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!
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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!
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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?