Valentine's Fun

Kennedy has such a love for all holidays!  I really enjoy anticipating them right along with her!    This year I gave Kennedy & Jeff a little something thing each day leading up to Valentine's Day, starting with February 1st.  I read about the idea at mommybydaycrafterbynight.com.  I borrowed some of her ideas and added some of my own!!!  Kennedy gets into it so much!  If her new mini valentine isn't sitting out in the morning she asks where it is! 

This first one is actually just for Jeff.  I got this cute tak3-out box at Michael's.  I used a Martha Stewart tutorial to make felt fortune cookies.  I then put in 10 "fortunes" which are actually 10 reasons why I love him!!! 

This was actually just a fun snack Kennedy and I made!  Crazy enough, I never got a picture of the final project! Sad, because they were so pretty!  We took them to our Super Bowl Party. I found the tutorial at prudentbaby.com

 

This was part of our dinner one evening.  Usually we just cut a circle and put an egg in the middle.  But today I made it a heart!

Another mini valentine!  I made Rice Krispie treats and formed them into balls. I was going to do hearts but was too lazy!  Then Kennedy's were dipped in pink and Jeff's in red!

And another mini Valentine!  

Christmas Recap #2

You can find the first half of our Christmas celebrations at this post!   After our Christmas morning in our jammies, we headed to Mema's house for our traditional Cornish Hen Feast!!!!   YUM!! Aren't you jealous?!

The kids did a great job of eating and then playing before the present opening began!

And isn't my elf a cutie?!

And of course Miss Q and Miss Z were adorable in their holiday outfits!    But now it is on to the GIFTS!

I just LOVE these photos!  Mema gave each family a Wii for Christmas!  Check out the look on EVERYONE'S faces!!!

Yeah, HUGE HIT FOR SURE!  We have been playing Wii a ton over the break!  I think once school begins again we may need to put a time limit in place!  

Christmas Recap #1

Christmas was pretty low key this year....I guess that is what the sickies will do.  Jeff, Quinn and I all passed around a flu bug.  So, the pictures are pretty ho-hum and I didn't take many.  Bummer.  Just felt too yucky.  


Christmas Eve was at our home with Jeff's sisters' family, Papa Lou, Aunt Barb, Cousin Michael and Great Papa Henry.  This was the night I felt the worst...I didn't even eat dinner.   
Here is Great Papa with Barbe and Zia...sleeping.

Jeff and Quinn watching others open gifts.

Lou got a photo of his mom and aunt...such a treasure.

Both Jeff and Lou got Cotton Bowl t-shirts. Go Cats!

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The next morning was just the four of us at home.   It was such a change from last year for Quinn.  She wasn't sitting up alone yet but this year she actually opened her own gifts!

This series of photos reminds me so much of Kennedy when she had her 2nd Christmas.  Papa Doug and Grandma Jodie got them ride on toys and both girls were thrilled!

Pretty cute, huh?

This is Kennedy opening her BIG gift from Santa.  A Nintendo DS!  Wonder if she liked it?

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!   The rest of our Christmas photos will be in the next post!

More Elfie Adventures

Day 11

Silly Elfie!  He TP'ed the bathroom!!!

Day 12

Who knew elves could drive cars?!?!  Elfie must have gone for a joyride in the minivan last night!  I hope he drives better than he parks!!!

Day 13

Today Elfie kept watch over us in the kitchen!

 

 Day 14

WOOAAHH!!  This was one of the craziest things he has done yet!  He put Post-It notes ALL OVER THE PLAYROOM!!!!

 (Please don't mind my empty frames and the mess of toys.  Our house is very :lived in!")

 

Day 15

You will NOT believe this, but Elfie didn't move today!  We were a bit worried that someone had touched him without our knowledge and lost his magic.  But the next day we breathed a huge sigh of relief when he found a new place!

Day 16

Elfie knew that he had made us so worried!  So he stayed by Kennedy's bed. He left her a sweet note and a little present!!

More to come!!!!

Limo Ride with Santa

 Oh boy!!!!!!!!  I love surprises, don't you?!?!?

Along with two other families, we made the best memory a few weeks ago!   We split a limo ride tour of the Christmas lights in the city!  Looking at lights is a tradition for our family as I know it is for many others.  But this was just above and beyond!  My friend, Stephanie, decided we adults should wear ugly Christmas sweaters to add some fun!  Only, we couldn't find many! :(  So the men all wore t-shirts from the movie "A Christmas Story".  The gals found one for me and adorned it with additional gaudy ornaments and a big red bow!  I need to see if they got a picture of me!  All of us got Elf hats or reindeer headbands! And I made shirts for the kiddos.  You can see them in THIS POST.

 

Jeff and I hadn't told Kennedy about ANY of it!  We told her that morning that we had a BIG surprise for her after school!  After school we dropped Quinn off at Mema's house.  Mema accidentally mentioned a limo ride and Kennedy said "Umm...I don't think you were supposed to tell me that!"  But it was fine - Kennedy didn't know what a limo was!  I was giving her tiny hints on the ride to the plaza to meet up with our friends.  I told her things like: It holds 10 people.  We won't be in a building.  Two of your friends will be there.  I have only done this one time before, etc.  She loves surprises like me!

Well, my friend Stephanie had an additional surprise up her sleeve too!!  She was able to get Santa to come from the North Pole and take the limo ride with us!!!!!  I wish I could have seen Kennedy's face when the limo pulled up, the driver walked around and opened the door, and Santa bellowed "Ho Ho Ho Kennedy!" 

 Oh, and Santa brought gifts for everyone!  How cool is that!? Here is Nate opening his!

We ate some yummy homemade treats, drank hot cocoa, sang Christmas songs and saw some fabulous light displays!  We made a stop at Santa's Workshop.This is a spectacular display that a KC man has put up in his yard for 40 years!!  Here is a link to a website about it!!  Mike Babick's Display

So here are the kiddos in their festive shirts in front of the Grinch!

 There is even a sleigh in the front yard for photos!!!!!

 Here Santa is teaching Jeff to chuckle in a low "Ho Ho Ho!!!"

 And a last photo of  my little elf with Santa!

It was a truly awesome time!  I hope we can make it a yearly event!!!

In case any of you readers are in the KC metro area, here is a great resource for holiday lights in the area!

http://www.kansastravel.org/kansascitychristmasdisplays.htm

A Little Holiday Sewing

We had a super fun "Holiday Event" a week ago!  (more to come on the details soon!)  The adults had ugly Christmas sweaters and shirts to wear.  But the poor kiddos had nothing. So I whipped up some cute little shirts for them!!  If I had more time I would have listed some in my Etsy store! Next year, right?!

This one was for our buddy Micah!  He liked it so much he has requested I make him one with a penguin now!!

This was for our man Nate!   I just love that green polka dot fabric!

 And of course this one is for my big girl, Kennedy!   I have a strange obsession with ribbon so this was totally fun to make!!!!

More info on our "Holiday Event" and photos of the kids in their shirts will be coming soon!!!