Smile!

Friday mornings are my special time with Mead, and this past week she asked if I would take her to the Magic House.

We always love our time at the Magic House, and it was especially fun to watch Mead navigate her way through the museum without having to stop to let her siblings play with something else.  She even got a complimentary treat since it was her birthday week!

Love these smiles - everyone is getting so big!

Here's Cole and friends, so proud of their latest block creation at school.

Happy Birthday Mead!

As is our tradition, Mead started her birthday morning with cinnamon rolls.  Since it was a school day, we had to get everyone up and going quickly in order to have time to eat and open presents before morning drop-off.

I just have to say that it has been such a joy for me lately to see and hear Mead talk about her love for Jesus.  She prays the sweetest prayers: for family members, for friends, with thanks for Jesus dying on the cross, and whatever else she is learning.  I know that only God can change hearts, and I am super encouraged about the ways I see Him working in her heart.  What a rich blessing to me as her mom!

Okay, back to her birthday: Mead's big gift was her American Girl doll, Grace.  She's been saving her money for a LONG time - we helped her out along the way, but she's been super patient.

And she stopped sucking her thumb, so that earned her a few extra bucks too.  A new doll and no more dry, cracked thumb or destruction of her upper palate - what a bonus!

Happy Birthday, Mead!  You are a treasure.

Mead's birthday party

Mead turned 6 today, and yesterday everyone had the day off school for MLK, so it seemed the perfect time to have a birthday party.  

This was not a "big party" year for Mead, so we kept it simple and invited a few friends, stayed in pajamas, and watched a movie in the morning.

Then we had pizza and cake for lunch.

Penny wowed us with his baking skills again - Mead requested his popular chocolate peanut butter cake with Reese's Pieces on the sides and chocolate ganache on top.  He even made a stencil and spread crushed Reese's on top in the shape of an M.

Yes, the cake was as delicious as it sounds!

Mead opened presents after cake, and then the girls had some play time.

Of course there was silly time too - they wanted a picture together with their penguins from school.

Party Time!

We joined some friends again this year for New Year's Eve, and we did an early celebration for the kids with fireworks, food, and fun.

Everyone loved the sparklers.

Love Cole's smile here!

And just a few days after that Mead attended a birthday party for some friends.  That night I found her asleep with her birthday crown on in bed - I guess she just didn't want the party to end!

Christmas break activities

Penny took the week after Christmas off, so we were able to do a few extra things as a family in St. Louis.

The first day we went to the history museum and then had shakes and fries at Bailey's Range.  Yum!

Another day we spent with friends, and the kids got to make ice cream for the first time.  It was delicious!

And, thanks to Groupon, the kids and I spent some time at the arcades,

and both Laine and Cole joined me on the bumper cars.  Something new and different for everyone - we had a good time.

New camera photo shoot

I got a new camera for Christmas, so the day after that, which was surprisingly warm, I took the kids to a new park and snapped away.

First picture at the house, still in jammies!

I love this one of the girls and their new "sisters forever" shirts.

Great action shots!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning... so much excitement!

We always start with stockings, then have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then we open the gifts under the tree.

This year I actually had time to wrap the stocking gifts - doesn't always happen!

So giddy with joy!

This picture of Laine makes me realize that she is going to be a beautiful young women - give her 5 or 10 more years, and watch out!

One of the big hits for Cole: a new Nerf gun.

And the girls finally got a Frozen t-shirt, along with a new Lego Friends set, which was completed the morning after Christmas.