Caleb's 4!!!!

I know I am a little past Caleb's birthday, but it's as good as I could manage. Hope you enjoy!





Our family on Caleb's 4th birthday



2008-Caleb's 3

2007-Caleb's 2...actually this was about a week later all dressed up in "heels" gear. Can't say I'm a true fan, but I guess I should support Tim's favorite team.

Caleb at his preschool on his birthday. It was really cute, they have a birthday box and he put "candles" on a cake and sang "Happy Birthday". He got to pick out a book and a pencil and most importantly, he got to be the helper for the day. I think he LOVED that I came to school that day. He would rather I was there everyday!
Here he is with his shirt from school. They all drew self portraits and the director had them put on a shirt. I think it is just the cutest shirt!

Here he is with some of his gift from the Miners. He really got a kick out of these videos. They also gave him a Curious George book-that has 8 stories in it. We have read that quite a lot lately. Thank you, Uncle Scott, Auntie Lynn, Katy and Andrew.

Here's this year's creation. I made the cake from scratch-it was a "crazy cake" and I thought it turned out pretty good. My mom "free handed" the face and I filled in the stars. It was really fun. The theme was Curious George-not just any monkey. Caleb LOVES George.

Here's Caleb blowing out his candles after we sang. He did ask me when we were taking his picture with the cake if we could NOT sing "happy birthday" but I said that was what we did. He just stood there looking a little uncomfortable. I guess he doesn't like being the center of attention. We're not looking at a movie star here, folks...he sure is cute though!

With his new bike. He has gotten out a few times since we got it. He told us today that he just didn't want to do the work to ride it! Oh well, I guess we'll have better luck when it is warmer out and mommy can go on hers.
At the party, Caleb wouldn't "ride" the bike for his guests, but Elle sure would. I might have to check out some garage sales for a mini bike for her. I don't know if she will want to ride her Dora trike when she could be on a big girl bike!

Here's Caleb with one of his gifts. He really has played a lot with most of his gifts this year. I think he liked everything he got! He got this digger from the Johnson clan and he will occasionally use this to scare his sister. She doesn't like the noise it makes! Ah, what fun to have a little sister!

They do have fun together quite a lot. Here they were sharing the couch-fort.

Ellery after her first "real" haircut. I actually took her in and they cut off a bit. It was just getting unruly and I had to shape it. It turned out cute!

Caleb and Ellery in dad's old baseball caps. Tim went to his dad's house and found these in the basement. I should have found Tim's picture of him in the hat and scanned that in. Maybe I will try to do that-for everyone who says Caleb is a Tim clone!!!

I took Ellery to a dance class in February. It was just a trial class and I just got the biggest kick out of seeing her do something that was such a big part of my life. I am excited for her to start an actual class this fall! I hope she enjoys it as much as I did!

Well, that's it for now. I just thought I would take this time to say thank you to all of you who prayed for my dad. His surgery went 100 times better than last time and he came home on Caleb's birthday. Such a blessing! So Thank you!!!

Now, we just need to keep thinking SPRING!!! I am SO ready!

January winter fun

I have 2 happy birthdays to say for January...

Happy Birthday Katy, we miss you and love you! (our niece in Georgia)

Happy Birthday Dad, hope you enjoyed dinner last night, we love you.

And happy birthday to any of you out there with birthdays in January. Hope you enjoyed your special day!


Here's the kids on friday, the day before we found out Caleb had pneumonia and Ellie had a double ear infection. We had a grand time outside, until Ellie decided she was just done. Later that evening, Tim took Caleb over to Grammy's house and he was apparently a wild man. When he got home, he just crashed and it was down hill from there. Thankfully, our clinic was open on Saturday morning so we took them in and Caleb had his first chest x-ray. I am sure glad that we got it taken care of then-that way we could have my family over for my dad's birthday last night. Oh, and the kids actually slept through the night last night too! Bonus!

Caleb was having a grand time digging out the snow. We sure have enough of it.

Ellie wasn't so sure. She played for a bit, but then...

She was ALL DONE! I am sure, knowing what I do now, her ears were hurting. She sure never said anything though.

Daddy seems to like to take pictures of Elle with the mirror. This one turned out cute though.

My little diva.

Goofy boy.

Elle with Caleb's rescue hero helmet on. It didn't last too long because her head is just too small for it.

cheese!!

They like to take their flashlights to bed, surprising that she could fall asleep with it shining right in her eyes.

This is their new favorite way to pass time. They play at the sink. They do pretty well and keep the water in the sink for the most part. It's a nice way to get something done. ;)

I just had to post a picture of her in her Christmas dress one more time. I didn't get a good shot of her in it at Christmas time. Isn't she so pretty.

