Clare's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl this year. Please bring me a Yo Gabba Gabba movie, a camera, and some girl toys. I like make-up and cookbooks. Please bring some toys for my baby sisters, Jane and Sydney. I also like Mary Poppins. We went to go see it. I also like art stuff, princess books, and crayons.

Merry Christmas,
Clare

It's a Zoo...

With TWO Turning TWO!

We opted to have a family birthday party with a zoo theme because, well, it seemed fitting! Here is a mostly picture filled recap of the fun event!

The Invitation

The Decor

The Birthday (Cup)Cakes

My Two Monkeys!

Jane

Sydney
Let's just say that nowhere else was the zoo theme more appropriate than when the girls opened presents. Having two toddlers open presents at the same time with big sister right up in their face is crazy. Fun, but crazy.

Although Jane looks uncertain about it in the picture below, both girls enjoyed their cake and ice cream.

Clare was so hyped up all day long. She could barely contain herself.

How cute are these two in their coats and new birthday backpacks?

The party was a ROARING success!
The kids had a good time and the birthday girls were in good spirits throughout the party.

I think Clare said it best when she looked up at me and said, "Are they really two?"

Happy Birthday Jane and Sydney!

It boggles my mind that two years have past since these two precious girls joined our family. Here is a little bit about Jane and Sydney at the ripe old age of two:

Janie Jane. What a sweet girl. She has this tiny voice that is music to my ears. Jane loves her fingers, her mommy, and food. She is a great eater and a fabulous sleeper. I think in the past two years, she has never woken her sister....only the other way around. After a slow start getting up on her feet, Jane has taken off. She runs everywhere and has mastered jumping....on the ground, on the trampoline, and on the couch. She talks quite a bit, when she can get a word in edgewise. I am told that many of her expressions and mannerisms are similar to Casey's at this same age. She is such a sweetheart, and we are blessed to have her in our family!


Sydney Syd. This girl is dainty, yet fearless. She is a tiny little thing, brimming with fiery personality. She isn't scared of anything, yet scares me on a daily basis! She is talking up a storm, using 5-6 word sentences regularly. She knows the words to several songs, knows her colors, and she knows how to push my buttons! Her sassiness makes me laugh everyday. Her spirited personality is balanced nicely by her willingness to cozy up and be held at times. She will snuggle up with whoever is rocking her at night and is as sweet as they come. I pray that her fierce determination will serve her well in life. Sydney has added so much to our family in the past two years.


Both girls love playing babies, play-doh, playing in Mommy's car, and being outside. They also really love when their Daddy gets home from work! They sleep about 12 hours at night and nap for about two hours every afternoon. They still share a room and will continue to do so indefinitely. Jane and Sydney love each other one minute and are pulling each other's hair in the next. Their differences in personality and appearance are becoming more apparent everyday, and we couldn't be prouder of each of them.

Jane and Sydney...you've come a long way!


Happy 2nd Birthday to my two favorite two year olds!

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

When Casey and I were married, I was very excited about our first Christmas together. That fall I decided I would make our stockings. I had a very definite idea about what I wanted them to look like, and I couldn't find just what I wanted anywhere in a store.

And so the project began.....

I wanted the foot of the stocking to be "patchwork" like with a variety of fabrics and the cuff to be a deep red velvet. The first order of business was getting the fabric. Like only a newlywed husband would do, Casey went with me to each and every fabric store. We went through the stores getting swatches cut of fabrics that contained any of the "Christmas" colors that I had lined out. We literally stuffed our pockets with swatches of fabrics!

The next thing I needed to figure out was a minor detail....how exactly to make these things! I used Casey's great grandmother's very old little black sewing machine, and I slowly worked my way through this labor of love. Finally I finished, and I have to say that I was and am quite proud of them. While certainly not expertly crafted, they were just what I wanted!


Those stockings hung proudly in our first apartment, and six years later they still get used every holiday season. Every year when I hang up each stocking , I take a trip down memory lane and remember Casey and I laughing in the fabric store asking for a million swatches and then celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple. I loved them then, and I still love them... I love even more that we have added three more stockings to our mantle (none of which I made.) I often joke that if our house ever catches fire, I am going to make Casey climb up to the attic to save the stockings!!!

Thanksgiving 2009 Recap

Our Thanksgiving kicked off with a feast at Clare's school last week. She enjoyed having her family at school with her, and we loved being a part of it.

On Thanksgiving day, we went over to my parent's house. Nathan, Megan, and Brody joined us. The weather was beautiful, the food was good, and all of the kids played nicely together...for the most part!


Our final meal was with Casey's family on Saturday. Again, the weather was beautiful and the food was wonderful! At both houses, we fed the girls early and then the adults ate while the kids napped. I thought it worked out well, allowing the adults to actually visit while we ate!


I think Jane's expression sums up how we felt after each Thanksgiving feast.
"Oh dear...I ate too much!"

A Thanksgiving Ditty

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Faces

Our youngest girl took a tumble, and her sweet face has the marks to prove it. Sydney has been sporting this black eye for about a week now after pulling a high chair over on herself. Yikes!

Jane has been working on her silly face.

We had an extra face at our house last night! My parents babysat my girls and my nephew last night at our house. Brody spent the night with us, and then we took him to church. My girls loved having him around! Brody, you are welcome over here anytime!


How 'bout these sweet faces?