LeT it SnOw

It snowed!
Our first snow of the season!
It's always a magical thing....the first snow.
You wait, and wait, and wait...and when you finally see those fluffy white flakes falling from the sky something happens inside your soul that you can't describe. --- You can try.
You can try to describe it as, the kid in you coming out, but what if you are a kid...
You can try to describe it as, a peaceful blanket covering the earth as if it was time for the whole world to go to bed under a big, white, down
comforter....but it's cold...

But somehow, no matter how hard you try. You just can't describe the magical thing that happens when it snows for the first time.

 All you can do is try to enjoy it.
You try to build a snowmen....even if it's not the right kind of snow...

You walk, just to see your foot prints, and explore your whole new yard.

You find all the toys that didn't get tucked away some place warm, that are now buried in their cold down comforter of snow.

Or maybe you just sit and watch.

Maybe you are unsure what to do. You don't want to contaminate it with silly things like foot prints or snow men.

But then, when you do decide to brave the cold and unknown, it's fun.

Maybe it makes you scrunch your nose and giggle a bit.

Maybe you just want to stand there and experience this new, cold, fluffy, crunchy, stuff that has taken over your yard.

And maybe you get cold. 

The thrill of it wears off because now your pants are wet and your hands are cold.

Whatever it is. Something happens. Something you can't describe, and something you can't stop from happening. Something inside you scrunches their nose, giggles and needs to go out into those fluffy white flakes falling from the sky. Something inside you is taken over by the crisp, white blanket. Something that calls for hats, gloves, fluffy coats and hot cocoa!

Snow does something indescribably wonderful!

Ashley turns 1

Ashley is now 1 year old!

She is amazing! She is so funny and so sweet!
She is the princess and she knows it!
And because she is our princess I felt the need to throw her a part that only an mother can appreciate!
It was way to much for a 1 yr old party and it was Perfect!

Since she was born on December 1st with red hair, she has acquired the nickname of being our redheaded snowflake.

So one of my best friends and neighbor came over and helped me make these snowflakes out of Popsicle sticks!

Front Door

 Here she is in her hand made tutu (by me) and hair bow (by Jenyka)

We didn't do much (HA) in way of food. But what we did have was YUMALICIOUS!!!

Eggnog cookies, Carmel Filled, Apple Cider cookies, Mint Truffle kisses, Candy Cane kisses, and Candy canes!

We even did Snowmen filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows for the party favor!

Enjoying her birthday cupcake!

Playing with her new blocks

This is what happens when you have a mom who thinks it would be funny to put your tutu on your head!

Wearing her new hat playing with her new toy.
how a birthday should be spent

Her Birthday/Christmas dress from her Papa.

I can't believe our BABY is 1. She has grown so much in the past year, and it makes me a little sad that this could very well be the last 1 yr old birthday party I get to throw. In the same breath I Love our little family and we feel completed and our home is bursting with love, laughter, and loud! I wouldn't want it any other way!

Who does that?!

Who goes 2 months without updating their blog!? Apparently, I do, and I am sorry.

Here are some random updates.

Ashley rocked her first Halloween like a pro! She was a ghost and her brothers were super heroes.

Isaac likes to fall asleep wearing hats. He says they're his "night caps"

You know you're doing something right when this is what you see at breakfast time

Isaac won an award for honesty at school

Ashley likes to make funny faces

I love this face!!

Isaac reading bedtime stories

Ashely enjoying her 1st Thanksgiving meal
*thedayafterforlunch*

The boys putting up the tree

Ashley "helping"

This is what happens when you have crackers and Ashley wants them

This is what happens when she doesn't get said crackers

Ashely rockin the bedhead

Rockin the Pig tails

 We went to the fire station to see Santa and the boys were terrified and Ashley screamed. But on the way out they LOVED the fire truck and the fireman!

Isaac writing his letter to Santa.

Glitter and Sparkles

Can I just say, I love being the tooth fairy?! My job is soooo cool!! I get to bust out the fairy dust and my ninja sneakiness and make kids happy!! Tonight, a little boy lost his very first tooth!! AMAZING Right?! I love the first ones. So cute. So tiny. So scared. So excited!

He had his tooth in a little plastic bag (maybe someone should work on a tooth pillow for him) neatly tucked under the corner of his pillow, which made it easier to find. 

I heard that his brother was very sad that it was not his turn for me to visit so I made sure to leave him a little note too, letting him know that his turn would come and to be patient.

 I always like to write down the date of each tooth and where I gathered it from. I've heard it makes a nice little gift later on in life.....

Being the Tooth Fairy is a pretty awesome job and I wouldn't trade it in for the world.

Now if you don't mind...hopping around on these letters is exhausting so I must be off. other kids have teeth that fall out!

xoxo -  The Tooth Fairy

Otter Pops & Tooth Fairies

It was bedtime in the house. There were tears that come when a super fun day has come to an end. The kind of day that that's filled with birthday parties and cake, jumping in bouncy houses with friends, playing and dancing in the rain and a family movie night. After a day like that some tears are to be expected.

As he threw himself into bed he suddenly sat up in shock! The tooth that had been wigglier than a worm on a hook had been knocked so loose it was hanging by a thread....or root, take your pick.

His parents, thinking it not safe to sleep with such a wiggly tooth, gave it a gentle tug and out it came!!

And so it is that their oldest, their Ace, lost his very first tooth!!

A little scared at the thought that his tooth just came out, there were tears

After a cold rag and an otter pop, he's much more excited

Bring it on Tooth Fairy

And so it is.....as the boys would say "today is the first day the tooth fairy comes to our house!"

Rampage!!!

For my birthday Greg's mom called and asked if I wanted to do 5K with her called the Rampage at the RAC. 

I have NEVER done any kind of marathon so I was hesitant at first, but then watched the video on the web page found HERE and I was sold!! 

We're talkin a 5K that includes things like, a giant slip n slide, crawling through green slime, climbing up and over hay bales stacked 10 feet tall, jumping over cars Dukes of Hazard style, Leaping over fire and crawling through mud!!! Awesome!!

Me with Greg's mom and sister

 So for my birthday she signed us up!! I didn't want to die so I started "training" (I use that word very loosely). I ran 1 mile 2-3 times a week, and had it down to a rough 13 min mile (not bad considering I ran a 10 min mile in high school....no. I am NOT a runner) a couple days before I decided I needed to run more than a mile, since it was a 5K  I was doing. I did a rough 3 mile run (I think we figured it was about 2.7ish miles that I ran) in about 30 mins, so I was feelin pretty good about being "ready".  I had no intention of doing this as a race. It was purely for entertainment, feel good about yourself, I just want to finish kind of thing.  I soon found out that my best friend and her husband had also signed up to do it as well.

My best friend and her Husband, Greg's mom and her friend from work, Greg's sister and I

 I was so excited and very anxious about doing this but when it was time to go. I was ready to run!!!

 One of the first major obstacles...

The "wall" climb

 Up and over!

There was a good jog between obstacles, but it was still very difficult!

The sand dunes

ever tried to run with your shoes full of sand?!

not.easy.

Onto the "toxic trench"

It was very cold, and very slimy

 

This is what we were crawling through

Yes. that IS barbed wire goring across the top, forcing you in to the freezing cold "slime"

the barbed wire was plastic

After we got out of the mud pit

I lost my number in the mud =(

 We finished in just over 50 mins!

 We had a BLAST and plan on doing this every year!!
Next year we are going all out in the costume department!!

In other news
Isaac's Kindergarten Picture! He's so cute!! I love him!