Emmy is turning 10

Can you believe it? Emmy is turning ten this month! I cant believe I have a child that is in the double digits... This milestone is resulting in an extra-special birthday party! Emmy is having 5 friends spend the night!

She is really starting to show how much she is growing up. She has been very busy this year with school, band, & gymnastics. She has recently informed her dad & I that she wants to try basketball next.

She has made us so proud and displayed what an incredibly sweet and thoughtful person she is. We received a note in the mail from church, thanking her for including a new visitor. Just today, at Olive Garden, she got up from her seat in the lobby, to allow an older gentleman to take her place.

Just wanted to brag a bit on my soon to be 10 year old! Pictures of the party coming soon!

iPad blogging

Hopefully now that I have my long-awaited iPad, maybe this will help me keep up with our blog! Sorry to those of you who actually look at it, which may be scarce to none, I will do better!!

So recent/upcoming news, I go back to work on Monday....wah wah wah....Chase is in Preschool, and the twins are at a babysitter Mon-Fri, and have been adjusting pretty well. Emmy recently tested for the gifted program, and as soon as we get the test results, I'll let you know! Everyone is happy and for the most part healthy, aside from a few runny noses and fevers here & there, but to be expected with everybody now around other children. Kade & Kash are both learning lots in their own ways and even trying to sound out a few words outside of Mommy & Daddy. They both have big personalities, both VERY different from each other.

Right at the same time that I decide to go back to work, my photography has started picking up a little. Hoping to keep that momentum going even with a full-time job outside the house. Big Chase, still working at USAA and doing well, we are hoping there will be an opportunity for him, to get a different schedule soon that will allow him more free time with all of us.

Just a little update for everyone, if anyone, and I will continue to keep posting, really...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Family Pictures

First time in shoes!!!!

We've been walking for over a month now, but we like to go outside so mom and dad decided we needed shoes! Grammy bought us our first walkin shoes!!!

Happy Birthday Chase!

I can't believe he is four years old already. It seems like only yesterday he was born and now he is a big brother and a handsome, sweet little boy.

We're in for some TROUBLE!!!

Well, the twins have BOTH now pulled themselves up to stand...it won't be much longer and they will be walking!!! What are we going to do? They are getting so big and they are so much fun.  We are so blessed that they have been so healthy, and such good babies. They have officially grown out of their bouncy seats, not that they would sit still long enough to be in them anymore anyway!!! They are eating every kind of baby food and now even some big food!!! I will post new pictures soon, but they are moving so much it's hard to catch them!!

Invitation

We are celebrating Emmy's 8th birthday on Saturday, March 26th at 2pm at the park by our house. You are all invited! Hope to see you there!!

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Chase took Emmy to the Daddy/Daughter Dance again this year at CCV. She looked beautiful!

 

They had a lot of fun. Ate, danced, and partied!! She looks forward to this even every year. I am hoping one of these days they have a Mother/son dance!!! I would love to go do this with the boys!!!

Festival of Cheer

We went to the Festival of Cheer on Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. We had a lot of fun!! My mom and step-dad went with me and the kids. Poor Chase couldn't go because he had to sleep for work..he pretty much works every day. We got to several really cool performances like Irish dancing and some cool Karate moves!!!  They also had some real snow for the kids to play in! Little Chase wasn't so sure at first since he had never seen snow before, but got into it after he saw his big sister throwing snowballs! There was a little girl who kept nailing poor Emmy in the face, but when she looked like she was gonna go for Chase, Emmy stepped in..."Do not throw that at my little brother." I loved it!!!! If anybody is gonna pick on him, it isn't going to be anyone but her!! Lol!

 

They had Santa, who Chase was not afraid of for the first year! He was the only one who got his picture taken with him because the twins fell asleep and Emmy wanted to get her face painted instead...which she didn't get because the line was too long!!

 

They had lots of bouncy houses too! Chase LOVES bouncy houses!!! Some were obstacle courses, some were big slides, and some were just big bouncy fun houses!!

 They had cookie decorating too!! Emmy had a blast, but Little Chase didn't want anything to do with the icing...he just wanted his plain!!

Kash rolled over for the first time today!!! What a big boy!! Grammy was babysitting and got to see before Mommy!!!

Grandma made us some hats!!! Mommy loved them so much that she had Grandma show her how! Now she is making all kinds of things! Hats, scarves, blankets...well she has made a couple hats and started a scarf...but she has BIG plans!! :)

Grandma's Hats

New App

Just got a new app in my IPhone so I can blog on the go! Just trying it out. This way I can blog something important and then add/edit later so it looks pretty!! Yay!!

 We went and got our family pictures taken on Wednesday at Portrait Innovations. I can't say I was as happy as I usually am with them...but we got the job done.

 It was very difficult to get ALL FOUR of the kids to cooperate at the same time. The twins played tag team, when one was quiet, the other would cry and then they would switch. Poor Chase always had the one that was crying, so in the end I had to hold them both.

 We got a couple of great ones...like the one of Kade smiling, and a couple of decent ones. We have pics to send to everyone, but I am updating my address book and I'm pretty sure I have old addresses for many. I am going to email Grandma to make sure I have them all, she is always up to date!!!

 The outfits that the twins are wearing, I purchased long before they were born. I'm glad that they fit both of them pretty well, even with their size difference. I think they look adorable!! And even though they are just a little big, they will still be able to wear them for Christmas!

Hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! The boys seem to be doing much better now!! They are taking Zantac in the mornings, Prevacid at night, & are on a special formula (fortunately not the SUPER expensive kind like Little Chase was) They have actually taken naps in their beds the last 2 days in a row!!! They are starting to eat a lot more too...GROWING!!! We are praying that it continues!!!

We visited Grandma & Grandad on Monday. We brought burgers from Culver's...WONDERFUL burger place, one of our favorites, and now, I think one of Grandma & Grandad's favorites too! We had a great visit. Grandma hadn't gotten to see the twins since they were born, and Grandad hadn't seen them at all yet. Little Chase was really good. He had Grandad read him his new book while we were there. It was so sweet to see. Little Chase really enjoyed our visit too!!!

 We just had "Friends Thanksgiving"...a tradition with Chase's friends where we all get together at Stacey's, they make the turkey and everyone else brings a side. It is a pretty big deal. I would say about 40 or more people show up! It was a lot of fun and of course the food was great! A lot of people got to meet the twins for the first time.

 It's always nice to get to spend time with my hubby. He works so hard and so much to take care of us, he hardly ever gets a break. It is so rare we get to do anything as a family, I really cherish the time we do get and try to make the most of it!

 This year they got a bouncy house for the kids to play in. It was great! They enjoyed it of course!

 The bigger kids were jumping a little too hard for little Chase, so he kept running back and forth and every time he came over he looked up and said, "Hi Mom, hi Dad."

 We picked up Chelsea on our way out since Adam was working. It's nice to get to hang out with my sister in law!! Wish we got a chance to do it more often!

The babies were really well behaved!! Everyone just thought they were angels, including their mommy!!!