December
This is our annual cookie baking day. I look forward to it every year. My mom, my sisters and cousin and the kiddos spend the whole day (some years 2-3 days) baking cookies, watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, and spending good quality time together. This particular day makes me miss my grandma. She always wanted to sit at the head of the table so she didn't miss anything. I always set out a framed picture of her in the kitchen so she still doesn't miss anything:)
Anna helping Nana.
Cookie baskets
My sister and me:)
The cookie bakers!
I totally love Ian's facial expression because it makes me think that he is thinking "Aaaahhhh, why am I always stuck with these crazy women?!?!"
Christmas Eve
Christmas morning. The kids got up around 630 and the girls immediately put their Christmas dresses on. Then we made them wait until we showered. Mike went first and when I said I was gonna take a shower next, they said "NO. Mommy you take too long." But they waited patiently:)
This is the before picture....
This is after:)
Nana and the kiddos
Nana and Poppie
My family:)
Oh, Reagan. You are just too cute!
Reagan perfecting pushing herself up to sitting.
November
Only one picture to post this month. December makes up for it:)
All boy here.......always wanting to fix something:)
October
So tired. This looks comfortable.
This is the fourth year that I've done the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. My cousin Milinda (on the right) has done it with me each year. I bought the mac daddy of wagon's for this special occasion. Other than the kids constantly getting in and out of the wagon, it was a good time. However, it did take us two hours to walk the 5K.
Riding my bike at a campground
Taking Reagan for a walk.
Doin my thang. (She loves reading)
Carving pumpkins. Ian - "Eeeeewwwww, I'm done." Kara - "aaawwwww, this is so gross!"
Reagan supervising
First snowstorm. Pay no attention to the kiddy pool that they are sitting in. We still have yet to put it away for the season:)
This snow is yummy
Anna's 5th birthday was at a place called JumpStreet. It is filled with trampoline's and bouncy houses. There were 23 kids!!!!!! Holy crap it was exhausting. Anna at one point came up to me and says "Mom, there are a lot of kids here. I need to take a break." So she sat down for, oh, about 2 minutes and was back at it.
September
Swinging
Hiking
Anna snuck some markers and proceeded to doll herself up by applying it as if it were make-up. I caught her as she was trying to remove it with a babywipe. However, the babywipe didn't remove all the evidence:)
Rock throwin
Fishing with daddy
Swimming in Two Buttes
So this isn't even the worst of it but....This was some of the bruising as a result of me trying to jump off a cliff into the water. I have a fear of falling and I was trying to tackle this fear by attempting a 40ft cliff dive. You are supposed to jump off straighted legs, straight arms.....Well, I passed out on the way down and fell into the water in the fetal position. Good times;)
My Anna
My Kara
August
Camping:)
Camping with our buddies Corbin and Blake. This is the teepee we made.
Dixie dog chillin in the sun.
Help, I finally grabbed it and now it won't let me go!
Mike and I went to a cabin for our anniversary. We are so blessed that our families will watch our crazy army of kids overnight so him and I can stay connected.
Never sat in the hammock but the hot tub was nice:)
And of course, our vacation wouldn't be complete without us working for at least a little while.
July
We went to NY to visit Mike's family, show off the new addition (Reagan), celebrate 4th of July, get Reagan and our nephew Aiden baptized, and well just have some fun!
Ian lining up some trucks at Grandma and Grandpa's.
The baptism cakes
Reagan on her special day. This baptism outfit was made by Grandma Levandoske. She was sorely missed at this special event. But she was thought of often and I know she was there watching and smiling!
Mike and I are the godparents of Aiden and Mike's cousins Megan and Nick (on the right) are the godparents of Reagan.
Our handsome nephew Aiden!
Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Wisniewski and all the great grandkids! That was hard getting them all to smile but we somehow managed to get at least a few.
Big yawn!
Our other handsome nephew Arbor!
And our the oldest handsome nephew Ryan. Thoroughly enjoying a smore:)
Either this is a group hug to Grandpa or a tackle...
Grandpa getting colored on.
An insane bubble bath that completely got out of hand. The kids didn't get out of hand, the bubbles did:) It had nothing to do with the fact that I pored too much in and then Grandpa said I needed more and so he added more.
This is Reagan in the cradle that Mike's mom was in when she was a baby. Love this!
Picnic after swimming
Fishing with daddy
We took a camping trip to Leadville. And we took a train tour of Leadville. We all loved it!! Ian especially loved the train:)
Sisters!
Puffer fish face!
Sometimes it's nice to stop and notice the little beautiful things.....
Treasure hunt
Just chillin
Peek a boo
June
Sharing Nana's sweater
We went with our buddies Corbin and Blake to the West Metro Fire Muster. The boys were in their glory!! I don't think we could've wiped the grins off their faces.
Look at all these cool buttons!!!
What the hell did you dress me in, mom?
Silly Ian
First camping trip to Jackson Lake with our good friends.
Our camper:)
Yummy dinner!
This little guy tried to join the campfire fun.
