Well, I have definitely not been a good blogger and I know that I will be sorry later. Luke and Kate say such funny things all the time and I will never remember them all with my little brain. We have been so blessed this year and I am so very thankful. In June, we moved into our new house on Lone Pine. We absolutely LOVE it and try not to take it for granted. We say all the time how thankful we are for the added space and room to play. I'm looking forward to having a fire in the fireplace this winter, now that we have one!

Luke just turned 5 on December 1st. What a wonderful little man he is! We had a birthday bash at Wacky World Kidz and invited his whole preschool class, as well as family. He was a polite host and made me very proud. He continually warms my heart with his dear hugs and kisses, and "I love you mommy, have a good day!" as I leave in the morning for work. He and Kate often decide to "be friends" and have a great time playing with each other (for the most part). Luke is attending preschool 4 mornings a week at Kingswood. He loves going and adores his teachers. It seems to be a great transition in getting ready for kindergarten next year! (My fingers are crossed and prayers are going out that he will get to attend Field Elementary where I work).

Kate will soon be 3 on January 31st. She is quite a character! She keeps us laughing all the time with her grown up conversational skills. Of course, we're sure she is brilliant!! She attends preschool two mornings a week and also loves it. She knows all of her letters and can sing more songs than you can imagine.

It has worked out unbelievably for our family for Matt to work from home this year. He is truly a talented Mr. Mom during the day. Our children are lucky to have the opportunity to have a parent at home with them during the days. With preschool, they are getting the best of both worlds...friends and family! I am incredibly thankful for a husband that can (and does) cook and clean, as well as be a fantastic husband and parent. We get to spend much more family time together and have had lots more family dinners at the table this year.

I would venture to say that this past year has been the most fun and blessed year in our lives. We have soooo much to be thankful for!

2009-12-07

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How cute is she!!

I figured the days of the swine flu pandemic would be the perfect time for us to try Kate's hair in her first pigtails. I think we might have to try them more often...they're pretty "stinkin" cute!!

Luke's breakfast "buffet"

This morning Luke invented a new word. He had cinnamon toast and then toaster scrambles. He said, "Mommy! We're having lots of different food---we're having a breakfast barf-ay!" MMMMmmm, yummy! There's nothing better than a good breakfast barf-ay!

Family Fun Day at the Discovery Center

On Saturday morning, we took a family trip to the Springfield Discovery Center. We had Rebecca with us too. Luke especially liked the "cave" that you could walk through and Kate had to be dragged out of the "kitchen". We had to remind her that she also has her very own kitchen in her bedroom. They got to dig for dinosaur bones, build a house with big Legos, make a weather forecast, have their hair stand on end, pose with a cow, etc...

Little Things

I haven't done a very good job of writing down the things that I don't want to forget. Matt and I were talking about how some of our vocabulary has changed in our family. For instance, when Luke wants the T.V. turned down he says, "Commute that, please!" Thanks to Kate, we all now wear "JJ's" to bed. I know there are more, so when I hear them, say them, or think of them, I'm going to add them on here!

Valentine's Day 2009

On Friday, Luke and Kate had their Valentine party at daycare. Luke posed with his best buddy Brock and Kate is pictures with Sharon. Then on Saturday morning, Matt let me sleep in and then when I got up, there was a card and a wonderful breakfast!

Kate Vader

Kate does a pretty good Darth Vader impression. Here she was saying, "You gon't know the powye of the gawk side" which translates to "You don't know the power of the dark side!"

Kate's Birthday Celebration in Bonne Terre

Last weekend, we traveled to Bonne Terre to celebrate Kate's 2nd birthday with Mimi and Papa. Kate was a great present opener and received some princess dress up clothes which were a huge hit. Even cousin Caleb thought the tiara was impressive...and his dad was soooo proud. Kate immediately donned the plastic high heels and trekked around the living room. She is a natural princess.







After the presents, it was time for the Happy Birthday song with accompaniment by Papa on the guitar. And then the blowing out of the candles on the birthday cake...with upside down sunglasses of course.

Kate is 2!!

Kate is two years old! We had her party with the Lohman family on Saturday night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Kate had Disney Princesses everywhere and loved it. She would have loved anything, as she is not too picky right now. She loves My Little Pony, Care Bears, Tinker Bell, Wiggles, and even Star Wars (like her big brother). She was very excited to "bow out the canels" and listen to everyone sing to her. Next week, we're going to Mimi and Papa's to celebrate with the Bouchard's.

Snow Days

We had three snow days last week. The kids LOVED staying home and playing in their PJ's. We also ventured out for a play in the snow. They were lured back inside with some hot chocolate. It was a fun couple of days before cabin fever set in.