New Year's Eve

2011 was a good year, and it ended with a perfect day outside tending to Dad's baby back ribs.We welcomed the new year with Ring Pops and sparkling grape juice. Good times!
We are officially ready for 2012!

Merry Christmas!

Santa's Little Helpers were lucky elves on Christmas Day! We had a yummy breakfast, then spent the morning opening all of our presents. Mom's favorite was the matching sets of Princess Belle dolls and dresses. They were shorter than expected, so Jenny dubbed it the Slutty Belle look.Poppy read the Christmas Story and let us set up the Nativity Scene to celebrate Jesus's birthday.Then our Moms gathered on the steps to recreate the picture from 2009 when we were all together: Look how much we've grown!We tried to catch a good picture of our baby boys, but poor Ryan was done with all of the excitement. It was a great time, and we are grateful to have spent it with our family. We love them!

Cousins Are Fun

My day with Keeley was awesome- she let me wear her princess dresses, showed me how to make the squishiest Play Dough, and introduced me to a Winter Wonderland. This place was jaw-dropping spectacular! Our parents couldn't stop talking about the owner's light bill, but Keeley and I were inspired to break into song: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Our parents called a field trip and took us all to the Aquarium one day, and it was perfect.The best part was the sting ray tank, where we got to hold a shrimp under the water to feed them. Joli was the bravest, leaning in all the way to her shoulder to touch all of the rays, practically grabbing one by the tail!
Ryan was a little bummed that he couldn't splash in the water with everyone, but sweet Keeley was there to show support.

Christmas in Georgia

This year we loaded up the car and drove up to see charming country mountains, cold weather, and my crazy cousins! Marmee and Poppy worked their magic whipping up delicious feasts (Mom said the apricot cookies and BBQ ribs were worth the 10 hour trip by themselves). The girls got busy decorating the cookies while our parents got busy devouring them. It was great to spend time with family while eating ourselves sick every night. Even Brady seemed to gain a couple of pounds in the few days we were there. He was adorable, cooing, smiling and laughing. There is just something about our sweet baby boys! Ryan had a blast watching all of the fun. He met his great grandmother, Mawmaw, for the first time. Amazing to think that she will be 90 years bold at the end of February. Mom says she can think of 2 other little girls who have Mawmaw's sassy spirit. And one hilarious little girl who had the best facial expressions of the week! We have no idea where she gets it...It was a busy, hectic, wonderful time with 7 kids in the house. Ryan and I were able to sneak in some private time with our favorite Snowbird, Doe.And Ryan showed off his new skill of almost sitting up by himself. He loved hanging out with his Georgia family for his first Christmas!

Getting Ready for Christmas

We are all set for our trip to see my Georgia family this year. I've made all the treats for my teachers, Ryan has stocked up on diapers, and Murmel has continued his crazy antics!

Villains and Donuts

It's been a rough week for Murmel. A secret band of mischievous villains have come out of the toy box to torment our innocent elf. They locked him up and won't stop smiling about it. Mom and I knew exactly how to help Murmel feel better- we made elf donuts! It was so fun- we just dipped Cheerios in melted chocolate, sugar, and sprinkles. Murmel seemed to like them, he even shared with his friends that night! Then... the unexpected. Baby Villain arrived. Even as a newborn, he is a devilish accomplice! We're going to have to make more donuts.

Naked Dogs

"They look naked!" was my first reaction to our dogs' new haircuts. Apparently when Mom told the groomer to trim them "short", he heard "scalped". We've never seen their skin before!They seemed humiliated when Mom picked them up, so we gave them extra treats. After recovering from the initial shock, we all decided that they look like puppies again. Our puppy, Maggie, is now 10 years young (that's 70 in human years). She walks with a slight limp from her arthritic hips, but that doesn't stop her from terrorizing small furry animals in the neighborhood. Little brother, Mox, is a few weeks away from his 9th birthday. This puppy starts each day with overbearing enthusiasm and still craves affection every bit as much as he did as a tiny fur ball baby. We love our sweet naked dogs!

Buddy

The boys in our house have formed a very sweet bond. Mom put Ryan on his play mat across the room, and in just a few minutes, he had rolled over to a snuggly spot in Buddy's neck.Buddy loves our little man as much as we do. He always wants to be in the same room with him, even curling up on the bathroom rug while Ryan gets his bath.
We have good boys in our house!