HAPPY 2009 everyone. I hope that our new president can turn this country around!

Christmas and some winter fun

This is a REALLY long post and I am sorry!!! I have been a bad blogger and I have so many pictures I want to share now. We had a computer issue and then once we got our computer back, I didn't know if I could connect my camera...I know, excuses, excuses!

So, first things first...We would like to say we missed Auntie Lynn, Uncle Scott, Katy and Andrew this Christmas! Here are a few video clips for them to enjoy (and the rest of you if you would like!)

And also, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who

enjoy my blog! Caleb with the favorite gift of 2008-a garbage truck.

Christmas with the Jones clan-Friday Dec 26th.

Chatting with Uncle Dave.

Playing the dice game. Grammy buys little gifts for all the kids and they play the dice game to get to open them. It's nice bonding time for the kids!




Christmas Morning 2008
Caleb with his gift from the Miners. He also very much enjoys this fire truck. He got a case of stuff to go along with the truck from my grandma and he thinks that's pretty cool! It even has a working hose-we won't be telling him that just yet!


Ellery enjoying her gift from the Miner family. It's a washer to go with her Rose Petal Cottage that Santa brought her. Both the kids are just having a blast in the Cottage!

Here, she didn't want me coming into HER house!In the cottage.

My little police officer.

Christmas Eve at Grandma G's

Caleb has gotten into board games lately, so he was quite excited to get one-or two from my mom and dad.

Our 4th annual Christmas Eve Cheesecake. This year, Jon's girlfriend Sara dubbed Dec 23rd "Cheesecake night". This year, Jon and I made Peanut butter/chocolate Cheesecake. I wasn't as big of a fan, but it was okay. We started out making one for Sara-Jon asked for my help to make a nice dinner for her for Christmas, and then he decided that we should do it every year. It's nice time spent just Jon and me.

Caleb helped me wrap this gift for my dad and I told him that he had to keep it a secret! He did such a good job! My dad usually tries to guess what's in the package and he tried to get Caleb to tell him, but Caleb wouldn't do it! He just said "Papa, just open it" Yes, it's a bottle of Hershey's syrup-my dad likes Chocolate milk, but taped on the back was an engraved tag to go on the mounted fish that my dad caught a few years ago. He won the contest for the biggest fish caught on our lake that year. It was 31 lbs and 49 inches.

Uncle Ben

Uncle Jon

Caleb with his next favorite toy of this year-a space set. He always says he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up so he can learn a bit now. That was from Grandma and Papa G.

Ellery opening her doll stuff from Grandma and Papa G. I couldn't

get too many good pics of her, she just wouldn't look at the camera.

Just some random pictures from this winter.

Ellery decided to learn how to climb out of her crib a few weeks ago-with some help from her big brother. One night, they just were having a grand ol' time up there-just laughing away. Well, usually if they are just laughing, I leave them alone but this night it had been a lot of laughing so I went up there. I found them both under his covers with a flash light just goofing around. I asked Caleb how she got out, and he said he had helped her down. I put her back in her crib and she just jumped right back out. So, we thought first of putting the crib tent up-and then thought that he would just help her out of that too. So, we took the rail off of her crib. Thankfullly, she has done so well. There was no "ET" that came to visit with this transition into a big bed-thank God!

Tim found them goofing around again one night. Apparently he had gone downstairs for something and came up to them laughing away because they got the idea to put on eachother's shoes and hats. I have to say, the picture is pretty cute!

Making Snow Angels

Playing with the Price clan. I thought this was funny-

all 5 kids in one tent. It got pretty crowded in there.

This is one of our attempts at a Christmas picture. I did get a good one-which I sent out to most of you, but I thought I would share this. See how "done" Ellie is. I was on the floor, head down, about to give up. I almost had Tim take a picture of me like that with the kids "checking on me" which they did once I was down for a while. I thought it would have given everyone a laugh since we've all been there, but we didn't get the picture. Only the story.

Making cookies at Grandma G's house.

Isn't this one funny? Tim decided to get the kids their own face masks this year since their cheeks get so cold all the time. Too bad they didn't want to wear them more than 2 minutes!

Decorating our gingerbread house this year. I think we'll have a

different strategy for next year with the frosting, but the kids had fun!

At the Macy's 8th floor display. We saw Santa there

too, but I don't have those photos on my computer.

Caleb with his "favorite" ornament

We first decorated for Christmas right before Thanksgiving

because I had to work the weekend after this year. They got

to have this little tree in their room this year.