Thankful Thursday {a day late}

I'm thankful Kylee was Main Event last week! Her hard work is getting noticed!

I'm thankful for yesterday.  It was SUCH a lovely day.  We started the morning, all of us awake very early.  We baked a pie, hung out, then loaded up and headed to my sister's house.  We baked cookies and listened to Christmas music while we watched the beautiful snow falling outside.  The cousins all had fun playing together and watching Frozen.

I'm thankful for the lovely snow that fell while it was warm enough to actually be outside to enjoy it. My kids had a blast outside with the neighbors.

I'm thankful for my littlest helper.

I'm thankful for texts from close friends yesterday and today, thanking me for my friendship with them. People are so thoughtful.

I'm thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my family. I'm thankful for the wonderful food my parents made and thankful for the leftovers we came home with. :)

I'm thankful for this fun cheese and cracker turkey!

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday afternoon we headed out to buy a Christmas tree for Kase's room. I had told Kael and Kylee I wasn't ready to put our big tree up yet, but I would let them put theirs up anytime so we had to get one for Kase too. 

After we got the tree we stopped by Dad and Mom's house and we all went to Bass Pro. Kent was already out there for a work thing so he met up with us. I hadn't even planned on seeing Santa but his Wonderland was calling and the place was nearly empty and there was absolutely no line. 

I had no expectations (maybe you remember that Kase cried hard last year upon meeting Santa) so I was thrilled with how our evening turned out. First off, Kylee had a full out conversation with Santa. He was one of the best Santas I've ever taken my kids to. So patient, so real, so thoughtful. Kylee asked him about our elf, they talked about what Santa's house looks like, they talked about Christmases past and it felt like for a moment, time stood still. I think finally they got around to discussing gifts but that seemed secondary to the meaningful and certainly memorable conversation they had. 

When we finally rounded up Kael and Kase (shooting a bow and arrow and driving a remote control car, respectively) and headed back to Santa for a group shot, Santa greeted Kylee warmly, by name. Kase didn't want to sit on Santa's lap but stood nicely beside him as they captured probably my favorite Santa picture ever of my kids.  

We headed home for pizza and a movie, which seems well on it's way to being our family Friday night tradition. 

Saturday morning we woke up with really nothing we had to do. Kent went outside to fix some of our Christmas lights and surprised me by adding a few more strands on the too peaks. I was so excited- I love Christmas lights and I know Kent doesn't love hanging them so it meant a lot to me. 

With time on our side, I decided to go ahead and put the tree up. This is certainly the earliest I've ever done it but the kids were so excited and really helped out. I had been planning to do it this week when the kids were home from school but now we can just enjoy those days off instead!

Later that afternoon I did a little Christmas shopping, Kylee had a birthday party and the boys watched football. 

Sunday morning I taught at church then we headed up to Collins. With all the kids activities and Kase's nap schedule, we don't make it up for Sunday Dinner at Grandma Doe's nearly as often as we would like. We also stopped at Grandma Jenny's and played the kids favorite Hide and Seek in the Dark at Keith and Cindy's house, and the big kids even got to play at Aunt Chris's house. A great day.

Looking forward to a great week and lots of family time!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for Kylee's acting debut last week! The library was hosting some fun classes with the Ankeny Community Theater.  That's my little turkey right in the middle.

I'm thankful for extended family that's nearby. Seeing my mom or Kent's mom help breaks up the long winter days and helps keep our weekends fun too!

I'm thankful for my little shopping partner and lunch buddy. Life will sure be different when he's at preschool next year.

I'm thankful that the kids have been so willing to donate their old toys. It seems like often I'm met with, "But Mom, we still play with that!" This year the kids were so happy to pass toys along to cousins and friends. I'm thankful to have some extra room around here!

I'm thankful that Book It is still a thing. We will definitely be having Pizza Hut tomorrow night and the kids will be enjoying the personal pans they earned from all their reading!

I'm thankful for a night *in* with some girlfriends tonight!

I'm so so so so thankful for our new monitor.  When Kase was born, we had gotten rid of the monitor we used with Kael and Kylee.  So I bought a new monitor on clearance at Target for like, $11. Needless to say, it has been on the fritz lately.  Every time we turned it on it made crazy noises.  The frugal part of me figured that Kase won't need a monitor for much longer.  But the battle to get it to work every.single.time was just too frustrating so I picked up another one the other day.  Hard to believe how happy both Kent and I are each time we turn it on and it works perfectly.  It's the little things, right?

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Winter is here, friends! We made the most of our snowy weekend. Here are a few pictures...

Thursday Kent took the day off work so we could support our beloved Jaguars at the State Volleyball Tournament! They won and headed to the championship game on Friday. Our neighbor is the head coach and we could not have been happier that she and the team won the state title!!!

Friday night we went to Family Fun Night at church. Ran into this cutie there...

Yes, that's Kase "trapped" under there. So fun to see these little cousins having a good time together! 

There was a movie at church too. We had come prepared this time and the kids all had their favorite blankets and pillows to snuggle with.

Saturday morning we were up early and headed out to watch Kevin's basketball team scrimmages. Go Bulldogs!

