Snow Day!!!

Okay, so being a stay at home mom means that every day that there is snow is a snow day for us! :) This past Wednesday it snowed about 5 inches and then on Thursday it was so nice and sunny and the temperature very tolerable outside so Karina and I decided to go out and play in the snow, or the "snowy" as she calls it. She was a bit apprehensive at first but then I could hardly convince her to come back inside. Oh yeah and we've been looking for snow boots for her but have yet to find any for a decent price, so she had to wear her fashionable pink cowboy boots out in the snow! Here are some pics of the day...

"Mommy help me!!"

"Following the leader, the leader, the leader..."

What a beautiful little doggie!!

You can still swing...even in the snow!

"Ohhh...Christmas Tree(s)"

This year during the Christmas season Karina has definitely been aware of all the decorations, Christmas trees, etc... and asking questions about what it is all for. So we've been telling her we're celebrating Jesus' birthday and she's all about that because she loves birthdays for some reason, so when we ask her why we put a Christmas tree up she says, "it's for Jesus' birthday party!"


So anyways, before we got our big Christmas tree, she kept saying that she "neeeeeeded" a baby Christmas tree. So we went to Walgreens to find a "baby" Christmas tree and the first one we saw was a little white Christmas tree with none other than her best friend, Cinderella on it. So of course we had to get that one. It's really cute though, it lights up and plays Christmas carols.





Then a couple of days later we got the big Christmas tree. Abel brought it in the house, we put it in the stand, put the water in the base, and then he left for work...that darn thing was up for less than an hour when Yoyo saw something through front window and bee lined it towards the windows barking his head off and he knocked over the entire tree spilling the water all over the floor, into the vents and all over the carpet! Thankfully the tree was not decorated yet! So once we finally got the thing back up and stablized, Karina helped me decorate the tree and here's the finished product....

Best Buddies

Karina and YoYo are best buddies, I find them doing things like this on any random day...so cute!!

First Snow of the Season

We had our first snow of the season this past Sunday. We were driving to church and the flakes were HUGE! About the size of quarters...it was so pretty! Last year Karina did not want to have anything to do with the snow, she wouldn't even touch it, this year she is all about the "snowy" outside and wants to play in it!

Thanksgiving in Indiana

This year we went to Indiana to have Thanksgiving with my mom's family. My mom's family is so large that for a holiday like this we are too big to fit in someone's house, so like every year for the last I don't know how many years we were in a church fellowship hall, this time my aunt's church. Had great food, the little kids had fun with all the toys and the big kids played football outside. The funnest part of the Thanksgiving getaway was that we got to stay at a hotel, but the weird part is that it was in our hometown. I say weird because usually when we go to Indiana we stay with family, well this time because it was a holiday, our extended family had family staying with them and because our immediate family is large now (it was me and my family, my sister and her family and mom and dad, 10 total) we didn't really have anywhere to stay, so we decided to get a suite at the Essenhaus Inn, which has been there all through my growing up years and a so VERY touristy place that we never thought we'd stay there...but this time we did...and it was so fun!! The suite was awesome, it was actually three separate rooms. It had a bedroom then a living room with a kitchenette and then another bedroom. And three bathrooms, yes three!! We stayed there on Thanksgiving night and my brother Todd and his family came to hang out with us. They had a full size indoor pool, a kiddie pool and a hot tub...soooo nice. Like I said it felt weird at first but then we got over it! HAHA! I can't believe it but I hardly took any pictures at all the whole weekend, but here are some cute pictures of Kolton (my nephew) and Karina laying on the bed in the hotel...

It's Officially Christmas...In Chicago

Every year in Chicago, the Christmas season officially begins with the tradition of lighting Michigan Avenue, otherwise known as The Magnificent Mile. This event is known as the Festival Of Lights and this year we went with our friends Josh, Jen and Jalese. Knowing the girls would enjoy it because of all the pretty lights, we knew they would enjoy it even more when we found out that their good friend Mickey Mouse was going to lead the parade! Several days before we went to the Festival of Lights Karina was at the computer with me while I was looking at the schedule for the festival and she asked what it was so I explained to her that we would be going on the train to see Mickey. So every day, several times a day she would ask me with a really excited voice...mommy we going on the train and see Mickey today??!! And I'd sadly have to tell her...no not yet, a few more days. And every time we'd hear the train...mommy we going on the train today to see Mickey!! So next time, we'll tell her the day of. :)

