Merry Christmas!

We had such a wonderful Christmas with our families!  It couldn't have been any better.  Thank you to every one for making it so special for us.  Our home was filled with love, laughter and fun memories.  Thank you all for helping with the cooking and cleaning as well, it really made hosting a breeze.  The food was amazing too!  The presents were gracious and appreciated:)  Merry Christmas! 

The Start of Christmas Break

 Rich brought over an early birthday present for me!  A popcorn maker!  And if you know me (and my family), you know we eat popcorn on a very regular basis.  This is so much fun and makes delicious popcorn.  We put it down stairs on top of the mini fridge.  Perfect for movie night or any old night :)  Thanks for the gift Rich and Andrea!  Chloe also scored a Santa necklace!  She was really hoping to get one and has worn it every day so far:)

 Hannah and Ava got a mini indoor trampoline.  It fits 4 perfectly;) They had so much fun!

This is the first week of Christmas break for Chloe and she already asked to go to school the first day she didn't have it!  But we have been having a lot of fun with our open schedule this week.  We have gone to the Indoor Playground with our friends, gymnastics class like usual was a blast, play date at Hannah's house along with Josephine and Lillian, we had Marissa over to play and Kelsey to for a while, Uncle Rich even got to visit during the day.  And the weeks not even over!  What a fun time we've been having together and with our friends and family.  Chloe has also been a huge helper with cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking and baking in preparation for hosting two Christmases at our house in the next 4 days!  We are really looking forward to a house full of joy, love and family!

Busy Weekend!

 We had such a fun weekend!  First we started off Friday night with a birthday party.  Chloe's friend, Adalyn, turned 4 and had a party at the Indoor Playground.  Chloe had a blast running, jumping, and dancing with her friends! 

Saturday Chloe and I went to the Nutcracker.  It was both of our first times to see it and we had so much fun!  Chloe brought Rambo along:)  Above, here she is in her seat.  We were in the 4th row, perfect seats!

 The woman next to us took our picture.  We talked a little bit and she has been bringing her daughter for 10 years now, started when she was a little older than Chloe.  I think this will become one of our traditions as well.  Chloe loved the dancing, costumes and music!

 Today Uncle Tyler and Aunt Rebecca came over and we all went out to lunch.  Afterwards we went to Picket Fence Creamery for Sample Sunday.  We all bought yummy goodies, those samples really worked on us;)  They also had Jack Russel puppies and Chloe tried her hardest to bring one home with us!

Despite the look on Chloe's face she enjoyed the egg nog ice cream.

 We had to take a little time to visit the calves.

After the creamery we went to Praireland Herbs.  Mmmmm it smelled so good in there!  Chloe hit the animal jack pot there too as there were tons of cats and dogs to play with while we picked out our fave perfumes.  What a great weekend!!!

Gymnastics & Christmas Party

 Chloe had another great afternoon at gymnastics this week.  Her coach was absent and her teacher Ms Tracey was there as a substitute!  Chloe was so happy!  Ms Tracey is just as fabulous as a coach as she is a teacher.

 Chloe also picked out a couple leotards for gymnastics.  She was so excited to wear one this week.  She really didn't want to take it off when we got home either.  Maybe if it was summer and not winter that could work, brrrrrr.

 Today was Chloe's Christmas Program and Party at school. She did an awesome job singing, doing the actions and leading the Pledge of Allegiance.  She was a real leader and I was so proud of her!  I'm trying to get the video uploaded but that's not happening at the moment, hopefully soon because it's sooooo darn cute!

 Chloe got to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.  She did an amazing job!

Here she is with one of her besties at school, Anna:)

Videos of Chloe Showing Her Skills!

Chloe finally let me video her signing the ABC's, Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Pledge of Allegance!

Christmas Activities All Weekend!

 It has become tradition to go to Jolly Holiday Lights and we have so much fun!  Chloe is so into Christmas this year, it's so much fun!

 Gingerbread House

 Candy Cane Lane

 Saturday Chloe and I had another girls day while daddy was working.  She had fun playing in her old bouncy seat.  We also had fun going to lunch and doing some shopping together.  That night we had a blast going to supper and hanging out with the Petersen's.

 On Sunday Chloe got all fancy to go see Santa.  I just had to take a million pictures of her looking so festive and cute:)

 She's so sweet as she requests a picture with me:)

 Then with daddy:)

 Chloe picked out Rudolph while waiting in line for Santa.

 Then she picked out a 4 wheeler ;)

She was so excited to see Santa and without any hesitation went to sit on his lap, smile for the camera and most importantly tell him what she wants for Christmas.  Chloe wants a princess bed and a Rapunzel doll this year.

A few more pics from this week.

 Chloe still loves to play dress up:)

 Saying cheeeeese!

 Self Portrait.

 Every Friday we go to the Petersen's for a play date and today was no exception.  Here are the girls eating their lunch dessert, frosting off the cupcake!  One day they will realize that the cake part is really yummy too;)

We are so happy that baby TJ made his arrival one week ago today!  He is such a good little boy and so, so cute.  Chloe loves him to pieces and might finally be over the fact that he isn't a girl;)   

Gymnastics Class!

Chloe started up gymnastics class again.  She is having such a blast!  It's amazing what one year can make.  I remember last year at this time it was a parent-tot class.  I would try to keep her focused and engaged.  She would have so much energy but not that much focus.  She would take off from the obstacle course and go jump on the trampolines or jump in the foam pit.  She struggled with waiting her turn and we can't forget when she was learning to use the water fountain!!!  And getting and staying in line was a learning experience as well.  This year is totally different!  I have to sit upstairs to observe while she has class on her own.  I watch her with a huge smile of pride on my face.  She waits patiently for her turn, stays on task, lines up and stays in line and listens to her teacher with all her attention.  It's amazing what a year can bring!  Chloe is taking a late afternoon class so there are tons of older kids doing gymnastics as well.  It's a very busy gym.  Makes me wonder if this is something she will continue doing and some day be one of those big kids in the gym or if it will just be an activity during her preschool years. 

Starting off the Christmas Season

 It has been our tradition to do "stocking stuffers" every Saturday in December before Christmas.  This year Chloe really joined in the tradition but right away she thought it was all from Santa so we went along with it.  When she noticed that the stocking were stuffed she calmly asked what was going on and then passed them out to us.  She had so much fun looking through her stuff and also being excited for Jason and I.   After we were all done, she looked up into the air and softly said "thank you Santa". 

This morning Chloe's Elf on Shelf arrived from the North Pole.  As the tradition goes, she got to name her elf and if you've been around lately you know what she's been naming all of her girl dolls, yup it was Emmy! :)  And I have to say, the Santa is watching and now the added Emmy the Elf is watching really helps her calm down during tough situations.