Merry Christmas and Happy 2011 Everyone

Merry Christmas Everyone from our family to yours!
(Wiley is 4 years and 4 months, Evie is 21 months)



Below are a few of our NOT SO SUCCESSFUL attempts at a Christmas photo
(taken at Thanksgiving!) I love Wiley's faces in these.

A few Christmas photos of the kids.

We hope you all are blessed with a joyful Christmas celebrating our Christ's coming and a wonderful New Year in 2011!

Halloween 2010

I just want to start off by saying how much we missed our small group's Halloween party this year! We've had it the past 2 years and LOVED it. Shane and I didn't even dress up this year :( Hopefully one day we will be able to revive that party! Hope those of you from our small group had a great Halloween and were able to find another party to dress up for. Dana, did you win best costume again this year? :)

For this year though, we did enjoy trick or treating with our kids. We had some great friends over with their kids and we all went trick or treating together in our neighborhood. It was SO cold, but fun none the less! Wiley and Evie had a great time. Wiley kept changing his mind all month about what he wanted to dress up as, sometimes multiple times a day. (I had given him the restriction that he had to dress up as something he already has as he has an entire carton of play clothes). He'd finally settled on being a boxer for almost an entire week. The afternoon of Halloween, he decides he wants to be Batman instead (which was actually fine with me because it was so cold and windy that day and I was seriously rethinking how to be a boxer AND stay warm). So we quickly threw together his Batman costume! Evie went as a cute little poodle (although many people thought she was a lamb.) She really surprised me with how much she enjoyed Trick or Treating! She really took her time reaching into the bowls of candy and choosing a piece, the whole time grinning up at the people like crazy! At one point, it got so cold that I stopped to carry her and wrap her inside my coat. I planned to just skip the house Wiley and the other kids in our group had just gone to because she and I were getting behind. As soon as I started to pass the house, she immediately began protesting and pointing towards it - she was not about to bypass anything! :) Guess that's my little eater for ya! What can I say? Girl likes her food, especially sweets!!!

Gotham City was safe that night!

Evie trying to eat a sucker later that night. Oops, missed the mouth!

Now she got it!

All our cute trick or treaters together! This was the best shot I could get. Evie and Claire on the bottom step - Claire was a precious ladybug. Emily (lion), Wiley, and Samuel (jet pilot - Top Gun outfit) on top step.

Oh, one other funny story to tell. In our area, there is a specific night and time set for everyone to trick or treat. Our township was set for October 29 from 6-8 pm. So about 6:15 we started getting a few trick or treaters finally coming to our door. We had the kids all ready to go so we took a few photos so we could pass out some candy. Then it took a few minutes to get coates, gloves, hats, flash lights and everything on and in hand and everyone out the door. Shane and I were the last ones out. Wiley and Evie had gone on out with our friend Brian. He told us later that while they were all in the driveway waiting on us to lock up, kids were still coming up the driveway to our front door for candy. Brian said that Wiley was standing in the middle of the driveway, holding his hands up and saying, "We're about to leave! We're about to leave!" over and over again! :) Kid knew he'd never get out of there to go and get candy if other kids wouldn't stop coming!!! So funny!

Random photos

I'm such a slacker at keeping out blog updated. Lately, whenever I get on there, I end up just posting a slew of photos because, well, let's just be honest, photos of the kids are really all that everyone wants to see anyways! So here you go . . . Enjoy :)

They are both growing so fast! I love photos of the two of them together, even though they never turn out great.

Wiley dressed as Bible Man.

Bed Head! Can you guess which side she slept on???

Evie wanted Wiley to sit on her lap! I love Evie's face in the one above - it's a classic Evie face and I'm so glad I caught it on camera!

"Driving along in my automobile . . . With no particular place to go. . . "

The blue kick board behind Evie's head is so she wouldn't get whip lash every time Wiley stepped on the gas! (So funny, but it really did help!)

