The Zoo

December in Nebraska usually means snow.  Zero degree temperatures.  And being stuck inside.  This winter, besides one mild snow storm, thus far has been remarkable.  40 & 50 degree temperatures!!  We decided to take a trip to the Zoo & enjoy the amazing weather with our grandmas, aunts & cousins!

 We were QUITE a crew.  6 adults, 4 2 year olds & 2 infants!  Check out our caravan!  All the way from Jeff by the back arrow, to Livi by the front arrow!

 Analeigh's first trip to the zoo

 Ava's first trip to the zoo

 Check out Livi's poor nose.  Did you read my blog about the story she was telling me?  THAT is what she was talking about.  She stumbbled getting off her new trike while we were outside enjoying the beautiful weather & took a nose dive onto the concrete!

The zoo was busy, but we got pretty close up with a few animals.

 Hayden was SOO excited about the orangutans & gorillas!  They came right up to the window & interacted with the me & the kids quite a bit!

 LOVE her in pig tails!!!!  So grown up looking!!!

Hayden was SOO ornery!  And Livi tried to follow.  Sneaking out of strollers.  Running off.  He has totally come out of his shell in the past month!  Not sure if its just growing up or if daycare is doing him that much good?  Its fun to watch him grow & explore... not so fun to chase a FAST 2 year old around the buzy zoo!

 "RAWR!!!"  Tigers!

 Logan & the tiger having a staring contest.  He has the best "RAWR!!"

 The 2 wee-ones did great at the zoo too!!  Here is LeeLee checking out the tigers too!

 Logan & Liv got tired & each snuck in a little cat nap.  We were there all afternoon & walked our butts off!! 

We had a great time.  It was a very different experience than this summer.  The kids are so much more interested.  Know lots of the animals & want to learn more!  The only down side, the aquarium is closed for renovations until spring :(  At least we got to spend some time checking out these fish!

Its nearly impossible to get the 3 of them to sit still long enough for a picture.  And even though I didn't get their faces, I think this is my favorite pic of the day.

I love her stories

Livi remembers everything, EVERYTHING!  And loves to tell you about what she did yesterday.  Or last week.  She always tells me what she did during her "daddy day" when "mommy go a-workin."  When I got home from work last night, she was telling me the story of what happened on Wednesday afternoon.  See if you can figure out what happened?

And I quote...

"Ya-ya pay owe-side.  Pay bikes.  Nose owie.  Wipe-a nose, wash nose.  Mommy kiss.  Wash owie nose.  Pay owe-side.  BOOM!"

2011 in review

One of my favorite things about blogging is how easy it is to look back at what life was like a year ago, or the year before that.  People blog for different reasons.  I blog to journal the happenings of my houshold, mostly for myself, because these moments pass by in the blink of an eye & I want a way to remember them all.  The good, the bad & the ugly.  Because its our story.

As the end of 2011 approaches I can't help but look back at last January.  Its simply amazing how far the kids have come & how fast they have grown up!  We had a jam packed year full of so many fun things, I almost forgot about some of them!!  And while 2011 started out pretty rocky, as it comes to a close it turned out to be a pretty amazing year despite.  Lets take a little stroll down memory lane.  Highlights from our 2011....

*December 2010 ended with our 1st trip to the ER, when Livi had pneumonia.  Then we headed into 2011....

*January was a big month!  We started to talk, and talk, ditched the bottles, pulled the plug on Liv's paci, finally had 3 walkers, & recieved in return our first kisses!  And I slammed my finger in the van door, still can't believe that happened.  (That finger still gets sore & tight sometimes, I still do a little at home PT with it on occasion.)

*February we survived pink eye... and more pink eye & our first bout of the flu!!  Started learning our body parts & did our first coloring.

*March the boys got their first haircuts.  We re-finished our basement.  We found out Logan is allergic to Amoxicillin, oh my gosh that was awful!  We took ER trips #2 & #3 .

*April brought us a much needed break just to learn & grow!!

