Life Lately

Life lately has been crazy.  Lots of Christmas decorating, squeezing in holiday fun with the kiddos and being reminded that family is everything and we have so much to be thankful for.

 I like to start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I want my decorations down as soon as Christmas is over, they don't last until New Years Eve so I like them up nice and early so we can enjoy them a long time.

Putting up our tree takes for-ev-er.  I love how big it is but after about 15 minutes of "fluffing" I'm over it! haha  Eric get it all set up, I fluff and do the lights and then Elle helps me hang ornaments.  We have a pizza picnic in the living room with Christmas music on (Eric was playing DJ so it was pretty questionable) and hang ornaments. 

Here is Elle while I finish decorating and she watched Minions 2. 

The morning after we put up the tree we woke up to snow flurries which was so exciting!

Elle is helping me make pancakes here.  I had never made them before and after I successfully made my first one with out burning it Elle and I were both pretty excited.  She kept saying "you did it mommy!" and hugging me. :)

Grandma Chris has a Frozen bed in her spare bedroom and Elle is in love.  Now when we go there she just wants to sit in the bed the whole time.

Baby's first Christmas!!

We went to church with mom and dad one Sunday then to their house for lunch. They had new Christmas jammies for all the babes and we helped decorate their tree.

Bear just wanted to throw the ornaments on the tree skirt, who has time to actually hang them?

Toy Story is still pretty popular around here.  Buzz is her number 1 request from Santa. For her birthday she has decided she wants a black car like mommy's.  Time will tell if she gets her wishes. :)

I love holiday jammies! 

This boy is everywhere.  Crawling, pulling up to stand and just into everything!

I have about 30 pictures of this snowman on my phone. Elle likes taking pictures of him.  She is constantly moving him around the house. 

One day as we were starting a movie Elle saw the Disney castle (which she always asks who lives there) and saw the fireworks, she said "fireworks are poppin like bubbles!"

Sidenote - notice the little watch she is wearing.  She loves wearing watches!

"Mom, come sit down.  I have a pumpkin beer for you."

This crazy group stopped to see Santa one day.

 I am shocked that Ollie didn't cry!  I think there was strength in numbers.  I want to take Elle and Ollie again next week to see the Santa at Von Maur and actually dress them up.  

Thanksgiving morning watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  Eric made us a big breakfast and Elle loved watching the parade! She had her dress on and would twirl like the dancers on TV. 

So incredibly thankful for my two little loves. 

Our Thanksgiving this year was a bit different than ones in the past but everything that took place reminded us to be so thankful for each other! I am so blessed that I get to go through life with the most amazing family. 

Mom, Mary and I did our black Friday shopping about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and had so much fun!  We met at Cheesecake Factory for dinner then hit up the American Girl store, the outlet mall, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart...oh and of course Starbucks!  It's not a shopping night with my ladies without Starbucks. 

Oliver will never let Uncle Corey hold him so this had to be documented. 

Dressing up as a princess is still pretty popular around here. 

Ollie and Elle taking a drive through the grocery store.

Sometimes when I try to help Elle with something I will hear "hun, I got it!"

Such a big girl!

Elle was in no mood to share her Woody doll with her Oliver!

Check out these sad little faces!

We have had some fun days with the Voss boys at our house!

Eric sent me this picture of Elle watching Selena.  She is totally my daughter!

She knows she can't use a pen on the couch so she was getting pretty creative!

This little babe can say "mama" "dada" and "baba"

I can not handle this much cuteness!!  I smother this boy with kisses all day long!

The night before St. Nick came.  She was pretty excited!

They had a fun morning going through their goodies!

And Elfie came back!!

These guys were playing "Northpole".  Elle is Santa and Henry is and elf.

Putting these babes to work!  Chay Chay has OCD and likes a clean house. :)

Ollie loves sitting up here.  Heights don't bother him at all...so far. 

It makes Elle extremely nervous and she told me in the car yesterday that she wants me to tell Eric to not put her up there anymore because it makes her uncomfortable.  She also requested that her goo goo (her nickname for Ollie) never go up there again. :)

He wants to grab the tree so bad...and he will...all day long!

Have I talked much about Elle's friends Bink and Boke? They are with us pretty much all the time.  Bink is a girl and never gets into trouble.  Boke is a boy and he is terrible, he never listens and is always getting into things. :)  We call Boke's mom a lot to come pick him up because he's not being a good listener. 

Here she is making their lunch. 

Always playing under the table!

Elle and her snowman watching the Grinch. 

One night I promised Elle we would have a picnic after Ollie fell asleep. Well, she fell asleep while I was putting him to bed and when I tried to pick her up she immediately jumped up and asked if we could still have a picnic just the two of us. Gladly. 

I love one on one time with my best buddy. 

Ollie woke up from a nap one day ready to play and jump on sissy.  Elle needed a bit more time to wake up. 

Popcorn and Mary Poppins last weekend!

leg rolls!!!

Making cupcakes and listening to Christmas music...while dressed as a princess. 

She wanted to take a picture after we were done.

Sneaking in on sissy's spot. 

I had the four babes Monday and mom and dad stopped by to bring us lunch and play.  These babies were so excited to see them!!

This picture is when we were starting nap time, dad took the opportunity to snooze as well.

We took Elle and Oliver to look at Christmas lights on Monday.  We stopped and grabbed a pizza and were headed to drive through the Celebration of Lights when they told us it was closed on Mondays.  whomp whomp

So we drove to the Wentzville lights and got the same news...closed on Monday's.

We knew there was no way we could just turnaround and go home so we pulled into a subdivision and let Elle ride up front while we drove around and looked at lights. 

Ollie proving that he can fall asleep anywhere, just like his sister.

That's life lately.  I can't believe Christmas is next week!! And my sweet girl will be 3 on Saturday!!! 

Lots of fun will be had this weekend. :)