No Title Tuesday

As I mentioned in my last post, the kids are extremely enthusiastic about the snow.  I really love the first couple of snow falls of the year anyhow, but watching the kids, well that just makes it even more beautiful.  

Last year's hesitation toward the snow for Stella has vanished.......she ran right out after her brother and plopped down in the snow and started making snow angels alongside him.

And for Jack, well I think the look on his face here pretty much sums up how much fun he was having.

absolutely PRICELESS, right?!

our halls our decked over here, inside and out....except for our tree, that will come this weekend - can't wait!

......speaking of Christmas, Dennis asked me tonight if I'm getting sick of listening to Christmas music yet, hmmm, it's not Thanksgiving yet.  I probably should cool it a bit so I am not sick of it by Christmas, but I find once we start listening to it, there's no turning back and I really don't feel like listening to anything else....anyone else the same way?

this is a bad picture, but I had to share Jack's snow wipe out stunts he was performing on his bike

and the kids eating snow.....hopefully it was white :)

Stella is our little reader, she is perfectly happy looking at books and making up her own stories as she goes.  It's great to listen to her when she doesn't realize anyone's paying attention.  She always stops after every page to show her "class" the page.

....speaking of reading, Jack read me a couple of very beginner phonics books the other night, just a start, but non the less, a very exciting an proud moment as a parent.  It's so crazy to think how far he has come in just five short years!

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We have so much to be thankful and grateful for this year.  I will try to share a few pictures from our Turkey day action, and I will leave you with a quote I came across, I thought it was fitting for Thanksgiving and being the fifty year anniversary of his passing this month.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them."  John F. Kennedy

baby it's cold outside

Well friends, temps dropped down into the single digits here over the weekend.....brrrrrrrrr!  We have a bit of snow that has stayed on the ground and the kids are so excited, kind of makes the cold easier to tolerate.  Here we go winter!

beautiful day

 Today started off a perfectly fine day....breakfast, the morning school drop offs, no major tantrums from either kid.  Then I made the mistake of coming home to our empty house.  I just can't seem to get into a good rhythm with my time while the kids are at school, it's as though I have completely forgotten what to do with myself when not caring for the kids.  So I turned to music to get me going, and came across this song (see below.)  What an inspirational, feel good song, exactly the pick me up I needed to get going. I hope you take the time to listen to it.

http://youtu.be/KG0v2BfpJJk

having the kiddos away from me more sure does make me grateful and appreciate of our wonderful little family.  They are so fun and cute to be around and during this month of November and Thanksgiving I am making a constant effort to have an attitude of gratitude for the wonderful world around me and all our blessings.  It's been said that gratitude is the key to happiness and want to make sure our kids learn to have an appreciation for everything in their lives as well.

while it's pretty easy to have gratitude for these two cuties, not everything in life is as easy to appreciate, but I will try.  what are you most thankful for this holiday season?  We'd love to hear your comments and know who's out there reading!

hope you have a beautiful day.......GO!

TRICK OR TREAT 2013

We made it out for two trick or treat adventures this year.  The first, a couple weeks before Halloween at the Enchanted Trail, a nature trail set up with little-kid friendly characters to visit and get treats from along the way.  We had the company of our friends the Swanson's and a sunshiny morning, making for a good time for all.

first stop - Sylvester the cat

the girls taking a load off in the stroller

Jack the ghost = super scarey face

Cullen aka. Captain America = big muscles

waiting for the a cute little ghost and Pippi Longstocking to catch up

our next trick or treat adventure was on Halloween night of course!  Jack could hardly contain himself once I got home from work, boy needed to get out trick or treating NOW!  mix that excitement with an afternoon long school party that made for a very tired little boy who was coming also coming down from a sugar high.......let's just say we were all glad once we managed to head out trick or treating, lol!

we were spared the rain some not too far away from us had, and it was a pretty mild night, compared to some other years, so all in all a successful trick or treat for 2013. 

 

way too excited for pictures right now!

 

Stella is one brave little cookie.  This Dracula bat thing was pretty creepy looking.....Stella went right up to it and grabbed it to check it out a little closer.  She definitely doesn't get the braveness from her Momma :)  

It is so fun watching the excitement from these two, makes me think about how excited I would get as a kid.  And speaking of the nostalgia of remember my childhood......Jack ran inside after we got home, dumped out his bucket to assess the haul, and no kidding, had is candy organized like this (see below) in about a minute flat.  Funny how he can be slow sometimes, but yet so quick to do something he is excited and enthusiastic about.  This characteristic, for better or worse, I believe does come from me :)

More holidays are right around the corner, I can already feel the excitement,  I just love this time of year!!

Happy November friends!

Gettin' Festive

di

We are busy getting our fall on over here, carving pumpkins and  having fun with gourds!

By the way, Jack did have fun, despite his sad look in the picture, lol!

The kids are on the countdown to Halloween!

brrrrr

Well the weather we will be having for the next 6 months or so is starting to creep up around here.  It's been getting chilly, which means hats & mittens, soup simmering on the stove, curling up with a blanket in the evenings, and the Moka drive thru is extra tempting. We're still enjoying the leaves falling around here since it's been a late fall........although our own lawn doesn't produce enough fallen leaves for the kids liking, we have to head to the park for some real leaf action.  

It's funny because I started this post last night, but was too tired to finish.  Well this morning we saw our first snowflakes of the season, just some flurries, but enough for the kids to stand outside and catch a few on their tongue.  The season is shifting indeed.

These two crack me up daily with the funny little ideas they come up with or things they notice and choose to comment about.   The sky is the limit with their little imaginations and it is so much fun to be around.

We already went trick or treating at a local nature trail last weekend (watch for pictures coming on that soon) and we're gearing up for Halloween next week, which will be full of more trick or treating, candy, school Halloween parties, candy, pumpkin carving, and did mention candy?

As Jack would say, "Happy Halloween spooky time!"

Best Buds

These two really are the best of friends, always looking out for one another.  My hope for them is that they will always share this special bond and appreciate one another as they get older.  They have their squabbles for sure, but they are so close and I can tell they are missing each other being apart at different schools.    Jack asked me the other day when will Stella be able to go to his school........ melts my heart!

 

I can't say I blame him....who wouldn't miss this little face.  I am missing them both too and haven't quite got this time without them thing figured out yet........all in good time I know.

 

We took a little horse drawn carriage ride downtown this weekend for Historic Downtown La Crosse Days.......

 

.......and joined in on some more fun fall festivities

scarecrow puppets,

 

 

scarecrow dance,

 

and face painting

 

 

we continue to have perfect fall weather here, so we will keep soaking up as many outdoor activities as we can while it lasts.  Happy October all!

 

wordless wednesdays - Oktoberfest style

Maple Leaf Parade 2013

Stella was a little "nervous" at first.....big brother to the rescue

our kiddie band, led by director Evan

winner for most entertained child during the parade goes to Mr. Evan, this little guy was loving every minute of it