Traditions

One of our Christmas traditions that we have done the last several years is to go downtown and watch the parade and then see Santa. Then all the pictures get put on their website, so I thought it would be fun to show you my pictures from the last several years of visiting Santa. Let me just say I think our Santa is the best! He looks just like him, and he has the best personality!! (unlike the mall Santa's!!)


2007

I think this was the first year she actually sat with Santa. I was so surprised there was no tears!


2008


Oh, she made up for it here......Jadyn is just looking at her like "What's your problem?"

"Get this guy away from me!" As soon as we left the tears started flowing again, because she didn't tell Santa what she wanted and now he wasn't going to bring her anything.

2009

Messing with her hat. I think she told Santa what she wanted? At this point we had already tried the picture below so I was trying to calm Jadyn down!

This picture is hilarious to me! I don't think Santa gets paid enough!

Every year, Gracie asks for stuff that she makes up, or something like aquaglobes. Well, this year I have been asking and asking and it's always "I'm thinking about it." Then she finally tells me, " I want pink binoculars." Whew! No running around trying to create something that doesn't exist this year.

Merry Christmas! and Happy shopping everyone!! We are going to Jonesboro this weekend to look at the lights, and do a little shopping since we can use my brothers discount card at Walmart!LOL!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

A BIG thank you to Jamie at Designs by Jamie ( check her out on the right!) for my Free Christams blog design!!

The deadline is today for the free design!!

Gracie's 5th Birthday- Oz style!

Ok, so these pictures are so out of order, but who knows maybe one of these days I will get it right? LOL!



Gracie's party was a hit! The weather was great, Gracie had a great time playing with her cousins and friends, and we all enjoyed roasting hot dogs! I love planning parties! I love searching the internet for different ideas, games, and decorations, BUT man it is a lot of work during the party getting everything done. I learned I can't lead the games, take pictures, AND socialize. I hate to ask people to volunteer to help. I did that for her 4th birthday, and some of my volunteers didn't show or forgot.............I'm thinking this might be the last big birthday party for Gracie. I think 5 years worth of big parties is good. What do you think?





Opening gifts.....with lots of help!

I don't have pictures of the kids actually playing this game, but here is the crabby apple toss, with Gracie and her friend Jaylin .

Playing pin the heart on the tin man..........notice the tongue?.......just something new she's trying out at EVERY photo opportunity!


Stuff the scarecrow..............I raked up a HUGE pile of leaves and buried the scarecrow clothes for the kids to stuff and put back together............

My sweet birthday girl Gracie/Dorothy!

The cake! 6 layers each a different color! And let me tell you that I'm glad I made a practice cake the week before because this one turned out sooooooo much better!!

This is on Gracie's actual birthday. We had a small family gathering! Her she is with her cousins, Olivia and Judd, and of course Jadyn!

Just look at this silly face! I just love this silly girl sooooooo much!!

We got her a bicycle ! She loves it!

Getting ready...

Gracie's fifth birthday is next week and this year she has decided on a Wizard of Oz theme. Which was really surprising because although she likes the movie it is not one of her favorites and she gets scared during parts of it. I on the other hand, could recite the movie for you I have seen it so many times. It was one of my go-to movies as a child. It always seems like she has a way of choosing things either don't exist or are simply hard to find. For example, two years ago she asked for a shrek castle for christmas from santa. I searched the internet and let me tell you there is no such thing. So, not wanting to dissapoint her we found little shrek figures ( extremely over priced) on the internet and bought a toy castle. Has she played with it? Yes! She loved it and now Jadyn is enjoying it. But, two weeks after Christmas, after we spent ten dollars or more on the figurines, plus whatever we had to pay to get it by Christmas, Target had them on clearance for $1.99. My point is there are no wizard of oz stickers, paper, anything anywhere. So, I had to get creative, and yes after I got done I thought of ways to make these better, but at this point I'm on a time crunch.


Blank note cards from wal-mart, blue gingham ruffle ribbon, sparkly red ric rac, and ta-da!!

The finished product.

After the first birthday cake mess, where I tried to make the cake myself and messed it up I swore I wouldn't do that again. But I saw a cake I thought I would try and fit right in with the theme. A six layer rainbow cake...............

All my cake mixes dyed and ready to go.............

Ok, a little lop-sided, but hey it has six layers!

Looks pretty good, except for how uneven it is. Any suggestions??? And this cake takes A LOT of frosting..................


P.s. the green and purple are really dark! They were the hardest colors to mix right.

books, books, books

I finally found a pre-school program on the internet that is in our price range(free!!) that lays everything out for you so all you have to do is pick up that weeks books and print out some pages. EASY!! So we decided to go to the library last week to pick up all of our books on cows, because that is our first weeks theme! On the way I tell Gracie, "don't get upset if they are closed because I'm not sure when they close." " ok momma." Then I go about driving and I hear the little conversation between Gracie and Jadyn. Gracie- "Jadyn don't get upset if the library is closed, because I probaly will." Jadyn- "o-tay" Well, of course, we picked the ONE night of the week they close early. Tears and wailing. Grrrreeeeaaaaatttttt. ONe chocolate shake and trip to hastings later she's ok with a new paint book in her bag. Saturday we made the trip again and look...................