*May brought us 2 little runaways, our first "family vacation" & some SHIT in the ball pit!

*June was busy!  Full of swimming, the zoo, family reunion, the circus, Jeff & my 5 year Anniversary & my 10 year HS reunion.

*July brought more zoo, more pool, parades & summer fun.  Booster seats.  The start of our word a day take off.  And one of my favorite pics of all time (the very last one!)

*August was a big month too.  We enjoyed our 1st air show.  Went to the fair.  Rode the zoo choo-choo.  I started a new job.  Jeff started a new job.  And Livi had eye surgery, it was pretty rough!

*September we celebrated Addie turning 2.  Welcomed a new niece, Ava.  Enjoyed the fall weather.  And had our first ever day of daycare!

*October we moved to big kid beds!  Spent some time at the pumpkin patch.  Watched some football.  Spent more time at the pumpkin patch & MORE time at the pumpkin patch.  I turned 29.  We saw CARS in real life!  We trunk-or-treated.  Welcomed our 2nd niece of the year, Analeigh.  We love her!  And we survived our 2nd flu of the year.  Barely!!   October was BUSY!

*November the kids turned 2.  We had an awesome Sesame Street party!!  Took some family pictures.  Jeff turned 31.  We learned to sleep in sleeping bags!

*December brought our first hospital stay.  So glad to be home.  Our 1st "I LOVE YOU!"  And the realization that my kids are not babies anymore!  Its amazing how they have grown over the past 12 months!!


I welcome 2012 with open arms.  The good & the bad.  Because I'm realizing, the tough times only make us stronger.  And make us cherish the good ones even longer. 

So bring it on 2012, just know you've definately got some tough acts to follow!!

"ABC"

Today out of the blue Livi was singing something different than our normal "bitsy-bitsy pie" {itsy bitsy spider} or "march march, boom!" {ants go marching 2 by 2... boom, boom, boom}  At first we weren't sure what it was.  Finally we figured out she was singing her version of the ABCs!!! 

It went a little something like this:

"ABC" "ABC" "ABC" "ABC" "ABC" "ABC" "ABC" "ABC"



All the way home from the Zoo.  And all evening in her breaks from blow-drying her hair ;)

Yes I said the ZOO!!  The weather here is BEAUTIFUL!  Unheard of for late-December in Nebraska!  We spent the entire afternoon at the zoo with Grandma Maas, Tisha, Addie, Ava, Grandma GG, Molly & Analeigh.  We were quite a crew!!  Had a blast.  Have sore feet.  So worth it.  We have so much post holiday cleaning we need to do, not to mention all the day-to-day things that didn't get done during the past week of Christmases.  But you can NOT pass up on weather like this!  We'll clean when its snowy, nasty & ZERO degrees (its inevitable right?).

Our Christmas Finale!

Since we spent the Christmas weekend out of town & I worked the following Monday.  We finally had Christmas at home on Tuesday.  Santa apparently found our house a few days late ;)  I went round & round about what things to be from mommy & daddy vs. what to be from Santa.  And I think next year when the kids are old enough to understand more, we're going to have to set our traditions in stone.

After I got home from work & the kids went to bed.  We got their presents from Jeff & I down from the top of the entertainment center & under the tree.  And we got their stockings down & stuffed...{err I mean we got them out for Santa's easy access}  And we, um, "helped?" Santa by getting their big gift all set up & ready.

The kids were pretty calm in the morning & actually sat & ate breakfast before we dug into the presents.  Probably the LAST year that will happen!  They finally had gotten the hang of this present thing.  But they still did want almost everything opened immediately & wanted to stop & play with it just briefly, instead of leaving it in the box & moving right to the next present. 

" Colors!!"

 Couldn't wait to do a little coloring...

 We did have to take a pretty big break to play with the pieces of "choo-choo train" track.  And I ended up opening their last presents (new jammies) which I know we should have done first, but they (read: Logan!) kept grabbing presents from under the tree & I was so not in control of the whole process. 