So we started our exciting Christmas welcoming day by boarding the Metra and headed for downtown...the girls loved the train and thought they were big stuff. Then we stopped at one of the plazas to see The Cheetah Girls perform...well a certain pair of guys who shall remain nameless watched them perform while Jen and I went ahead to the Rainforest Cafe to put our names in. (Okay, they only stayed for 1 song) So yes, we took the girls to Rainforest Cafe and they were intreagued by the jungle animals, except for the person dressed in a Tree Frog costume, Karina was sooooo not into that!

And then we braved the cold...oh was it cold! But just for the sheer joy of seeing the girls' faces when Mickey came into sight standing atop his castle was worth standing in the cold and being pushed and prodded for 3 hours!

Here's some pics of the day.

Our Baby Is Not A Baby Anymore :(

Karina is now 2 1/2 years old and she is not a baby anymore...and we marked this milestone by saying bye-bye to her crib. The bed we are wanting to get for her is on backorder so we just put her mattress on the floor. The first day we tried it was on Wednesday during her naptime and so when it was time, I sat her on the bed and said "ok you're gonna sleep in your big girl bed and if you need me just call out for me". I gave her a book and left the room. Ten minutes later I went and checked on her and she was out. When I heard that she was awake at the end of her nap, I went in and asked her if she had a good nap and she so very sweetly said, "yes...may I get up now?" She did so good sleeping on her big girl bed that day and has done great ever since! How time flies when kids are little...

What A Legacy

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go to Indiana where I grew up to celebrate my Grandpa & Grandma Beachy's (my dad's parents) 65th Wedding Anniversary. I feel so blessed to have both grandparents on both sides still living and to be able to celebrate this milestone with them, was an incredible opportunity. Everyone in the family (except Joe & Donneta, my sister) were able to attend and there were 41 of us there. We first had lunch with just the immediate family and then as a surprise, some of Grandpa and Grandma's siblings came for snacks and desserts. For those of you who don't know, my family heritage is Mennonite, and most of Grandpa and Grandma's siblings are Amish. For anyone who doesn't know what either one is, google it :) Here are some pictures of the party...

My Grandma & Grandpa, Viola & Dan

My Dad's family, (he has 3 brothers and 1 sister) from left to right:

Deb & Wilmer (brother), Joan & Lavern (brother), Wilda (sister) and Ron,

Rose & Elmer (brother) Mom & Dad and Grandpa & Grandma

My niece Cassie and Karina

My Dad and his Aunt and Uncle

"The Guys" grandpa, my brother Todd, cousin Dar,

uncle Wilmer (behind Dar), uncle Lavern, cousin Doug

Grandma & Grandpa's siblings

"The Girls" my cousins, Breanne, Brocia & Kristin, my niece

It's Practically FREE!

When we were in Indiana this past weekend we were on our way back home and needed to get gas before we left so we stopped at this gas station and thought we hit the jackpot with gas being $1.98 a gallon! I took this picture lest anyone not believe me!!!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fu-un!

Cousin Daniela came to stay with us for a couple of days last week. The girls took a bath together and were having so much fun and I ended up being about as wet as they were with all the splashing!

Trick or Treat!!

On Friday we had our 1st annual costume party! We had so much fun!! We dressed Karina up as a cute little China doll and me, Abel and Yoyo dressed up as Men in Black. It was so funny seeing Yoyo try to walk in his costume, he was walking all bow-legged like a bull dog. We had a lot of fun decorating the house, the garage, carving pumpkins, and passing out candy to the trick or treaters. Karina was so cute when the kids would come to the door, she would see kids coming and say, "mommy, here come the kids!" and then when they would leave she would yell, "mommy where the kids going?? noooooo come back!!" and then some more would come and we'd go through it all again! It was so funny! Our friends Jen and Jalese came to the party as Pippi Longstocking...SOOO funny! Enjoy the pics!!

Now I know why women shouldn't wear suits, they do nothing for the figure!!! Ha Ha!!!