All of our books about cows, some about thanksgiving, leaves, animals in fall/winter,leaves, plenty to keep us busy!

You have to be 5 to get your library card, and it is still a couple of weeks away from her birthday, but I asked anyways. At first he was very reluctant to let her get a card, but then he asked"Can she write her name?" "YES." I was so proud!!!

It's not beautiful but she can write her name without any help!!

Here she is with her new card! She looked at the books, sat on the couch and read through some, but her favorite part about the library..................the computer with the dora game!!

Halloween 2009

This year was the first Tull Fall fest. There was games, costume contest, hot dogs, and then trunk or treating. It was a lot of fun for the kiddos and we have way more candy then we need!!

Jadyn was a love bug this year. It was Gracie's costume that we got in Childrens Place in California three years ago. I loved it so much, Jadyn just had to wear it!!


Paw-Paw will do anything for his grand daughters! Gracie did his hair and make up.

Little Red Riding Hood and grandma. Gracie and our great dane JoJo. I got this idea from family fun's website. I just knew we had to do it!!

Oh, and by the way, the cape turned out fine, but I was so not impressed with the hood. Oh well, I 'm still learning!

Gracie, Jadyn, and Mallory...........

Look at all these adorable kids!! Jadyn won third place in the costume contest.

Gracie won first place!!

I think Jadyn visited this trunk for treats at least five times!!

Watching bee movie in the car and doing some trick or treating!

Pumpkin Patch 2009

I will just say that this is the second year for us to go to the Schafers Pumpkin patch in Mayflower and it is well worth the drive. You go on a hayride to the pumpkin patch, where you pick your own pumpkin, for only five dollars!! The other pumpkin patch we used to go to charged per pound! We NEVER got two pumpkins for just ten dollars! Schafers is just a lot of fun! The hayride has halloween decorations set up along the way to the patch, a big playground area, and plenty of spots set up to take pictures!





Gracie and Alexis on the way to the pumpkin patch!

Jadyn

Jadyn is trying to pick up this pumpkin! This after she cried because she didn't want to walk through the pumpkin vines!

Jerred and mini-Jerred! Ha!

It was pretty cold out Saturday! It wouldn't have been too bad if the wind hadn't been blowing!

Pumpkin Patch 2009 part 2

As you can tell Jadyn just LOVED sitting on her pumpkin having her picture taken..............





Gracie is my little ham!

Jadyn and her Aunt Katie..................Jadyn- "hmmmmmmmmmm.....should I look at my mom? NO!"

Gracie actually took this picture on the way back!

"Hmmmmmm should I look at my mom this time? No!"

Jadyn decided while we were at the pumpkin patch that she was NOT going to look at
the camera, no matter who was taking the pictures!

Pumpkin patch 2009 part 3

Gracie posing...........sweet girl!
Look at these three beautiful little girls!

Me- "girls let me get your picture." girls drop to the ground and strike a pose. Silly!

After doing the pumpkin hayride, taking some pictures, playing on the playground, petting the animals at the petting zoo, taking the scenic hayride, eating a huge corndog, several meltdowns later Gracie finally got to do what she had her eyes on doing the moment we pulled in..................ride the ponies! This girl's face just lights up when she is on a horse!

My little cow girl in training!

Dress for Sale!

Ok, I have this little dress for baby for sale if you or anyone you know may want to buy it! I'm selling it for $20.00!!!

Balboa Baby Adjustable Sling by Dr. Sears - Geisha : Target

Balboa Baby Adjustable Sling by Dr. Sears - Geisha : Target


So, as you may know, I have an in-home daycare and right now I have my two girls and two little boys (who are cousins). The little boys are around the same age as Jadyn (it's like having triplets) but one of them is going to have a baby sister sometime this week if not than Monday. By the end of the year I will have a new baby here with three almost two year olds!! I am looking for a sling like one of these from target to hold baby Anna in some. I am hoping that one of you have one or know someone who has one that I can either borrow, get for FREE, or buy for very cheap!! I would be very greatful!!!

Hope you all are having a great week, and enjoying this cool fall weather!!

(P.S. If some one could tell me how to post pictures from websites I would apppreciate it!!)

Giveaway!

Kristi this is mainly for you-----

Head on over to Ashley and Boo's blog for the most A-dorable dress pattern giveaway for fall!!

www.lilblueboo.blogspot.com

She also makes tons of cute hair bows, patterns, and basically just about everything!!

more zoo pics