hollyWILD

Last year we weren't able to fit a trip to Hollywild into our very busy Christmas month.  This year it was high on our list.  We planned a Sunday evening, thinking it would be the least crowded, synced plans with some sweet friends, bundled up and headed out.  

If you have never experienced Hollywild, wild is the best way to describe it.  You really never know what to expect.  You drive through a beautiful light display and then drive into a huge field.  As you make the transition from the light path to the field you can buy a bag of bread to feed the animals.  In this field there is absolutely no traffic pattern, rhyme, or reason.  There are many animals such as zebras, horses, huge steer, and even deer.  When you see one you just drive as close as you can and see if you can get close enough to feed them.

After you drive through the field you get to walk around the stables feeding and petting more animals.

It was such a great time.  

The experience was fun but sharing it good friends was the best!!

Ballroom Dancing

 The girls had a great opportunity to attend a ballroom dance class for the last 12 weeks.

  Their instructor was great with the kids!

  It took a few weeks to pick up on things but by the last week the kids were having a great time and dancing really well.

 

(Mackenzie just watched from the side, but we may let her have her turn on the floor the next round.)

(Sophie was at a birthday party so she isn't in this clip.)

We look forward to the next group of sessions in the summer!!

My Big Girl Room

 

A while ago Mackenzie started talking about getting a "big bed."

My plan all along was to have Mackenzie's room transformed for her birthday but it just didn't happen because our weekend was SO crazy busy.   Finally, the following week I finished it! 

 Mackenzie was so excited!!  Funny thing, her sisters were just as excited!!

 She had finally calmed down from all the excitement and pulled the covers back.  

WOW!

She was so excited about all the little animals, she started giving each one a name. 

 Still,  almost 3 weeks later, she gets excited to crawl into her new "big girl bed."

My Baby is 4!!!

 

My baby is 4!!

Mackenzie knew exactly where she wanted to play on the day we took school off to celebrate her birthday-- PlayNation.  (yep, the same place we spent Haleigh's birthday:)

After lots of playing we headed to MiMi's for lunch and their special dirt cup desserts.

 

On Mackenzie's actual birthday morning there was one thought on her mind, "Mom, can we start making my Squinky cake yet?"  As I cleared the fog from my eyes and got some coffee in me, we started the decorating process.  We had a blast!  At first I thought I should have stayed up after everyone was in bed so it would be done and ready for Mackenzie to see when she awoke.  Absolutely not, nothing could have been better than decorating the entire cake together.  It may have taken a bit longer, looked a little different than I envisioned, and meant a lot more dishes to clean because she kept licking everything.... but it was beyond worth it!!

Mackenzie, you are a blast!  Your spunk is amazing.  Your heart sweet.  Your cuddles priceless.  I would never have guessed on your forth birthday you would be licking the icing beaters and eating however much cake you wanted.  You are a blessing and the path you have taken us on has blessed us in so many ways.  Daddy, your sisters, and I love you so and are so grateful to God for you!!

Small Group Kids Giving Away

 Over the last several years, our small group has had a Kids Christmas party at Gattitown,   (It is a fun "eater-tainment" place that has a pizza buffet, movies, bumper cars, a carousel... its like Chucky Cheese on steroids ;)  Each year the gift exchange has been a Christmas book.  This year however, we wanted the kids to experience the giving part of Christmas too.  Instead of getting another book they helped us make "Bags of Love."  Each family had previously chosen a few items to bring for each of the bags (socks, toothbrush/paste, Cliff Bars, soap, washrags, toboggans, lotion...)  Once the moms set it up, the kids packed the many items into the bags.  Each family got to take two bags filled with lots of helpful products to give to someone in need. 

Violin Recital

 Sophie has had the opportunity to have her group violin lesson with the middle school class at Southside Christian.   They had an beautiful musical recital with the band, chorus, hand bells, and strings.  It was so fun to see the transition from the first day Sophie started working on her pieces to the final product with the entire strings group.  (She is the second one in, in the front row.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIp9rdzBvS4&feature=context&context=C3ccd278ADOEgsToPDskJNDk4oq0fiRXLEMkS0xjEI




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8h1P-a9ojA&context=C3ccd278ADOEgsToPDskJNDk4oq0fiRXLEMkS0xjEI

Zoo Day

The first of December we had a week without CC so we headed out on a fun field trip to the Columbia Zoo.  It started out a little chilly but turned out to be a perfect day for the zoo. 

The weather great, the crowds - what crowd!?, and the friends...

could not have been any better!! 

Merry Christmas!!

Everyone else in the house is tucked snug in bed as I tie the last of the ribbons, place the gifts under the tree, and make sure the camera is ready to capture the sweet moments of waking up Christmas morning.  The girls are so excited to finally let the secrets of the gifts they picked for each other turn into excitement of bringing joy to each other.  Before I head up the steps for a few hours of sleep, I wanted to share this really sweet video that our church showed in "Fellowship Kids" as part of the Christmas series.  I hope it blesses your day as it has blessed many of ours.

Merry Christmas!! 

A Quick Overview

I can't believe I haven't posted since Thanksgiving!  We have been doing a lot of "Christmas-ing" and I want to capture it all.  The problem is we have been "Christmas-ing" so much there hasn't been time to stop and get it all recorded.  So, here is a quick snippet of what the last few weeks have looked like...  

(hopefully each will have an expanded version in a post soon to come...sometime in January ;)

we've decorated...

 

  

we've baked...

  

we've rocked the recitals...

 

one turned a year older...

 

we've tried to find ways to pass on blessings... 

we've been blessed ...

(look, it's our family in gingerbread cookies!!)

 

This weekend was one of the best!!  We had nothing scheduled, just lots of family time taking in the neat city we live in and some sweet friends we laugh with!! 

 

 Knowing it will be a bit before there is another pause to post again...

May you all have a sweet Christmas with family and friends.  Of coarse, remembering to pause and soak in Him, our Rescuer, Christ who came in flesh to save us!!

Merry Christmas!!

Cookin' It Up

Last week we had the opportunity to cook a lot!   One dinner was shared with our sweet small group family, some dishes went out to others, and Saturday we feasted as a family with some dear friends.

In the past, Haleigh has been my "turkey girl."  This year Sophie and Mackenzie took a stab at the turkey prep too.  (Check Sophie's face when she touched the turkey for the first time!  Before it was all said and done she was elbow deep just like Haleigh.)

Mackenzie is my self-proclaimed "best kitchen helper."  Sophie and Haleigh would come and go, lending a hand with one or two dishes, but Mackenzie was there for almost every dish prepared.

Saturday finally came, Mark was off the work clock and settled in for some quality family time.  We slipped out to see the Muppet movie, finished up the last touches necessary to complete the Thanksgiving meal, welcomed our friends in and...

filled our plates!