SPRING!

Been away from this ol' blog...

maybe it's busy life...

maybe it was just a long winter...

 

But SPRING is just around the corner!

I've been deep cleaning...purging....It feels great!

Cleaning insides of drawers, getting rid of clutter, brightening up, lightening up.

Once the weather turns NICE...

We will be ready to spend every.single.moment....OUTSIDE!

 

Until then...

here's a few bits and pieces of our lil' winter.

 

Valentine's Day...

always a special day to celebrate!

First year that I BOUGHT valentines!
We still added our craftiness to them though!

Henry...loved these Angry Birds valentines!

So, we added some fun tattoos and fruit snacks (Angry Birds of course).

 

The girls enjoyed creating their valentines too.

We acutally bought theirs before the New Year!

Thought these gum tubes would be perfect!

 We ended our LOVE DAY with a fun pizza dinner.
Whole Foods pizza with heart shaped pepperoni...
now if that isn't a party!

Had a few FIRSTS over the past few months too!
Flu bug hit.
Temps off and on for about 5 days!
She was a trooper.
And it was great to have one on one time with her.

Mr. H...his very first dentist visit!
Oh wow...did I have anxiety over this!
Talked about our trip all morning....
then...he did FAB!
Hubs went to school with everyone in the office...
made our first visit even more special!
So proud of my guy!
And when we were done...
clapped his hands and said...
I DID IT!
Melt my heart!

And another milestone just celebrated!
George...turned 11 on March 10!
11!

He's not much of a party animal anymore.
Chose to relax all day fireside.
We sang to him...
and sported our best kitty attire.

 

So...spring..cold temps still here, but I feel it creeping around the corner.
Can't wait for it to come and stay!



Just Dance

January...

getting through this cold month.

The girls...staying warm with some fun!

Last weekend...elementary school dance clinic!

High school dance team...

taught the little gals  some moves!

 

All morning long...just a movin' n' groovin'!

That night ....high school basketball game.

And the girls showed their stuff!

 

First group...Laney!

My gal did a fab job!

Could tell she was a bit nervous,

but danced her lil' heart out...

right in front of the high school student section!

Next came Emily's group.

The age of sparkle, sparkle, sparkle!

My gal...dancing is her thing!

Smiling ear to ear...

the.entire.time!

 

The girls can't WAIT until next year's clinic!

 

 



Wild Neighbors

New Year's Eve day...

invited to see some animals.

 

I volunteered at a wildlife center pre-kiddos.

My dad...still helps the center out a lot!

 

So, knowing who we know...

dad and one of the directors...

gave the girls and I a private tour!

 

I was allowed to go into the squirrel pen to get some shots...

waiting for those cuties to come jump on me...

just got a lotta peeks though.

Walked on over to raccoon village.

 

All these pens will each house 20 some raccons come spring.

And WOW!  Raccoons need FUN, so lotsa kid toys, hammocks, buckets...

you name it, they play with it all!

My fav part of volunteering...

going in these pens to feed all the raccoons.

They all come out...

paws in your hair...

will pick pocket you...

grab anything that isn't nailed down to you.

And oh, so darn funny!

 

 

The girls and I were allowed to go into a room and peek at some great horned owls.

Yep, peeking right through slats in a wooden door.

 

Went on into the animal hospital.

Keeping warm for the winter...

educational opossum Virginia.

Someone tried to raise her...

she didn't get the right food and care...

not enough calcium, so all of her lil bones...

not good at all.

And notice her sweet eyes?

Result of it all...

sadness that humans can do.

Cute hit-by-car turtle.

Once his shell is ready to go, he'll be released!

Told the director that Emily just got her first sewing machine...

so now my sweet girl...

gonna start sewing little bags/hammocks for squirrels to snuggle into!

She's so excited to help out!

Posing with a few...

gonna use cuddly fabrics, flannel lined jeans, sweatshirts...

oh how the center goes through these...

especially in the spring  AKA baby season!

 

Back outside to visit some ducks, raccoons, a snoozing skunk and this guy...

Spirit.

She's still a bit shy...

so heard her...

like a low kitty purr!

 

Visited some AMAZING birds,

but layers of fencing kept me from any shots...

and the fact that they stress easily.

Barred owl...

turkey vulture that had a prosthetic beak...

due to naughty boys with b.b. guns and hard fists and boots.

My favorite...

a barn own (endangered) who's eyesight is pretty bad..

and lotsa neurological gunk going on due to firecrackers.

 

While we were peeking at the birds...

look who came right up!

Notice her ear...or lack of?

Staples...lots of them...helping it all heal.

 

Pretty neat to visit such amazing animals.

My Laney....said all the animals had sad stories.

Yep, sure do,

but also lots of people who volunteer time, money, supplies...

  help get these animals healed and back into the wild.

