Twitterpated

"Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime."

Spring fever is officially here. The kids want to be outside, playing and enjoying the beautiful weather. They are definitely twitterpated! I love this time of year. I love the colors, the candy, and laughing with my little ones. We kicked off spring this year with a field trip to the zoo, a carnival, and some potty training fun.

Katie's Kindergarten Field Trip

Katie and one of her best friends, Brooke

A peek at what the animals eat

A popsicle for the polar bear!

Behind the scenes with the rhino. She didn't want

to cooperate during our visit and wouldn't come close

enough for the kids to pet her.

Behind the scenes and up close with the sun bear

Feeding a giraffe for the very first time! :)

My little animal lover! She had a wonderful time at the zoo

and I was so happy that I got to go with her!

Spring Fling Carnival 2012

My "baby" rides a pony solo!

Katie enjoying her time on the pony

Darts with Mrs. Montes

Andy did his victory dance after every game, throwing his

hands up and saying "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh, oh yeah"! :)

The frisbee toss

My munchkins with Comet

Bobby got his face painted with a football and a baseball.

He loves these two sports with a passion! :)

Potty Training: Week 1

Andy telling me he "Don't want to talk about it"! (He does

this now when he wants to avoid something. Makes me laugh!)

The potty king!

Spring cleaning in his big boy pants!

I have enjoyed every minute of our spring break together! It took a few days, but Andy has been doing very well with the potty training...he hasn't had a wet accident at all this week! He's so excited about wearing his big boy underwear and can't wait to go pick out some new ones!

Happy spring!!!

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more!

A new year has come and gone. Two whole months have passed and I haven't blogged once...not once! :( I've had every intention of blogging, but then this thing called life gets in the way. Life so far has included baseball, homework, sick kids, sick me, parent-teacher conferences, Vail Pride Day, Valentine's Day, the Q & U wedding, report cards...the list is endless!

So as Dorothy says "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more." I feel like I've been caught in a twister for the past 60 days. Constantly on the go. Despite the fast pace of life, I have taken the time to stop and smell the roses at home. Here are the sweetest smelling ones!

Katie holding sweet baby Brinley for the first time!

The four muskateers: "All for one and one for all!"

What's this stuff under my toes???

I love you!!!

There's always time for a spot of tea!

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!! :)

I've decided what my 2012 New Year's resolution should be (just a few weeks late). I WILL find time weekly to blog. I want to remember these days...and the only way I'm going to do that is if I write them down. Hold me to it. A blog a week for 52 weeks!!!

Christmas Eve: New Traditions

Once upon a time, Robby and I used to host Christmas Eve. Robby has to work on Christmas Eve, so we are never sure what time he will be home. The children would wear their Christmas outfits, Santa fly by and leave one present for each of them to open, and they would go to bed in their Christmas pj's. Melissa spent Christmas Eve with her in-laws, so it was a smaller family gathering and "our event". The past two years Christmas Eve has been moved from one location to another in an attempt to find a new normal.

This year, in the morning we got to celebrate with Peyton and Reagan! Santa made an early stop in Tucson to deliver their presents, with the promise he would be back for our little ones later! :) We spent time opening presents, decorating cookies, and just enjoying being together. Our time together passed very quickly and before we knew it the girls had to go home.

So happy to be able to spend the morning together!

Peyton and her new Barbie wedding set.

Miss Reagan and her 3 new purses filled with Christmas treasures.

She does not want to share her treasures! :)

Enjoying decorating Christmas cookies!

The "babies"...they aren't so little anymore.

Someone loves Reagan's new puppy!

Christmas Eve 2011

We were invited to attend a family friend's Christmas Eve charity dinner at her house in Phoenix. We agreed to attend with very mixed feelings. Although we knew the family would have a great time, Robby and I were not looking forward to the 2 hour drive to northern Phoenix...and a very late night when we made the drive back home. The drive up went smoothly and relatively quickly. We made a quick pit stop to change the kids into their Christmas Eve finery and then arrived at our destination.

T.C.'s house

Maybe Santa will appear later???

The pool area

My munchkins in Christmas outfits!

Who is ready to party?!?

I AM!!!

Ready to shoot some hoops!

Katie with her girls!

Daddy and his boys!

A chocolate smile that melts my heart!

Enjoying the kids area!

Now we get to explore the pool area!

Golf anyone?!?

Wee!

(Don't look at his pants! It's just evidence of the fun he had

climbing on the play structure.)

Our Family 2011

Nana and Uncle Paul

We can reach it if we try!!!

Bobby the Slugger takes a shot!

Katie takes a whack at the pinata!

Last. but not least, Andy's turn with the whacking stick!

Scooping up the goodies...notice Bobby's hood as he crouched

under the pinata! (Gotta save some for later! :))

Katie joins the carollers for a song!

Santa made a quick stop and had a gift for each

child. Bobby's name was the first one called!

Bobby got Madden 2012 for the Wii.

Katie got a puppy...NOT a real one!

Andy got Mater's garage.

Santa stopped by our house too and unloaded his bag!

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

We had a fantastic time and made some wonderful new Christmas Eve memories! T.C.'s house was incredible and the evening was put together with Christmas magic in mind. We have all agreed that THIS is our new Christmas Eve tradition. (Maybe next year I can be in a few more phots...gotta teach my hubby a few photo tricks!) Until next year...

The Nutcracker

The week before Christmas was a big week in our house! School was winding up and winter break was approaching. Our winter vacation started with 3 back-to-back performances of The Nutcracker. Our little ballerina loved every moment of the fast paced schedule! After we turned in her costume and closed the book on this year's performance, I asked Katie what part she wanted to be next year. Her answer: "The snow queen mommy! She's the prettiest dancer in the whole ballet!"

Our little ballerina

Katie & Miss Carrie (her ballet teacher)

Performing her Chinese Tea Act

Ballet = F-U-N!!!

Nana, Nini, and the ballerina

Mrs. Hoffner came to her final performance and snuck backstage with me!

Katie picked out a new nutcracker ornament for our tree. We started this tradition 3 years ago when "the girls" first began attending the ballet.

Merry Christmas!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Magic

The magic of Christmas is always around us. It fills the sky during the days and nights leading up to that magical night...you can feel joy, hope, and love filling the air. Despite the hustle and bustle of the season, the magic of Christmas surrounds us all. Sometimes we forget to stop and feel the magic. Sometimes life gets in the way of the magic. Sometimes our hearts aren't open to the magic. That is when the magic of Christmas refuses to be silent and true Christmas miracles occur...

May the wonder, joy, hope and love of the Christmas season fill your home, as it has filled ours this year!