Family Adventure in Leavenworth

  We met up with Keith and Julie in Leavenworth today (yes, I am actually posting on the day I said I did!).  It’s a long drive, but it’s a beautiful town and after a good lunch, the men took the girls sledding while Julie and I went shopping.  Win-win!

The first sled ride for both girls.  Daddy, of course, took them.

   

Then they did a run with Uncle Keith.

And then they did a bunch of runs by themselves.  I am so proud of them!

Then we toured Leavenworth by horse-drawn carriage.  Joker was our “neigh” this afternoon.

For those who know Keith well enough, he is doing his “ta-da” pose, but I managed to cut it off.

 

What a great day with Daddy!  I just have to love this man!

 

On the Farm at the Children’s Museum

We have a membership at Imagine and the girls—and I!—really enjoy the play opportunities. Here they enjoy riding double in on the horse and milking the cow. Hmm, it looks like Piper is actually trying to feed the cow milk.

Cute!

Not too many pictures of both girls posing actually work out. This one did!

Christmas Day

It has been such a wonderful Christmas, even with Mama (and Grandma K!) having colds. The girls spent all morning in their jammies and occasionally opened another round of gifts. (Kyla does understand that Christmas is about Jesus’ birth, but it’s hard to remember that with so many other things—especially Christmas cookies and candy canes!—around.)

Uncle Keith after one of Grandma’s hot buttered rums.

Piper conked out before Christmas dinner.

Daddy looking just a little too cute for me to resist. Where’s the mistletoe?!

Aunt Julie gladly obliges the several requests to read more! Please.

I’m reading the Sleep book in hopes that it works this time. Nope.

But a Merry Christmas to all, anyway, and to all a good night.

Christmas Eve!

Kids add something priceless to Christmas. At least, your own kids do. I would probably feel differently about someone else’s obnoxious children, but there you go.

We dressed up to go to Christmas Eve service at the church we grew up in and my mother still attends. Good thing Kyla was wearing her best dress and shoes to roll down the aisle—um, yes, literally—during the sermon.

Perhaps Christmas Eve is not the time to try to put your kids to sleep by reading their new Dr. Seuss book, Sleep. (Thanks, Melina, Karin, and Terence!)

Piper loves that Janet brought her dogs with her!

For Darlene, Dwayne’s Mother

Darlene sent me this cute “It’s a Boy” shirt from Brazil just after we learned he was a he (as Kyla insisted it would be). She has missed seeing my progression, so here are the pictures of baby and I at about 34 weeks along. About a month to go!

I’d like to make a bunch of excuses for how I look—it’s late at night, I had been cleaning and organizing all evening, my back hurt, I had a cold…, and while all that is true, I am just beginning to accept the truth. Having grown into my looks fairly late (mid-20ths), and I now losing them quickly just ten years later. Sigh.

Bathtime

Piper is 22 months old and Kyla over 3 years. They are so funny, especially when they play together instead of fight. (Sometimes I think Piper provokes just so she can say ‘sury’ and give Kyla a hug.)