Easter 2014

 Here are our Easter pictures.  This year we broke tradition and rather than having Easter dinner at home we went to my sisters.  It was fun to share Easter with family and were grateful for the invite.  I made the girls their dresses.  I didn't make my son a tie this year because I am lucky to get him to wear one at all.  The tie he wearing is one that came with the shirt that he picked because for some reason he feels that Easter means a green shirt.  I think they looked really cute in their Easter clothes.

 We went to our annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2013

 We had a good Christmas.  We were proud of the fact that we didn't go crazy with presents.  We did get surprised with a few extra gifts this year a couple days before Christmas.  But in general everyone got one present from each family member and one from Santa.  Some may feel that is excessive.  However I think it is good for kids to feel like they have something to give.  I believe it helps with confidence.  Actually the two older kids gave their little sister a toy they no longer needed but still loved.  Other than that they had a small budget to find a gift at the store.  I love taking them as they get older because you can see how they are really thinking about what someone else wants and not getting gifts they hope to play with.  It is good to see how they think of their siblings.

 

Opening his stocking.  I was nice this year and let them open their stockings before breakfast.  However the reast of the gifts have to wait till after breakfast dishes are done.  I had to as a kid and I think it is a good tradition.  My kids may think differently when they grow up.  But it allows them to not get so caught up in what they got.  And gives us a chance to talk to them and teach them about what Christmas is about.  

 Here is a hug after they opened their gifts from each other.  This is why I love letting them give each other a gift.  When they get older we may encourage them to make gifts for each other.  But for now I am glad they get this opportunity.

 Her gift from her brother.  He looked so hard to find a Mermaid for her that was in his budget.  He just knew that was what she "needed" and would love.

 This was his present from his big sister.  She had heard him say that he really wanted this fire helicopter and she knew he would love it.  Originally she wanted to get him a remote controlled Dusty Crop-hopper from the movie Planes but that was way out of her budget.

 The boat was from her big brother.  Which was a big deal for his to give this to her.  He still likes to play with it sometimes.  But he likes that he gave her something that he loved and that he knows she likes.  This is her Pillow pet from Mom and Dad.  She was so cute and laid right down on it and loved it for a moment.

 Mom and Dad gave him these Fireman Sam figures.  They were the cheapest we could find but knew he would love them.  He took them out and tried to wash them with a wet wipe and the paint started to wash off.  That is how cheap they were.  But he liked them and no worries.  Grandma and Grandpa got him nicer Fireman Sam toys that were of better quality.  We were glad because he washed a lot of the paint off before we noticed what he was doing.  The truck in the background was one of the surprise toys that showed up from a secret Santa.  He loves it.

 This was a Santa gift.  She loves her little baby Anna doll.

 This year from Santa the kids got a Fire station and doll house.  Thanks to some amazing friends they made these for us for a 'very' affordable cost.  My oldest uses the top shelf for her dolls and the bottom shelf for her own book collection.  My son stores all her Fire Men and Fire Trucks on his.  The kids love them.

 This part is some gifts they got from Grandma and Grandpa.  They loved the gifts they got and love Grandma and Grandpa even more.

October

 October was a fun month.  We went to a well check for my youngest.  Here they are hanging at the doctors office. The next picture was on the same time.  This is about the time my youngest decided it was fun to go down slides and she loves this little slide.

 October is fire safety month.  So there were firefighters everywhere we went and my son was in Heaven.  The first place we went they had fire safety stuff and then we got some dinner.

 Then we went to the Open House at the local Fire Station that month as well.  The kids love going every year.  They got to sit in the helicopter.

 My son got to watch the Fire fighters demonstrate how they put out fires and the importance of  fire alarms.

 Then his Preschool went to the Fire Station for a field trip and I tagged along to help.  Here are my favorite photos of the trip.  He would have talked the ears off the Fire Fighters if they would have let them.  He even told them that he knows everything.

Here is the littlest sitting in the wheel of the Fire Truck.

 A few pictures of my son with his class.  Notice he is front and center with the Fire Fighter.

 Then there was Halloween.  We went to a Trunk or Treat one day.  My son was walking by the fire truck and a Fire Fighter talked to him and gave him a hat and complimented him on his costume.  This is the first time I made his costume.  Like I said earlier there were Fire Fighters everywhere we went this month.

 She was Rapunzel.  I made this costume as well including the hair.  My husband helped by being my model so I could work on it while kids were asleep.  He is such a good trooper.  I married a great man.

 And here is our youngest.  She is wearing the princess dress I made for our oldest when she was small.  They look so much alike,  The only thing that I made this year was the crown.

 Finally we went to my Sisters to Trick or Treat this year to help a friend out who had a wedding to go down near my Sisters house.  It was fun because the kids got to go with their cousins which was a nice treat for them.  By the way I tend to make costumes a little too big.  There is always a hope they will want to wear it again plus it goes in the dress up stuff.

 Their uncle let them tie him up.  He is a good sport.

My oldest niece with my youngest who is the youngest cousin on my side of the family.  My youngest was so cute and just cuddled with her cousin for a while.

 Here they are at the end of the night after Trick or Treating.  Tired and excited for candy and some were a little cranky after getting scared at the last house they went to.  And yes the other fire fighter is wearing my sons old costume.  My son insisted that his best friend wear it and they were funny.