3 little penguins

Big boy

 

tippy toes

 Goofy

Christmas at the zoo

We bundled up one night and headed out to the Indianapolis zoo. 

Josiah was enjoying being a ham that night.

 Josiah wanted to take our picture.
 He did well considering these pictures haven't been cropped or anything.

 Lillian's pretty priceless here.
She was in trouble for telling me she had to go pee.
After I got her out of her snow gear, put her on the pot,  she told me she "tricked" me...
I didn't think it was funny.

 It didn't take Lil long to recover.

Josiah and Daddy decorated a cookie while we were in the garden.
Cookie = disgusting

Breakfast with Santa

Nope, the jolly man in the middle is not Santa.

That's my Uncle John and Aunt Christine! They don't let a week go by where they don't see their Little People.  When Christine let me know they were having a breakfast with Santa it sounded like a good, non-scary way to check out St. Nick. 

 craft time

 Christine doing up the biscuits and gravy

 Cora is always about the food.

 Lillian enjoyed seeing santa.

She asked for:

A Hello Kitty set with 2 beds &

A Barbie house with 5 beds

Interesting, she doesn't play with Kitty or Barbie...

 Josiah asked for guns, I think.

His List to me earlier this season:

1. Pellet gun

2. Ball Python

3. Lighter

We let him down softly and told him he could put those on his list again when he was 16

 If I cover my eyes he'll just go away

Cora didn't cry.  It just took a moment for her to warm up to him.

 Ok, he's still there. I'll take a peek.

 Did I hear I get a treat?

 My three little loves.

This is my favorite photo.  She looks so enchanted by Santa.

Every year I'm not sure how I really feel about Santa. How much should I expose them? How real should he seem? Should he seem real at all? 

Then we take a trip to see the guy and the kids enjoy it. 

That's when I'm reminded of how I felt those few short years where Santa was so real and the excitement that came with along with his arrival.

I'm confident I won't damage the children (too bad) and that they will grow up knowing that Jesus is the real celebration of Christmas and that is what they will hold onto that for the rest of their lives. 

Merry Christmas!!!

"I'm lovin' it"

I guess they are called Happy Meals for a reason.

My mom never ceases to have fun.

While I was at work she took them to McD's for a fun lunch.

I don't know how she (Weewa) thinks of this stuff.

 Take note of Cora on the far right :)

Right up Lil's alley

 Love this picture!

 This is as good as it was going to get for Cora!

"We love to see you smile"

My other family

This is my other family.

I have been blessed to work at Studio 52 for the past 9 years.  

It is really the place that God had planned for me to be at 20 years ago.  In fifth grade I literally "knew" that being in this industry was what I was created to do.  Never once since then I have ever questioned or felt led in any other way. 

The women of Studio 52 are some of the most wonderful women I have ever known.  Through the years we have made so many memories and shared in life together so closely that calling them coworkers is not enough.  

Thank you Ladies for all that you are

and 

Thank you Lord for placing such beautiful women in my life.

The weather outside is frightful...

 ... but Lillian is still delightful

Lillian is warm blooded. 

 That equates to a child that never wears shoes, socks, coats, or clothing in general.

So on a steamy 40' day or so she felt the need to get some fresh air on her.

She's something else.

 It wasn't enough that she was in her bathing suit.

She felt the need to get in her play sink with cold water in it and top it off with an umbrella. 

 as the common respond around here goes, "that's just Lillian"

Now this was on DECEMBER 2nd.

Same suit, different day ;)

The high was 57' and for them that was good enough for them.

 I like that Josiah still put on his swim shirt.

I don't know if it was because it would keep him a little warmer or because he always wants to wear it with his swim trunks. 

My guess is that he didn't want to get sun burnt in December.

Gotta love these Krazy Kiddos!

November Outtakes

Unloaded the phone:

 Cora found a pacifier and gave it to Josiah.

He was in heaven.  He even slept with it all night and was mad when I took it away the next morning.

Really?

 We Pugsat (I don't quite classify them in the Canis lupus familiaris) while my sister was here.

Lillian was in heaven!

 Son like Mother.

The purples weren't coordinated on purpose ;)

 Play date=Playing their DS's. 

 It felt good when Josiah said, "Mom, I don't want to just play video games"

So I pulled out awesome mom stuff and we made science experiments by exploding plastic baggies with chemical reactions :)

 Too cool for school... well, not really @ NPE

Lillian and Lucy just chillaxin'

Happy Belated November!

The Boneyard

Note to self: the next time you get a groupon for a pumpkin patch do not use it on the last day.

I guess expiration dates usually do serve a purpose.  

In this case it was not only because the place was closing for the season, but because the pumpkins had hit their expiration dates also.

When we checked in and she said, "You get 2 free pumpkins and any other pumpkins you want are $1." I thought I was getting a deal.  However, upon arriving to our destination from the freezing cold hayride we found the pumpkins were "slim pickins'"  You couldn't pay me to take another pumpkin!

The kids had fun looking at the non-orange pumps.  Just when you thought you found a cool one, you'd turn it over to find that it was rotten :(

 The Boneyard

Regardless the kids had a fun day running around the farm.

Until Josiah sent his pumpkin down a 50' slide only for it to land in the cornfield, split straight down the middle.

Then it became the "worst day ever" 

Well, what do you expect buddy?

Chili Cookoff

Danny and Erin opened up their house once more for the yearly chili cook off.

This year, there was some new competition.  It was tough voting.  My decision came down to 5 chills and I could only vote for 2 :(

1st place- Hilliary with a sausage/maple chili

2nd- Grant with a hearty chili 

(I was impressed with Grant's because of the chili taste achieved with using just fresh chili peppers and no other seasoning besides salt and pepper) (it was incredible the next few days)

3rd- ?, with a Green Chili chili, it was so tasty!

sizing up the competition

Perfect fall day

Piñata time!

 waiting for it to bust...

 ... and go!

 How cute is that little dirty rear end

 

Magic mountain.

Every kids loves it.

 I love this picture!

 Pin the tail on the cat

Thank you Danny and Erin, for yet another great event!!!