Well it is wednesday and I'm just not getting to an about my weekend post!! Didn't know if plans were going to fall through or work out, but it ended up working out in my favor! Got to visit EVERYONE! We all got together for an early 88th celebration for Gramp's bday, and had an awesome turkey dinner thanks to mom! Man can that woman cook, I drool just thinking about it hehe!
So first stop on saturday was Krisser's, for more pictures of the sweet Addison. She decided she really didn't want to curl up like I wanted her to, or sleep any, but I got some cute ones!
Then to mom's for dinner, and some late night shopping with Taylor. I sure miss having Lakeside mall around, so big and so many stores to choose from, oooh the good ole days....
Sunday we spent all day cooking and getting ready for Gramp's bday, that big turkey dinner! Kris, Mic, Cole, Aubrey and Addison, Jay, Sheila, and Jase, Gramps and Mary, of course Mom and Tony, and all whole brood were all there! The big family get together, crazy, loud, super busy, but I enjoyed every minute of it! I got a picture of Gramps and Ella, Ella didn't get to help blow out the candles, so Gramps lifted her up, relit one, and let her try! Ella couldn't figure out how to get it to blow out and needed some assistance though, hehe! Of course I can't load it, no idea why I have such a hard time getting this to work!
We went down also to get a new minivan, but that fell through, going to do it next month instead. I can't believe we get a better deal on getting a brand new one than keeping the old one, but hey, who doesn't want a brand new, fresh smelling vehicle???

Wii are the proud owners of a Wii! Cameron's Christmas gift was finally found, was really hard to get ahold of, but he got one now! I'll have to take some pictures of them all playing it, Jamie is the funniest, the faces he makes!!! I did video tape it for awhile though lol!

Well Jack figured out how to pull himself up onto everything, nothing is stopping that little guy now! He figured this out on January 14th, and has worked on perfecting it all week! The 21st he even tried taking a step holding onto the furniture, but fell down shortly after! His poor little forehead is all bruised up from learning this new feat!

The new windows are in!!! Well not all the way in, Jamie still has some drywall to put up, and painting to do. They look so awesome, and CLEAN! You can see through them, wahooo! I can't wait to see my gas bill drop!

Baby Addison is here! Ha, faster than a speeding bullet... She is so sweet, I can't wait to see the little peanut again! She was born Friday at 1:56, just 11 minutes after my sis got to the hospital!!!


New windows are coming! Finally! After getting Nov/Dec bill we decided instead of throwing money out the window, literally, we would put that money into new windows! So how suprised was I when they asked if they could come today? Ok, more like overwhelmed! But 3 are almost in, lots more to go. Hey those are some big window holes to fill!

Jack is starting to pull himself up onto everything (pictures to come soon with his latest accomplishment)! Of course that means lots of falling down. It was so sweet today, I was cleaning with some Clorox wipes, and he fell backwards (ok, that isn't the cute part), well I couldn't just grab him with that stuff on my hands, so I was rinsing them, well apparently I was taking too long, so Ella went and started hugging him, rubbing his head, telling him he was ok!!! How sweet!

Everyone went sledding today! We finally got snow in Michigan yesterday! We couldn't get Ella out of it! She started begging me to go outside the minute she saw all that snow! Lucky for her Cam was home from school because of teacher in service, so she was out before 10 am, and for quite awhile! There were snow angels to be made, a slide to go down fast, and snow to eat! She was so cute out there!

I'm sooo bad, I know it has been too long, the holidays were crazy and so am I hehe!!!
But I'm back now and plan to be updating regularly!!! So stay tuned hehe!
I'll start with Jack cause he has been the busiest! Around 7 months he... get this... learned to army crawl, learned to sit up, and popped out 2 teeth, all in less then a week!!!! I didn't even know he was getting teeth, he didn't get all crabby like Ella always did. He was on a roll! Right before Christmas he figured out how to sit himself up, so now he crawls everywhere and when he finds something he wants to get into, he sits up and plays with it! Smart kid! He is also starting to crawl on all 4's, but gets frustrated and drops back down for his army crawl! And what a temper on the little guy, don't even try to take something away from him, he kicks his chubby legs, pounds his hands on the ground and buries his head on the floor! Very amusing!
Ella is her usual trouble making self. She had quite the Christmas, got everything she wanted, she asked Santa for 3 presents, so she got that and more! She is having fun playing with it all every day! And has become a Game Boy addict as Taylor got a new one and handed hers down!
Cameron got a Game Boy DS, so he can't take his hands off that! He used all his gift cards from Christmas on games for it! When school starts we'll have to limit his time on it, but for now I'm letting him wear out his thumbs! He also got Guitar Hero that he has been asking for forever and has to fight with daddy for turns! And the Fast Action Football he wanted gets played even, but takes up a lot of his room! Fun game!
Taylor ended up with over $600 in gift cards this year! And a bunch of clothes on top of that from her fav American Eagle. She had a blast shopping, woulnd't that be nice?? A whole new wardrobe! She also invested in a DS and doesn't have to fight with her brother over it anymore!
The whole family got a nice Lionel train for Christmas as well. Everyone takes turns checking it out, even Jack, who always seems to derail the train. Sometimes I wonder if daddy got it more for himself then the kids though...

