Growing and Changing...

Just  a quick blog update to tell about how the kids are both growing and changing....

Brooklyn:  Brooklyn is so proud to be a Daisy.  She is taking selling Girl Scout cookies so seriously!  When I was a child, I would have never approached anyone to ask them to buy anything.  Brooklyn walks up to them and has prepared what she will say to everyone!  I am so proud of her tackling this project with appropriate words and behaviors!  She sold 183 cookies and still selling!!
Brooklyn received all Es and and E + in math on her report card.  I have had 2 emails from her teacher bragging on her good choices, caring heart, and amazing writing! 
Brooklyn learned to ride a bike without training wheels!  She practiced 2 different days and was shaky.  Then she tried a third time and took off!  She has it under control!

Colson:  Colson is full of energy.  He is coming home talking about hibernation of bears and nocturnal animals and totally knows what that means!  We are working on his writing skills and he has become a pretty good colorer in the process.  He doesn't do it long, but likes to do it now! 
Colson has had his training wheels raised on his bike.  We are going to tackle him riding without them now that Brooklyn has mastered it!  He is so excited to try...as long as he has elbow and knee pads!
Colson is amazingly quick at learning his Cubbie verse for AWANA!  It is so cool to see him singing his verses when I put them to song.  He sings them in the car, while playing with his cars, and just laying in his bed!

WELCOME TO 2012

From our family to yours....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Years Eve 2011

We were not able to get together to let the Kuhn boys and our kids exchange presents earlier in the break because of family in town and illnesses, so there is no better time than New Years Eve!  We had a great time letting the kids open presents!  Brooklyn was thrilled with her crafts and would not let them go!  She has already started her first weaving project!  Colson loves his train track and has started building it already!  We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends that are as close as family!  We then went across the street to their neighbor's house.  Katie and Cody had a few friends over who all had kids and there was tons of food, drinks, fireworks, sparklers, poppers, and yawns as the night went on!  The kids had a great time playing with all of the kid friendly fireworks but Colson was beat!  He did not take a nap during the day so he was hanging out just watching most of the night.  We ended up leaving about 9:45 and the kids were in bed and asleep by 10:15!  Early night for New Years but it is not easy when the kids are young!  Thank you for inviting us!  We had a great time!

Frankenstein Colson loves his track!

Daddy had to protect Emerson!

Leapster time!

Sawyer and Emerson got tooth fairy pillows to match the other boys'!

Painting and Weaving!  heavenly!

Silly picture!

Brooklyn was helping Nolan throw the poppers!

We had a great 2011!

Can't wait for a wonderful 2012!

Everett and Colson were full of energy!

Christmas Morning 2011

It is so fun anticipating the awakening of the kids each year on Christmas morning!  I usually cannot sleep because I am so ready for them to wake up!  This year was no exception!  The kids slept in the same room because my cousin and her hubby were in Colson's room.  They were still awake at 12:30 so I had to go in there to tell them that if they didn't get to sleep, Santa would pass by the house because he would know they were awake!  Worked like a charm!  Cookies out, milk out, and Brooklyn's reindeer food she has made several places all combined for the reindeer and we were ready!  Brooklyn started drawing a picture for Santa to see last year, so we kept the tradition alive this year.  Brooklyn drew a manger scene and wrote "I like Santa" and "I love Jesus" on the sides of the paper.  Colson got to join in the fun this year!  He drew fireworks for santa and drew a picture of Santa!  Very cute

Because the kids were up so late, we had to wake them up at 8!  This never happens in our house!  I went to their room and Brooklyn was awake but scared to come out because she didn't know if Santa had come yet...she didn't want to come out and him pass by our house because she was out of bed!!!  Colson was asleep but was ready to see what Santa brought!  When we walked in the living room they both went to look at their goodies from santa!  They were truly amazed this year!  Colson loved picking up everything one by one and telling us what he got!  Brooklyn started crying out of true joy and awe that Santa brought her things she had asked for.  She was amazed and truly touched and thankful!  Definitely the reaction every parent would want!  I just started crying because she was so happy!  Brooklyn's favorite gifts Santa left for her were her Vegetable Garden (seeds), her night light aquarium, and her easy bake oven.  Colson's favorite gift Santa left for him was his raincoat and rainboots! 

