Feeling like Spring...

Megan had her first ballet class of the year this morning and she absolutely loves it! All morning before her class she is asking when she get put her tutu on. It's so cute! This session goes until April and then she won't be able to go in ballet during the day as of next year, because she will be in full day school:(

Gabby is looking forward to when she can be in ballet and I think you have to be 3 years old before you can start. So maybe next year, when Meggie is in school I'll put Gabby in ballet! And I'm pretty sure she will love it too:)

This boy loves to climb stairs...

We had a busy weekend last week! It started on Thursday evening with a 90th birthday dinner with Jeff's grandpa. We went over to Jeff's parents place and had a delicious meal and birthday cake together. He is our last grandfather/great-grandfather alive, so I think it's pretty special!

Great-grandpa and 3 of his great-grandkids!

Then on Friday night our wonderful friends had us over for dinner! We have dinner parties with these friends about once a month and we rotate houses. It is so much fun for us and for the kiddies! There are 8 kids in our three families. It's great because the kids usually entertain each other and keep busy and we feed them dinner first and then the adults have a somewhat uninterrupted dinner! I am so blessed to have the friendships that I do, I know that they are an incredible gift from God.

Marty showing off his 2 new upper teeth...

On Saturday we went to some other friends house for another dinner. It was great, I didn't have to cook for 3 nights in a row!! They don't have kids and their house was SO clean. I think it was much messier after we left. It was nice to see their house before they move. They just sold it and have to be out in 4 weeks!!

Sunday night I went to a meeting at church and Jeff stayed home with the kids! I didn't end up getting home until after 10:30pm and the meeting wasn't even over yet!! I was so tired and needed to get some sleep. I got home and Jeff was still up and then we ended up talking for about 1/2 hour...and that is way too late for us to get to bed!

The kids have runny noses AGAIN!! But, they don't really seem bothered by it and they are still sleeping great. Although, last night I heard Megan coughing quite a bit at night. I've just resided to the fact that we will not be healthy until spring(hopefully!).

Speaking of Spring...it sure feels like it around here lately! The sun has been shining for the last couple of days and it's such mild temperatures. I love it! Jeff and I took the kids to the park a few days ago after he got home from work and it was starting to cool down, but still very comfortable. I'm really looking forward to Spring and Summer and just to be able to get outside more!

Remembering Opa

Last Sunday night we got a call from Jeff's cousin telling us that Jeff's Opa had a stroke and was at the hospital. We didn't know the extent of the stroke until later that evening when Jeff's dad phoned and told us that Opa had maybe 24 hours to live. We were shocked! It just makes you stop and think about how quickly life can change. To think that Opa was fine last Sunday morning and then gone that night.

This is one of my favorite pictures, Megs and Opa having dinner together on our deck!
My heart is sad...especially for Jeff's mom and her brother. But, I am also joyful in knowing that Opa is SO happy to be with Jesus. I am so thankful for the hope we have...for I can't imagine losing someone without having our hope in Jesus. Megan was really sweet when we told her that Opa had gone to heaven and she said "now he gets to be with his wife, he must be so happy." (she passed away about 25 yrs ago).

My parents looked after the kids on Thursday night and Friday. Thanks so much mom and dad for doing this for us...we really appreciated it! Marty totally adores my dad. As soon as he sees him, he crawls right over to him and wants to be held. I think he prefers my dad to me:(
Jeff's brothers and their wives came home for the funeral. It was so great to all be together and to remember Opa. The funeral was on Friday and it was a beautiful service! It was great to hear stories and see pictures of Opa's life. He was a great man. Eric put together a beautiful slideshow for the funeral. Thanks for doing that Eric, it was very special and I know Opa would have loved it!

Jeff and Eric went for a morning run on Saturday before everyone else came over for breakfast...(Megs took this pic!)
On Saturday morning we had the whole family over for breakfast and then we went to Opa's house to look through some of his things. It felt wrong just to be at his house without him being there. Gabby kept asking us "where's Opa?". She doesn't quite understand it.

Playing games with the family....
Very intently playing Dutch Blitz...Two little zombies on the couch...On Sunday night, Jeff's parents took us out for dinner. We got a babysitter for the kids and we went out for a late dinner. It was really nice for us to go out without the kids and just relax and enjoy dinner without all the interruptions. Thanks so much mom and dad!