 

Can't wait to get out there after baby season...

that place will be packed...

animals with sad stories, ready to start new lives.

 

Thanks to my dad for organizing our visit.

Off to help my gal sew some squirrel beds...

baby season will be here before we know it!



4

Day after Xmas...

we now spend that day boxing up, putting away.

Getting ready for December 27...

Henry's birthday!

 

Spent his actual birthday relaxing at home.

Did go out to his fav pizza joint!

 

28th...his party!

This lil' guy is OBSESSED with Angry Birds...

we've known this would be his bday theme for many months.

Laney helped me make some fun decorations.

Our kitchen....getting set up!

Henry just lit up...

seeing so many Angry Birds!

 

Sweet boy helped pick out his cake this year.

Angry Birds brought out every ounce of craziness in my boy!

WOW!  He was ready to PARTY!

 

Years past...his reactions to the Happy Birthday song:

2nd bday--

3rd bday--

And this year...

a really exciting surprise...

He LOVED our singing...

couldn't wait to blow out his candles...

and HAD to get a lil' nibble too!

My babe...

sportin' the JOKER look!

Boy oh boy...head over heels for his Angry Bird cake!

Moved on to gifts...

got way too many FAB things!

 

First time he actually jumped up and down...

squealed with excitement....

let his lil' crazy boy self really have a ball!

So, so fun to watch him enjoy!

 

So, four...sure seems like a light bulb went off.

Our sweet Henry Oliver...

shining so bright!

Warms all of our hearts so much to watch him.

 

Happy birthday to my favorite little boy...

who continuously opens my own eyes to more and more...

who teaches me so much...

who makes me look at life with a whole new outlook...

who I love more than ever.

 



So This Is Christmas

Ahhh...that time of the year...

December...

 hustle and bustle.

This's and thats.

The excitement...

anticipation.

CHRISTMAS.

 

Spent Xmas Eve with hub's family.

A fab dinner...

and gifts galore!

The girls...

tore into those presents!

Henry...

took some coaxing from everyone.

Would only open a gift when HE wanted to!

 

After a nice afternoon and evening...

time to get our littles home.

Home we went...our reindeer vehicle filled to the sunroof with gifts!

 

Tired lil' munchkins made it easy to prepare.

Cookies and milk put out...

gifts from XMas eve put away...

Laney snuggled in her bed with 1,000 plush friends...

Henry bunking-yet again-with Emily.

 

Hubs relaxing to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE...

while this momma...flittering here and there....

 

3:45a.m. 

Xmas tree lights go on.

Right next to our bed...she's here...

SANTA CAME!  SANTA CAME!

Laney.

Scurried her back to her bed.

 

6:30 a.m.

both girls enter our room...

jumping up and down.

So...that is our official START time.

 

Henry...heavy sleeping...right beside me....since 4:30am.

 

Santa was good to us.

We let the girls start,

then woke Henry up a bit later.

That Santa...didn't put tags on the gifts...

but the jolly man in red made a fun system...

under each scrap of wrap...the name of who it went to!

Opened up 1 by one.

oohing and ahhing.

Played with some for a while...

made the excitement last pretty long!

and the grande finale...

the girls got iphones!

Definitely monitoring it all...

want to see their faces some! Ha!

 

Santa even thought Jon and I were pretty darn good this year!

New boots for hubs...

and sandals, cuff and bikini for me!

And one of the best gifts...

FINALLY...after 99.9% of the gifts were open...

Henry decided it was time to unwrap his!

Yes...Christmas...it was good!

Rest of the day...

the kids checked out all of their gifts...

while clean up...took some time!

 

My parents came over for a great XMas dinner...

and of course, more gifts.

Only got a few pix throughout all of the hoopla!

Ended the day with games, dessert and lotsa smiles!

Thanks Santa!



Elf On The Shelf

Our elf...

arrived December1.

Lil' guy sure has lotsa zip!

And WOW!  Sure wore me out this year!

Best of all...those girls...even got up early lotsa days...

just to see what elf was up to!

 

Day 1:  Donut breakfast

Day 2:  pimped my ride with reindeer garb

Day 3:  Twilight--Edward, Jacob or Elf?

Day 4:  Camp out!

Day 5:  Angry Birds

Day 6:  Basketball

Day 7:  Movie Nite

Day 8:  Just shaving

Day 9:  Harry Potter



Day 10:  Kisses to my babies

Day 11:  Another movie nite with cookies too

Day 12:  Toothbrush holders

Day 13:  Espanol Elf

Day 14:  TPing our home!

Day 15:  lil trees for each child's room

Day 16:  sick elf

Day 17:  2 story swing!

Day 18:   Who ya gonna call? Elf busters!

Day 19:  Rapunzel

Day 20:  Sweets

OK...some got outta order, and I can't find some pix!

but...

elf left on xmas eve...ready to get back to the north pole!