Finally

I find it funny that the last time I blogged it was about the kids excitement about playing in the snow. Since then it has pretty much been non-stop winter. We are ready for spring and have been so thankful to finally get some milder weather to be back outside again. (Which is of course relative - by the time it "warmed up" to the teens again I was sending them out to play!)
So, FINALLY, some new pictures and, FINALLY, we are getting some glimpses of Spring (towards the end of the pictures!)

Swinging in the snow!

Target practice. Melting snow is GREAT packing snow!

Ellie with, of course, "Olaf"

ALL three kids out riding bikes!!!

He was so proud of himself!

Oops - ignore my finger - but I love this one of Ellie helping Sam.
Also note that the whole sidewalk is a giant puddle! Lots of muddy laundry last week (and well worth every load to be out playing!)

Snow!

The big kids were so excited to wake up to snow on Saturday morning.  While I shoveled, they worked on building a "hill" in the front yard. Too funny!  (And needless to say, we're looking forward to sledding while in NY for Christmas!)  I'm not sure it was a complete success, but clearly a lot of fun!

Pulling Ellie up to the top

Oops! 

This smile says it all!

And another one of my favorite smiles!

And another wipe-out!

Sadly not everyone thought is was so much fun.
Don't worry, I took him back inside after this picture.

Ellie's Program

It was such a joy to watch Ellie perform in her pre-school Christmas program.  Our sweet, beautiful girl is starting to seem so grown up! 

Silent Night "sung" with sign language. Beautiful!

Ellie with her sweet friend Eva 

Love these smiles! 

After the program, Santa made a "surprise"visit, delivering presents for all of the kids.  A fun idea, but probably a bit lost on our kids who were not too sure about Santa...

Ellie tried to smile...

 Sam was even less impressed with Santa - he wouldn't even take the present!

Here Santa is telling Josh that he needs to ask for the rest of his teeth for Christmas!  (And he just lost another yesterday morning!)

The night was made extra special with Grandma and Grandpa there 

Thanksgiving: The Year of the Games

I just finished uploading my Thanksgiving pictures (Less than a week after Thanksgiving. Shocking, I know!) and had to laugh because just about every other picture is of people playing games.  Apparently this is what we did this year!  I am so thankful for family and for the fun memories that we build year after year.  As I get older (not old!) the more I am realize how blessed I am and learn to not take any of it, or any of these special people, for granted.  With that said, here are the (many) pictures...

The Games:

Playing Skip-Bo where the guys could still watch football on the TV

Connect Four with Beth

Hands Down (This might be Josh's new favorite)

A little brother bonding iPad time

More Hands Down - this time with Brandon and Uncle Dale 

Ellie taught Chelsea how to play Skip-Bo 

Catch Phrase after the kids went to bed.
(At least in theory. It turned out that Sam had set up and was playing with the train set.)

Tic Tac Toe with Uncle Dale

Not unlike real life, Sam makes up his own rules in Connect Four

Soccer in the gym (And some basketball in the background, too)

And of course there was lots of food:

Aunt Lynne and Mom hard at work 

Uncle Dale carving the turkey

Woodstock worked his way in there hoping for some scraps!

Brian worked his magic on the cranberry sauce (with Beth's supervision, of course) 

Breakfast time... and Woodstock still hoping for scraps!
This was the right place to be sitting

And of course lots of time for snuggles and tickles:

The wishbone:

Doesn't Ellie look impressed?
And look whose nose made it in the picture... looking for more food :)

And even SNOW! (And real hills for sledding!)

Fall Favorites

I know it may seem like it, but I haven't given up on blogging altogether. Here are some of my favorite pictures and memories from the Fall... and here's to trying to do better in the next few months! (And these don't seem to be in any particular order but in an attempt to actually get them posted I am just going to go with it!)

Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

A little windy, but always fun!

 Hartman Family weekend in Nuavoo, IL 

Ellie loved holding sweet baby Christian

Cousin fun in the bath tub

Family!

 Our carved pumpkins

 Trick-or-Treating with the Weis Family 

I love this tradition, and love how crowded that step is getting with all of our kiddos!

 A Veteran's Day visit to the Healing Field  - all 2013 flags - and the traveling Vietnam Memorial

 Fall Soccer for Joshua

Love the look on his face in this one!

Sam and his buddy Gabe loved playing together at the games each week

Josh was on a team with his friends Peter and Jonas!

 Sunday afternoon at  Island Park (after the Bears game, of course!)

 This determined 5-year-old learned how to ride her bike!

 Montgomery River Run with the family - 5k and a 40 yard dash

Excited to meet my goal of under 24 minutes, and Josh excited after winning the kids race!
Sam is clearly not excited by any of it...

 Visit to Brookfield Zoo

See the bear behind Ellie?

"Chasing" a penguin

I'm not completely sure if this counts as being "caught up" but it is the best I've got in me... Off to make some more family memories in Ohio for Thanksgiving...