And now we are getting back into routine. Next week Meggie starts ballet again and then the week after that both Megs and Gabby start swimming lessons. I'm not thrilled about being in a bathing suit, but hopefully I'll spend most of the time under the water! I would love to put Marty in swimming lessons too, but things get a little tricky with schedules when you have 3 littles ones! I'll probably wait until Fall and then Megs will be in kindergarten.

Speaking of kindergarten...we found out last week that the school near our house is only offering full time kindergarten:( I'm not happy about this, but I'm not really willing to drive her across town everyday just so she can be part time. There are only about 5 schools in town that are offering part time, but by next year all schools will be full time. Also, I want her to start kindergarten at the school she will continue to go to, because she will make friends and I wouldn't want to move her after one year. I think she will be fine with full time because she loves people and she loves to learn(and I think she is quite bright!). It's just that I think 5 years old is too young to be in school all day...and I'm really going to miss her all day and so will Gabby and Marty.

Anyways, I need to clean my house before my little guy wakes up! Hope you all have a great week!

Not much new around here...

Not much new around here...just getting back into our normal routine after all the holiday gatherings!

We've been pretty bad at taking pictures lately, I guess we took so many over the holidays that we haven't really been into it. Also, our camera isn't working great these days. The zoom lens is sticking and we need to send it back for repair. Thank goodness it's still on warranty!

So I thought I would give a little update on the kids...
Marty is teething like crazy right now! He has 2 teeth on the bottom and 1 on top and the other one on top is just about through. He has been waking up a few times during the night and just wants to be held...so I'm guessing it is the teeth. I usually will hold him for a few minutes and then lie him back down and he screams and I just go back to bed and he only cries for a few minutes and then puts himself back to sleep.

This is one of my favorite pics of Marty...(all these pictures thanks to Eric and Traci!)And he is SO busy these days! He crawls very fast now and gets into everything! He loves to pick at the smallest speck of food on the kitchen floor and then it goes right into his mouth. I have to sweep the kitchen floor very often these days! He has not attempted to walk yet...although he will stand up in the middle of a room with no help. Sometimes he will walk behind his push car, so he is getting the idea. I don't think it will be long now. My baby is growing up so fast! In just over a month he will be ONE...I can't believe it!!
Gabby is her happy little self these days! She is talking more and more and sometimes comes up with the funniest things. She loves to play with her polly pockets and makes up stories and dresses them up...it's the cutest thing to watch. She has a great imagination...I think she gets that from her daddy!

Such a pretty girl...The last couple of weekends I have had to run a few errands and Gabby always wants to come with me and Meggie always wants to stay home with daddy. Marty is usually napping when I go out, so he stays home too:) It is SO easy just having one child to go shopping with. Gabby loves to shop and she is such a good girl and holds my hand. We always have a fun time together! And she usually asks to have a donut because we like to go to Tim Horten's for a treat.

Meggie is getting to be such a big girl! I can hardly believe that this year she will be going to school. She is so excited to go to kindergarten. I know she will do great...she loves people and she loves to learn. I have the girls signed up for swimming lessons starting in February and Meggie is old enough to go without me in the water with her. And she will also start up her ballet class again in a few weeks! She absolutely loves ballet and is so thrilled to do it again.

My beautiful girl...She continues to be such a big helper for me...especially with Marty! If he gets into trouble she will let me know or she will move him away. Marty is so tolerate of Megan carrying him...she carries him like a cat:) We recently put Megs into a booster seat in the van instead of her car seat. She is able to buckle and unbuckle herself and it is so handy...one less child to strap in for me!
The kids are still loving the bouncy house! I love it too because they get all their energy out and get some exercise during the winter. Marty was a little scared of it at first and now he loves to go in it too...and it's kind of nice because it keeps him contained for a few minutes:)

I have a doctors appointment for the girls this week. I am going to get them officially tested for allergies. I have been living like they are allergic to nuts, just to be safe...but I would like to know for sure. Especially with Megan going to school in the fall, it would be nice to not have to worry about her. I think our family doctor will have to refer us to an allergy specialist and then we will go from there. I'll be sure to update with the results when I found out.

