Gingerbread...TRAIN?

YES! They have gingerbread trains! Soooo cool! Ashlee and Dale put one together last week and it was a great daddy-daughter bonding experience! Ashlee was so patient waiting for Dale to get the frame up so she could help decorate. She loved every second of this project (I think she liked having her daddy's attention!). I did have to step in when they started eating all the candy though! Personally I think the finished product came out pretty good!

Ok, I snuck 1 piece of candy too!

An early Christmas

The best Mammy and Papa ever!

Adorable Baby Eli, my sister's newest addition
The Birthday kids, Zachy (5) and Ashlee (3)

My gorgeous sister and Ashlee

Papa, Mamy and Ashlee with Ashlee's COOL birthday cake!

Silly family picture (poor Ashlee had 102 degree fever, but we had to have her in it)

Me and my sis

My sister's boys: Zachy, Eli and Addison

Ashlee and I went to visit my family out in Kansas for an early holiday celebration. Its so much cheaper and much less hassle to travel off peak. And hey, we can channel the Christmas spirit anytime, right?

I wanted to take Ashlee sledding so bad (my parents have the BEST sledding hills on their property), but the poor little peanut had a 102-103 degree fever most of the time we were there. I'm just happy she's better (I thought for sure it was H1N1). She did feel much better the last 2 days so we were able to have a duo birthday celebration for her and Zachy. As usual, my parents spoiled her rotten! She got a new camera (Little Tykes version) that takes real digital pics and video! It is so neat! She hasn't gotten real into it yet, but I think its a gift she'll treasure down the road when she's a bit older. My sister and her family got Ashlee some cut dress up jewlery that lights up (LOVE IT)! Most of all it was a wonderful time spent with my family who I miss so much everyday. I can't wait until the next time we are out there again. Hopefully there will be snow so we can go sledding. Whoo hoo!

Ashlee's first Christmas "program"

I am dreading seeing myself when Ashlee gets involved in sports. I WILL be the psycho mom in the stands! You should have seen me at her first little school Christmas program, I was SO excited. I didn't care that they were going to sing only 4 songs! This is my baby girl we are talking about! :) So I rounded up the Grandparents, Aunt, Uncle and 4 cousins to join my cheering section. The school was lucky my family isn't in town too or we would have taken up the whole classroom!

The class lined up in their cute little Santa's hats and started singing. There were 3-4 kids that belted it out pretty good, the rest just stood there, one little girl even laid on the ground (LOVE IT). Ashlee was one of the ones who just stood there. She didn't sing a word, didn't smile, nothing. Hilarious! Well, at least she didn't lay on the ground!
********************************************
Ashlee in her cute Christmas dress before school. She looks so grown up to me!

Ashlee and some of her friends at school. There are so many cute little girls in her class!

The group lined up singing (not Ashlee though)!

Ashlee and Jayden, one of her friends at school that she talks about all the time

Proud mama! Ashlee was still embarassed when it was done and would not look at the camera or even talk to any of her cousins!

Ashlee and dadda, he finally got her to smile! Of course we were in the car, but oh well!

Ash and her cousins. Thanks for coming to support her!

Zoo lights

I've always told Dale that zoo lights HAS to be one of our family Christmas traditions. I just LOVE Zoo Lights! I LOVE Christmas lights in general, they are one of my favorite things about Christmas and I get annoyed when not enough people put them up (how dare they!).

I wish I could say we had a blast at zoo lights this year. Honestly, it was quite miserable. It wasn't the weather (it was actually a nice night, chilly but no wind), it wasn't that we forgot warm jackets, it was my stubborn little 3 year old girl! I know the picture below this post might make you think otherwise, but the train ride was the only time she was happy. In fact, about 20 minutes into it she said "I want to go home" and I could not have agreed more.

Oh well, you can't win them all and there is always next year!

The Blankie Song

Ashlee loves for me to sign her songs. Lately she's started asking for random/made-up songs, ie Mommy song, Santa song, bicycle song, Mammy and Papa song, you get the picture. So I've tried to get creative (which I am not) and make up cool little diddy's. Well, she has really taken to one of my newest jingles...The Blankie Song. It goes a little something like this:

I love my blankie, oh yes I do
I love my blankie, so do you
I love my blankie, it keeps me warm
I love my blankie all day LONG!

I never said I was a song writer, but my 3 year old sure seems to think so!

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

We put the Christmas tree up the other night and had so much fun doing it. Dale turned on the Christmas tunes, we lit some candles and the house felt so festive! We get a family ornament every year and this year Dale and I got teary eyed over one particular ornament, Zues's. I remember the first year we had him he had so much fun playing with the tinsel. He'd get it in his mouth and shake it all around and growl at it! LOL.

Ashlee had fun and really got into the tree decorating. It was so cute, she kept saying "Its soooo bootiful (beautiful)!" At the end I took a step back to look at our masterpiece and there was quite a collection of ornaments all around the bottom! I just LOVE Christmas this year. It is so wonderful seeing it through the eyes of a 3 year old. Everything is so exciting and beautiful!

