making gingerbread houses...

Just for Christmas fun, we went over to Aunt Helen and Uncle Todd's house to decorate our first gingerbread houses. Mommy got these kits for us...and Aunt Helen provided the extra frosting and candies. We had so much fun decorating with Daddy & Mommy...and our cousins, Carter, Kaitlyn, Stephanie, Brayden, & Jackson.

Here I am...ready to start decorating...and eating the candy when Mommy looks away!

So much fun putting the candy on the house...of course, I'd rather be eating it. Thankfully, Mommy let me eat a couple after I used a few for decorating. Yummy!

The decorating continues...this takes some time!

Meanwhile, Averie and Daddy are busy at work on her gingerbread house, too!

This was a first for both of them, and Daddy & Averie had a lot of fun decorating her house!

"What, you mean I can't eat more candy than what I am using to decorate"? "You mean, I can't eat it straight off my gingerbread house either"?

Daddy & Averie...busy at work!

The whole group...decorating away!

Me & my finished gingerbread house

Mommy & me...and my house!

Daddy & Averie putting some final touches on her house.

Averie & her finished gingerbread house...complete with a yard!

Daddy & Averie...and her house!

What a fun night!

o christmas tree

For the past few years, we have used our artificial tree for Christmas. However, this year, Daddy really wanted to get a "real one"...and a big one. Our artificial tree is about 7-8 feet tall, but Daddy has always wanted a really big tree. So, off to the Christmas tree lot we went with Poppy, Nana, Uncle Blair, Aunt Brittany, and McKinly. We had so much fun running around the tree lot while Daddy was busy looking for the perfect "Griswold" tree for our home. And, he found it. So, we got a "real tree" for the first time in about 4 years, and it's 12 feet tall!! We have been busy decorating it..and we all love it!!

Our family (Mommy is 30 weeks pregnant in this picture)...

Us in the Christmas tree lot...

thanksgiving day

Here we are...Thanksgiving morning! We have so much to be thankful for...and to God we are so grateful! Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

give thanks...

We love our preschool. We have so much fun there...learning so much! We had our Thanksgiving program and feast today, and Daddy & Mommy really enjoyed watching us sing. Afterwards, we had a yummy feast!

Here is Brady Boy...his class were turkeys, and they sang 2 songs about turkeys! Brady LOVES to sing. However, he didn't really sing during this. He'd rather just sing these songs at home! So, he just kept looking at Daddy & Mommy...waving to them. He also just watched his teachers as they helped sing along. It was too cute!

Daddy & Brady

Mommy & Brady

Then, it was time for my class to sing. We were the Native Americans. I LOVE to sing also, and I had a great time singing and doing all the hand motions to our 2 songs...and our poem! I also would wave to Daddy & Mommy between songs. And, I even heard Brady yell, "Hi Sis" during our singing. Too funny!

The turkey and the Native American

Just me...the Native American

Me with some of my very dear Native American friends from class...Reese and Maddie

Daddy & Me

Mommy & me

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. We have so much to be thankful for!

happy 5th birthday to our baby girl...

On this day, November 16, 5 years ago, I entered this world. Ever since then, from what Daddy & Mommy tell me, I have brought them much joy and laughter. It's been a super fast 5 years, but filled with lots and lots of wonderful memories.

Here I am...the Birthday Girl!!

Before my big birthday dinner, I got to open up my presents from Daddy, Mommy, & Brady. Brady got me a game and a princess coloring book.

I had fun opening up my presents. I got super excited about each one.

One of my favorite gifts from Daddy & Mommy was my very first "big girl" Bible. It even had my name on the front of it. I loved it!

All smiles from the birthday girl!

My other super excited gift was the Disney princess Barbie collection. I love Disney princesses right now, and this was so fun to get. My favorite is Snow White, but I have enjoyed playing with each one of them!

Oma came over right before dinner to give me a special gift. This year, Oma has been giving every birthday person something that belonged to Opa. So, I got 2 books that were Opa's...and a blanket. Oma wrote a really sweet note inside the books telling me why Opa received the books. It made me miss Opa a lot, and he has been on my mind a lot lately. Sure wish he could have been here to celebrate my birthday.

I chose Red Robin for my birthday dinner. He even came to our table to give me a hug and wish me "Happy Birthday." It was so fun!

I even got to open a few presents while I was there...

...and I loved my Princess book from Uncle Michael & Aunt Courtney!

After dinner, some of my family came back over to our house for birthday cake & a few more gifts. I loved listening to everyone sing to me...and blowing out my candles!

My Oma and me

Me with 2 of my cousins, Kaitlyn & Stephanie

My Poppy & Nana with me

Sure was fun celebrating my birthday! Turning 5 was super exciting!

discovery place kids...take one

We went to Discovery Place Kids for the first time last week. We had such a fun time, but it was so very busy. It's about 3 miles from our house, and once it opened about a month ago, we have been wanting to go. So, for a playdate one morning, we ventured out. After being there about 20 minutes, we realized how crowded it was. But, we were having too much fun. So, we enjoyed our morning there, and we look forward to going back many more times.

Brady loved the "building" section...playing with lego's.

I loved the "water" section...

...including pretending that I was captain of my own ship!

Brady also enjoyed talking on the phone.

Sure was a fun morning!

just plain sweetness...

On sweet days like this, could we be any sweeter or any cuter? :)