New year, new adventures

Hard to top december, and all its excitement. Filling January with a month of new things.

New Figure

New activities (masking tape roadway)

New games on the phone (kids are becoming TOO attatched)

New carpet (and more game playing)

New Big Boy room (sports themed)

 New box of hand me downs opened (can you tell they are excited)

New skills learned

New fallen snow

New experiences (Wright State Game with the Toby's) 

Austin entertained the audience with gangnam style

New ways to entertain themselves

Newly potty trained (while playing games...again)

New leotard for ballet

New adventures in the hood (an abnormally warm January day)

The kids are always keeping me on my toes. There has been a lot of arguing, and fighting going on during the short (light) days we are trapped inside. I've certainly had my fair share of not great mommy moments (yelling, napping in afternoon, turning on tv), but I try my best to create New and special memories when possible and through it all!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake......thank God for Santa Claus and that song.  I don't think we could get through December without a little help from Santa Claus watching everything the kids are doing and keeping them in check. I think Santa needs to visit more than once a year.

Baby B #3 is doing great and I am still feeling awesome.  Running at the gym every Monday while the kids are at school and sleeping great.  Getting bigger and bigger everyday. And after getting through the first month of potty training (with all the ups and downs), have decided to give it a little break.  With family in town, and the excitement, easier to just put on the diaper and forget about it for awhile.

So much to tell, this post could last forever. Will do a speed wrap up by putting descriptions with photos. I'll let all the fun photos tell the story of how AWESOME our holiday season was. Santa treated us well this year.  I love Christmas!

Walking through the lights at Niederman Farm, Ashlyn was really into the religious aspect of the story walk, and nativity scene. Followed by cookies and hot chocolate.

My christmas tree helpers.  There ended up being a clump of ornaments in one spot, but I didn't mind. They LOVE the ornaments with their pictures on them.

Saturday morning Christmas music dance party.

Helping daddy put lights in front of the house.

 The LOLCP Christmas performance. Both kids did awesome. Ashlyn is quite the little performer on stage and Austin stood still and sang, it was adorable!! "And they said that his name was...Jesus!"

Santa Brunch at NCR with Ducky and Jill.

A chance to visit with Santa at her school Christmas party.

PJ story time with Santa at Books Bums. Got to make crafts and eat cookies.

Hosted Ashley's baby shower at dad's house. Had a huge turnout and Ashley got TONS of stuff for her baby girl. Decorated everything in yellow and grey with elephants.

Sisters, and our big ole bellies.

Christmas Eve dinner, at the usual joint, Bravo. We took the kids to the children's service at Christ United Methodist and then met matt's family for dinner. 

My beautiful family, and excited kids to soon get a visit from Santa.

 Ashlyn and daddy made special bear cookies for santa. I think he liked them, he ate several!

Ashlyn's letter to Santa. A toe scrubber (yes, again), Baby Ariel, and Ariel Underwear.  It may be the easiest wish list ever, gotta love the girls simplicity. Austin wanted a blue blanket and toe scrubber. 

Two VERY excited, and spoiled, kids on Christmas morning. Santa did arrive!

Helping each other open gifts, and sharing on the excitement!

Baby Ariel, Thanks Santa!

Austin's blue blanket, and with monkeys. Santa is the best!

Celebrating Christmas at mimi and papa's house with their cousins. They both got big belly banks, and a book with pictures of them with mimi and papa which was huge hit. 

All the cousins with papa.

Enjoying adult beverages and a fun new card game.

 Got hit with massive snow just after Christmas. Kids made a mini snowman on the deck, and Ashlyn sledded next door. Austin wasn't too sure about the cold. He preferred to stay indoors with mommy.

My family all came into town the weekend after Christmas, so the festivities continued with the usual Thanksgiving style dinner and celebrating.  Kids are learning to make stuffing. YUM!!!

Fun time with the England cousins, Ashlyn loved hanging out with Madison.

Testing out their Christmas gifts. Spiderman costume and ashlyn's dancing doll were both winners.

Eating pizza and playing games while we wait for the ball to drop.

Ashlyn loves her Uncle Justen

Hahaha, not sure who's more scared of the midnight popper. Was a late night of fun for the kids, and us!

Sledding down ducky's hill with Madison and Graham.

