Finger Paint

Gram and Gramps got Ava finger paint a little bit ago and I haven't been able to get her to do it.  "Toooo Messy"  or  "Aya dirty" are the quotes that I would get if we tried it.  Kiara, Mckenna, Ava, and I were painting the other day and I tried to get Ava to touch the finger paints but once again heard "Aya NO touch, tooooo messy!"  About 10 minutes later I was getting some paper towels from the kitchen and this is what I came back to.....

This is Kiara showing Ava how do use finger paint.

 

Here is Ava trying it herself

 

Success!  Ava kept herself very clean and wanted her hands washed right away but she did it!  We will keep working on it - or maybe Kiara will keep working on it with her :)!

 

Close to Perfect

Bacon is sizzling, cinnamon rolls are in the oven, it is snowing outside, Christmas music is on, Grandma and Grandpa are here, girls are cuddling on the couch.  What a way to spend this Saturday morning.  It would be perfect if Tom wasn't at work but he will be home this afternoon and we will all be able to set up our Christmas tree together.  Like I said - close to perfect :)!

Our first snow

It was more of a dusting really - but boy were these girls excited!

 

Yes, Mckenna is wearing goggles. 

She needed them for the snowball fight so that snow would not get in her eyes!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Grandma and Grandpa were here, Tom didn't have to work late, and everyone was so excited for a great Thanksgiving.  Well, it was!  Fun, relaxing, and very yummy!

We got ourselves a turkey!

 

Grandma brought a turkey art project - the girls LOVED this!!

 

The finished project! Look how cute these little turkeys are!

 

Daddy and Ava hanging out.

 

Monopoly Jr.  And the winner is..... Grandma!!!

 

Didn't get a picture of the whole table but here is my place setting.

 

Grandpa and Mckenna

 

Grandma and Kiara - something is really funny!!!

 

Our dessert - turkey cupcakes!

 

This year, the girls decided on a thankful tree.  So Kiara cut out pieces of paper, hole punched the top and put a string through them so that we could hang them on our Thankful Tree (which was our mini fake Christmas tree).  Here is a sample of what we were thankful for this year:

 

*Family

*Grandma and Grandpa being in Ohio

*For having the best family ever and a great family, and a nice family that loves me.  I love them too

*My girls

*Turkey

*My nieces and nephews

*For dance parties, games, books, fun, and laughter

*For raising 3 boys and they are with and married to 3 lovely ladies.  Life is good!

*Kiara, Mckenna, Ava, Family, Fun, Turkey, Football, Mashed potatoes, more fun, and more turkey!

*I am thankful for having my sisters MC and Ava and I love them so much.  And I love Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad - they are so fun!

*I am thankful for right now!



 

 

 

Photo Shoot

Having clean kids must spark something in my subconscious because I seem to always want to take pictures of them after they have showered :).  Well here is another after showers for Kiara and Mckenna (I still have to help them with their hair but they are getting close) and a bath for Ava photo shoot!

 

BEAUTIFUL!!

(and smell good too)

 

No - I didn't put the headband on Ava. 

She put it on, thought it was funny and wouldn't take it off!

 

Ava and Mckenna after tackling and tickling each other on the couch!

 

Now - go to bed kids :)!

 

 

Bye Weekend

For the past 2 years, Tom has not gotten a real bye weekend because his job is to scout ahead, so it never worked out for him to have any time off.  This year was different!  He had a whole weekend off, with no work responsibilities and it was fantastic.  Since he has not had a day off in close to 2 months, it was important for us to spend time together, let him sleep in, play, and get a few projects done around the house.

Friday when Kenna got home from school, I ran a couple of errands while Mckenna, Ava, and Daddy set up all of our stuffed animals in our room.  Things that are important to know about our stuffed animals:  #1) We have a TON of stuffed animals #2) Mckenna knows where the majority of the animals came from! Both Mckenna and Ava are in this picture - hiding with the animals!

