Valentine's Weekend Recap

Friday, the kids got out of school early. Jen and I decided to take our crew over to Peoria to have their pictures taken. It was pure chaos... but we loved every minute of it!

All of the kids...

Jonah, Annie, Hannah, Jeffrey and Sammy
Courtney, Emma and Cadie

My crew...

Jonah, Annie, Jeffrey, Sammy, Courtney and Cadie

The 3 amigo's....

Courtney, Emma, and Cadie

This was to be the twins 2 yr pic...

Courtney... Cadie wouldn't cooperate and sit on the blocks with her sister!


Cadie...

Finally got her to smile!

Courtney...

this is her 2yr picture

Cadie...


pouting!!!

We had so much fun... of course trying to get the twins to cooperate is always a challenge!

Wagie Rides for Tuesday!

My Best Friend Jen and I had our balloon release. I did video it... however, I need to watch it and then download it to my computer before I can share it!

Anyway, I did take a few pics. They turned out beautifully!

Jen and her girls came over to our house (because I had worked and the girls had been sick). She brought balloons, and tied NUKS on and waited so patiently for me to grab a shower!
(I'm lucky she has the patience of a saint!)

As we were getting ready to leave, we see this...

Emma thought that was pretty great, having a NUK tied to the end of the balloon!

Emma...

trying to figure out how to get that balloon off the NUK!

The twins were loaded up and ready to go...

it was such beautiful weather and the twins LOVE their wagon! We decided to just walk down the gravel road by our house. We had talked about walking all the way to the bridge... however, that is quite a walk and neither me nor Jen was up for that!

Emma was excited to be in her wagon too!

We headed down the road... only to realize, we left without one pacifier and Emma didn't have her sunglasses on! Big sister to the rescue! Hannah ran back and grabbed her sunglasses for her!

We walked a ways down the road and picked a dry spot to set off the balloons...

Jen helping untangle the balloons and get the girls all set up!

Emma and Hannah...

with their balloons to send to Tuesday! Hannah picked out a really pretty butterfly balloon to send! We soon discovered that the balloons with NUKs didn't fly... so we quickly snapped them off and released the balloons!

Once we watched the balloons float off into the distance... we noticed Cadie taking off into a field!
She had to wade through a ditch full of water... twice!
So, the messy girls got put in one wagon together!

Hannah and Cadie

While the tidy girls rode together!

Emma and Courtney

We walked back to my house and as we got closer and was attempting to put the wagons up... Cadie takes off running across our yard that is so soggy from all the melted snow and not packed down yet b/c of construction last year. As I take off after her... I loose my shoes! They become stuck in the mud! I ended up running across the yard without my shoes!
To make matter worse... not only is Cadie a mess from the watery ditch, I'm a mess from running across a muddy yard without my shoes!
For those who don't know me... I hate dirt and mud and yuck!
Cadie wasn't allowed in the house until all muddy clothes were removed. As for me... well, lets just say I am thankful my neighbors weren't home!
Im also thankful that Jen's camera was safely out of reach!
Hannah... well, Hannah thought it was quite cute to sing a little limmerick for me! Won't say which one... but lets just say she saw way more than London and France!

OH! I almost forgot! Jen ordered Tuesday tiles for us and they came in the other day! These are the cutest things I have ever seen! If you haven't ordered them you have to do so by February 14th! Don't forget to mention FOR TUESDAY in the comment field!!

Friday Foto Fiesta

Its time for Friday Foto Fiesta!


I didn't take this pic... but I love it!

Cadie, Emma and Courtney

playing while Jen and I were trying to have an adult conversation!
It was at this point we decided to go to McDonalds... the kids could play and we could visit. Sounds like a win-win for everyone!

Thanks Jen!

Play along with Candid Carrie for Friday Foto Fiesta!

Makes My Monday

Cheryl at Twinfatuation hosts a "Makes My Monday" and I am jumping on board!

For this Monday, what made my day...

My best friend took me out for lunch for my birthday!
We ate and visited then took the girls to McDonalds so the girls could play and we could visit some more!

I LOVED IT!

It was a wonderful day, and it REALLY Made My Monday!

Thanks Jen and Emma!
I love you guys!

The TWINS are 2!!

My babies are officially 2!!

... the girls first thing this morning!


We even had a big party to celebrate it!

We had family and friends come out for the afternoon. The girls got lots of cool things, and lots of great birthday wishes. The big gift was the Barbie Mustang car!
The girls really liked it, but we learned they are just a little short in the legs! They can't reach the pedals yet! However, they didn't let that bother them. They were perfectly happy sitting in it and Annie would push the pedal for them to help them drive around!


Aunt Nea giving Courtney driving lessons....



They got sock monkeys....

... and a new table and chairs set for their birthday from my parents.


They also got little pianos from my parents for Christmas...

We had a little Christmas with my parents as well. My mom was sick when she was suppose to have her Christmas with us and so she brought out our presents today.

I got a couple of new Harley shirts and some twin figurines from Willow Tree. Jason got flannel lined pants and a shirt. The kids got more toys! Just what they needed! Actually, they had already opened their presents at my parents a few days ago... so the only ones to open stuff today was the twins and Jonah!


Emma brought the girls an Aqua-doodle...

...it has been a huge hit, and Thank Goodness Jen knows me so well and got them something they can't mark up the carpet and the walls with! LOL


Emma and Courtney taking a ride....

... at one point Emma was driving and she is able to reach the pedals and knows how to operate a car! We just had to watch out for the furniture and our toes! The girls will have so much fun this summer playing outside in their "cars"!!



By the end of the noc, the girls were happy to sit in their car...

