Valentines Day 2012

This year I had the pleasure of being the room mother for Belle's Kindergarten Valentine's Day party.  What this means is that I planned her whole party and asked other mothers to help.  It was one of the easiest parties I have ever planned and it went so well!  The other mothers were so helpful and everyone went above and beyond!!  Before the actual day Belle had to have Valentines for each kid in her class and then a box to put them in.  Thanks to Pinterest we found many different ones and I saved back a tissue box, cereal box, and a milk jug.  We looked at all of the ones I had 'pinned' and she picked out an I-Pod one, notice that is not what she is holding...

 Well we got a note from the school that it should be a container that is big enough for valentines and small treats, I knew that we didn't need the cereal box, ugh!!  So back to the drawing board!!  She talked about ladybugs and she had been all about recycling and I knew the milk jug would be fun!  So we made the ladybug jug, she was so proud of it!  I was afraid that she wouldn't like that it wasn't like all of the other ones in the class but she didn't have a problem at all!! 

 While I was there I had to get pics of her with her close friends, this is Elijah.  They have known each other since they were babies.  Aren't they cute??  He is a good little boy and I am happy that they are friends and that they can grow up being friends!!

 This is the class while we are cleaning up.  I didn't get many pics while the party was going on, I was busy!  This is one fun class and they sure know how to party!! 

 This is Belle and her besties, Ella and Mollie.  I hear lots about these two girls!!  I love seeing that she is making friends and having a wonderful day in school.

 This is all of the kiddos!!  There are so many boys, and I hear about boyfriends all of the time, ugh!!  I am in constant communication about how we don't need to think about dating just yet, too young!!  But there is one little boy that she thinks is cute and we tease her something fierce about that!!  His name is Lawson, he is in the front row, second from the left.  So cute!! 

 After we got Belle from school we got pics of me and the kids, I forgot earlier.  Most of my makeup was gone but who cares right??

 London had to be bribed with candy to take a pic with me, stinker!!  He finally gave an OK one, the first was funny!! 

 Then the two kids, again think candy and this is what I got!  They are funny not to mention cute as can be!!

 Belle and I.  Notice my arm?  London was running across the pic so I was holding him back and trying to get a nice one with sissy!!  He is just all boy!!

This is the Valentine that Belle made for the class.  She loved giving out glow sticks.  I loved that it wasn't sugar filled!!  I am going to make that a personal goal for every year! 

Matthew and I took the kids to grandma and grandpas for an hour or so and we went to eat at a local restaurant.   He gave me a John Lennon CD and it was perfect, my one and only was stolen years ago and I have been without one since.  He is the perfect hubby for me and I am blessed that God has given me all that I have! 

Christmas with the Kuhligs

We had our family Christmas on Christmas morning, before church, and then for lunch and the afternoon we went to celebrate with our extended family.  The Kuhlig side has all girls, London is the only boy from Matthew down.  The family is really small but I feel for London, luckily we have Uncle Gary who has a basement train set.  London loves to go down there and play.  He also has tons of tractor toys that they can play with, I think London will be just fine!! 
This is our immediate side, all the grand kids; Matte, Belle, Charlie, Ellie, and London.  We love to dress them alike, it is like a hobby for Adrien and I.  Since London we have had a bit more difficulty at that but it is still working out.

 This is my little family, black and white was easy for all of us to match. 

 This picture is one of my favs!!  This is both of Matthew's grandmas and all of there grand kids from our side, there are 3 more girls that we got a pic with too.  Belle loves these women and I feel lucky that she and London are getting to know them.  Greats are a special part of the family.  I didn't have any but now I see how important getting to spend time with them and my kids getting to spend time with them is.  They are wonderful and we get to see parenting from a different time happen. 

Christmas time.

This year was crazy and I think that is why I am just now getting to this, in February ugh!!  I have to say this Christmas will be one that we talk about for years.  I think the chaos started early in December and continued past Christmas.  One thing that didn't happen was decorate the tree.  We couldn't ever get it done.  Matthew likes to buy a real one and we couldn't find time to get one and by the time we got one, a week before, we couldn't find time to decorate it.  I thought I would have mommy guilt about it but I really didn't.  Sometimes things just happen that are beyond your control and you have to manage.  This was one thing that I didn't care about.  I did however get the kids gifts and wrap them.  This is the loot the kids got, money doesn't seem to go that far the older the kids get.  The rainbow wrapped ones are from Santa.  He only gives one gift a year. 

 I think the kids were really happy, even if they didn't get all that much.  They loved what they got and are still playing with them, that is a win in my book. 

Belle got a Leapster 2 from Santa, she wanted an I Pad and I told her that was a grown up gift and Santa sent the next best thing.  Really I wanted to say "are you kidding me?!?!  They are worth 2 Christmas's!" but I didn't!!  She loves it and plays it about once a week, she only has one game.  We really aren't game people but she wanted a game system and this was the one I was willing to get.  Come garage sale season we will get more.

 London got a wooden train set from Santa.  He loves trains and really needed one.  I got him the one from Melissa and Doug because we can build on it.  We also found out that Cars made wooden toys that fit that too.  He was so excited and I am thinking he needs a train table...  a future thought!!

 This is what I think we will have years of...

I always worry that Christmas is all about gifts and that my kids won't get the picture so we did several things to help them remember Jesus and His birthday.  I think that helped because Belle asked me yesterday about only getting 2 toys and that was it because it was Jesus' birthday and not hers.  I don't know where the thought came from but she is getting it!!!  I got her ice cream, she doesn't know why but it was my treat to her and me!!  She is really starting to think about God and Jesus and telling us stories, I love seeing her faith grow. 
Christmas was hard this year but my favorite part is that the kids love to share and give gifts, I saw that this year for the first time and I can't wait to give with them every year.