My little beauty and her mis matched socks from Madison

As chaotic as the Christmas season can be, it truly is magical to spend Christmas with children.  They get excited about the true meaning of Christmas, celebrating Jesus and family.  Although i get major anxiety over all the craziness, massive amount of gifts, and back and forth travel.......every second is worth it! Can't wait for Santa Claus to come back next year.

Give thanks for a little, and find a lot!

Moving into November, with it's mix of warm and cold weather days.  Was a pretty low key month for us.  We all have gotten our mix of Fall congestion and colds. I managed to get a cold that lingered for a good 5 weeks, resulting in a fluid filled ear.  Wanna talk about being Thankful, I am beyond Thankful for the gift of hearing.  Having a completely clogged, fluid filled ear drum is horrible and something I do not wish on anyone. Thank you pregnancy for allowing me to store extra fluid, in my ear, sooooo fun! 

Sidewalks on our street mean safer trips to the pond on her Razor. 

Helping mommy make piles, for daddy to pick up:)

I have to say, I am beyond Thankful for the "here and there" moments when my children get along. Why is it that when we love someone one, we often treat them the worst? Ashlyn loves her little brother to pieces, and wants him to play with her ALL the time, but she also picks on him to no avail. I'd say we get a 60-40 balance of fighting and fun. Wish those numbers were reversed, it would be much more peaceful around this house.  In between the time outs, and tears, there are these awesome moments.....I hope they take them in as much as I do! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A 3RD GONNA DO TO THIS ALREADY HECTIC DYNAMIC?!?!?!?!?

Snuggling during a movie and snack 

Making homemade letter "A" pretzels

Weekend snuggle time with daddy

We started off our Thanksgiving festivities with Ashlyn's Thanksgiving feast at school. She made an adorable pilgrim in their preschool play. Seeing the kids excitement makes the holiday even more exciting.  We had a 60 degree Thanksgiving, which made for an awesome day.  Spent the first part of the day at my dad's house (Justen and Jenn came home) playing outside in the yard.  We then ventured over to Matt's parents house for a 4:30 meal followed by fun on the patio making s'mores.  Who would of thought Thanksgiving would be a day spent outside, you just NEVER know in Ohio.  And the night was completed by Matt's black friday, midnight run, shopping venture to H.H.Greg to purchase a 60 inch TV for the living room. 

Preschool projects

My little pilgrim

My little shag a muffins hair is finally getting too shaggy to maintain.  Once it started growing it has gone into fast forward mode....slow down hair! His curls are turning into a mullet and his bangs are getting long.  Over 2 and going for his first haircut, tear tear, off to the barber we go!  Luckily they suggested I keep it longer, and only trimmed up the length. Made the whole experience a lot easier on momma. 

Such a dude! 

Look at that mohawk

Didn't move a peep the whole time at the barber

With big boy haircuts, come big boy things.  While we've been sitting on the potty here and there for months, I decided it was time to put potty training into full swing.  With a baby on the way, and new carpets coming the first week of December, I have to give it a try.  We got a new potty chair, he picked out big boy undies at the store, and it's "Go" time......literally! All I can say is, potty training Austin is a whole different ball game than Ashlyn.  He will pee or poo his pants and not even care, and if we go naked he just pees on the floor. Hmmmm, guess boys really are harder than girls to potty train.  I sense lots of singing and candy rewards in Austin's future. 

Moral support from big sister

Having a snack on the potty....whatever works, right!

Thankful for my stuffed belly, grow baby grow

Cold weather is upon us, burr! 

My Children are obsessed with Gangnam style. It is one of the most watched U Tube videos ever, which I know we have certainly contributed to.  It is a video of a Korean guy, with very unique dance moves. He acts like he is riding a horse, and then pumps his fist through the air. The majority of the song is sung in Korean, except for the chorus, which is heard a lot around this house. 

Oppa Gangnam style, Gangnam style

Oppa Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

Oppa Gangnam Style- 60 inch edition

Perfecting their moves

Lastly, I am thankful for nudity.  As much as it freaks a lot of people out (daddy included), I think it's no big thing that my kids want to be naked all the time. They seriously are probably naked 50% of the time we are at home, warm or cold out.  I'll walk in the playroom and they'll both have all their clothes off. Like my dad always said, "we are brought into this world naked, why wear clothes". 

It is not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving! - W.T Purkiser