2013 Christmas is here!

This is a VERY special Christmas for our family this year.  First, this is the first christmas we have had with dad being here in two years. Second, this is dad's 1st christmas with Maleah. And Third, we have family coming into town to celebrate with us! (1st time ever)  I am so very excited about it! 

To get things started we got the trees and decorations up.  The big tree is full of 12 years of ornaments celebrating all sorts of milestones such as our wedding and birth of our two favorite kiddos.

The second is a new addition, sort of.  This is an accumulation of a few homemade ornaments, school made ornaments and a whole bunch that we made and sent dad in Afghanistan.  Now, they hang on our small dining room tree as a reminder of our family's journey over the past couple of years.

 And finally, after 8 years the ole hubby put some lights up on the house!  I am so happy to have some Christmas cheer on the outside of our home.  Grandpa and Grandma are make the long journey to join us on this exciting Christmas which will top off all of this!

Oh, and speaking of long trips.  Henry, our Elf arrived on time.  He has been a little silly this year.  The kids love seeing him and finding the treats he brings.  Here are a couple of pics of him.  Not sure if that is allowed by santa though!  

Ha Ha- SLED ZEPPELIN!

Handwriting

Noah has started writing. It is so sweet to watch him practice. He will sit for long periods asking me how to spell words. Yesterday he wrote all of our family members names.

Fun in the sun

Some fun family moments!

No training wheels

Noah has been telling me for months that he could ride his bike without training wheels. I thought that we would wait until dad got home for this process. So, on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon we took off the training wheels. With only 20 min and a few scrapes this cutie was off like a rocket. It is as if he has been riding his bike without training wheels for a long time. So proud of him!

Daddy is home for good!

September 16, 2013- Dave safely arrived home from Afghanistan. His last trip! Maleah and I picked him up at the airport on our way to her last swim lesson. She was very excited to see him. Noah was surprised to see dad pick him up at school. It is so nice to have our family unit back together!

My growing kids

I can't believe how big the kids are getting. They have grown into each other's best friends and playmates. I love to watch them run around having sword fights, playing kitchen and trains. Hugs and slugs kisses are traded daily with these two!

Nana visits

We sure had a great time with Nana here.  It rained a lot, but when the sun was out, we enjoyed swimming, Botanical Gardens and working in our garden.  (We got lots of cantaloupe and cucumbers this week!)  Mom and Nana also did tons of crafting!  Cora, also enjoyed Nana's company as she had to be at her feet at all times.  We had a lot of fun and mommy enjoyed both the company and help.  Thanks for everything Nana, you are the best!

Swim lessons accomplished

August 2, 2013-After the first class of Noah completely melting down from his fear of swimming pools, it was amazing to watch him paddle around at the end. He couldn't get in the water fast enough! Many moms approached me with praises of how far he has come, which was nice since I was pretty frustrated with the first couple of classes. He starts his second session next week and couldn't be more excited!

2013 garden

This year has been a little different as the weather was tricky to start. So far we have had a healthy batch of zucchini, radish, sweet peas and lettuce. Cantaloupe, orange peppers, cucumber, onion, tomatoes and strawberries to come. The zucchini I had labeled as squash so a few got a bit big before I figured things out. See the picture of Maleah below. She loved how big her zucchini got!

Summer school

I decided to do some homeschooling this summer to both see if I might like it and help the kids retain what they have learned this year. It has been key in our home routine and I am surprised that my lesson plans of about an hour are well tolerated. This kids have had so much fun, and I've enjoyed my time with them as well. Often the kids will request more work later in the day. That makes me smile. Here are a few pictures of some of our art projects and work. I'm looking forward to finishing strong!

Cone of shame

Cora got fixed and of course she had to wear the "cone of shame" for a couple of days.  Noah thought it was pretty cool.  Here he is showing Cora that "its not that bad!"  I still don't think it convinced here otherwise.

My crazy kids

Need I say more?  

Handyman Noah at your service!

Maleah likes to wear mommy's clothes

Stars Game

The boys went to a Huntsville Stars game.  This is one of Noah's favorite places to go.  I am not sure if it is the game or the fact that dad lets hime eat candy.  Hmmm....

Noah and Ryan 

Ha Ha I have candy!

Chattanooga

We spent the day in Chattanooga a few weeks ago and we sure had a good time.  This trip we decided to take the kids on the "Duck boat ride".  Noah was very impressed that not only could it drive on the road, but it could float on water.  It was a beautiful day for floating on the river and for spending time walking around downtown.

A few of my favorite things

Sibling love

Tree climbing fun

Our crazy family

I cannot believe how fast my kiddos are growing!  It was only yesterday I was bringing my babies home from the hospital and now I have a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old!  Though many days bring challenges being a parent to these two cuties, they bring so much joy to my life.  I love watching them hold hands, hug, and play together.  Maleah has become my little diva and noah is my prince charming!  I love how diverse their personalities are.  There isn't a moment that goes by that they don't leave a lasting imprint on my heart.