A Look Back

1 week old - Max
So loved!

Will looks so little!

Jack looks so young and Hannah has a bow in!!

Baby Max

I was looking back at pictures taken in 2009 and I can't believe how fast time has gone. Max is no longer a baby, Hannah will no longer wear hair bows, Will doesn't kiss me 20 times a day and Jack is too strong to pin down to kiss. I sure do miss those days already.

Max's Medal & a Husky Dog

I took Jack to get a haircut and we had 10 minutes to kill so I stopped at the pet store a couple of doors down so Jack could see the dogs. Little did I know they had a 2 month old Husky there. He asked the lady to play with it and boy was it crazy. It ran around like a mad man. Jack could barley catch it. He begged me to buy it. When we left his pants and coat were full of hair but he sure was happy!

While at one of Jack tournament basketball games, a girl who worked there told Will and Hannah that she was going to get a medal and bring it back for Max. They kids told me this since I did not see the conversation behind me and I told them that they probably misunderstood her. 5 minutes later she came back with a medal just for Max! He was so excited and proud. We all kept telling him that he "won the game"! He proudly displays it in his room when he is done dragging it around.

Recent Writings

1. This is Jack's "Dear Santa" letter they wrote in school. It is special to me since it might be the last year he writes a letter believing with his whole heart.

2. Will's story: "If I took my brother to school, I would help him with his stuff."

3. Will also wrote this at school. It reads "I would like to give Max a blue puppy on Christmas Day". "I would like a big tub of army guys."

4. Jack wrote a story about his lizard on the sunglasses.

"I went to Petsmart to get my lizard this summer on a rainy night. I was so excited I couldn't wait for me and my mom finally get there. I was sprinting to were the lizards were and then asked a person who worked there. He let me hold one so I did and I like it so I brought him home in a plastic container. He is 10 months old and he was $30. He is very happy at home right now."

5. Jack wrote a story at school about his trip that he took to the cabin with dad and Will. Darren gets to be in all of Jack's stories!

Max Cell Phone pics

Max is not a willing photography subject so I have to take what I can get. The first picture is Max in his cape. It is hard to get the cape and the mask off of him even to eat. The next picture Darren took of Max with his football jersey and football. That jersey is his next favorite outfit to wear. He often stands in our closet in the morning and yells "jersey momma". I have to hide his 2 jerseys if I don't want to see them on him every day.

The "blue puppy" was given to him by Will. Will's teacher, Mr.Simpson and his wife Jamie scoured multiple stores looking for a blue puppy for Max. That is all he wanted for Christmas. He carries that puppy around everywhere!

Max is getting a haircut in the Lightning McQueen car. I have to take him to a special haircut place that caters to kids in order for him to sit without completely "freaking out". It is well worth the extra few dollars it costs...especially since they just got the Lightning McQueen car!

Baby Lydia

Lydia and Jackie flew into Omaha on their way home to Niobrara over Christmas. The kids were so excited to meet Lydia and hold her. She was passed around so much that my time holding her consisted of moving her from one lap to another. I am not sure why I only have one picture since I swear I took more but this one was all that was on my camera! Hannah was very disappointed but Jackie gave her a picture which she promptly placed in her photo album. Lydia is beautiful and everyone still talks about them. After Jackie's visit, Jack once again brought up the fact that he really wants to go to Alaska. Hopefully we can make a trip out there before Jackie and Mychajlo move. It would be wonderful to spend more time with them.

January 5th - A Record 68 Degrees!

Jack racing his new car
Hannah begging me to take pictures of her

Max is here to save the day!

Hannah wanting to strike a pose

Partners in crime

Can you spy the super hero?

Jack showing me his tricks

After school the kids played outside until dark. It was 68 degrees and they wanted to eat dinner outside on the screened in porch. Max can now climb up all sides of the swing set by himself and can even walk up the slide to avoid having to climb the bars. I can barely watch because he makes me so nervous that he is going to fall. Mother-hen Hannah is usually by his side though helping with his every need.

Today Max decided that he wanted to wear Will's cape and mask to school. He would not take it off the entire day. He had marks around his eyes from wearing it for hours but boy did he have fun!

Jack was racing his remote control car with Darren and in between charging the battery, he was practicing on his skateboard. It has been great being able to be outside the past few days after school!

Holiday School Party

Look at those eyelashes!

The kids had their Holiday parties at school the last day before break. Max got to come this time and Will's class loves surrounding him and hugging him. They get a kick out of all of his crazy dog outfits and football helmets he wears!

Jack's class made snowman door stops out of concrete block. They turned out so cute. Hannah's class made a Christmas ornament with their picture in it and Wills class made a Santa jar with hot chocolate in it. So many cute ideas!

All of the kids were so excited for Christmas that they were hard to contain!

Gingerbread Houses 2011

Last year a tradition of making gingerbread houses with the cousins was born. We decided to get together the day after school lets our for Christmas break. they kids were so excited, especially Max since he saw candy in bowls!

I hot glued the houses together the night before so they didn't have to wait around. We used a couple of tubs of frosting a lot of candy. Not much candy made it on Max's house. He sat there most of the time asking me if he could eat it. He looked so happy when I told him yes.

Livvy, of course, took the most time and precision with hers but everyone seems to take a little more time this year.

Will was mad in his photo so he layed down on the table and closed his eyes. He then refused to be in the group photo.

Everyone is already looking forward to next year's gingerbread house extravaganza!