...and watch Dora.


The party went really well, only one major melt down. My Aunt Cindy didn't give Courtney enough M&Ms and Courtney started crying! Poor girl, she knew 6 M&Ms just wasn't enough!

We tried out our new ice cream maker and had homemade ice cream! Daddy did a great job operating it and Grandma made her famous receipe! We had cupcakes and brownies and it was all very delicious. The big kids spent most of their time down in the basement playing guitar hero! Not even ice cream would pry them upstairs!

Halloween 2008

Halloween was a day filled with activities!

It started with getting the girls ready early to have them at the school to walk in the parade with their siblings.

Cadie and Courtney dressed up as little pumpkins!

We got to the school and met up with the parade. Daddy took the girls and started on the parade to the nursing home. I stayed behind to hide "ghosts" in Annie's classroom.

I caught up to the parade after they had left the nursing home and I got pictures of the kids walking back to the school...

Sammy the skeleton pirate. Someone from the nursing home gave him the skull mask... that wasn't apart of the original costume!

Next up was Anna...

...the hippie!


We also ran into a very silly little bee along the way...

... so I had stopped and visited for a few moments waiting for daddy and the girls to come back by!

However, we had a miscommunication and I returned to the classroom, while he needed help at the nursing home! Sorry, Daddy! Thank you to Jolene K. for helping with the twins (she has lots of experience as her twins are now 16)!

I had been asked by Annie's room mother to do the games for Annie's class. I was glad to have something to do and I had done lots of research on what fun Halloween games there are.

I decided on doing a trivia game and a ghost word game. We started with the ghost word game. I took tootsie pops and put tissue paper over them and decorated them with eyes and a letter on the back. The letters on the back spelled out words. I decided to hide the ghosts around the classroom. The kids divided into 2 teams and had to work together to find the ghosts and form words! They all did a great job and I had enough gifts for everyone!

Next up was the trivia. Again they were divided into 2 teams. The first team to 2000 was the winner (though, I had enough treats for everyone). I had questions marked with a point value depending on how hard the question was. I alternated between the two teams, but in hindsight, it would be better if the team who got the question right -got to keep going until they missed a question. Then the other team has the option of stealing the points if they answer correctly. The kids did very well and the team who won barely beat the other team!

I had just as much fun as they did!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to the other classrooms to see their parties! JC had taken the girls out to the playground (and Sammy's class was out there as well) and they had a blast playing with the big kids!

Cadie on the tornado slide

Courtney on the tornado slide

Before heading out, I snapped a few shots...

Sammy and his friend Aidan

I totally missed the kindergarten class...

but, this is Austin ready to go.

We headed to town as I had a few errands and I wanted to treat the kids to McDonalds.
Then once our errands were done, we came back home before heading out for the evening...

best buds

the gang getting ready to trick or treat...


The girls were very tired...

Courtney

Cadie wasn't too trilled either... sleep got to her too!

poor tired pumpkin!

After we had traveled a few streets, we met up with Jen and her girls and trick or treated my parents. Before we all headed out, I couldn't help but snap a pic of Hannah and Annie!


Once we were all done, we visited grandpa J and grandma J! We brought pizza and so we all sat down to eat after a full noc of trick or treating!
Halloween was fun... exhausting but fun!

Sammy has stitches!

Friday was a big day for us. It was our homecoming and the kids were in the parade. Amazingly, I don't have one picture of them! I spent my time running the video camera! Somedays, I sure wish I had 4 arms!
I am sure my best friend Jen will either send me pics or have them here. Jen to the rescue! Thanks Jen!!!

This is my dad's truck...

Sammy was throwing candy from the back and my oldest son was sitting in the passenger seat throwing out candy...


We had lots of fun at the parade, the 3 little girls sure had a blast picking up candy!


Annie got to ride her dad's horse in the parade and she sure thought she was big stuff! I am so proud of her.
This is a huge accomplishment to be able to handle a horse in a parade!

I am so glad that she got to ride in the parade and that Lucky did so well!

After the parade was over, Annie and Sammy went with their grandparents and Jason and I came home. About the time I was getting ready to go to the game and Jason had left for work, I got a call that Sammy got hurt from Diana, his dad's girlfriend!
My aunt and my mom went out to see if he was ok. Which, he was, but he needed to have stitches. My aunt brought him to me, my M-I-L came and sat with the twins and my aunt and I took Sammy to ER.

He was very brave, didn't even cry. First, they cleaned it, then they put stuff on it to constrict the blood vessels. After the TACK had time to set up, the doctor came in and with a very tiny needle, put 6 stitches in Sammy's forehead. I had Sammy hold my hands and my aunt had him count... he got up to about the 130's and the procedure was all done! Dr. Hemp even told him to come back anytime to be stitched he was such a good patient!

Since Sammy did such a good job, he got to go to McDonald's and eat. Once we got home he settled into the couch and went right to sleep. I think it was a big day for us all.

day at the park

My friend Jen and I decided we needed a break from sick kids, laundry and general housework! We made a plan to meet for lunch and then decided to take the girls to the park.

We at lunch at Monical's pizza and the girls enjoyed having suckers afer they were all done eating.
Courtney
Cadie
Emma
I think this is the best picture of Jen and Emma...
you can see how much she adores being a mom!
At the park, the three of them love playing together...

Cadie wasn't too sure about the wiggly bridge...

Courtney really wasn't sure about going across the wiggly bridge...

I love it when the three of them all decide they are doing something together...

One last time down the slide before we had to go...

Courtney

Emma

Cadie

Thanks Jen, we had a wonderful afternoon!