The Holidays (and baby info at the bottom)

Sorry for the long time between updates. The pictures below range from Thanksgiving thru New Years, out of order of course :). We have had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. Piper has been so sweet and helpful, practicing her manners and speaking in short sentences. Of course she's still in love with everything animals, but is also enjoying baby dolls, stuffed animals, books, and her new dollhouse from Ms. Joyce. Bash is just Bash, he's lost another tooth while he's been here, grown over an inch this past year, and really enjoying 5th grade. He's been spending a lot of time with the boys in the neighborhood too.

Here's what we've been up to:

We celebrated Christmas at our house on the 27 once Bash got here. Piper (and us too) has loved having her big brother here. They have been so cute playing together and she looks for him all the time.

We spent the week before Christmas in Charlotte with my family. Mimi was able to join us too. We took Piper for portraits in her beautiful Christmas dress from Tilly and Ellie. We also looked at lights at the Botanical Gardens and had lots of fun hanging out at the house, most of it centered around food. Unfortunately a cold spread through the family so we were under the weather while we were there and spread our germs - sorry Mom and Mimi. It was also our last Christmas with our family dog, Colby. She had to be put down on Dec. 30 and she is dearly missed. Piper had a great time with "Kabe" while we were there and has truly overcome her fear of big dogs. Also it snowed Christmas night and we woke up to 6 inches on the 26th which was great, except that was the day we had to fly home.

Opening presents Piper started copying my dad and saying "oh cool" with each gift she pulled out of the wrapping.

Another try with Santa, he's just not her favorite person to sit with.

Getting a close look at a train at the botanical gardens

Piper thought these fish were so cool jumping out of the water.

We went back to ICE again at the Gaylord hotel. The theme this year was Charlie Brown. We weren't quite as impressed this year, the ice display was shorter so not really worth the money, but Bash and Chris did try the snow tubing hill and had a great time.

The kids love watching fountains, we have many pictures of them enjoying the water sprays.

Bad lighting at the snow tubing hill

Piper loved going down the ice slide and went about 4 times because it wasn't crowded at all when we were there.

Piper waddled like a little penguin in her parka that you have to wear going through ICE. It sure was freezing in there!

We had a great time playing with Sally the week before Christmas, decorating a gingerbread house and cookies. We are so glad our good friends have made the permanent decision to stay close. These girls are so cute playing together and have both picked up some sayings from the other.

Watching themselves on video

Enjoying all the hard work

Piper enjoyed licking the icing and Sally enjoyed eating the candies, I think we're lucky anything stuck on the house, and Rikki was so sweet to let us make such a fun mess at her house.

For thanksgiving we spent half the week here and half the week in Midland visiting my grandparents and two uncles and their families. Piper had fun playing with Molly and watching her favorite DVD - Yo Gabba Gabba

Sebashtian and Garrett stayed up late and slept in everyday, but they had a great time hanging out. We also ventured out to the sand dunes at Monahan State Park. It was really cool, it felt like a beach with no water. It was pretty sandy and windy so I don't have any good pictures to include.

Piper playing in a storage cube, great smiles from this girl.

This is the picture we used for our christmas card this year, it took so many shots to get both kids looking and smiling at the camera.

Playing in the fountains again.

We have been trying some potty training education, but not full blown potty training yet. I am hoping we can master this before she turns 2. Sometimes she asks to go on the potty and is successful, but many other times she doesn't want to try so we are not making this a battle, just praising the successful times.

Being silly and stuffing a big bite of banana in our mouth :)

I love this zebra sweater and Piper is showing her "cheesy" smile with squinty eyes, the face we so often get when taking pictures, but I love seeing her teeth.

For New Years Eve we stayed in with the Downings and made it to midnight, such fun catching up with old friends. On New Years Day we celebrated with our traditional fondue dinner with the Tiggemans and the Schweers (minus Abby who was under the weather). It was a great feast and Bash wanted to do it again today. We love making memories and having traditions with good friends!

Happy Holidays folks!

PS - We found out that our second baby is..................... another GIRL! We are thrilled and can't wait for this baby to be here. I am excited about the sister bond that will be formed between Piper and her. We are also so thankful she is healthy and measuring just right for her arrival on May 19. I have also been feeling the baby move quite a bit during the day, but she is letting me sleep at night. We're halfway through this pregnancy and everything has been so smooth, we are praying everything continues to be smooth since time will fly from here on out.

Happy Fall/Happy Halloween

It's been a busy fall with two visits to the pumpkin patch, trick or treating at the arboretum, and fun times with family. On one trip to the pumpkin patch we were with our friends the Downings who are back from Tulsa. Yea! Piper and Sally had fun exploring the pumpkins.

