Sweet Girl!

These might be the sweetest sounds I've heard in a long time :)!  I love watching this girl grow and learn new things!


Nora also LOVES this thing.  I don't know what it's called, but I think just about anyone of any age could sit and play with it!

Checking out her green hand

Clapping with it

Notice that intense concentration

Sweet Nora!

Photo Friday...Week 18

These photos are from a few weeks ago when we were in Salem and it snowed.  It was a beautiful snow!  Nora was intrigued by that white stuff coming from the sky :)!

Holding a Young Child on your Hip

And this one was just too cute not to share!

Trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue :)

S.N.A.G

We signed Ethan up for a pre-school golf class that will meet 4 times this month.  Tonight was the first class and he was so excited!  We all were!  We learned tonight, that SNAG stands for Starting New At Golf.  It was adorable and Ethan was pretty impressive :).

Putting around before class.  I'm pretty sure this one was in the hole!

Listening to Coach Chuck

Showing off his SNAG club

Working on some form. They pretty much hit the tennis balls at these targets the whole time, and had a blast doing it!
Stay tuned for further updates on how the next few weeks go.

Basket Races

Nora, actually, came up with this game and Ethan got on board very quickly.  She is into pushing everything around.  Laundry baskets are a favorite, as of late.  She pushes them in circles.  Through the kitchen, into the living room and around again and again and again... Ethan took this as, "let's race!"  They have a blast and it's quite fun to watch.

Game Time

Ethan got a Farm board game for Christmas from his Grandma Karen.  And he has insisted that we play it everyday after I put Nora down for her nap.  It's a cute game, and was not difficult at all for him to figure out.

Getting it all set up!

Now, explaining the rules to Daddy

Thanks, Grandma Karen!  He really likes his new game!

Photo Friday...Week 17

Both of our kids are super ticklish, and I love it!  So this week's photo wasn't too hard to accomplish.

Tickling your child until they smile

Snow!

We have snow!  It was nicer, better snow in Salem when we were there last weekend with all the family and I have a ton of snow play/sledding pictures to share!  Ethan had a blast and wants to go out everyday to play in it.  It's difficult now, since it's 15 degrees!

Josiah, Jared, Paige, Alex and Ethan

Working on a snowman

Paige, Josiah and Ethan with the completed snowman

Why not dive into the snow?!?

After the snowman was completed, we walked over to my Uncle Mike's house to sled down his hill.  I was just the photographer, no sledding for me :).

Jared and Ethan

Josiah

Paige.  She can pose even sledding down a hill :)!

Holding on tight

Abby got in on the fun too!

Came to a stop at my feet :)

Jared, paving the way

A family snow picture.  It was too cold for Nora , so she stayed inside with Grandma Terri. 

Taylor and Josiah headed back to the house.

I love this picture!  Ethan, Paige and Josiah after some serious sledding!

We didn't have any snow at our house when we left, and when we came home on Monday we drove with the snow and ended up with about 1.5, maybe 2 inches on the ground.  So, Jared and Ethan went back out for some fun on our hill :)!

Shoveling fun!

Ethan wanted to do the sidewalk all by himself...with a hoe.

Our snowy backyard

Getting ready to go down the hill

Merry Christmas...Part Three

Ok, I think this will be the last Christmas post :).  We have had so much fun during this season!  Two trips to Salem, Christmas day at home with no where to go, friends over for dinner and to top it all off...snow!  On Friday, after Christmas, we headed back to Salem where most of my family was in town.  All the little cousins had a blast playing together and it was fun for us 'big' siblings/cousins too.
We started off by opening gifts with my dad's side of the family.  My grandpa (from Arkansas), Aunt Jeanne, Uncle Bruce and cousin Taylor (from Virginia Beach) were in town.  Along with Abby & Alex and Shannon and the kids.  It was a good time.  Ethan and Josiah both got lightsabers and I can't believe I don't have any pictures of them 'fighting'.

Ethan, helping Josiah with his gift from us. 

Nora would rather play with the paper

Taylor, Alex, Jeanne, Paige, Abby and Nora (in the construction helmet)

  Most of my cousins from my mom's side of the family were in town too.  We have a yearly 'rob your neighbor' gift exchange with the adults.  It was pretty tame this year, but still fun!

While the adults were downstairs robbing each other, all the kids were upstairs watching The Lorax.

After we made our way upstairs, it gets crazy with everyone!

Haley and Finley

Abby took some pictures of me and Nora :)

My Uncle Bruce (dad's brother) and Grandpa Bob

Yesterday, we had the old neighborhood over for dinner.  Ethan and Braden don't see each other as much as they used to, so it was good to get them together!  We gave Braden 3 super hero costumes and he and Ethan were Batman and Robin all evening.  And then it turned into construction worker heros...

Goofy Boys!

Look at that face...cute or scary?? I'm not sure.

It was a great time with family and friends over this past week!  Hope everyone has a blessed 2013!

Photo Friday...Week 16

As mentioned in yesterday's post, we baked cupcakes for Jesus' Birthday.  And as usual, I had a great helper.  Ethan was the sprinkle boy and he was a generous sprinkler!

Baking something together

This was Ethan's chosen cupcake!

Our photographer and his beautiful helper :)