Kase found some fun in the hallway when we went out for a drink at the water fountain. I told Kent it's the wrong color (Hawks, not Jags) and wrong sport. I'm doubting Kase will be a wrestler but Kent is still hoping. :)

Kevin totally made Kael's day by letting him help coach. Kael followed Kevin around all morning, high-fived all the girls and even got to call a couple plays. Having an uncle that's a coach is pretty sweet!!! I think Kael could have a future here!

After the scrimmages we ate lunch out with Kent's parents then Cindy and I had a pow-wow about Christmas gifts and who is getting what from whom and shared ideas. Fun to start getting organized! 

Satuday after Kase's marathon nap, we took the kids to my parents' for a sleepover. Kent and I shopped for Christmas stuff since we were sans kids and then enjoyed an adult dinner out. We wrapped up our wild night by watching tv and being asleep by 9:30. 

When we went to pick the kids up Sunday morning there was plenty of snow to play in! We got in our first game of Fox and Geese and my heart was happy. 

Sunday afternoon we spent with friends watching the Vikings game, then we headed home to put together Kase's new bed! Keith and Cindy gave him an early Christmas present and I picked out some John Deere sheets for him.  I certainly didn't have high expectations, so imagine my surprise when Kase stayed in his new bed all night, only waking up once! This is particularly notable because I also didn't give him his pacifier to sleep with.  He was up around 5:00, so I'd consider it a hugely successful night.

Our Monday is off to a bang with Kase running around our unfinished basement, slipped and fell, and chipped his front tooth.  Anyone else find themselves constantly saying, "No running! No wrestling! Settle down!" especially as winter sets in and the kids aren't burning off as much energy outside?

Have a good week, all!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful Kent didn't fall from up there and am really thankful for the group effort from the neighborhood guys on Christmas lights this year! It's a job that none of them love so they all did it together then we all celebrated with chili and watching football in the garage when the guys were done!

I'm thankful for new slippers.

I'm thankful for my Christmas CDs! Kent begrudgingly got our Christmas tubs out for me the other day. Now it's only a matter of time until our tree is up! 

I'm thankful for soup on the first snowy day.

I'm thankful for Kylee's colorful personality {and hair}.

I'm thankful for a morning shopping with my mom.

I'm thankful for sales and stacking coupons at Kohl's. 

I'm thankful the Jags won their volleyball game on Tuesday. We are all heading to Cedar Rapids to watch them today! 

Happy Thursday!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful the Jaguar volleyball team made it to state!!!

I'm thankful that when Kase and I randomly decided to go to Village Inn for an early lunch- it was Pie Rush Wednesday! I had no idea! Free pie for both of us! 

I'm thankful the kids are starting to adjust to Daylight Savings Time.  We're now getting up at 5:15 instead of 3:45.  Yippee. 

I'm thankful for a low-key weekend ahead.  Hoping to get our Christmas lights put up!

I'm thankful that Kase and I can just hang out inside all day today.  It looks so cold and windy out! 

Happy Thursday all!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Thought I would share some pictures of the kids' pumpkins this year and some more Halloween fun.

We also ran into this little Royals guy at the library Trick Or Read. :)

I made the kids some fun Ghosts in the Graveyard snacks after school.

I have never really been one to love Halloween, but I do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE trick-or-treating with this crew!

Also made them some Monster Face Donuts for breakfast.

This has been my view for weeks now.  Kase wants to play football all.the.time.  "Mom, can you tackle me?" 

When we're not playing football, we're out playing trucks. 

Now, onto a quick recap of the weekend. Friday night we went out for dinner downtown with some friends.  We really appreciated Keith and Cindy coming down to hang out with the kids!

Saturday morning Kylee and I met up with my sister and mom at the craft show in town.  So fun-would have loved to have spent all day there! It did, however, inspire a little craftiness in me- so Kylee and I worked on a project later that afternoon.  

We also spent the day watching the Hawks play at some friends' house.  It was a great day. Later we borrowed my parents' backyard for a quick fall picture.  And I mean quick. My parents weren't even home and we were on our way somewhere else, so the kids jumped out of the car, ran to the backyard to the exact same place we had taken the picture last year, sat down, smiled, I took two pictures and they hopped back in the car.  

2014

2013

After the picture, we visited my grandma, whose birthday is this week.  She asked us to stay for a little pizza party and the kids had a great time.  So good to see my grandma happy and feeling well. 

Sunday, we had our usual pancake breakfast, although we would have loved some donut balls (ha!!!;) then off to church.  Then we went out for lunch with Kent's parents.  Later that afternoon, I had a coffee and Christmas planning date with my sisters then that evening we spent running around my parents backyard.  The kids had fun collecting hedge apples and rolling them on the bridge.

And now for my annual narration of how productive I am on Daylight Savings Time.  My kids get up early and even if they go back to sleep, I'm awake.  This morning, before 7:00, I had worked out, dusted and vacuumed the entire house, made homemade bread, done two loads of laundry and prepped these ribs for dinner tonight.

How about you? Did your kids wake up super early too?

Have a great week, guys!