We have a Christmas surpisssseeee!!

Chad and I decided a couple of months back that we really want another baby! We had the wonderful experience of surprising all of our family on Christmas. The day I found out I raced back up to school on a Friday night and made picture calendars for Momma, Daddy, Keith and Carol, Andy and Lindsey, Nanny and Uncle Terry. They were filled with cute pictures of the kiddos then in August it said "Happy Birthday New Baby"! Such a great surprise!

I also had fun giving Chad a little surprise. I came home from work with a new Christmas stocking and a card that said "it looks like we will need to make room on the fireplace for another stocking! :)" He actually understood this time! He didn't seem to get it when I surprised him with Ella. I am through the roof excited about having another baby. I feel like it is my first again. I just can't wait for every little milestone!

Bubbles and mess and science to explore!

Ella is in love with a new show called "Sid The Science Kid" it is about four little kids who go to school each day to learn and explore with science. They sing fun songs and dance too. So we decided to have a science themed birthday party this year. OMG it was so much fun!! I used all of my teaching techniques and borrowed a few supplies from my school ;) to set up science activities for the kids to rotate through.

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Happy Turkey Day the crazy way :)

We had an absolutely gorgeous Thanksgiving dinner at Matt and Rachel's. Rachel really out did herself this year. Martha Stewart would have been proud. The best part was the photo booth. We had some crazy family fun taking pictures. We used them to create our Christmas card this year. Check them out 

 This is my favorite!!! All the grandkids and great-grandkids just look at Nanny' face!!!

Weeee'rre off to see the Wizard!

This year for Halloween Ella and Livi wanted to dress up like the Wizard of Oz. Ella chose Dorothy and Livi chose the munchkin ballerina. We thought she would make the perfect munchkin :) They also decided that everyone else had to dress up too!! Nana was the scarecrow, Papa was the Wizard, I was Glenda the good witch and Daddy was the Lolipop Guild!! Yep these two little girls talked their daddy into dressing up like the creepy little munchkins that sing! :) That is my favorite part of the movie so I loved seeing Chad dressed up for them. The girls had so much fun trick or treating this year. They have got this down now and are already talking about next year!!

Oh how I miss writing about my sweet girls!

So a lot has changed since I last posted on this blog. I went back to work two years ago to teach 1st grade. I love teaching but missing have the chance to play everyday with girls and write down all of their adorable little stories. The girls have been going to a Montessori school, which they love! They are changing into little people right before my eyes!! I will do my best to post more about their little lives as things happen! Pinky swear!

The beach in Bastrop Texas?

We went to the Bastrop Lost Pines resort for vacation this year. It was absolutely wonderful!! The girls were in heaven at this very kid friendly resort. They played all day at the beach, the pool, the water slide and the lazy river. At night we watched movies out on the lawn and ate smores. It was wonderful time with Nana, Papa, Lindsey and Andy. We just love our family vacations. They also have a dog that is the biggest dog I have ever seen in my whole life. His name is Haas. The girls fell in love with him and the lady who takes care of him fell in love with the girls. She let them feed him ice cream for snack. I think that might be why he is so big :) The girls took home little stuffed Haas souvenirs. Every time the girls here the word Bastrop on TV they squeal and ask if we can go back!

Little Ballerina uh-oh two ballerinas

Today was Ella's very first ballet recital. She has been practicing all year. She always comes home and teaches me some new french word. She is very serious about her ballet. This morning I told Livi we have to take a good nap so that we can go to the dance recital. She said "I dance with sissy" and I said "sure just go to bed". Well when she woke up she was determined that she was also dancing on stage with sissy. She told me that she needed a costume like her sister. So I put on a cute little tu-tu skirt that we have and a tank top. This worked for her. In her mind she was ready to dance on stage. When we got there all the dancers were sitting on the side getting ready to go on. I look up and there is my just barely two year old sitting right next to them. She was NOT taking no for an answer. I begged her to come and sit in the audience, but every time I let go she ran back to the dancer area. :) I took her to the back of the room and said a little prayer that we wouldn't have to miss Ella's recital. She finally calmed down and enjoyed the show. Afterwards we let her go up on stage and dance with her sister. She thought it was great! Ella was wonderful! She just loves to be on stage. I am not sure where she gets that from :)

Livi sitting with the big girls!

 Ella telling her to go sit with mommy :)

 The pretty little ballerina

 Dance your heart out Livi!!

Happy Halloween

The cutest little fairies!!!  Last year after Christmas we went to the Disney Store and found a  Tinkerbelle costume  on clearance and bought it. We kept our fingers crossed that it would still fit Ella and that she would still be interested in  Tinkerbelle by Halloween. About a month later we found a Rosetta costume, who is Tinkerbelle's little red-headed friend. We felt it was fitting for Ella's little red headed sister.  This was Livi's first real experience at Trick or Treating.  I wasn't really sure how she would do since she is barely 18 months old. She loved it! She did not need any help. She  marched her little self up to every door and opened her bag and said Trick or Treat.  By the end of the night her bag was so heavy she was dragging it, but she didn't care. She kept  right on trucking.  We like to celebrate Halloween with our families so that eveyrone can see them in their cute little outfits. Of course every little toddler needs an entourage of family to go trick or treating.  We went through the nieghborhood with my dad, Jill, mom, Rick, Keith, Carol, Jeri, Bob, Chad and I. It was pretty funny watching this huge group of adults follow around the two  tiny little faries.  We had a great time!