Our other trip to the pumpkin patch was with our small group. Piper and Mackenzie followed the big boys around. Piper really likes to sit on top of pumpkins for some reason. She also got her head stuck in the bars on the window of the play house, after laughing at her I quickly pushed her head back through which she didn't like but I made sure we weren't really stuck.

With mommy

Enjoying the view with Kaleb on top of the dads shoulders.

We were so dusty when we came home we all had to wash our feet. Piper helped Daddy.

The day before Halloween we went out to the arboretum with the Downings to enjoy pumpkin village. Piper followed or chased after Sally the whole afternoon. It was so cute to hear her calling "Sally." The girls wore their costumes, Sally was Minnie Mouse and Piper was a fairy.

Crawling on top of pumpkins

It felt like we saw more of the girls backs all day as they kept running off to enjoy something new.

The one and only sitting posed picture with both girls semi-looking at the camera out of the 100+ taken. :)

Piper actually fed a goat and let it eat out of her hand at the petting zoo. This is the closest she's ever gotten to an animal's face/mouth. I couldn't believe she did it.

Say cheese!

Enjoying a popcorn snack with Daddy.

On Halloween night we started out sitting on the sidewalk handing out candy til Piper got the idea of trick-or-treating. Then she was willing to put on her costume and get her bag. We went to four houses and then came home, she only said "trick-or-treat" for Daddy at the last house. Then we came inside and she continued to stuff her bag with candy from the bowl.

We ended the night with a bedtime story from Daddy.

Just had to sneak this picture in too. Piper playing with her new favorite toy, a stuffed lambie she calls "mimi."

Bash's summer blog

Even though school has started and I'm late posting this, technically it's still summer. :)

This boy had a very busy summer here with us. It all started when he came home with us from Midland after visiting for Memorial Day weekend. We still had a few days of school left so Bash came to school with us. On the last day we were at school Bash was playing in the gym and he slipped and fell backwards hitting his head on the mop bucket. Well of course he split his head open so we had to take him to the emergency room and he came home with one staple in his head. What a way to start the summer – couldn’t swim for a week. But he sure healed nicely and it didn’t affect his lovable personality or extensive vocabulary.

At the end of June Bash went to overnight church camp at Mount Lebanon. He had an awesome week filled with swimming, a climbing wall, swimming, field games, swimming, bible study, swimming, and theme nights. Bash’s favorite person all summer has been his counselor Marco. He was a wonderful young man aspiring to be a doctor and inspiring young boys to live a life dedicated to the Lord. Bash can’t wait to go back next summer.

On our summer vacation to North Carolina Bash was an excellent car rider and so sweet to his sister sitting right next to him. His favorite part of the vacation was going golfing with Chris’ best friend Nathan in Mississippi. He also really enjoyed the Georgia Aquarium and hanging out with Uncle Craig who came over everyday after work to swim and eat dinner.

Bash has been very busy playing with the boys who live behind us. There’s a group of boys in the neighborhood who all get along and love to be outside playing capture the flag, basketball, Star Wars, swimming, riding scooters, or riding bikes. These boys play all afternoon and then head back outside after dinner to play until dark. We are so thankful that Bash has a good group of boys to hang out with here in the neighborhood.

Bash has also been playing on a basketball team this summer through the YMCA and Chris has been his coach. It’s been fun to have these two bond in a coach/player relationship. Bash has really gotten into sports more this summer and all the technical aspects of the rules. He listens to his dad now and tries to apply his new skills. Bash is an excellent rebounder and has gotten more aggressive on defense, going after the ball to intercept passes. Bash also really understands zone defense. He likes basketball and we hope he continues to play and improve on his skills. Unfortunately the team has only won one game, but they keep playing each week giving it their all. During the double elimination tournament, they one the first game and then lost the next two. The boys played great, but they were very tired at each consecutive game.

Sebashtian really wanted to stay here this year for 5th grade, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. He got to go back with a new cell phone and he really feels cool. It is my old phone and of course he already knows how to do more things on that phone in 3 hours of having it than I did in two years. That’s a digital native for you!

Being a jungle gym for Piper, he sure was patient with her.

In the team huddle

From our vacation at the children's museum in Charlotte, climbing across a rope bridge, laying on pins and needles, and building a race car.

Bash filming the penguins in an underwater tunnel at the Georgia aquarium.

At the Dallas Zoo with the Tiggemans, there was more for older kids here and Bash had a great time.

His wonderful counselor at camp - Marco, Bash's favorite person all summer!! That sure speaks volumes of Marco's character and connection with young boys to sow seeds of the gospel.

Happy Father's Day!!

Learning from his sister :)

Gently spraying sister with the hose, definitely not torture :)

Blowing bubbles for Piper

Congratulations Chris!

Last weekend Chris graduated with his masters degree from Lamar University. We are so proud of him! All of his hard work has paid off. He is now the proud owner of a Masters of Educational Technology degree.