Anyways, I should go think of something to make for supper!

A week of Christmas fun...

Oh where to start...we have had a very busy few weeks! We had a fantastic Christmas with lots of family and friends to celebrate with. Here's what we have been up to...

On December 24th in the morning, my family came over to open gifts and just hang out together. My brother came up for Christmas and we were so excited to spend time with him. Our girls just adore their aunties and uncles! Marty had just woken up from a nap and was wondering what was going on!Uncle Loren and the girls!The girls got Polly Pockets from my parents and they absolutely love them. Gabby carries her little purse/bag with them in it, everywhere she goes! Then in the afternoon we got ready for our Christmas Eve service at church. We went to the early service and then my family and Jeff's family came over after church for dinner and the evening. We had appetizers for dinner and it was delicious! We gave each of our kids one gift to open on Christmas Eve...their annual Christmas jammies...Jeff and I on Christmas Eve...
After we put the kids to bed all of us siblings went downstairs and played "Rockband"...we had a blast! It was so great to just be together:)

Christmas morning we spent at home with just our little family! It was nice to just hang out in our jammies and let the kids play and relax! I made stuffed french toast for breakfast and then we opened stockings and gifts. We bought the kids a bouncy house this year and we were so excited to give it to them. We had it all set up down in the playroom and we took them downstairs and they were SO excited!Gabby got some sunglasses in her stocking and she wouldn't take them off...she loves them!!In the late morning we headed over to Jeff's parents place for the rest of the day! We opened more gifts there and then just hung out together. Gabby missed her nap that day, but she was still in a good mood. Marty slept great and was such a happy little guy!

Playing games on Christmas day...
Marty and Grandpa Beep...
This year for Christmas dinner we had both our families together! We were really excited about all being together on Christmas day! I feel very blessed to have the 2 families that I have...they mean the world to me:) We had a wonderful dinner together and then headed home for the kids bedtime. Jeff and I enjoyed a nice relaxing hot tub when we got home...it was so nice!
Then on Boxing day, I went shopping with my dad and my brother...yes, you read that right! Well, my dad didn't really shop, he sat on the benches in the mall and watched people while Loren and I shopped. It was really fun and SO much easier to shop without little kiddies along! We had to wait in line at one store and my brother was not too impressed about that...but he did it for me:) What a good brother he is!

On the 27th in the evening a bunch of our friends got together. Jeff's parents watched our kids and we had a great time! We played some fun games and eat lots of yummy food! Over the holidays I don't think we've gone to bed before 11pm...and that's late for me!!

On the 28th we had a big extended family gathering at Jeff's parents house! It was nice to see everyone again. The next morning, my sister in law and I went thrift shopping. We took Gabby with us and went to a couple different stores and found some good deals! Jeff has been so good about watching the kids while I've gone out...and I've gone out quite a bit over the holidays.

On December 30th we had some old friends over for dinner and then a surprise birthday party for our friend after dinner. A bunch of other people showed up after dinner for a little party! Our kids had so much fun playing with their kids and they all enjoyed the bouncy house:)

Oh, I forgot to mention that Eric and Traci took some family pictures of us on Sunday. I'm really happy with them!Then yesterday we went to the new pool in the morning with some other friends. Jeff hadn't been to the new pool yet and Marty has never gone in before. He wasn't too sure about the colder pools, but he loved the hot tub! I don't blame him:) The girls had fun, but they were a little hesitant of the wave pool.Then last night for New Years Eve, we went to our good friends house for a party!! Everyone brought their kids along and we thought we would put them all to bed and then celebrate the New Year together. There were 5 couples and 13 kids between all of us. It was great!! We had a yummy dinner and lots of snacks throughout the evening...and I actually made it to midnight!!! I was getting really tired about 11pm, but managed to stay awake. We put the kids to bed about 8:30pm and they did really good. It took them a little longer to fall asleep then usual, but they all did eventually sleep. We hulled them out of their beds at about 12:30am to go home and they were little zoombies and went right back to sleep when we got home!

Today we are just hanging around the house and relaxing. It's so nice to not have anything going on...I'm ready for a little down time! So Happy New Year to everyone...may 2010 be a year of great blessings!