Christmas Concert and Lights

Calah had several speaking parts and said them loud and clear.

Ellie had been practicing the songs and knew the words well.

Even Charis got in on the action in "Away in a Manger".

The downtown carosel has become a family tradition.

Actually, it has become a neighborhood tradition as well!

Thanksgiving fun!

Dana and James

Warming up by the fire.

Enjoying the firework show.

An indoor sleigh for fun!

Sisters

Miss you guys in So Cal!

'MP' is for More Princesses

'P' is for Princess

Already missing this!

friendship

Calah was awarded the Super Lion of the Month in her class for friendship. There is a new girl in her class who is shy and doesn't speak English. Calah has included her at recess and lunchtime to help her make friends. What a heart of compassion! I am proud of her choices.

First Lost Tooth!

Ellie has been wiggling her tooth like crazy for the past MONTH and it finally came out! She was so excited! She also wrote a letter to the Tooth fairy explaining that she wanted to keep her tooth to show her friends at school, and could she still get a dollar even if she didn't give it to her. Of course the Tooth fairy complied.

More about Calah :)

Here are some interesting facts you may or may not know about Calah!

She loves treats

likes to write stories and songs

her favorite color is green

her favorite subject is art
want to be an artist and a teacher when she grows up
loves the sunshine
want a puppy for Christmas
plays basketball
likes to read
wants to be a cheerleader for Halloween
favorite thing to do is play with friends
big helper to her little sisters
is organized
favorite dinner is spaghetti
favorite season is summer
is a daredevil
and loves to cook!

Preschool Heaven

Charis is in preschool this year and is loving every moment. She is very pleased to be part of the "big girl' routine in the mornings. She puts on her coat and 'packpack' and waits with anticipation for school. This week she even took the bus for the first time and is sooooooooo excited to be on it!

super lion

At Lynndale every month a student from each class room is awarded a Super Lion for excellence, good behavior, setting the example, ect. Ellie was excited to be the first super lion for her classroom this year!

Friends from afar

This summer I got to spend some time with my friends from high school and college days. Amy has been in Africa serving African bible college in Malawi for 2 years and it has been even longer since I had last seen her! It was so good to catch up with her! What a blessing their friendship is.

SCHOOL!!!!!!

Yes, summer days at the lake are officially over and school has begun! Both Calah and Ellie love school so much they both wished the school day lasted longer! Amazing. Charis will be starting preschool in a couple of weeks and can hardly wait!

Fourth of July recap

Our family tradition for the 4th of July weekend (or week) is to visit extended family on the San Juan Islands. We have built great memories there and look forward to the times to come. Some of our highlights include: boat outings, visits to the pool, listening to Grandpa perform at Roche Harbor, 4th of July parade, Time Benders concert, BBQ's, and this year the highlight was watching everyone take turns playing Guitar Hero. Yes, even me.

Wenatchee fun!

It is no secret that I am a sun-lover! So for my birthday I wanted to go to the land of hot and sunny. We love Leavenworth and Lincoln Rock state park and we extended our stay to incorporate both, giving us time to catch up with old friends who moved there. All of us had a great time and look forward to future visits!

rainy day fun

Today the girls took matters into their own hands and decided to make jelly tarts from a kids cookbook they got last Christmas. They did everything on their own, including cleanup! They enjoyed this process very much and are planning on making other snacks for tomorrow.

playing catch up

We have been busy wrapping up the school year, soccer season and birthdays for the spring and ready to move onto summer! Here are some pictures of what we have been up to.

Bayley Birthday Splash

Instead of having individual birthday parties for the girls, we had one BIG party at the public pool. And big it was! Matt and I counted over 60 parents and kids! WOW! Needless to say, I am more than a little relieved the whole adventure is over. :)

A Mother's Day Song

My cute little girls surprised me yesterday with hand-made gifts and a song that Calah and Ellie not only wrote, but then sang to me. Here is their song to me.

We love you
Mommy, Mommy, we love you so much that
we talk about you everyday and every night.
We should kiss you, we should hug you
because your the best mom ever!
We love you, yes we do (echo).
We love you!

This to me, this is the best song ever written!!!!

SPRING!!!!!!

My computer has been out of commission lately so sorry for the delay in pictures!!! Here are some events that have been happening in our lives. Ellie turned SIX! We went to the children's museum, had pizza and angel cake. On her birthday she also had her first day of soccer and her jersey number is six :). Calah was a super lion at school for her patience, and we have all been enjoying the nice weather-including a trip to the zoo.