I had a heck of a time figuring out how to adjust the flash so the lights would show up on the picture and be in focus. Photographer I am NOT.

Happy 3rd birthday Tyler!

One of Ashlee's best buddies, Tyler, had his 3rd birthday celebration this past week. We had a great time joining him at Chuck-E-Cheese and House of Bounce (even though we were very late and missed all the bouncing). It seems like just yesterday the 3 amigos were little babies just laying on the floor! Now they are active, energetic toddlers running around. How time flies!
**********************************************
Little buddies

Blow your candles out Tyler!

Ashlee on the "merry-go-round"

me and my girlone of her favorites at Chuck-E-Cheese is this little bus. She loves the phone!

They are 3 and Tyler's already letting her ride on his motorcycle. Although, if he drives anything like his dad Ashlee will be doing most of the driving!

Why??????????

The "why"s have started! How can something be so adorable and so annoying at the same time?
Help!! How long do they last?

Santa can come in pretty handy...

Ashlee is very much 2 these days. She thinks she runs the house and wears the pants in the family and I am constantly battling with her to prove otherwise. Lately, Mr. Kris Kringle has really been helping me out when it comes to discipline. When she won't listen I tell her "Santa is watching you" or when she back-talks me I remind her "Santa only brings present to good girls and boys who LISTEN to their mommy and daddy". Trust me, this is out of complete helplessness that I do this.

Well the other night Ashlee stubbed her toe and would not stop crying (mind you, it had been a long day of back-talking, crying and no-s, so I was at my witts end). She was totally doing the "fake cry" so I knew she wasn't really hurt. In a moment of true desperation I pulled out the Santa-card. I grabbed my phone and said "Ashlee, mommy is going to call Santa and tell him you are not being a good girl today". This didn't seem to bother her so I called Dale and quitely said "I need you to be S-A-N-T-A for minute" (what am I going to do when she can spell???). So I handed Ashlee the phone and told her Santa wanted to talk to her for a minute. Her eyes got big as saucers as she took the phone and said "Hi Santa!" I don't know what Dale said to her, but it worked, and she was an angle the rest of the night.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Halloween

I'm a little late, I know! Unfortunately, because of my back I wasn't able to take Ashlee trick or treating this year. However, we did make it down to my friend Sarah's church for their trick or treat street. It was totally PACKED! We only stayed about 45 minutes, but Ashlee, Austin and Carson still had a blast getting candy (the lollipops were a BIG hit)!

On Halloween night Ashlee and I passed out candy to the neighborhood kids. It has been YEARS since I have been home on Halloween so I didn't know how many kids to expect. Our neighborhood is older, primarily high school kids, so I didn't expect alot of trick or treaters. Let's just say I didn't prepare very well! I was out of candy by 7:45! So I had to turn off most of the lights and bring the pumpkins inside so it looked like we weren't home. :(

Ashlee and Austin. Cutest little princess and cowboy ever!

Ashlee would not let Sarah take her picture, but Sarah got one anyway. HA!

Austin was pretty excited about his goodies!

Ashlee and Lexi. Lexi is wearing Ashlee's old butterfly costume. So cute!

Silly time...

notice the shoes...lol!
Ashlee cracks me up. She loves dressing herself and her idea of a "matching" outfit is hilarious! She'll get 2 different shoes, a hat, sometimes even mittens (2 different ones), and her shirt usually goes on backwards. But somehow she still looks adorable in it! She is getting really good at putting all her clothes on herself, she even buttoned her entire shirt herself the other day.

Our last trip to the zoo

I finally got my camera back (YEAH!) and was able to download the pictures from our last trip to the zoo. This was way back in August when the weather was nice and warm. I miss summer and hanging with our friends. Who knows, maybe I'll win the lotto soon and then I can be a stay at home mom again! LOL. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

My beautiful girl. I just love that smile.

Tyler looking cool in his shades.

Ash and Ty, best little buddies!

The FOUR amigos! Tyler, Ash, Austin and Carson

The whole gang! Leah, Tyler, Ash, Lex, Austin and Carson. I just love all these kiddos, they are such individuals and have so much personality.

Birthdays and fall fun!

Ash and cousin MacKenzie
The whole gang

No, they aren't really 621, but those were the only numbers I had! :)

My lil' peanut, what a smile!

The kids had so much fun running and jumping in the HUGE piles of leaves that Dj

thought he'd get in on the action!

That swing is the best $5 I've ever spent on a toy. It gets so much use from kids of ALL ages!

Ashlee and her cousins Kaylei and Jacob

Getting a push from grandpa on the swing

************************************************

Dj's birthday was Friday (35, where does time go?) and his mom's was last week, so we thought we'd have the family over for a little joint celebration! I made their favorite, spice cake with cream cheese frosting and ice cream! Yum! I'm happy to say there is cake leftover for me to devore tomorrow.

Before we celebrated, we went outside (what a gorgeous day) to pile up all the leaves and let the kids run around and jump in them! It was so fun and we got some great pictures! Afterwards, Dj and Justin raked up all the leaves, thank you SO much!

Happy birthday Dj and Judy!