Christmas Palooza 2012

I think that 5 months off is enough. And now back to posting...

Christmas Palooza is our day over Thanksgiving weekend where we celebrate the start of the Christmas season. I love this time of year and all that comes with it.

We started the day heading to the tree farm mid-morning. I love walking up to the Christmas music playing, hot cocoa and marshmallows, a fire down the hill, the sound of the machines binding the cut trees, the truck and wagon making loops around the property...It's all part of the tradition. The farm is owned by extended family members and we love having that be part of our day

It's just a tiny one this year

Wagon ride with cousins

We usually spend the afternoon decorating. As we are still living at my moms, It didn't take much to decorate. A very small tree, one strand of lights and I managed to find a small box of ornaments in the storage unit. 

Borrowing my mom's old fabric Angel that we used as I was growing up. 

We end the night with Christmas PJ's, books and watching a Christmas movie. Just like Eleanor to not hold her own book. She loves anything plush and found this old bear in my moms basement...

The past few years my cousin Kate has created her own version of Christmas Palooza for her family in Colorado. I always look forward to her posting and sometimes to even get new ideas. I love they started the day with a special breakfast and opened their Jammies in the morning. I'll definitely do that next year. We've always just woken up and had an unofficial start to the day whenever we left for the tree farm. 

June Instagram

Contrary to the evidence I actually do take a lot of pictures not on my phone...

sometimes this is just easier :)

Josh and I finished the GR triathlon early in June

We love, love, love the Start of Summer Celebration in Rockford...Always fun celebrating schools out and hanging with friends.

Carousel Riding

Thankful for good friends

Happy Fathers Day to our Best Dad!

Just trying to keep the sun out

One boy in a bucket please

First cone!

first grade...done!

How did I get so old that my baby has finished first grade? He's almost seven! Okay, it's not about me...

Jack a such a great year that I'm not sure we can top it. We have been so blessed this year by his school, teacher, friends, etc... Even Josh and I have made a couple new friends through school :) These are just a few pictures of Jacks year end field trip and last day with friends.

Instafriday

waiting at the dr's. office - first sucker ever.

something new to snuggle

a late night made both these boys sleepy by 10 am

Homemade donuts...mmmm

just so sweet

without a panoramic camera it's hard to tell but there was a major storm rolling in from the left side of the picture. The coloring of the sky was so creepy.

my cousin ben gets props for playing with the kids in the sand for a long time

Party!

Ellie's end of the year party was a good old fashion carnival including a giant slip n slide for 60 kids...madness! We have had such a good experience at that school, being there for the last 3 years. We will really miss the kids teachers. Now onward and upward to Kindergarten and praises for only driving to ONE school next year :)

 

Eleanor and her best bud Parker

Wild Animals and the Dairy Farm

In the last month, Eleanor's preschool has crammed in 2 field trips and a giant End of the Year party! It's been so much fun and a great way to spend her last days of preschool...

Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park is a new park south of GR. It seems much smaller than a traditional zoo, but the kids seemed to have a much better time than at our zoo...Tons of unique animals, many native to Australia and Africa and also featuring Rick 'The Reptile Guy', nicknamed from the Crocodile Hunter himself (Steve Irwin). In addition to our snapping turtle pet at home, Ellie has a love for holding and handling animals (that poor turtle!)

Dairy Discovery...A very cool educational program at a local dairy farm 

teeny tiny kittens

Happy Mother's Day

It's a good thing I wasn't terribly bent on taking a good picture with these three today :)

If you can believe it, this really is the best one.

Praising God for these wonderful blessings in my life that make me a mom. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you other moms who do one of the hardest jobs on earth!

April Instagram

This is Eleanor on her bike...less than a month later she is now riding with no training wheels! Sibling motivation does wonders.

Max just trying to keep up

just loved these colors :)

exploring sea shells Yinzy brought home from Florida

cool whip and cream cheese

Pikes Peak from 13,000 ft. 

rainy day afternoon milk shakes

Ellie absolutely adored holding these kittens on her field trip to the dairy farm

birds nest in the hanging basket

our new 'wild' pet

when do snapping turtles start snapping?

a pre-season get-away to the lake