North Pole Breakfast 2011

Hooray!

Elfie has come to visit for the season!!!

This year, he served the girls a North Pole Breakfast!!!  YUM!!

When Kennedy came downstairs, this is what was waiting for her!

Each girl had a personalized note from Elfie himself!  Kennedy said, "Mom - it looks like he got into your scrapbook supplies.  Is that ok?!"

And check out the menu!  Snowman donuts and marshmallows - DELICIOUS!!!!

Sadly, Elfie was called back to the North Pole before we woke up.  But this note explained it and Kennedy said, "Oh, that's totally fine!"  She had fun trying to figure out what Elfie might be helping the new Elf to learn!

Here is her note to Elfie!!

Kennedy also got gifts!  A fun plate, countdown placemat, ornament with her photo in it, a funky cup and.......

...books!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think Quinn enjoyed the donuts???  This was her first taste of donuts EVER and she inhaled them!!!

Each girl also got a fun container with more donuts!!!!

And here is Kennedy reading the notes from Elfie!

 

 

 

Reading

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that we seem to have raised an enthusiastic reader!!! I was an avid reader as a child and it makes me so happy to watch Kennedy get the same enjoyment from her books!  She has been bringing home her reading group books to read to us at home.  Honestly, the first book she brought home surprised me!  I thought it might be too difficult for her!  Was I wrong!  This girl can read!  For the grandparents I thought I would share some of the books he has been bringing home from reading group!!  As always, you can click on a photo to enlarge it!

She recently read her first chapter book ENTIRELY by herself..no help from us!  And she read it in 2 days!  I believe she could have done it much sooner, but the length seemed to intimidate her.   Now she can't get enough of them!  How blessed she is to have a natural aptitude for reading - this will make the school experience so much easier and more pleasant for her!!!!

Happy Halloween!!

 Happy Halloween!

The kids had today off of school for a teacher in service - lucky, huh?!  So the Elliott girls came to visit!  We had a fun Halloween lunch that consisted of an orange pumpkin, a mummy hot dog, a ghost banana and a ghost cheese (already consumed in the photo below!)

We also made a Halloween treat - Witch's hats!!!

 

 

 

The weather couldn't have been better - I honestly think it was the warmest Halloween of my entire life!  Jeff and I walked the girls around the neighborhood in short sleeves!

Kennedy trick or treated with her friend, Kennedy!  They were both super heroes and both have the same name...they thought that was pretty fun!

Quinn was a great sport - she was so tired!  What a trooper!  Maybe next year she can help ring doorbells!

She did love going through all Kennedy's goodies when we got home!  But no candy for this little girl yet!

Clearance Find and Redo

Have I ever told you all how I love Hobby Lobby's clearance section?  Well I do!  I often find some crazy goodies tucked away in there.  But you really have to be willing to look at things differently!  Normally I end up totally repurposing or altering the items to fit my needs.  So today I will show you one example!!

Over the summer I found this decorative scroll in the clearance aisle.  Hideous, yes.  I am not really a gold person. But I saw potential!  I think I paid under $6 for it. 

 

All it really needed was a little white spray paint!  Ok, maybe a LOT of white spray paint.  But I think it looks much better!!!   It now resides above the door going to our basement!

Whatcha think?  Hopefully I can share some more trash to treasure finds with you soon....I have plenty of them!!!

Quinn on the Move

 

Quinn is definitely walking now!  And trying to dance!  I shot this video yesterday.  The sound isn't the best. :(  But we had the kid's music channel on the television and she was walking, dancing and having a great time!   Enjoy!!!

Love Notes

Kennedy is so excited to be able to write notes!   She says writing in school is one of her favorite things now!  I appreciate her eagerness and how she doesn't fret about not knowing how to spell perfectly!  I would estimate I get at least a note a day!  And I love them all!  I have been scanning many of her school assignments, test, projects, etc and will put them in a big photo book about 1st grade.  But I have also been scanning many of the notes.  There are soooo many of them I can't keep the paper copy of them all.  Wish I could.

I just wanted to share this one with you.  Jeff and I had gone to dinner and a movie with some friends.  The girls were having fun with Mema.  We came home to this note and it melted my heart.  I really do have the sweetest child!! 

A Wedding in September

What a beautiful bride.  My cousin, Gretchen, was married last weekend.  It was a joyous occasion with a tinge of sadness.  We all missed her sister Jennifer.  But you could feel the love all night!

After checking into the hotel and getting dressed in our wedding garb, the girls rode the luggage cart back downstairs!!!

It was wonderful to be around so much family!  Here is Miss Marin!  This is the look I usually get from her!  She is the sweetest thing - I wish we lived closer.

The wedding ceremony was outdoors and just beautiful!  But the two little girls didn't enjoy just sitting still!  Thanks to Jeff and Lindsay for walking them around during the ceremony!

Oh Quinn!  She just wanted to "walk" during most of the reception!  Various family members took turns walking her around the barn!  This time it was Great Grandma Phyllis, aka Gigi's turn!

Kennedy had been looking forward to this wedding for months!  She had planned to dance the night away with her boy cousins.  But alas, none of them could come.  So....she danced the night away by herself!  It was truly a joy watching her dance!  I could just feel my heart bursting - she looked so happy and was so very carefree.  I know those feelings of freedom won't be around much longer.

More dancing!

I just love this photo!  There were a few little boys there that we didn't know.  For a while they really weren't sure what to think of Kennedy's dancing!   LOL!

 

Finally, toward the end of our evening, Kennedy "let" Daddy dance with her!!!!

And Quinn finally fell asleep!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for a wonderful evening Lewis family.  Gretchen and Aaron, we wish you a lifetime of love and adventures!