Evie's 1st haircut

Early October, we took Evie to get her first haircut at a year and a half. We had hoped to keep waiting, but her bangs were always getting in her eyes while she was playing so we decided it was time. We didn't cut it short, just a trim all over and her bangs. She also got a free manicure with her haircut and did surprisingly well for it! Motty and Poppy were here visiting us and we were so thankful they could be there for such a sweet and special moment.

Our family just before Evie's haircut

Waiting for Evie's "stylist"

I'm ready . . .

1st manicure! She did so great!

Later that night, Motty gave Evie a pedicure with a fun pedicure kit she brought for her, complete with flower stickers!

If you look closely, you'll see she is holding a bottle of fingernail polish. She had one in each hand and insisted on holding them throughout the entire haircut. She did so great and didn't fuss or cry once!

Look how long her hair is when it's not curled up!
Wiley had to get in on the action, of course!

Ta-da!!! The after shot! (Note the bottle of nail polish still in hand!)

Wiley's First Day of School

Wiley began his first day of preschool today!

(For those of you who don't know, we've found a wonderful Christian school here that offers preschool. Wiley will be attending school M, W, and F mornings from 8:10 - 11:30 am. We are very thankful to be able to send Wiley to this great school. He has 2 wonderful teachers and 11 friendly classmates, several of whom we've already gotten to meet and become friends with during the summer. It's a short 7 minute drive from our house, all on back roads, passing several Amish farms and houses and driving through a covered bridge - you can't find a prettier or cooler drive!)

He woke up this morning to proclaim he was ready to go to school. Shane told him he had to eat breakfast and get ready to go first. Wiley's response was, "I can't eat breakfast because I don't want to be late for school!" So after a nice big breakfast, he got ready and we had a brief photo shoot before heading out the door.
(Motty and Poppy: Not sure if you can tell in these photos, but Wiley is wearing the polo golf shirt you gave him - he picked it out last night all by himself!)

We got Wiley a cool Lego Batman bookbag that he is thrilled about! (Sorry some of our photos are so blurry - don't know what's going on with our camera!)

The whole family got up to take Wiley to school today. When we arrived, we walked him in to his class. He found his cubby with his name on it and left his bookbag there. When we went in, he was very brave and excited. He began playing right away and didn't look back!
When I came to pick him up, he was grinning from ear to ear and said he had a good time. His teachers said he did a very good job and was obedient and respectful! Praise God! We are looking forward to Wiley learning while at school, but our biggest prayer is for him to exhibit a loving, obedient, and respectful heart! He was very excited to tell me that he got to be the "Door Opener" today! There are several different jobs each day and he was thrilled to get this job today.

We are praying for a great year for Wiley of "growing in wisdom and stature". Thanks for all your prayers for today and please keep him and his teachers in your prayers throughout the school year!

Life With Wiley

Life has so many precious moments like this that are too fleeting. Thankfully the other morning, I had time to grab my camera and capture a few of these for memories! Enjoy!

Got to shave that hairy chest!!!

Words With Wiley:

Yesterday we had a pool playdate at our house. As Wiley's friends were leaving, he gave one of the boys a hug goodbye. Then he said, "That's called a man hug, my young friend!" Needless to say this drew many laughs from all us moms. I must say I believe this is one of my favorite Wiley sayings of all times!

Motty and Poppy Visit!

Shane's parents came for a visit just before Wiley's birthday and were here for his party. We had a great time with them while they were here.

They got to see Shane's office (and took some photos of the kids working at Daddy's desk). They also got to see Wiley's school. He'll be attending preschool this fall (beginning August 27). They took Wiley to Toys R Us and let him pick out a few birthday presents. Wiley and Evie had a blast playing with them while they were here and we enjoyed getting to spend time together. Motty gave Evie a pedicure and we all found out that Evie LOVES getting her toe nails painted! Can't wait for them to return this fall for another visit! Here's a few photos from their time here.

We got my nephew's old bike and fixed it up and put training wheels on it for Wiley as his birthday gift. He's been enjoying it!