Ian and his cowboy boots:) There was several weeks where these shoes were the only thing he would wear.
May
This is our annual cookie baking day. I look forward to it every year. My mom, my sisters and cousin and the kiddos spend the whole day (some years 2-3 days) baking cookies, watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, and spending good quality time together. This particular day makes me miss my grandma. She always wanted to sit at the head of the table so she didn't miss anything. I always set out a framed picture of her in the kitchen so she still doesn't miss anything:)
Anna helping Nana.
Happy kids!
This is the before picture....
Ian playing with his new trucks.
Only one picture to post this month. December makes up for it:)
All boy here.......always wanting to fix something:)
October
So tired. This looks comfortable.
Riding bikes
Swinging
Camping:)
We went to NY to visit Mike's family, show off the new addition (Reagan), celebrate 4th of July, get Reagan and our nephew Aiden baptized, and well just have some fun!
Ian lining up some trucks at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Ian on the gator!
Smiley girl!!
Sharing Nana's sweater
Summertime fun!
Mike's mom came out to visit us for about a week. This wasn't in the original plan because we are going to NY for 4th of July so if Reagan was on time or late she would only be a few weeks old. But I couldn't wait to introduce her to mom - and mom couldn't wait either:) We had a great time!
The girls were in a rock climbing class and really enjoyed it.
Omg, she looks so grown up here!
I used to say "my girls" all the time but once Reagan came and made it 3 - it brings a whole new meaning to "my girls".
Mike and I "building" Ian's birthday present. Complete with safety glasses and all.
A natural like his daddy. (Ian's buddy Jackson is next to him)
Yes, apparently it takes all 5 of us to put together a race track. (Reagan is reading the instructions)
My new ride!!! It's huge, a diesel, loud and I love it. Yes, the van was awesome but now I can fit all four kids (including car seats) and 4 adults!!!
My mom likes to play beauty salon with the girls and paint their toe nails. Here is Anna after her pedicure reading the latest gossip while her toes dry.
Mike's latest project.....A fort for the kids
We love you, Grandma!!!
I am in a milk comatose. Moooooo
Sprinkler fun
Love Anna's expression!
And.......Ian's fat lip:(
Giving sissy a hug
Ian's 3rd birthday. His buddy Jackson kept blowing out the candle:)
He was ripping through presents so fast I couldn't keep up with him.
Kickball with Grandma
He doesn't like trucks at all:)
Another hair pretty party
Movie with our buddies Corbin & Blake
April
Introducing Reagan Grace!!!
In labor and I'm in my zone.
Proud sister Kara!
Proud sister Anna!
Proud brother Ian
First bath in the tub.
Kara doing a flip at JumpStreet. This place has trampolines all over the place and the kids LOVE it!
Anna jumping
Anna & Ian climbing in a bouncy house
March
Kara's 6th birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies!
The yummy cake she picked out.
The kids playing dress up with mommy and daddy's clothes. Ian with daddy's swim suit and boots. You don't go swimming without your boots.
Anna in one of my maternity shirts and lovely shoes.
Swinging with dad.
Road trip to Sainty to see Grandpa and Grandma Hankins. They are intently watching a movie. The silent car ride was wonderful!
See-saw
Motorcycle
Kara swinging. She LOVES to swing. She practically spends the entire time at any playground swinging. We usually have to get her off of it for a while so other kids can swing.
Merry go round with grandpa
February
The kiddos have gotten a kick out of running through the house in the middle of winter with just their underwear on. Crazy kids:)
Pregnant mommy trying to do snow angels
Before and after losing tooth #4. She was so excited!
We remodeled our kitchen countertops. So here are some before and after pics.
Periwinkle blue is just not cool anymore:)
This is the lovely wallpaper that was underneath the lovely periwinkle blue tiles. Unfortunately nobody carries this wallpaper anymore:)
Ian and Anna trying to have a baby belly like mommy.
January
Daddy made a big slide out of snow:)
Playing in the snow with Uncle Dirt
Girls hard at work building something or maybe just shoveling:)
Night out with Mike's brother Steve (aka Dirt) and his girlfriend Liz. Good times! So glad they came to visit. (Ian insisted on sneaking in on the picture)
Playing Sorry with Uncle Dirt
Mike, Dirt & Liz went snowboarding at Copper
Playing Trouble with their pals Corbin & Blake
I'm such a slave driver
Pretty princesses and naked handsome prince
Horseback riding
Assembling the winch for Mike's truck (my brother Jon, Dirt, Mike and Ian)
Damage to the truck after a motorcycle ran a red light
After with the new winch put on:)
Tea party
Daddy just yanked her third tooth. This one was on the top. Now she's ready for first grade:)
"Faster, daddy, faster!!"
All together now
Going for a spin in daddy's rockcrawler. I think that is the biggest smile I've ever seen on my son's face:)
Anna's first rockcrawling adventure with daddy. I asked if she had fun and she said "It was really bumpy." That is the same thing that Kara said on her first time too. And for some reason both manage to fall fast asleep despite it being "bumpy."
