The first snow!

I didn't take very many pictures. I was inside and didn't think about it until they were just about done. Our friends the Youngs are always so much fun to come over and play in the snow with us. The men took the kiddo's out and they loved it. They made a snowman with angry eyebrows...hmm wonder who's idea that was?? Then a bunch of sledding. The girls liked it, but Jakey not so much. He went down with his buddy Liam and well he screamed the whole time. BUT at least he tried it, regardless of the fact he had no idea what he was getting himself into. HAHAHA!! Then we all came in for some yummy hot chocolate. Of course the snow is already gone but at least we have a few pictures of the memory...i'm sure more snow will come!!!

Cheap Crafts!!

Yesterday, Jolie was bored out of her brain so we decided to have her call a friend from church and come over. I realized I had nothing fun planned. So I grabbed Genna and Jillian and headed to Michael's Crafts...I took them so Jolie could have some alone time with her friend and not have her little sisters trying for the spotlight the whole time. When we got there, all the Halloween stuff was 70-80% off. Awesome deals....I am hoping to go back on Monday for a few more fall garland! Then I kept going down the aisle and got to the little craft bins. I got tons of do it yourslef little ornaments...wood ones to paint or color. Foam ones to glue and glitter. Beads for the super cute little wreath ornaments that I still love on the tree. Stick puppets. All of them were 60 cents a piece....how awesome is that. I stocked up, hoping to keep some for a bored buster day. The girls devoured everything and had so much fun...TWO glorious hours of fun. I love finding great buys like that....don't you?

More Haircuts!

I love when the kids get a haircut. Their hair always looks so healthy and nice, if only for that afternoon. Jillian's hair is very fine so when it starts to get longer it looks scraggly. She has really sweet curls when it's longer but her hair is so uneven and fine I had to get it cut. She LOVED being in the chair and getting her hair done. The smile never left her face. Once we got home, the tears started, as much as she likes the experience she doesn't always like the "after" part. She kept crying saying she didn't like her hair and that she looked like a boy. It took lots of mommy and daddy saying how beautiful and how much we LOVE her hair for her to start smiling again. The next day at school her teacher loved her hair and that made her happy, she only asks about once a day now if we "still" like her hair.

Genevieve has the thickest most wonderful hair. Which is funny because she was shiny bald as a baby, for a long time. A lot like I was, I have a lot of hair but not thick like Genna's is. So the last time we got her hair cut we cut the bangs, but I didn't like how they did it, kinda a side thing like Jillian's but not as cute. It was annoying and hard to keep looking nice, so very quickly I started pinning back. This time I told them across the forhead all the way. I LOVE IT! Her eyes pop so much, she wants to grow her hair really really long, We'll see!

A few silly pictures!

Jacob got his 2nd haircut...this time with the clippers.

He did such a good job, he first sat in daddy's lap while Brett got a haircut. Then it was his turn. He sat so still, it wasn't until the end when hair got in his eyes nose and mouth...that he wasn't a fan of. But doesn't he look like a big boy now!

The girls being silly....I think we were about to go on a walk.

The other day I was putting stuff away and realized it was way too quiet. Jacob may be the only one home in the morning, but boy can he make him self heard. So when I realized I hadn't heard him, I knew something was up. I started in the usual places. The top of the computer, the bathroom, the kitchen table...all the obvious places. Then I go down to the basement and this is how I found him...not asleep but watching T.V. upside down...i had to run upstairs to get my camera because I thought this was just too funny!

Halloween

Halloween is such a fun holiday in our home. It isn't just one day. It's at least a month...sometimes a little more. I started decorating in September. Yup, I was a little excited. The fall colors, the fall air, and of course the fall smell. Apples anyone. Which, I STILL have apples from picking in late August...how crazy is that. So the top picture is Brett and I dressed for a halloween party. I was the preggo cheerleader and he was the all star. You can't see it well but he put a syringe in the black arm band...and I am 7 months preggo there!

Our house all decorated!!

Jillian's class went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch, and I was lucky enough to go ( with out Jacob). We had so much fun. We did slides and roasted marshmallows. Feed goats and rode on a tractor.

Jillian and Mommy going down a slide, i promise it was not fast!

Sweet Jillian picked out the best pumpkin.

All dressed and ready to go to the ward party!

Genevieve dressed as the Sugar Plum Fairy!

Jolie as the sweet and loving Snow White!

The beautiful girls, ready to go!

Jacob is our football player, and he just loved getting that candy!

Jillian with her good friend Emma on Halloween!

Halloween was a great night. My parents came down from Michigan and Brett's family came over. Our friends the Young's joined us as well. We feasted on Stew and Mummy hot dogs with Apples smiles and Rootbeer. Followed by some great trick or treating. Thanks everyone for a wonderful night!!!!!!

A quick update!

We are still in Michigan but I haven't posted anything and of course tons of stuff have happened. Brett and I took an amazing anniversary trip...i will post about that once i get back home. Genevieve's bday is next week so my friend had bday napkins at her house...Genna can't wait to turn 7....only one more year until she's baptized!!!!!!!!

The day before we left for Michigan I took Jolie to the eye Dr...turns out she has VERY bad eyes...so bad they made her glasses right there because they couldn't bare the thought of her going out of town and not seeing. When we get back she will pick up her other pair, which has bifocals in it...they say she will grow out of that...because her eyes are so bad it makes it hard for her to read with her glasses. It is so fun to see her seeing the world all over again...makes me think when i got glasses for the first time...except hers are soooo much cuter!!!