MY BOYS

I took a shower today and put Cam in charge of Jack and when I was done this is what I came down to! Them all cuddled up on the couch! How sweet are they? Jack just gets the biggest kick out of Cam and laughs at everything he does. Of course then Cam had to do some silly pictures to!

Taylor won her first volleyball game today!!!! They took all 3 sets, well out of 3, hehe!! Sooo proud! I get to see her first game on Wednesday and I can't wait. I'll be there with my camera!

I took Cam and Ella to the docs today to find out they have a virus! UGH! How many weeks of being sick and there is still nothing they can do for them. But of course you never can tell...
So they weighed Jack today cause I asked if they could. I wanted to see if it was time to move him out of his 22 pound weight limit car seat, I figured he had to be about that by now. Boy was I wrong, he was 23 pounds 8 ounces! So way past the weight limit. He'll be in a big car seat now, which brings on my question, where do I set him? He can't sit up yet! UGH!!! Chubby baby!

Jack is 6 months old!!! I can't believe it! He is rolling all over now, won't stay on the blanket I put down for him, so he spits up all over the carpet now! There is no stopping him!
He figured out how to shake a rattle to, it is so funny to watch him, well not so funny when he smacks himself in the head and tries to figure out what just happened!
Still a super happy guy, he laughs like crazy and smiles all the time!
His new favorite toy is his toes!!! He loves watching them, chewing on them and having them tickled!

Our Halloween day!!!
It was so busy! First I took Ella to her school and they had a Halloween party, they were all so cute passing out treats to each other, and wanting to tear into them. We got to play toys, sing songs and they did a Halloween parade! Home for a nap for Ella and Jack then off to the mall for some trick or treating, which is so nice and warm! The kids got a lot of candy, more then I thought they would there! Then home for a quick dinner, then out from 6 till 7:30 for more trick or treating, it was sooo cold out though! Jack screamed for the first part of the trip, but then crashed in the stroller. Ella walked up to a few houses but then chose to sit in the wagon and munch on candy over doing more trick or treating, fine by us, easier that way! Taylor and Cam ran ahead so they could hit more houses, old people are slow you know!!!
Here's Cam's costume, it took close to 3 hours and 3 stores but we found him Darth Vader! Tay's nanny made her the belly dancing costume, of course she had to bundle up and there is no way I would let her show off belly anyways, such a strict mom I know!!!
Pictures will be posted soon,not working tonight!

Taylor made the volleyball team!!! Wahoooo!!! My little athlete, she rocks!

Betty needed some pics for her photog class, so I helped her out with the cute subjects!!! Ella was quite a stink in the beginning, but she warmed up. She had a lot of fun with Jack in the basket.
I was trying a challenge for a scrap board, and this is the cute pic I got of Cam. I can't believe how handsome he is, and his eyes, WOW!!!
I must say I have some good lookin kids hehe!

MVP!!!
That's right, you heard it here first!!! Taylor made MVP for her 7th grade basketball team! I swear I had tears in my eyes when she told me, I'm so proud of my little girl! She also got an award for coach's pick! My Taylor rocks!!! I'm going to take pics of her and her awards today then hang them up in her room!
Now comes volleyball, woohoo! I love that sport. Taylor is trying out for the team. I have a good feeling she will make it, she just tries so hard!

My little angel!!!
First off, thanks to Jen for helping me out with this!!! I took the super cute picture of Jack as part of his 5 month shoot, she added the wings and crooked halo, hehe! I need this printed really big, somewhere, gotta figure out where before I order, even though I am super excited to do it!!!!

I took the kids outside for awhile yesterday, cold or not Jack was fussing and we were in all day. I'm working on getting Jack to fall asleep on his own, he cries, I feel bad, it sucks. But he is doing way better then Ella at it, he only made it to the 15 minute mark. I go in after 5 minutes, calm him down, then after 10 minutes, calm him down, and then after 15, went in, calmed him down, walked out, he was out!!! Ella could go an hour like this, in hysterics, broke my heart! I know it will work in the long run and it has to be done. Besides, he can cry in his crib, or cry on my lap cause he is tired, so guess it is less stressful for both of us.
Oh back to going outside... there is ivy on our brick wall in the back, and it is changing color, way too pretty to not have pics in front of. Even if Ella won't cooperate, the stinker!!! Look at the look she gives me when I have the camera out and I'm talking to her, soooo sassy. I did get a cute one later that day after some leaf crunching. Oh and everyone was in better spirits after our 20 minutes outside!

