Happy Girl

This is to wish Grandma and Grandpa Voordeckers a Happy New Year!

Pretty Girls

A lady that works with Ken crocheted some cute hats for Annalise and Aurora...The hats were both a little big...but they are still cute!

Aurora crashed out during our Christmas Day get together...just looking at her makes me smile:)

The Return of MarioCart

Last year, someone left the MarioCart disk on the floor, and someone stepped on it.  The game has been sorely missed!  Santa brought the boys another game, and Wilson even talked Grandpa into playing with him:)

Family Nativity

Annalise did a great job organizing the production this year (we have missed Whitney the last couple of years.)  She assigned all of the parts, and read the scriptures so well.  It is good that the scriptual account of Christ's birth refers specifically to only one woman (Mary is a pretty important role)....our family is so full of boys, that we easily cover Joseph, shepards, and wise men.

Aurora's Christmas Dress

Aurora was ready to go to church...well she still needed her pretty black shoes....but she was excited to go:)

Where is Aurora?

This morning, when Ken went to get Aurora, this is what he found.  She was sound asleep with a bubba on her face.  I think this is even cute with her face covered!

My Kitchen Counter Friend

Aurora loves to sit in her bouncy on the kitchen counter while I cook. She loves to box her hanging toys, and everytime I talked to her she just smiles!

Snowmen at Night

We read the books, Snowmen at Night, and Snowmen at Christmas over and over, this past weekend it snowed enough for the boys to make three snowmen.  It is been fun to chat, with the boys, about what their snowmen might have done at night as they have melted. 

Ken helped the boys with this snowman, but before this one was built Holden built one all by himself.  Ken and I watched him out the window.  Holden is one determined little boy!

Giggles

Wilson's First Recital

Wilson had his first recital tonight.  He just started piano lesson is September, and really loves it!  It has been fun to hear his progression!

Watch carefully at the end, all of the students took nice bows...but not my Wilson!  He does a very quick bow of the head, and then he was done!

Holden's "New Look"

Yesterday Holden told me he had a loose tooth!  He was trying to eat an apple whole, and it was hurting.  He was upset when he told me, because, for him, a loose tooth has NOT been a good thing!  This time it was fine, because he is six, and it was one of his bottom teeth.
When he was brushing his teeth last night, he came running out of the bathroom, because something "hard" had fallen out of his mouth.  It was his tooth!  While I was on the bathroom floor, searching for the tiny tooth, he said, "hey mom, I have a new look!" 

This morning I heard Holden chatting with Aurora, he said "Aurora, do you like my new look?"  Holden is such a character! I love his new look...

Just a couple of Holden's one liners (from today)

Josef and Holden were playing Wii LEGO Star Wars...Josef was crying and yelling at Holden, "don't kill me" over and over.  I asked Holden to not kill Josef, and Holden's response was "Mom, this game is full of violence!"  I guess maybe we need to rethink that Wii game - he might regret that comment:)

I was feeding Aurora this afternoon, and she was crying (she is teething, and has been struggling).  Holden walked into her room, kissed her on the head, and Aurora stop crying.  Holden walked out of the room and said, "all she needed was a kiss from me!"  I really wish it was that easy to calm her down right now:)

He Makes Me Smile

Wilson is growing up so fast!  This morning he was doodling, and this is what I found on the paper after he left for school.  I can't believe he is writing in cursive now...and of course he has to add a little "Wilson" flare!

How Do I Choose?

Gingerbread Men

The boys had fun decorating their own gingerbread men...



Aurora

 Amy took Aurora's pictures yesterday - these are just a few thumbnails she sent me.  I am excited to get the rest of the pictures!  It is fun to have a friend with so much talent...and she is willing to trade babysitting with me..that means we get to spend a couple of afternoons with Gracie:)

Aurora can't keep her hands and fingers out of her mouth at this point...

I don't know how many times I moved her hands down, and then they went right back to her mouth!

Fun Stuff

 Wilson built this to put with our LEGO Christmas village...he was pleased with himself!

 Annalise and I made this felt Christmas Tree and ornaments.  I am grateful for her cutting skills, otherwise it would have taken me a lot longer.  Hopefully with this, the boys will leave the real Christmas Tree alone:)

All decorated!

Her newest trick

Aurora loves to spit and sputter...

Early Christmas & Stats

The boys got to open a Christmas present for Aurora this morning.  It was an exersaucer!  I didn't want to wait for Christmas, because Aurora is ready to play in it now!  Wilson was pouting for some reason, I don't remember why now...

 Aurora played in it this morning, and then on her tummy...all of the playing wore her out!

 Aurora had her 4 month check up today.  She is 13 lbs. 14 ozs (50th percentile), 24 1/2 inches (50th percentile), and her head is in the 20th percentile.  She is doing great!

Visit from Anna

Last week Anna Berber-Giddings came to visit.  She was in Utah spending Thanksgiving with her brother.  We are so glad she was able to sneak away, and spend some time with us.  We haven't seen Anna since Wilson was a baby!

Our stubborn three year old, Josef, didn't want to get in the picture...his loss!

Anna served with Ken in Iraq.  I can't believe it has been almost 10 years since they deployed.  I am so grateful for Anna, and for all of the support she gave Ken in Iraq.  It was fun to have our children meet Anna, and for Ken to reminisce about their experiences, and people they served with in Iraq.  That experience seems like a lifetime ago now...at the time it seemed it would never end!

Anna brought the boys remote control cars, and Aurora the cutest little ballet slipper socks with ruffles, and a soft blanket!  The boys have had a blast playing with the cars!
Anna is still in the Army National Guard, and we are grateful for her continued service to our Country!

Aurora meets Lily

 It is Annalise's birthday today, so we went over to the Voordeckers for dinner and cake.  They got a kitten, so she had to check out Aurora. Good thing dad was there to protect Aurora from Liliy's playful claws!

Happy Thanksgiving

I couldn't choose which picture I liked best, so I compromised and uploaded all of them!

She is getting big and changing

Oh, I love to look at her face... I love those cheeks, that mouth, and those pretty eyes!  The crazy hair just tops it all off nicely:)

Visit with James

Ashley and James came to visit from Seattle!  

Second cousins once removed

Ashley and James are here visiting from Seattle.  It is so fun to finally meet James Taylor!  He was born July 16th, and Aurora on July 19th.  I don't think you can tell in these pictures, but James is significantly bigger than Aurora!  I hope some of Ashley's pictures turned out better than mine, but getting 2 little 3 1/2 month old babies to look in the same direction is not easy to get on camera:)