Birthday + Christmas = December Fun

Let's just say that December gets pretty crazy around here.  Between the girls' 4th birthday and Christmas, that's exactly what it's been.  Crazy but fun!  Here is a load of pictures and videos in hopes of capturing how the month has played out...


Jesus' birthday party at preschool with a balloon release...

Birthday pancakes and strawberries the morning of Ava and Reese's birthday (Dec. 20th)...

Playing with a new birthday gift...

Jumping around at Cosmic Jump....

Cake with a few friends...

Back to Galesburg, IL the next day for more birthday celebrating...party at Happy Joe's Pizza...

 

One of the birthday gifts from Nana and Pappy was a dance lesson from high school pom girls...

Visiting Discovery Depot Children's Museum...a favorite outing when we go see Nana, Pappy, Grammy and Larry...

Christmas Eve at Gigi Pat's....

Christmas morning at Grammy and Larry's...

Second gift-opening on Christmas morning...Ava and Reese talk everyone into letting them help...

Staying busy between all the festivities...cuddling...looking at pictures of themselves as babies...eating cereal out of their new bowls with straws...stamping...and on and on...

We had a very blessed Christmas and we hope you did too.  Throughout all of this craziness we are trying our best to teach the girls the true meaning of Christmas.  God sent his son for you and for me!
Have a very happy new year!!!

Thankful

As Thanksgiving has come and gone, we are thankful for so many things.  Zack, the girls and I were able to spend Thanksgiving with my 90 year-old grandparents in Aurora, CO who we had not seen in almost a year and a half.  (In person anyway...FaceTime has come through for us occasionally.)  Every time Ava and Reese are able to spend time with them I am more and more thankful.  My grandparents are a couple that I have always looked up to.  They are faithful, loving, hard-working, loyal, and on and on.  As the girls call them, Gigi and Grampy, are definitely two people that I want my girls to remember for more reasons than one.  I am honored to be their grandchild and I don't think they will ever know how much I love and respect them.

New sleeping bags that Gigi and Grampy bought Ava and Reese...with their names on them!!!

While we were in Colorado we were also able to do an overnight in Estes Park with our good friends the Barstows who used to live in Olathe.  It was wonderful to spend time with them, see the Christmas parade, play in the snow, and of course swim at the hotel!

Some other things we are thankful for...


Good reports on the girls' hearts!

 Time with Grammy and Larry (Culver's, Ihop, and Bass Pro!)

                                                 

Dancing during kids worship time at church (yes, that's Reese dancing in the pink leggings).

                                                

Nebulizers!

                                               



The true reason for the season.