So what do you do..

So what do you do when you have a cake to decorate...and a cranky baby with an ear infection? Give her her first gooey, warm chocolate chip cookie of course!

Really I should

Really...this is the good stuff...everyday, just life with these little people...I just love them!

Our baby turns one! She does not like to get messy, nor does she like trying new things...hence the look of concern instead of pleasure being given a cake all to herself...

Olivia in Mackenzie's new chair on Christmas morning.

Olivia in her Christmas dress...so cute! She had a santa hat to match..yeah, she loved that.

Waiting to come down stairs on Christmas morning.

The girls at their piano recital...they actually practiced a bunch and did a fantastic job.

Emily's class party at school...I was "lead room mom" that's a ....story.

Emily's Dance recital...she was awesome...and Beautiful!

Ear Infection number 1 of 3!

Really and truly I should update this so much more. I had a thought on Olivia's birthday that I had missed writing on my journal about her birth and first year. I then realized that I had it all right here in this blog...That I neglect now. So I am committing to blogging once again. Life has been busy, and full and tiring as of late. Rather than the details I am going to show with some snap shots....

Oh Man she is a cutie!

What a Beautiful baby! Really couldn't you just eat her up? She is the best!

Thanksgiving...

Oh Yes, I am just now posting our pictures of thanksgiving.... This one is of the kiddos making their traditional OREO turkeys. This is by far and away one of the best traditions passed down by my family:) The kids also did a great job decorating the table. We made the entire dinner even though it was just our little gang this year. We even made a 16.5 pound turkey...(I froze a bunch of the meat for easy dinners to come) The girls did an awesome job on the pies! Kenzie made a pecan Pie for the first time ever, and Emily made her famous Pumpkin Pie again this year. Brian bought a log for the fire and we also enjoyed the New York Macy's Day Parade and the Black Friday ads...I would have to say that we had an awesome loving day and it was just about perfect.

Cuties

Just a very quick post with some of the cute snap shots we've taken lately....Mackenzie and Callie at the Drama night, Ryan loving on Olivia, and Olivia experiencing her first taste of grass.

Halloween fun

Hello. Brian here. Just thought I'd share some Halloween photos from this past week.

Olivia dressed up as a cheetah, Ryan was Indiana Jones with spiders hanging from hat, Emily a box of Skittles and Mackenzie a snack vending machine.

We had a lot of fun. Earlier in the week was the annual YMCA carnival, Friday was the annual "Scare on the Square" in downtown McKinney and yesterday was the trunk-or-treat at the Stake center.

One bonus to our already fun week was Emily and Mackenzie both won first place awards in the McKinney costume contest in the "Green" category. Jamie used the big cardboard boxes we had in the garage from our recent washer/dryer purchase and made the costumes. We saw some really cool costumes that night. Those boxes made their shoulders sore and tired after walking around in them all week, but they did great and didn't complain. They knew not to complain or Dad would eat all of their candy. :)

Jamie really worked hard on those boxes in her "spare" time. She did a great job.

Anyway, we are very thankful to get to spend this time together and never want to take it for granted. We all ate Jamie's delicious homemade chili on a "cold" Halloween Texas night!

Apparently it's a tradition...

Traditions run deep with my kiddos...in fact I am discovering that we have many "traditions" that I did not even know about...like making caramel apples on the family home evening before Halloween. Emily informed me that we just had to because it's one of our greatest fall traditions. I guess traditions can be anything you want them to be. This week I was talking with my mom and I mentioned that I kept wanting...no NEEDING to make cinnamon rolls for some reason. Really...I felt like I just had to make them...and really I do not even like them, and the family is not crazy about them...But I NEEDED and felt compelled to make them. I then said, " what is it about fall that makes me think you have to have cinnamon rolls?" And sure enough, Mom said that she ALWAYS made cinnamon rolls during the fall...because that is what her mom did. That they just go hand in hand with the fall season. I was talking with my brother tonight and guess what he said...."I'm making cinnamon rolls for dessert tomorrow"...Yep...traditions.