SNOW!

We are hearing alot of talk about how bad this winter is going to be this year.....la Ninya and all. Well, if Thanksgiving week was any indication then their predictions just might be right on. We had SNOW and a fair amount of it. School was canceled, all three days of it, and we had snow flurries on Thanksgiving morning. But, we were able to attend all of our family gatherings and got in some good playtime, too. It was pretty cold, so not great for making snowmen. Maybe the next snow storm will bring a little wetter stuff. Either way, we'll find a way to play!

Brrrrrr!

Darla being pulled in her sled. She's not a big fan of being cold, so she doesn't last long.

Snow covered house.

My blue flame.

Cousins Jewel and Jordan came over to play and get out some wiggles. Sadly, we got all bundled up and only stayed outside for a half hour. A couple of bumps and falls and that was it. Boo.

Oh well, we still looked good!

Thanksgiving morning, Jeremy got the three wheeler out and took big D for a few spins in the neighborhood. They both really enjoyed the doughnuts.

Darla's Second Birthday

Wow, where has the time gone??? Our little baby has turned 2! She's been so much fun to get to know and in this mama's opinion, these last 6 months have been the best so far. Darla is talking up a storm! She says three and four syllable words and speaks in full sentences most of the time. We are still working on getting her to use her words when talking about feelings. I know that's difficult for two year olds. She is a playful little girl who laughs a lot and loves to be or say things that are funny. She's a girly-girl...loves shoes and clothes, already. This year, her birthday was filled with doll clothes and strawberry shortcake. I love it when she says, Strawberry Shortcake. She can't quite say it all, so she calls her "Strawberry Cake." So cute! It is alot of fun to watch her play with her dolls, dressing them and undressing them in their new clothes. She LOVES cheese, bananas, and anything sweet. We are starting to work on potty training, but most of the time, she just sits and sits and sits. She loves to run and follows Derick around with big eyes. She watches and learns alot from him. YIKES! Darla just recently learned how to jump with both feet leaving the ground at once. It's so much fun to watch that sparkle in her eyes when she's excited and learning something new. She still sleeps with blankey and has been exploring her stuffed animals more lately. So far, there isn't one that she prefers yet.

Here are a few pictures from her birthday events.

Darla holding the book that Nonna made for her. It's a book all about Darla's first two years.

Darla's cake, made by J2.

Presents!

Darla enjoying her Strawberry Cake

Brother and Sister love

Having tea with Daddy

Darla giving Jordan loves

Darla, your mama and daddy are so very proud of you. We love you SO much! Happy Birthday, Beautiful!

Here's a video taken this morning after breakfast when we were talking to Darla about her birthday party coming up. So cute!

Sydney's 1st Birthday

I can't believe that our little niece/cousin is one already! Happy Birthday, Sydney. We are so glad you are part of our lives. We love you!

Jodi and Brian are in the middle of moving, so they co-hosted Sydney's party with Nonna and Papa. It was a fun afternoon, we enjoyed seeing friends and family all together.

Sydney playing with the other kids at her party.

Pretty cake, and super yummy too!

Darla and Syd, playing together.

Jeremy, Derick, and Cooper watching Sydney open presents.

Darla checking out Syd's new ride on toy.

Sydney, getting into her cake. Good job, big girl!

Sydney playing in Darla's room during a recent visit. She's soooo cute! Happy birthday sweet girl!

End of Fall Soccer

Yesterday, the Blue Flame played their last game of the season for 2010. It was a cold morning, but the whole team was there. It was fun to see how far they had come from their first game back in September. Jeremy and I were so proud of all of them. After the game, Coach presented each boy with a blue flame hat and certificate of participation. It was a fun morning for everyone.

Go Blue Flame!!

Halloween Day

Halloween day was a busy and fun filled time. We started our morning with a pumpkin shaped pancakes. YUM! Then, we were off to a family photo shoot to celebrate Darla's 2nd birthday. I can't wait to see the photos....the session was amazing! Kirsten and her hubby were so much fun to work with.
Halloween night we had dinner with friends; Thanks Julia and Dave for hosting such a crazy bunch. I just love my fun friends!!

My sexy which look...Rwar!

Julia and Dave

Beautiful Michele and Andrea.

Derick and Savanah

Julia, Michele, Maggie, Brooke, Me, and Jenn.

Me with Sarah and Clarissa.

All the kids, ready to trick or treat!

After dinner, we headed back home to meet up with our family for some trick or treating in our neighborhood. We didn't get many kids at our door, but it was fun to see our kiddos all dressed up.

My sweet butterfly/fairy.

Jewel, Super Woman!

My Buzz Lightyear

Now what am I going to do with all this leftover candy!? Yikes!!

Pre-Halloween Fun

The holiday weekend started for us on Thursday with Derick's preschool party. Then on Friday, we enjoyed a pumpkin shaped pizza and ghost crafts. Saturday brought us a visit from our beautiful Angel, Dev.

Derick's preschool had a costume party on Thursday. Here's a couple of pictures and a video from their fun afternoon.

Teachers Mrs Richards and Mrs Stevens.

Lazy Library Days

With no plans and a full day with both kids, my battle cry is, "Let's make it a library day!" So, off we went this morning, with our stack of books to return. I love heading to the Renton Library. The grounds are beautiful this time of year....the trees are wearing all kinds of colors, the grass is cut short, and today, the sunshine slanted across the wet walkways and made the sidewalks glisten. We wander towards the entrance and always pause to watch the river rushing under our feet. Darla sticks her finger through the fence and says, "River, Mom!" We head inside, I return our old books while the kids rush into the children's section. Derick always heads straight for the computers. Today, he's already played video games at home, so I gather him up and we start picking out books. I find the process relaxing and interesting. I never know what kind of books they will be drawn to. Today, we checked out 10 books, including one of my favorite childhood books, "Where the wild things are." Perfect for our own 'Wild Things.' We also found a great Halloween book called, "Boo to you!" After a park play to get the wiggles out, we head home for lunch. After Darla is asleep, I spent an hour on the couch, drenched with sun, reading to Derick. What a beautiful hour it was. I love lazy library days!