Pre Christmas, Olivia Singing Group, and Stuff

Pulling out the ornaments. They love finding their own and putting them on the tree where ever they want.

 I really wish it were like this ALL the time.

 And this would be great ALL the time too!

 Justin got a few individual shots.

 Ooohhhh

 This is the same flying elephant that I remember putting on my parents' tiny tree in the basement when I was little. He was my favorite....and I didn't tell Elias which one to hold up.

 Isaac's boy scout troop.....doing I don't know what.

 Olivia and Elias were wrapping up like tacos to get warm.

 Making cookies with Caitlin.

 Not many pics, but we did have our 5th?? annual, minus a year??, gingerbread house making party with the Stringfellows. Always fun!

 Whose who of the gingerbread houses.

 Elias loved going to Eli's house and dressing up in all his superhero outfits. Elias is the turtle.  (They have moved....we are sad...)

 Olivia is in a group called "Singers" at school.  They sang Christmas songs at the airport.

 A little out of order, but this is the boys watching Olivia sing at the school concert.

 Only one angle of the tree after most all of clean up.

 Cadie, Kristen, and Erin came to watch Olivia sing at the airport. I thought it was funny when Kristen (a junior) told me she wore the same snowman vest that Olivia was wearing.  

 Fa la la la la la la la la.....

 Grandpa (and grandma) made it too...not long after knee surgery. Definitely earned the front row seat!

 I just thought this was funny.  I happened to walk by the living room while I was fixing breakfast and this is what I saw.  

Elias' 4th Birthday

Elias helped make his cake with me.  Some made it to his face!

 Here's the final.  As you can see, he had a blues clues party.

 Sticker tag.  Put blue dots on us to be just like Blue.

 Bean bag toss with Shovel and Pail (minus shovel).

 Getting into now...

 Random tic tac toe because we had lots of bean bags.

Always excited to win...

 The Ford and Yorio gang.

 He specifically requested "the blowers like Grandpa had at his party".

 In mid-blow.

 They searched for clues around the house. Then they took their handy dandy notebooks and sat on the red chair to "think".  The clues led up to cake eating.

 Present time!

 Famous doughnut breakfast.  Not sure we will be able to stack 5 next year.

 Kid table.

 Adult table.

Thanks Yorios for coming!!! You made the party!! 

A Few Random From My Phone

Dark, but Isaac was reading to Elias and moving his finger along the page as he read. Sweet.

 Playing with Eli in the park.

 Here's the nice HUGE tree in our yard....slowing rotting away.

 Winter is here.  Luci's nose gets quite dry throughout winter....wonder why....

 Superman did NOT want a haircut.

 Elias has been into taking pictures of himself lately....and of making funny faces...

 Grandpa waiting to go into surgery for knee replacement.  Notice the action figures Elias set up for him to enjoy.

 I tacked this on to Grandpa's foot for the doctor to find....

 The rest of the funny faces...

 The big tree was coming down.... and the boys (and Olivia) sat and watched it for awhile.  

 There's the wood from the tree that was waiting to be split.

November

Well, here she is on the first day of kindergarten (age 5).  She also wore this dress the first day of 1st grade, and the 1st day of 2nd grade.

This is the last time she put it on before we got rid of it....age 8!! Goodbye pretty blue dress!!

 I just thought she looked so grown up from the peripheral.

 Field trip to aquarium with her class. She really likes this boy, who came to her class knowing very little English.  I think she probably helped him out a lot in class....just like she does with little toddlers.... 

 Farmer and the chicken for halloween.

 We went to our friend's church for candy gathering....the kids liked the map of the world.

 careful.....

 Finally got a funny one of Olivia sleeping.  Usually she sleeps so normally under covers, not to mention she wakes up at the blink of an eye. 

 She made her first corn bread by herself!

 This is Elias. His goal was to balance the T on his belly.  Check.

 Thanksgiving with G&G.

And I didn't burn the beans this year!