Hot Cocoa & MARSHMALLOWS!

Mmmmm...nothing warms you up quicker than a hot cup of cocoa (with LOTS of marshmallows) on a cold, blustery day!  We cannot believe how cold it is today, but we're looking forward to the potential for some white stuff later on this week.  Bring on the snow...our cabinets are stocked with hot cocoa!!!



My Name is: KLIDE

Kaiden wanted to write the elf's name, but Kiersen also wanted to help!

This morning the kids woke up to discover that, while they were sleeping last night, Santa had delivered to them an 'Elf on the Shelf'.  They were SO excited and Kaiden hasn't stopped carrying it around since the box was opened.  They named him Clyde, but wanted to spell it with a 'K' like their names, so our brand new elf's name is Klide.  The magic starts tonight, so Kaiden will no longer be allowed to touch him, but we're all looking forward to finding him in the morning.  Kaiden thinks he's going to hide in tricky places, since he can tell he's a 'bit of a tricky elf'.  We'll see :)

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

Kaiden had his Thanksgiving Feast at school on Friday.  The outfit he made (out of a paper bag) was adorable.  On the back (wasn't able to get a nice picture of it) he had drawn a picture of himself riding on a buffalo and had the words 'this is me and my buffalo).  He also had some beads, which I assume was a 'trade' among the different classes, since he told me he was making a present to give to the other classroom.  Adorable!

Buster!

When Ken and I were first married I had a love for Santa Clauses, and loved adding new ones to my collection.  This particular Santa - although slightly 'funny' looking - was one of my favorites which I bought around the same time we were married.  I named him 'Buster' after my Grandpa Bouchette because my grandpa always loved Christmas so much (I know, I know...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?!!?!?)  Well - seems as though Kiersen also has taken a liking to him and carries him around the house like he's her baby.  Often times I catch her hugging and kissing on him.  I should probably stop her from doing it, since he's beginning to look pretty shabby, but I guess I figure that's what Christmas memories are made of!

Look at those Slippers!!!

Well, today marks my first official day as a full-time HuckleBee Owner!  (Yep....feeling pretty excited about it).  Before I left the office the girls all surprised me with some pretty amazing things.  These girls know me very well and showered me with my favorite things...yummy cakes, coke, slippers, books, magazines, cleaning supplies, fun stuff for the kids...the list goes on and on and on.  One of the things I got was a fuzzy pair of pink slippers with big flowers on them.  Kiersen and Kaiden have taken a liking to them and fight over who will wear them next.  Although....Kiersen usually wins out because Kenny doesn't like when Kaiden puts them on.  Here she is all smiles in them.  BUT....out of all the things the girls got for me, my favorite thing of all was the friendship each and every one of them gave me while I was there at Reynolds.  They are all amazing people whom I will never forget.

SNOW!

So last Tuesday we had our first snowfall of the season, and although it only ended up being about a 1/4", the kids were so excited.  They kept talking about building snowmen and making angels.  Okay - and now here's the truth....I was just as excited.  It's going to be neat this year because I will no longer have to worry about traveling to work, getting stuck or feeling guilty because I called off work while everyone else living much, much closer than I do is at the office.  Bring on the snow days!  I cannot wait!!!

Ohhhhh Christmas Tree!

Hee hee...look at all the ornaments hung on the bottom of the tree - some branches were really 'adorned'...getting up to 6 ornaments per branch!!!

If you're reading this blog, chances are you know how much I love Christmas, and you also know that I tend to begin decorating soon after Halloween.  This year was the best yet because the kids were so into it.  Kiersen will no doubt turn into a mini-me.  This morning when she woke up to get ready for school she ran out to the living room and laid by the tree and just stared at it.  We talked about how beautiful it was and then she quickly asked 'where are the presents'. 

And....as for Kaiden....when we were setting up the tree he stayed in one area (at the back of the tree) and hung all his ornaments.  I told him we wouldn't get to appreciate them because they'd be in the back, but he didn't care.  Well....that was until tonight.  I was giving Kiersen her bath and all of the sudden I felt like things were a bit too quiet in the living room.  When I rounded the corner I couldn't believe what I saw.  He had decided that he couldn't see his ornaments enough so he moved the tree to the middle of the living room!  The only thing keeping the tree from toppling over was the string of lights plugged into the wall!  Whew...that was a close one! 

Playground!!!

Kiersen - Age 2

Holly - Age 5 (Almost 6!!!)

Kaiden - Age 6

Bryar - Age 7

On Saturday I ditched my chores and orders for an afternoon at the park with a few of my favorite little people.  It was pretty cold, but the kids had a great time.  After we left, we decided to hit up Dairy Queen to make us even colder!  Yum!



Halloween 2013!

Cooper the Dinosaur...or maybe an alligator...not sure but he sure was cute!

Kaiden, Cooper & Kiersen

Better late than never, right?  I've been meaning to get these photos posted, but cannot seem to find the time.  This year Kaiden was a bat and Kiersen was a turkey.  We don't really go full-blown trick-or-treating, but we did get out to the neighbor's house and also to Grandma & Paw Paw's house.



Kiersen's FAVORITE Hat!

Kiersen loves her new Hello Kitty hat so much that she insisted on wearing it to bed the first night.  After much hesitation I gave in and she was happy!  Kaiden on the other hand....can't get him to wear a hat to save my life!  This should make for an interesting winter!