My family decided to go camping for ONE night up next to Holland MI....we packed a ton of gear and headed out to Jellystone park. The place was really nice and even had two pools. While at the pool Jillian had to go to the bathroom....she was walking in and tripped on the entrance...WAK...blood. The more i looked at it. the more i realized she needed to go to the ER...At the ER she sat in my lap so sweetly...once the dr. saw her he said yup she needs stitches...they put this numbing gel on it and within a half hour she was ready to be stitched. They put a warm blanket on her and let me lay down on the bed and hold her...she was SO brave...she didn't cry at all. She was nervous and wanted to put her hand up there but she let me hold her. Now she proudly shows any and all her stitches. Her aunt Crystal who is a pediatric nurse is taking her stitches out today. So now it'll just be a cool scar.

Big Jake is a growing boy! He loves trucks, cars, balls and dirt! He is such a happy climbing boy. He needs a haircut but i'm waiting until we get home so daddy can be there..plus I am hoping *hint hint* aunt Jennifer will do the honors.....isn't he so blonde.

Well here's a little update and once we get back we leave for great wolf lodge with all of brett's family even his grandma so hopefully i'll have more pics!

The 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone! We had a very fun and busy weekend. We started off by going to Brett's parents condo in Colonial Beach, VA. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a blast. I was actually dreading taking Jacob to the beach because i thought he would be so hard. He was so good. He sat in the sand and just loved scooping up the shells and rocks and just being there right with us. He was NOT a super big fan of the water itself but it was still so much fun. Once we got home we rushed to pack a cooler and grab blankets and load up the car to head over to Great Meadow in The Plains, VA with our friends the Youngs! We had sooo much fun. There was tons of stuff going on, from a helicopter parade to rockets being shot off to giant slides and face painting. The best part was at the end, laying on the blankets with my family all around me and watching the fireworks. I couldn't help but think this is how it's always supposed to be!

Jolie and Emma Young!

The Beautiful Jolie!

Super awesome Alex doing a cart wheel while my girls watched in awe!

Brett getting some love from the Young kiddos!

Jolie hooping it up!

Eric helping the little guys! Jacob and Liam!

Doing giant bubbles with Bingo the Clown.

Me trying to Hula Hoop, and dressed very casually i might say!

Jillian and Emma going down the giant slide........SO much Fun!

Brett pulling the little guys to all the fun!

Jillian and Emma catching some ZZZ's and some Rays!

Super strong Jacob, haha he loves to push stuff!

strawberries everywhere!

Jolie and Genevieve picking strawberries on the beautiful countryside! They called themselves mighty farmers, I call them beautiful!

In the strawberry patch!

A picture of the whole crew....Jacob really shouldn't have been holding a tub of strawberries................

He ate them and ate them until...........

He looked like this.....................

and still wanted MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did my first solo canning. i was so happy. I made 9 jars of strawberry Jam and a little bit leftover into a tupperware into the fridge. This morning the girls had toast with there jam and LOVED it. Seriously was so not hard and really makes you feel like hey I can do this....now I just need to learn how to make bread!!!!!!!!!

My 30th B-day Party!

My wonderful husband put together the most amazing birthday party. He had everything you could think of for a dreamy Hawaiin Lua. White lights, tiki torches, sea shells and candles. Even Hawaiin dancers. Not to mention the margarita machines....with out the margarita of course :) It was so great and so impressive. He's not really into the whole throw a party...especially by himself. Luckily we have some really amazing friends who helped him and I just can't say enough about it. It really was that wonderful! I love you so much Brett!

Kristi and I having fun with the cut out!

One of the Hawaiin dancers. It turns out they are LDS and are getting sealed in the temple on Aug. 1st. How cool is that?

This is Coco, the other dancer...i'm sorry for some of these pictures being so dark, but I had to take at least a few pictures!

The pool was heated...but still pretty chilly, especially since i was thrown in...with my dress on...that's why i have mascara all over my face you'll see later!

This is the limbo line....so much fun. I did not win. Our friend Carl did, who also DJ'd. What a fun couple they are.

More of the limbo line, Sarah was incredible...but she is a personal trainer!

Having fun at the party....doesn't it look so fun????

I think we are getting ready to learn a hawaiin dance...that was too funny and very bad.

Kristi going way looooow....good job Kristi!

Me giving the limbo one more try!

Alex going down low...did she make it....yes she did!

You can see some of the decorations here...the food was so yummy, it went so fast!!!!

This is my friend Kessa, isn't she too cute!!!

My brother in law Larry, who was really bummed that he didn't have any of his infamous hawaiin clothing with him. Don't worry Larry, we'll have another party someday!

Ummm, this is Eric...yup nuf said!

Someone is coming out of the pool...i have no idea who? Sorry!

A shot of the cake.

A VERY unflattering picture of me just after i blew my candles out...note the mascara on the side of my face....and my dress still on...sopping wet!

Erik and Nichole loving the hot tub...it was very popular. Since it wasn't exactly hotttt outside!

This is Julie and Sam....seriously great friends, that helped SO much with the party. It never would've been so lovely without them. THANK YOU GUYS!

Another silly pose!

One more time!!!

Mine and Brett's turn, yup blonde is so not my color....i don't know Brett might be able to pull off the long hair look :)

Ooops, my head isn't exactly in!