Thanksgiving 2010

I cannot believe it's already the Christmas Season!! This is my favorite time of the year...so may traditions we get to participate in and so many things to be thankful for!! We had an awesome Thanksgiving!! Uncle Paul came to stay with us!! We had a house full of people on Thanksgiving Day!! Us, Uncle Paul, Nana & Pap, & Uncle Michael and Aunt Peggy! All of the food was fantastic!! We have so much to be thankful for!!

Below are MANY pictures - in the reverse order of how they occurred (oops!) therefore, all of the Christmas Tree pictures are 1st with the Thanksgiving pictures to follow. ENJOY!!


We got a new Christmas Tree this year!!! It's over 9 feet!!! LOVE IT!!


Sydney got another video email from Santa this year!! Here she is watching it on the computer!! She gets so excited when she watches it. She is amazed that he knows all about her and what she wants for Christmas. I told her it's because her Elf on the Shelf named TOYS, flys to the North Pole every night when she is sleeping & tells Santa all about her!!


Here she is waving goodbye to Santa at the end of the video email!

Sweetie and Mommy!!

Here we are decorating the Christmas Tree. Since I was a little girl, my Mother and I always put the Christmas Tree up the weekend of Thanksgiving!! My Mom and I always had to have a huge tree!! In Minnesota, we could go out and cut our own tree down and haul it home. So many wonderful memories of all of the different trees we brought home!! This is a very special picture of a tradition being passed down... and wouldn't you know, in my hand, I am holding a dragon fly!! That wasn't planned!

The new mammoth tree comes in 4 huge sections in these very large bags!!

Greg trying to help me put it together - its very heavy!!

Even Ziggy got in on the Christmas spirit!! Every year we put these collars on them and they chase each other and play - I think they actually like them:)

Uncle "Paws" getting in on the action!! This is a prelit tree so it was hard trying to figure out which cords plugged into each other!!

Yayyy, we finally got it up!!

Look at how big it is!!! Mom would be so proud!! As you can see, Sydney is very proud of her Christmas Tree!! We decorated it with silver and gold dragonflys, angels, crosses, snow flakes and bulbs!! It has a beautiful glow at night time!

This was taken the day after Thanksgiving. Sydney and Uncle Paws are having some art time bonding!

The day before Thanksgiving, we joined our MOMS group to tour the fire station. Sydney had a blast!

Admiring the big wheels!

Sitting in the fire truck! Had a hard time getting her out of here!!

Waiting in line to go sit in the fire truck again!

She looks like she has to go potty!! I kept asking her if she needed to go because she was doing what looked like the "potty dance". She said, "No Mommy, I don't have to go potty!! I'm doing the happy dance!!"

Sure enough, she didn't have to go potty...she was just really happy!!

Here Sweetie is helping me set the table for the "fancy dinner" - that's what she called it!!

What would Thanksgiving be without the festive head gear!!

Here she is helping me make pumpkin bread!! Love the outfit!!

Here is the banana bread!! We were busy!!

Mmmmmm...

Our annual "Thankful Turkey" or "Thankful Chicken" as Sydney calls it!!! Another tradition I started that helps us focus on what this Holiday is all about! Sydney said that she was thankful for Jesus!!

Next, it was time to make cup cakes or "pup cakes" as Sydney calls them. Mmmm, do you think she enjoyed the chocolate??

Making "Pupcakes"!! Of course she needed to sample some of the sprinkles to make sure they were good!

Mmmm, they sure where tasty!!

That's it for now!! We are looking forward to the next few weeks - we have a busy calender full of Christmas events to include Cookies with Santa, Christmas Caroling, and the Polar Express!! I will do my best to keep the pictures coming!!!

Sydney Stories

A couple of nights ago, as Sydney and I were completing our bedtime rituals, I picked up the book, "Brown Bear Brown Bear..." to read to Sydney for her bedtime story. I got her all tucked into her big girl bed and layed down next to her. I opened the book and began to read. She quickly stopped me and told me she could do it herself. I laughed and said, "ok" thinking to myself, "this will be interesting!" To my complete surprise, she read me the entire book!! Now, I know she cannot read yet, but I am in complete dismay that she has the entire book memorized!! Guess it's time to get some new books!!

A new behavior that Sydney has started is quite interesting to say the least!! When I or Greg am not around, she will ask the adult she is with to do something that she knows Mommy or Daddy doesn't allow. In her words, "Can I have ___. My Mommy/Daddy always lets me!!" That little stinker!! I know have to warn people when I leave her with a sitter that she does this! Manipulating at 3 - oh boy, we are in trouble!!

It is November, which mean Nana & Paps are back in Arizona!! We are so excited that we get to spend some time with them again!! Sydney is beside herself every time she hears that we are going to see them. We are blessed to have them with us!!

Halloween and Uncle Paul's Visit

We had a exciting Halloween this year!! At age 3, Sydney (and her parents) had such a great time and really got into the whole spirit of things!! We decorated our house, inside and out, and made lots of Halloween crafts and goodies! We had a Halloween MOMS Party, a Halloween Party during her Art Class, a haunted house party with Aunt Peggy & Uncle Michael, and a Neighborhood Halloween Party Halloween night!! Below are just some of the pictures from all of the festivities!!

All of these kids live right in our neighborhood!! They all play together so well and love to hang out with one another!!

Halloween night!!

Yummies!!

"Trick or Treat"!! Sydney LOVED trick or treating!! She ran from house to house singing loudly!! LOVED IT!!

In this picture, she had just won a prize at the Haunted House Halloween Party we went to with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Michael!!

"Super Girl"
She has special powers in her belt!! (For real! That's what she said!!)

Aunt Peggy helping with a craft.

Sweetie with Aunt Peggy & Uncle Michael

Sydney being silly

PUMPKIN PATCH - 2010!!

"Happy Halloween"

My Sweetie.

Perfect day at McDonald Ranch!!

My two Sweeties!!

1st Horse ride!! She was sooooo brave smiling the whole time she was on the horse. When she got off, she kissed his nose and pet his head and said thank you. PRICELESS!!

This picture was taken at Sydney's Art Class Halloween Party at the community center!

At this particular community center, they have a special senior citizens wing where every Wed., during Sydney's art class, they have live music and dancing. For the Halloween party, they had the kids march through this wing and all of the seniors marveled at the kids in costumes and handed out candy! The kids loved it as much as the seniors:)

The pictures below are from my Uncle Paul's visit to Arizona!!

Sydney was upset because I was outside with them!! She wanted Uncle Paul or Uncle "Paws" as she calls him, all to herself!!

Uncle Paws was quite the trooper playing every game Sydney wanted and letting her dress him up as she wanted!!

Off on another adventure!! I can't remember what they were trying to capture??? But it was pretty much the theme for 24 hours!!

After a hard day at play, it was time for a story before bed.

Paul, Sydney and myself went to the State Fair together. Boy was it hot!! This is a picture at the petting zoo. There were a ton of animals in here!!

Like I said, it was sooo hot!! Just look at her red face!! This cool treat helped a little!!

Time for the rides!!

Never thought I would see Uncle Paul on a pink elephant!!

Watching Uncle Paws playing with Sydney really warmed my heart. It brought back a lot of childhood memories and feelings of when I was young and loved to spend time him! He has such a warm spirit with kids - I don't think he even realizes it!! It really means so much to me that she loves him so much. I know it warms my Moms heart also!! Love you Uncle Paws!!