Happy Valentine's Day...

...from the sweetest little valentines!

Ready for Valentine's Day

Ever since the calendar turned to February, Ellie has been hard at work making valentines. Every single day, Eric, Josie and I find surprise valentines hidden all over the house. It is so sweet! She has gotten very good at knowing where to hide them...mine have been in front of the coffee pot, on my laptop, under my camera- places I see often! She has even gotten as creative as hiding one under the peanut butter jar and another in the refrigerator with the jelly and then asking me all sweetly "Mommy, may I please have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch?" Yesterday, I gathered up all the valentines and spread them out on the floor for a picture. Check out all this sweetness!

Ellie wrote the names of almost everyone she knows on the backs of many of these so be ready to receive an extra special Valentine's wish from Ellie the next time we see you! The mailed ones are going to be a little late...sorry. :)

Hope everyone has a happy Love Day!

Wizard of Oz Play

On New Year's Day, Ellie, Josie. Eric and I, along with 6 more of our family members, all attended the play The Wizard of Oz at The Civic Theater. This is the same play that Ellie had so much fun getting to see all the behind the scenes things to while on her preschool field trip in November. It was such a perfect first play experience for our future actress Ellie!

No pictures were allowed during the actual play but here are a few from before, intermission and after...

Ellie before the show. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the only night that included audience participation so Ellie got to dress as Glinda the Good Witch. We all also got goody bags that had items to use during the show including bubbles to blow whenever Glinda appeared on stage. Ellie was already trying them out!



Before the show all dressed up audience members got to enter a costume contest and walk across the stage in front of 400 people! We had no idea it was going to be like this or we might have tried to get Ellie (and her cousins) an official Wizard the Oz costume instead of the Barbie princess dress she wore!



Regardless, Ellie still got to be one of the three children's finalists and got called back up on stage during intermission!! Here she even got to tell her name into the microphone.


The super cute Tin Man won but, just for being a finalist, Ellie won a free session of classes at the Civic Theater. These were the same classes that we were already considering signing her up for in the spring so this was a HUGE blessing to now be able to do them for free! (They cost $125 which is exactly what the prize she won will cover.)



After the show, Ellie and her cousins got to meet all of the cast!

Ellie and Glinda


Sara and Dorothy.

Sara's doll was dressed in her Dorothy costume, too, and the "real" Dorothy loved it! (We were hoping Sara could enter the contest with her doll but, unfortunately, it didn't work out...)

Ellie and the Wizard.


Sara and the Wicked Witch.


Ellie and the Scarecrow.


Sara and the Tin Man.


Both girls with the Cowardly Lion.


This was such a great play and has only fueled the stage performing spark for Ellie that began on her field trip to the theater. She is so excited to start her classes!!!



And here is just a cute little bonus video of Josie getting into the Wizard of Oz spirit right before we left for the play.

(Josie, by the way, did great for the 3 hour play! She just kept going back and forth between all of our family members and I caught her being completely enthralled with the play several times!)

Catching Up

I have fallen way behind on posts. I have so much to share but will start with just a few pictures and videos to try and catch up a little!

Thanksgiving

Chef Eric and Chef Ellie prepared this delicious vegan feast for us to enjoy on Thanksgiving!


Christmas Fun

Santa visit


Christmas card picture


Christmas slide at the Children's Museum



Santa at the CM


making cookies



singing carols with friends


Christmas dance recital



Christmas

Ellie's new best friend.



Josie opening a favorite ball, Ellie with her new laptop, and Charlie dog happy with a new bone!


"Handy Ellie" already making a birdhouse with her new tool set from Santa.


Ellie's new "monster feet" and Josie's new piano.


sisters


LOVE this random picture!


Ellie's Birthday

Ellie turned FIVE on the 28th. I can't believe it! The main thing she wanted to do for her b-day was go sledding so we braved the freezing cold and went for it.

We lasted about 15 min but Ellie was happy!



Ellie with the cake she made and decorated herself. She is such a big girl now!

I hope everyone has had as much fun this holiday season as we have! It really has been a blur of activities but we feel so blessed to have so many fun things to do and so much wonderful family and friends to celebrate with! I have many more pictures and videos to go through so check back for more cuteness coming soon! :)

Halloween

We all had a great time trick-or-treating in my mom's neighborhood on Halloween! This was Josie's first time and she was so in to it! She was so proud carrying her pumpkin bucket and said "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" at each house. The cute thing was that when we got back to my Mom's house, every time the doorbell rang with new trick-or-treaters, Josie shouted "I have to go get my bucket, go get candy!" and then ran to the door for her candy too.

Ellie was Snow White and Josie was a pumpkin. Cousins Sara and Silas were a princess and Mario.











my mom


Later that evening, we trick-or-treated at the nursing home where my grandma just recently started living. This amazing woman is 101 years old! (Ellie changed into a warmer pumpkin costume.)



It was such a nice Halloween!

Fireworks

We were lucky to have about a 20 minute break in the rain last night to get the fireworks started for all the kids. They loved it! Even when it started a steady drizzle, again, the men were nice enough to keep the show going. We just threw rain coats on the kids and all was well. This was Josie's first time seeing fireworks and I was relieved to find out how much she loved them! She kept cheering and yelling "Again! Again!" We all had a great time at the party!

Happy Father's Day!

Josie got to join in the baking fun, this Father's Day, making a delicious blueberry pie! The girls sure love their Daddy and we are so thankful to have him in our lives!

Easter Egg Hunt Pictures

The girls finally got to do an Easter egg hunt last weekend at their Mamaw's house. It was in the 80's! They had a blast finding all the eggs with their cousins and they each even got another Easter basket. Josie loved being outside with all the fun toys and bouncy house and she cried every time we had to go in.