Christmas, Football and Books, Oh, my!

Jenni and Melanie coloring with markers on "Christmas".

Grace is a chalk-a-holic ;)

My brother and my nephew playing.

Q: How do you wake that up?? A: You don't. You go get the camera and take a picture!

Jenni "reading" her book! So cute!

The girls at the football game! GO SAINTS!

This year my Dad's family decided to have Christmas in October. Weird? Yes, but my Grandma goes to Florida every winter and didn't want to have to come home to the cold, freezing weather of December in Michigan. So the whole family came, minus a few of my cousins who play hockey and one is in a band. We were very lucky to have it on a beautiful sunshine Saturday! It was the best Christmas, because we got to go outside and play football and run around. When is the last time you got to do that on Christmas in Michigan???? The girls were very blessed to get some wonderful gifts, clothes, toys, giftcards and a talking doggie toy. They love the dog, I try to hide it, but they always seem to find it :(

Monday night the girls and I went to the Siena Heights Football game. They were sooooo excited! I knew it was going to be chilly so I brought winter hats, gloves, coats and a blanket. They were asking so many questions "who is are guys?" "Why did he say that?" (the announcer) "Is it time to go home?"

We left at half time as it was getting colder then they could handle, and we had school in the morning. They were troopers about the game and they want to go again, YAYYYYY Mommy might have a few football players after all! Until Grace asked on the way home "Mom, maybe next time I can be a cheerleader for the saints?"

Jenni and I went to the Library one day, we spent about an hour or so in there playing and making fun crafts. I love the Library! I got a few books out and then I let Jenni pick out her own book. She picked her book out, we read it when we got home and after I read it to her three times (yes, three times in a row). After that she learned to "read" it by herself. Its not a hard book, but its one she loves and I am sooooo proud of her loving to "read". Now I just have to pry it from her while she is sleeping to take it back :)

Playing Catch-up and 6 Years!

I really do exist! My mom made me do it!

Grandma and her girls go apple hunting.

For whatever reason, this is just funny to her!

She was a happy girl.

At the apple orchard :)

The girls wouldn't smile, so I had to help that along a little bit ;)

Ryan wants to know what the hell he got himself into, Jenni and Grace just want to quit taking pictures already, and I am just trying to get everyone to smile!

Awwww, Daddy loves his little monkeys!

6 years ago we started this! :)

Grace and two of her cheerleaders, the one on the right is a co-op teacher at her preschool too!

So I am sorry I have been missing lately, Friday seems to be crazy and hectic around here. So hectic I had to buy a bigger planner to carry with me. Between Grace's school, Ryan's work, my shoots, and my Gammie's Dr. appointments, I was running out of room in my tiny little pocket calendar.
Have no fear I am thinking of a day change for the bloggity, I have to confirm it with my planner though first.

So you have missed a lot since last. Grace had a final cheer performance, she was a superstar. Although I am not a big fan of cheerleading, I see where it can give her confidence in being in front of people. I can also see where it is good for her in the memorizing of cheers and motions. I am just not so sure I like the short skirts and make up. We will still be pursuing other avenues of course, she still asks me when she can play soccer again!

We also went to the annual appleumpkin festival (a local fall activity here, and yes I spelled it right) with Grandma. We picked apples, went for a wagon ride, saw some farm animals and did some serious shopping. When we got home, we made an apple crispy thing. It was really tasty! If you ask the girls how the days was, all they will tell you is how Grandma lost her apple cider when it fell off the wagon ride. The damn thing wasn't even open yet :(

We also took our family photo. This is something that Ryan and I do every year around the time of our anniversary, when our family began in 2005. As tomorrow is our 6th year of marriage we feel so blessed and loved to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives to have helped us along on this journey. We have two wonderful and beautiful daughters, who complete our family of 4.

I am a very blessed girl. I have a husband who loves me, pushes me to do what I want, and works his a$$ off for our family. He loves his girls and even plays dolls with them! (I might get in trouble for saying that)

I have a mom, who when I call her totally stressed out, she calms me down and says, "ahhhh yes, I remember those day." She lets me know I am not alone and that she went through it too, and then she tells me how I drove her crazy! For some reason its much better when I did it to her, but not so much when my kids do it to me :/

I have friends who understand that I have to cancel plans because a kid is sick, my husband had to work later, or just let me vent my potty training issues on them. I love my friends!

6 years ago, I never thought we would be where we are at, but I wouldn't change one thing! Not one thing on how we got here, for it has made our families story just that much better. I have no idea where our road is going, if it is paved, or really curvy, but I am ready and more excited then ever to follow it where it goes. As long as I have my husband and girls in the car with me, I know I am ready for anything.