Christmas Day

I'm a little late in posting about Christmas, since it's almost March, but we had a great Christmas. Both girls received bikes from us and Ashlyn got a Leapster from mamaw and papaw and Kiley an ipod. Kiley also got a small video camera (the bike was suppose to be a birthday present, but daddy couldn't wait). There were other things from relatives that they loved, but I just can't think of them now, since it's been two months!

We spent a quiet day at home and were later joined by my parents and sister with her family.

For those of you looking for some way to lead up to Christmas, an advent book, we have read Tabitha's Travels in the past and this year I found Jotham's Journey. We got it too late to incorporate this season, but Tabitha's Travels is awesome! It follows this girl, Tabitha, through her life which leads her to the Jesus' birth. I can't say enough about it. Very gripping and each day's reading is a cliff hanger. Kiley loves it and this year Ashlyn was able to appreciate it as well.

Silly girls!!!!

First: Pause music at the bottom of the page...

Awhh, look at my babies!

Can't believe how much they've changed. This was just about 18 months ago!!!

The Land of Nod

Kiley is reciting one of the three poems she has memorized so far this school year. This one is her favorite:

New...or maybe, old...videos

Since I now have figured out how to get videos on the blog...I'm back tracking and downloading some of my favorites.

Here is one of Kiley singing. I had been trying to get this for a while without her knowing and finally got her!

2007 Christmas Card

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A Family Christmas

We went to A Family Christmas at Lake Norman Baptist the first weekend in December. Great time, as always! The girls loved the smores! I think the favorite every year is the carriage rides.

More O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Pictures speak a thousand words...

Operation Christmas Child

On December 1st, we took a field trip to Operation Christmas Child. It really was a great experience. The kids all brought a shoebox filled with gifts and they explained what happens from there. The girls were able to fill in and color a sheet telling all about them and include their address, so maybe they'll get a letter one day?

It's amazing to see how much goes into this ministry! Many of these kids have never received a gift, ever! How different our life is from most of the world!

Print your blog!!!! Yes, I said print your blog!!!

Did you know you can print your blog with very little effort! I found this tool online where it automatically puts your blog entries with pictures into book form, comments and all! It's going to me my new scrapbook for each year and I can get a couple printed out so each girl will have one some day. The cover and text could be improved, but I would think they will be improving it for the future. Check it out. It will show you a preview in just a few minutes.

For some reason my links don't work, so go here:

www.blog2print.com

Update: Lindsay just commented about www.blurb.com and that one looks like a much nicer quality book for about the same price. I had looked at that one a while back but didn't see the option to download your blog...but you can!!!

The True Christmas...

Please pause music at the bottom of the page first.


That's Christmas! from andy pearce on Vimeo.

Oh, BTW, I stole this from Marge's facebook page...thanks Marge!

Sisters....

Ashlyn gets scared easily during movies. I mean, even when the Man in the Yellow Hat has to tell everyone "there never was a statue!" She use to run to me during any suspenseful, uncomfortable, or scary scene. But I am glad to say, she will now go to her sister (some)times for comfort!

Soccer Comes to an End...

Ashlyn's soccer schedule ended (in early November). She was so excited to get a trophy and really liked soccer. She said she wants to play again, but not with girls that can run so fast!!

Fall Festival

On Halloween, it's become a tradition to go to a Fall Festival at a local church. It's a great time and the girls loved the bungee jump. Kiley even did 3 flips in the air on this thing. We got there early enough that they had three turns before the lines were too long. We met the Morales' there and had another fun fall day! Somehow, all my pictures were before the Morales' arrived?

Did I mention October was field trip month??

Craig took the girls to The Amazing Maize Maze. They ended up on the hunt with the McCoys. They had a great time, although I think it took 2 and 1/2 hours to get through it.

New Hair for Kiley....

My girls growing up. She really wanted a hair "style" instead of a cut. So, instead of me attempting this, we took her to a salon. This was her first trip to a professional hair salon (except once at super clips where I had to go home and fix her crooked hair). She was very excited and picked out the style herself. It looks great on her, although she's looking a little older. sad.....It was styled with a flat iron, but she can also leave it natural which gives it a cool funky curl look.

October was field trip month.

Later in October we went to Riverbend Farms pumpkin patch. This was the best place we've been yet for pumpkins. Lots to do. They had emus, bison, billy goats, horse, cow, turkeys, play area made from farm equipment and a grain silo, indian and bee areas, and a HUGE slide! It was a blast, we spent most of the day there and came home with lots of pumpkins.

Apple Orchard Field Trip

In October, we went on a field trip to Apple Hill Orchard with Classical Conversations. It was lots of fun! They showed us how they sort the apples, make apple cider, and all about bees. Bees are brought in to pollinate the fields. Did you know that the female bee feeds the male? Interesting.....

Gotta love my girls....

One day at the beach, the waves were so big that the beach was closed, the girls skin was so rashy we were planning on keeping them out of the sand anyway. It was sprinkling but we decided to head up to Currituck lighthouse anyway. It rained the whole way there, but slowed to a slow sprinkle just long enough for us to get out and see the lighthouse, and of course the gift shop (one of the girls favorites parts of vacation since they have been on a spending freeze all summer...so they would have money to spend on vacation).

We got back in the van and started back to the beach house. The rain had made huge mud puddles....more like "ponds" in the middle of the road. So, like any responsible mom, I drove us straight into them (after Craig's prompting) and the girls were giggling and laughing so hard. Even on this wet, dreary looking day....Kiley said, "Mom, this is the best day ever!"

Pirate Training...

Blackbeard the pirate made his home on the outer banks (at least for a few years), and this past Friday was international Talk like a Pirate Day (who knew?)...We went to Kitty Hawk Kites for their pirate festival. It was so windy it was hard to hear and Ashlyn couldn't see from her hair flying in her face, but they had a great time. Blackbeard himself gave the girls both rings and said they were now his girlfriends (oh dear!)...

They learned how to pull a line, draw a sword and fight, and pirate words used on a ship.