Nate's Birthday 2010

Nate turned 34 last year and we had a fun, small at home family gathering. He requested chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and strawberries on top. But the kids wanted them plain so I made some of each.

We always love a reason to have treats!

Look how happy he is to be 34! ;) Or maybe it is the yummy cupcakes?

Yep, must be the cupcakes.

We all enjoyed them.

The kids had fun choosing shirts for dad.

Can you guess who chose this one???

This one was pretty awesome too.

I bought him his favorite movies on DVD. It is about time!

He got some great workout clothes from my parents. He had a great birthday. I love you honey!

2 for the price of 1

Have you ever seen a siamese banana??? Well, get ready! You are about to! I thought his banana was a little chunky when I grabbed it. Little did I know it was 2 bananas in one. Take a look: Looks a bit like a Dolphin :)

Sorry, this is totally random. But still so cool! Don't you think???

Madalyn turns 3

It is amazing how time flies! I can't believe my baby is growing up. Madalyn's Birthday happened to fall on a Sunday this year. I bought her this dress to wear to church and to her party. She loved it. I even painted her nails a similar color. She felt like the princess she is.

Later after church we had Grandma and Papa over and we opened gifts. She got a Barbie movie with many of the songs featured in the Barbie movies she loves so much. This is a huge hit at our house. She loves to sing along with the songs and she expects me to know all the words as well.

Grandma and Papa got her this beautiful, sparkly Barbie which she loves. I love it too because the body suit is painted on. So no nakedness :)

We got her this video game to use on Corbin's Leapster. She was pretty excited that she was actually going to get to use the hallowed Leapster. Corbin wouldn't let her play with it really before he agreed to let her use it for her game.

This girl loves stickers and princesses, so wouldn't you know she was over the moon about hi gift. We sit and do it when Corbin is at school which makes it extra special.

Madalyn had been asking Grandma for months for a piggy bank. Corbin was jealous. He wanted one too. And this one happened to be his favorite color as well.

But the best present of the day was dress-ups! If there is one thing that both of my kids love to play more than anything, it is dress-up. So Grandma and I both got her an assortment of dressups clothes.

She kinda looks like a combination of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.

So pretty!

This one is meant to be like a mermaid, which she loves!

Happy Birthday to you!

Blow baby!

She actually enjoyed eating the frosting off of the candle more than eating the cupcake. Next year I will remember she doesn't like cake and get an ice cream cake instead. Overall it was a wonderful day full of love and excitement. We are so in love with this sweet girl and so glad she is a part of our lives and our family. She is a treasure.

Family Traditions

Every year for gifts we make something called Christmas rolls. They are similar to cinnamon rolls and they are yummy! This year we let the kids help out and we all had a great time. They are fun to make and fun to give away.

What are some of your family traditions??? I am always looking for fun ways to celebrate the Christmas season.

It is a little sticky, and Corbin is using his big muscles from eating his vegetables :)

Sticky fingers!

Midway Christmas Party

The pictures didn't turn out great but the kids did get to see Santa this year. Corbin's school had a Christmas Party and Santa was there. They also got to decorate cookies and eat them of course. It was a good event.

Dad had to help inspire Madalyn to eat her cookie. She wasn't sure she really wanted to. I think Nate or I actually ended up eating it. She didn't really care for it.

"Ready to go yet hun?"

As you can see, Corbin didn't need any help eating his cookie. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

My NEW Favorite Cookies!

These are called Cinnamon Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies and they are SO yummy! The name threw me at first. I thought they were supposed to taste like Hot Cocoa, but the hot comes from the cayenne pepper that you throw in to give it a little kick! Spicy cookies??? Why didn't I think of that???

Here is the link to the recipe: http://http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cinnamon-spiced-hot-chocolate-cookies-recipe/index.html

My New Hobby ----<--@

I found a new love and hobby!Gardening :) Well maybe I should say that it found me. When we moved into our house we knew there was a garden spot with some strawberry plants. What we didn't know was that it also contained chives and tomatoes! Yay! So I have been trying to love and appreciate them so that they will bring many happy fruits and vegetable my way. We already have some tomatoes growing! And I didn't even have to do anything. I really enjoy digging in the dirt and weeding. Who knew? I certainly didn't. But I am really looking forward to getting some money and planting a few more things like squash and peas, carrots and peppers, and basil. Next year will be my year of the Garden :) I'm so in love with this new hobby.

This is our whole entire garden plot. Not very amazing yet, but it looks a hundred times better than it did before my dad and I pulled all the weeds out!

Look at them! Aren't they amazing???

Thank You Grandma Nan!!!

We LOVE Grandma Nan! With all her grandchildren she is still able to make them all feel loved and remembered and special. She sends letters in the mail to our kids, and in them she puts stickers and a note and sometimes she puts money! This happened yesterday and the kids were thrilled. They wanted to run out to the store and buy something. So we caved. Madalyn bought yet ANOTHER Barbie, and Corbin bought this thing that shoots water. He fell in love with this toy at Lake Lansing, it belonged to one of our friends and he was shooting everyone in sight. Oh well, thank you to a wonderful Grandma who knows how to have a long-distance relationship with her grandchildren. They love you! And they love getting your mail!