Christmas Eve

We decided to try and start a new tradition this year and we really enjoyed it (minus Hailee cuz the poor thing had the flu). We woke up and lounged for a while and then about ten Jason and I started cooking a big breakfast. We had waffles, bacon, eggs, and potatoes. It was deeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. After breakfast we opened gifts. Which took all of about ten minutes. Then the kids (and Jason ) played with the new toys while I cleaned up and got ready to go to Grand Island to see Gramma and Papa. I had some errands to run and then we left about 3:30. Poor Hailee felt like crud all day. Hailee and Carter had completely opposite views of Christmas this year. While Carter was opening up gifts he said "this is the best Christmas ever," and Hailee said "this is the worst Christmas ever."
All in all we had a pretty nice day.

Hailee by her new stuff.

Carter smiling by some of his new loot

Carter loves clothes so I got him some new Toy Story shirts

DORA!!!!!!! Brook really like her right now.

Hailee really enjoys reading and so I bought her a box of the Magic Treehouse books (they are her favorite series right now).

cutie patutie Hailee

Carter was really excited about finding out what theis gift was because he kept hearing it. Every time it got move3d it started to make noise. Its a buzz lightyear care that you shake and it zooms across the floor. So not knowing what it was but hearing the noise it made heightened his curoisity.
You can kind of see the excitement on his face

Brook really liked opening the gifts this year

Brooklyn opening her first gift

This is Brooklyn's 2nd birthday cake. I made it and decorated it myself and I have to say I was pretty proud of the way it turned out. It was really tasty to boot. I guess this is the only picture I took. I know shame on me.

Kitchen remodel Part 1

these are all BEFORE pictures. I could have sworn that I uploaded the after pictures but I don't so I will have to edit this post later with all the after pics. the difference between the rippede up floor and the smoothness of the underlayment

ripping up all the tile, there was like three levels of tile thta we ripped up. My hands were black and blue for like a week after this from hammering away with the crowbar.

and again

Just a picture of the floor and cabinets (BEFORE)

HIKE

During football season Jason taught Brook and Carter alot of things about football and one of them was "hike". It was so cute to watch them reenact it. Brook throwing to Carter

Brook taking off to catch the ball

The handoff

Pumpkin Patch

Brook relaxing

pretty Hailee

rare pictures of me ( I am usually the one taking the pictures)

I love these pictures of these two

I am not exactly sure what kind of expression Jason has on his face but at least my kiddos lookin cute

Hailee at the end of the tunnel slide

Happy Thanksgiving (a week late)

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Jason and I hosted again this year which we really do enjoy. WE like having all the people around. We made our first bird this year and it turned ouit really well. Jason and I made the turkey, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and the pumkin pies. We were pretty busy on Wednesday night and Thursday morning trying to get everything ready. My parents brought the other Thanksgiving stuff and they also brought with them Great Garndma Mettenbrink and Big Papa Arends. We had a nice, delicious dinner and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. My parents took Hailee and Carter home with them. Jason, Brook, and I joined them about an hour later. My mom and I's tradition is to go Black Friday shopping. We don't typically want any of the big deals we just enjoy the experience. Wal-Mart opened at midnight so we went to bed about 9 and woke up at 11 to go midnight shopping (nuts, I know) and found a few things. Then we came home and headed back to Menards at 6. We were done shopping at 9 (a.m. that is) I slept so much of Friday. I could not wake up I was so exhausted. My mom braved the crowds agan and took Hailee shopping in Kearney all day Saturday. We stayed at my parents until Saturday night and got home just in time to see Oklahoma beat OK State (woot, woot). Hailee spent another night there and came home Sunday because they weren't finished shopping. And Sunday we set up our Christmas stuff). And we found a new Christmas favorite, it's the original a Christmas Carol. It is awesome and the kids even like it. So that was our Thanksgiving. Also I am 99.9 % finished Christams Shopping. I started at the end of July which has made things so much easier so Jason and I can sit back and enjoy the Holidays without the stress of it. On another note:

I told you a whilke back that our camera was broke so all we had was a videocamera which took pictures but it is really slow. My parents had gotten a new super cool camera so I asked if I could borrow their old one until we buy a new camera and they didn't have a problem with it. I don't have an adapter for that camera to my computer so I need to get theirs so all of my pictures on that camera and have no wa.y to upload them yet and that is why the newest pictures I have are from Halloween, a month old. Ugh I will get it all together one day or another. Jason is gone again and probably will be for our anniversary which is Saturday which kind of stinks but you gotta do what you gotta do. I got kind of spoiled while Jason was home for a whole month. I got kind of used to him being gone and the kiddos and I got into out own little routine and it is kind of hard to switch back to being mom and dad. He is in South Dakota and it is reaaaaaallly cold up there so I am not sure I would want to switch him places.

Pumpkin Patch

Brooklyn not having any more pictures she had reached her limit

Jason sitting on a "mini" sized pumpkin

Carter is such a cool dude ( I don't know who the people in the front of the picture are)

Pretty Baby

Scream on the Square

York makes a big deal out of Halloween. THere is a lot of things going on. About a week before they have this thing called "Scream on the Square" where the kiddos can get dressed up and go trick or treating to all the downtown businesses and then they have a bunch of games and a screamiung contest ( we always leave before the screaming contest, I get enough screaming in my day to day life.) It is a really neat little thing that the kiddos enjoy. Being in a small town is kind of a drag sometimes but it definately has its benefits.

Hailee as Batgirl and Carter was Batman

My lil' "Pumpkin"

Girl Scouts

This is one of my troops at one of our meetings. I have a troop of daisies (kindergarten-1st grade) and a troop of brownies (2nd-3rd grade). Hailee is in my brownie troop. We are doing some really fun things this year. One thing that both troops are doing thi syear is a scrapbook that will document the year of scouting. I take pictures at everything we do, get copies of them for each girl, and then they make a scrapbook page. The girls really seem to enjoy it however, it is a ALOT of work for me.

Hailee

I know I have been reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllly bad about blogging, but I HATE the new blogger template design so I have been looking for a way around it and I can not. So I HATE the design and can't make it look the way I want it to. So if anyone knows of a better site than blogger or a way aroung the new design please let me know.