ways.  Now we all enjoy him so much.  He is very sweet and funny.  He now actually plays with his toys instead of getting into things he shouldn't.  We also don't mind taking him places now :)

-Kyle and I enjoyed an anniversary trip to New York City in April.  We had a wonderful time visiting Times Square, Ground Zero, Central Park, eating at fancy restaurants and taking a helicopter ride. 

-In June we travelled to Virginia for Seth's high school graduation.  We had a very fun week with family and visited Washington DC where we saw the White House, visited Ford's Theater and some museums. 

-Early in the year Sawyer won the Pinewood Derby and received two trophies at a chess meet where he got "biggest upset" and placed 3rd for his age group.

-In November Eden was baptized.

-In February, when Faith turned 12, she entered the Young Women's program at our church...finally with the "big girls."

-I was called to worked with the 12-14 year old girls in the Young Women's program at church in the summer.  I have really enjoyed it!!!

-Sawyer, Kyle and gpa Gary took a "mancation" trip in February to visit great grandparents Dale and and June Price in Florida. 

-Kyle (for a few months of the year) really enjoyed his job on an integration team at CAT.  Not only did he enjoy it, he was also home much earlier from work than normal.  We also very much enjoy when daddy gets time off at Christmas.  We love having him around!

-Faith's softball team took first place in their tournament in August.  It was very fun to be on a winning team.

-Faith, Eden and I visited the American Girl store with friends, Teresa and Delaney Fitzgerald.

-Me in NYC with The Statue of Liberty in the background.

-Baby Gaga (the dwarf hamster) joined our family.

-Seth's graduation and my kids with Lindsey and Maddie in front of the White House.

-Faith made choir ensemble.

-My 20th high school reunion.

-Six Flags in October.

-First visit to Starved Rock (although we have lived here for years).

-Thanksgiving is always a highlight because my brother's family comes every year!

--------We are pretty busy and also extremely blessed! ----------------

Merry Christmas 2011

We had a really nice Christmas!  We woke up really early, opened all our gifts and then headed off to church.  We enjoyed a very nice church service.  I love when Christmas day falls on a Sunday.  Several years back, when the kids were all younger, I wouldn't have said that but now that they are older most things are much easier.  I didn't get any pictures but they wore what they have on in the previous post when I got their pictures taken.  Both sets of parents came over and we enjoyed fonduing (which is our tradition every year).  My mother-in-law is in charge of all the meat and setting up the fondu while mom and I make the side dishes.  We enjoyed more gift opening and loved being together.  The kids were happy with all their gifts.  Their "big" gifts included a netbook for Faith, i-touch for Sawyer, AG doll for Eden and Leappad for Beckett.   After I got done labeling the photos I was noticing how "casual" my kids all look.  I used to dress them up on Christmas day but now they all have minds of their owns and wear pajamas whenever they are home.  Beckett is pretty much in only underwear at home because he takes his clothes off and for some reason all my kids are hot blooded.  Eden hates having her hair brushed....Sawyer's hair is just crazy but they really are presentable when they leave the house.

 Faith on Christmas Eve finishing up Beckett's snuggie.

 Beckett with his decorated sugar cookies on Christmas Eve.

 On Christmas Eve for last 3 years we have done a treasure hunt with a gift at the end.  This year the gift(s) were stuff for our theater room in the basement.  With the money my grandpa sends us every year we got a Sodastream...we are really enjoying it!

 ....and also a candy dispenser.

 The kids also opened their snuggies that Faith made for them.  We had to purchase Faith's.

                               Christmas morning!  Beckett LOVES anything from the "Cars" movies.

                                        Cologne and pop...just what every tween boy needs.

                                                               Kanani from AG.

                                                       i-touch...which he is now addicted to.

                                                                   Netbook

                           Leappad...Beckett enjoyes this very much...it was a good purchase.

                                                      Jersey

                                         Happy Boy

 Beckett in his very own rollerblades.  He always skates around the house in Faith's (which are way too big) so we got him his own...I am sad to say that he still wears Faith's.

                                               Dartboard...for Sawyer (and the basement).

                                                   Daddy with a very excting......wallet.

                                Mommy with her new purse picked out by daddy and the girls.

                                                                       FOOD!!!

                                                            Eden with gma Donna.

 Beckett after opening his Christmas cracker...these are very popular in Europe and I ended up with some (that I stole) at a Christmas party :)  The kids enjoyed them.

                                         The kids all received these desks from my parents.

                                     Eden with gma JoAnn....Eden loves her grandmas!!