Colson's gifts

Brooklyn's gifts

Good Morning!

Amazed to tears...so sweet!

Playing already!

Spiderman houseshoes!

Fireman raincoat and rainboots

Stocking time!

Colson loves his Dino towel!

His favorite gift!

We then left our house and ventured, with some of the favorite toys in tow, to Mimi and Poppi's house...the Lewis side of the family!  My grandma was in town as well as the Bridger family from Memphis!  We always have a great time eating our traditional Christmas breakfast, opening presents one by one, and playing with everything after all day long!  We then have our traditional Christmas dinner and play Pokeno and Tripoley as a family until late into the night!  I was feeling kind of crummy so I tried to take a nap, which didn't happen but both kids did have a nap which helped tremendously!  Thank you Mom for all of the cooking, preparing, wrapping, decorating, and spoiling you do for us each Christmas!  The kids had a blast!  They love Grandma and Uncle Marshmallow and Aunt Susan, Malorie, Neil, and Madison!  Brooklyn's favorite gifts were her Pei Wei gift cards, and her Minnie hat from Disney.  Colson's favorite gifts were his Magnaformers and Magnatiles!

Spoiled and love it!

My mom and my mother in law got this gift...made with the kids' footprints

Slinky dog from Disney!  Thanks Maddie!

Spiderman Memory!

Another tie-dye shirt...oh brother!

Brooklyn's favorite gift!  A Pei-Wei gift card...yes, she asked for that!

Rainboots from Disney!

Trying out the Easy Bake Oven

Thank you for helping us Maddie!

Pretzel time!

Malorie and Maddie!

Neil and Curt joined

LCR time!

We believe in teaching them early!

Go Colson!!!!!!

Our Mickey hats!

Christmas Eve 2011

We spent Christmas Eve with Curt's family and it was wonderful as always!  Curt's grandmother always had dirty rice and barbecue for Christmas Eve dinner and Curt's brother wanted to bring back that tradition!  We had smoked brisket, smoked turkey and lots of other yummy food!  It was a rainy and cold day outside but we had a great time visiting, drinking Memaw's hot punch, and opening presents at the end of the night!  The kids couldn't wait to break into the gifts!  We were all very spoiled and I even got to go on the Alford Scavenger Hunt this year!  Cynthia handmade an awesome Christmas decoration for me and that was at the end of the hunt!  Brooklyn's favorite gift from the Alford family was her Princess Alarm Clock!  It shows stars on the ceiling and even plays Disney music!  She was so surprised to open it up....PERFECTION!  Colson's favorite gift from the Alford family were his Hot Wheels and V-Drop Track!  Once we got it all together, we were having fun trying out different cars and different track set ups!  Brooklyn's alarm didn't work at first but we were blessed to have Aunt Crystal and Daddy exchange it for a perfect one!!!  Every year, Crystal gets Brooklyn a James Avery charm for a a bracelet she will buy when she gets older...this year she got a heart with a Big Sister on the inside!

The Grandkids and Great Grandchild!  Isa, Robert, Edward, Brooklyn and Colson

She was so surprised!

First present...biggest present!

Hot Wheel time!  Now we add loops and curves!

Starting the scavenger hunt!

Thank you Cynthia!



Thank you to wonderful in-laws who always make things special for our kids and us!

The Days Before Christmas

We always spend most of the first week of Christmas holiday with family and friends!  We were invited to eat with the Pierrels, had a shopping day with Mimi and Grandma in Old Town Spring, went to the mall to play with the Sonsels, lost a second tooth, and even opened a few early presents!  Brooklyn had the tooth fairy visit on the 23rd and Santa visit on the 24th!

Outside play day!

With a little fun on the bounce house!

All Smiles!

Marshall and Colson up to no good!

The girls---Brooklyn and Madeline!

Brooklyn lost her second tooth on the 23rd! 

My grandma and B!

Colson and Brooklyn got to open 2 gifts from us on the 24th!

They just hoped they didn't pick the clothes boxes...and they both did!