 They did their stockings last & only dug into them because I told them their might be more choo-choos in there, so they better check!

 Oh Logan.... such a hoarder!

 Livi found pretties in her stocking!

 And "cake stitters" {cupcake stickers}

 "Hello pappies!"  {Hello Kitty panties.... for sometime this next year, hopefully!}

 "More in-air?" {More in there?}

 Then we went to the toy room to find what "Sas-sa" {Santa} had brought for them!! 

 Running in to see Santa's Craigslist find.....

 TRAIN TABLE!!

 HUGE-HUGE-HIT!  HUGE!!  Seriously the boys have done nothing but drive trains now for 2 days!!  Can't get Logan to come out to change his diaper.  And the only way we can get him out of the toy room to eat is to set up the battery powered train set that goes around a little track that we got from Tisha, Aaron, Addie & Ava for Christmas.  Its our new dining room table center piece!!

 Livi got a make-over kit with a little blowdryer, brush & some plastic pieces that look like make-up.  Its been a HUGE hit with her.  She even says "blow-dryer" & loves turning it on & off.  Off... or the "batteries break."  {I told her once not to leave it on when she was done or the batteries would break... she remembers every word you say, every word!}

 The kit had some pretend nail polishes too.  She even painted her daddy's toes!

 Hayden getting in on the make-up action!

 More "brush-comb"  Seriously she combed for hours!  Not exactly the style I'd choose though Liv ;)

 I had wanted something bigger for Livi to be from Santa too & just couldn't settle on what.  So I decided I'd just do the train table for all of them because I knew (or thought) she'd play with it too.  BUT, present opening came & went & she could pretty much care less about the trains.  Just loved all that "al-up" {make-up} & her blow-dryer.  SOOO... I once again had to help Santa out a little bit & make a trip to Walmart to pick up something I'd thought about.  There had been a HUGE pile of these before Christmas.  But Monday, I looked & looked & looked... and finally found one stuck back up on a top shelf.  ONE!  I was pretty sure they were $24.99 when I looked at them originally & now the sticker said $19.99.  Even better.  I picked up a few other things & when I checked out... it actually rang up as $9.99!!!  Score!  Lucky I was able to find one left!

 Still doing her hair....  She is becoming SUCH a girly-girl & I just absolutley LOVE IT!!

We spent the morning playing & playing & playing.  Caught a nap.  Then headed to Grandma GG's house for even MORE Christmas!!

One more chance to wear their Christmas shirts.

 Livi got a Doctor kit!  Grandma helping her "sissen heart" {listen to her heart!}  I swear there is almost nothing this girl doesn't know these days!

 Analeigh checking out all the action

 Livi helping her open her presents.

 Such a big girl!!!

 Blurry..... but all 3 kiddos helping GG open Livi's big present...

 A rocking chair.  More specifically, Grandma GG's rocking chair from when she was little all refinished! 

 The girls in matching GG-made hats :)

 Livi's version of playing with tractors.

 AHHHHH!!  Logan was a little Christmas crazy!

 And trying out one more present.... Trikes!!  Livi calls them "bikes."  Hayden calls them "cycles," as in motorcycles!  To each their own!

 Basket on the front has a flap that folds down leaving leg holes for a baby doll!!

 They don't have the petals figured out yet, but I don't think it will be too long.

 My best attempt at getting a picture of the 3 of them. 

I got a Cricut... so excited!  And a fantastic, beautiful refinished ring that was my grandmother's.  LOVE!



Tuesday we ran around spending our Christmas cash & gift cards!  Jeff got himself a table saw, which he has been wanting forever.  And the kids got to ride in an AWESOME cart at Lowes, that looks like a race car!   We both got some much needed tennis shoes.  Livi wanted to do more shopping (honestly such a girl!) but instead we went home & played outside with our new trikes.  Yes, outside, end of December in Nebraska.  This weather is insane!!  While its strange not to have a white Christmas, I'll take 50 degree weather any day of the week!