Ok, so it has been forever since I have done anything on here, bad me!!! Life seems to slip right by. But I'm back now!
Jack was sick last week, scary sick. Guess he had a virus, that is what the ped said. But not eating, sleeping all day, and running a high fever scared the crap out of me. I was so worried we would end up in the ER, no thanks! His fever spiked to 103, scary for a baby that age. 2 days of him not letting me put him down and constant battles trying to get him to eat wore on me. No giggles and smiles from happy Jack, so sad. He is back to his old self now, all laughs (yes I am typing this as he is whining at daddy hehe).
Taylor just got over a sinus infection to, but I think we have her all better now!!!! Had to be hard playing basketball like that. I went to a couple of her home games, she does really good! One of the better ones out there I might add!!!
Ella is always into trouble as usual! She just amazes me the way she figures things out. Today Taylor asked her to get something for her, and Ella told her, I can't Taylor, I'm too sick. What a nut!!!!
My mom came for a few days to stay, yipppeee! I love having her here, we talk and talk! Not to mention the extra help with the babies, I love being able to shower and not worry about coming out to someone screaming because I was in there too long. We did lots of shopping, Tay and Ella both got winter coats! 2 down, 2 to go.
That is good for today!!! I promise I won't be a stranger!

Big Babies!!!

Well the young 'ens had their check ups yesterday, we'll start with Ella. She weighed 27 1/2 pounds and is 35 3/4 inches, so just shy of 3 feet! The 75% for both height and weight, she is perfect and doing everything she is supposed to right now!

Now on to Big Baby Jack! Yes very big baby! He weighed 20 1/2 pounds, which is off the charts, but only by a half inch hehe! I couldn't believe it! And he is 27 inches long, which is 95%. Where oh where do I get these big babies? He is also doing everything he is supposed to and the doc was impressed by his strength, oh yes, and by his size!!! Poor little guy got 3 shots again, he was pretty crabby yesterday but seems a bit happier today.

Guess who's 2 today!!! Ella is!!!! And for her special day I took her to McDonald's for lunch and to play a bit, I'm soooo glad I did!!! I met some girls there that are part of a mommy group!!! Finally people to talk to during the day! They get together 2 times a month, and have snacks, talk, fun stuff like that! There will be kids there Ella's age to play with, woohooo!! Guess I didn't need to put an ad in the paper to find friends after all, hehe! We were there for an hour and a half, Ella got to run around with so many kids! And when she couldn't climb up in the play place, one of the little girls helped her, it was so sweet!

Tonight we are taking Ella to Toys R Us to pick out her birthday present and I'm going to get her some cake and ice cream! Fun stuff when you are 2!

Jamie and I got to go on a date last night, woohooo! Been a long time, so it felt good. Went bowling and I beat him 2 out of 3 games, GO AMY! We came home to Ella fast asleep on the couch, funny when I saw her this way how it makes her still seem like such a little baby....

Jack ate rice cereal for the 1st time today! He didn't even cry when I put it in his mouth, so he did good! Of course he was done in a short while, as always takes getting used to.

Jack got to try out a new toy!!! The exersaucer! I must say he loves it, he spins himself around and checks out all the toys, trying to get everything in his mouth!!! It is just so fascinating watching him take it all in, he takes his time and studies each toy, only stopping to smile at me!
And look at those blue eyes, still wondering if he will keep them? After all at that age Ella's were blue, now they are a beautiful hazelish, greenish, greyish, who knows what color, they change every day.

Ahhhh sweet me time...

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So Jack has been going to bed at about 8:30, 9 every night, and sleeps till about 9 am!!!! And Ella has been sleeping till 8:30 or 9, so after my treadmill, shower and breakfast, I get about 30 minutes of quiet, can you hear it??? shhhh.... aaaaah.... so sweet...
I don't even turn the tv on or anything, just sit and enjoy the silence, hehe!!!

Oh my gosh, I just looked at the date and realized that in one week my little peanut will be 2 years old!!! ARGGGHHH! It seems crazy to me, it seems like I just brought her home from the hospital yesterday, and there she is almost 2 years old, no fair, yes, no fair! Of course she is still my baby, I still get to push her in the baby swing, and rock with her while she drinks out of a big girl cup at night. She's still in diapers and still needs naps. So maybe she isn't that big of a girl after all!
My favorite thing she does right now... ask her "Ella what is your name?" and she will tell you "me", and then ask her "what is my name?" and she will tell you "you". What a stink, hehe! And boy does that girl talk, and never quietly, she sure has the gift of gab! And she is always on the move, singing, dancing, jumping around!!! And she is interested in tv now, she really likes the Go Baby show and Dora, she is always asking to watch them, and thanks to TiVo she can anytime!

So if cankles are....

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a combo of the ankles and calves, like you can't see your ankles, what is it when you have no wrists??? Jack is sooo stinkin chubby that he has a crease where his wrist should be, so is it a wrarm??? Or an arist??

Just FYI... If you ask Ella, "what are you doing" and she responds with "nah-sing", this is not a good thing! Run and find out! Apparently nah-sing can mean climbing up on the counter to get things off the top of the fridge!!!
As Jamie says, Ella has figured out tools, notice her little chair that she uses to climb up onto the counter!