 

Love this picture - no idea why she looks so sad :)

 

For Tom's birthday the girls both picked out a Lego set for "daddy" and they had a lot of fun putting them together this weekend. 

 

Mckenna and Ava setting up the ocean (blue) and sand (gray) for lego sets as well as disney sets.  Turned out to be an hour of fun for these two!

 

We finally watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Tom's birthday and the girls have had a candy store ever since.  Here is Kiara and Daddy after he snuck into the candy store to get some candy. 

 

 

Game night!!  This was an intense game of Monopoly Jr.  After this game we played Disney Rummikub so that Ava could play with us.  (just didn't want anyone to feel bad for the sad looking girl on the couch :))!

 

 

Other happenings over the weekend...........  Tom and I got the sitters and we went to see Argo (great movie) and have drinks and apps after, Kiara had an indoor soccer game (she played great), we cleaned out the garage so that Tom could get his car in (it is getting cold!)  We made fun apps for a relaxing football Sunday where it didn't matter who won or lost :), we replaced pictures around our house, added cousin pics to the cousin room, and just enjoyed being together!

 

This pic was on Tom's birthday but figured it was a great ending pic to our awesome bye weekend!

We think Daddy is the best Daddy and Husband in the world!!!



 

Happy Halloween

When Gram was here, she took the kids to Maria's Gardens so they each could pick out their own pumpkins.  All three girls were very proud of the pumpkins they picked.

 

"Ava, which one is your pumpkin?"

"Right He-er"

 

 

"This one Aya's.  Right he-er!"

 

"Aya's pumpkin!  So heavy!!!!"

 

Because of the storm, Halloween was postponed until Sunday night (November 4th).  Really bizarre going trick-or-treating 5 days after Halloween but it did not matter at all to the kids.  We got back from the football game and had an hour to eat, get dressed, and head out the door to collect some candy.  Grandpa was here and that made it even better!!

 

Bumblebee, Merida, and Rapunzel ready for some trick-or-treating!

 

The crew making their way around the block.  

 It was fun to chat with the neighbors and all of them couldn't believe Ava - how big and sweet she was!  She walked (or got carried) up to each house and said "ick-or-treat" and then would look at them and say "Kank-You" after they gave her candy.  My favorite quote of the night from Ava was after the third house, she picked up her bag and said "TOO HEAVY!!!"

 

Daddy and his little bumblebee

 

All the ladies!

 

So glad Grandpa could spend Halloween with us - it was awesome!!

 

Kiara and Mckenna went out three separate times.  The first with everyone.  Grandpa and Daddy took them the second time while Ava and I stayed back to answer the door.  The final time, Grandpa and Ava stayed back while Tom and I went with them.  This is the girls ringing the doorbell at our house after the final time trick-or-treating.  I love Ava in the window!!

 

Check out all of that candy!!!

 

Another great trip Grandpa.  Thanks and see you soon :)!!



Grandpa!!

Grandpa came to visit on the 30th just in time for Halloween!  It was so fantastic to have him here.  The girls loved every minute and my favorite thing was seeing the girls (Ava especially) yell his name and run to give him hugs during the day.  This happened multiple times a day - everyday he was here!  The time went by so quickly and I of course didn't capture all of the fun times but here are some of them......

Lots of Bingo, Hopscotch (Ava was hilarious), and laughter in the basement by these 4.

 

Ava "YEE-HAW!"

 

Grandpa and Kiara! 

 

Mckenna and Grandpa having what Mckenna liked to call "cuddle time with Grandpa!"

 

Homework time!

 

Grandpa reading to Ava at the library after story time.

 

Football Sunday is always so much fun!  We all headed to the stadium (minus Ava) and met Tom on the sideline before the game.

 



 

 

Tom got the girls hand warmers and they thought this was SO cool :)!

 

Greg Little warming up.

 

Benjamin Watson

 

A ref came over to chat with the girls.  I loved that this was NOT the highlight for them!

 

Grandpa and the girls watching the team stretch.

 

 

GO BROWNS!!