Emily's Third Birthday

We got more snow on Tuesday. I bundled the kids up for some fun in the snow. Doesn't Lou look like he's having fun? He did like the Santa that we have out in front. Emily, doing her usual in the snow.
Dan got some fun Santa cupcakes on Thursday night for Louie and Emmy, to celebrate her actual birthday. They watched the "Happy Birthday" Signing Time and Louie walked around saying "hap bufday em" It was so cute.

Birthday Party, Round 1

Emily's party with Dan's family was last Sunday and let's just say that Emily figured out the birthday thing really quick. She was really into opening the presents and was very excited about each one. It was so nice, she said "thank you" after opening and studying each gift. We didn't even have to prompt or tell her to say it.

The cake was really good too, or so I heard.

Emily really loves her presents too. She got a couple things for drawing and painting, a Dora phone that says her name and some PJ's and big girl undies. Thanks everybody, we had a fun party.

Cookies and Snow

Cousin Charlie came and spent the weekend with us last weekend. He had a dance st De La Salle on Friday night, quiz bowl on Saturday and then we baked cookies on Saturday night. Emily and Louie couldn't get enough of having Chowie around. They screamed to have him sit with them for dinner and they helped with cookies it was lots of fun. This picture cracks me up. When we moved into our house and were cleaning out some of the crap in the attic, Dan came across my grandma and grandpa's old snowmobile suits. He LOVES wearing it, Dan across the street was out in his Carhart suit, so my Dan had to wear this thing. Isn't it nice, especially with the red stocking cap.

Snow and cookies all in one weekend!

It doesn't get any better than that!

We went to my friend Carol's house last Saturday and decorated gingerbread boys and girls. It was so much fun. Our friends, Annette and Bailey were there too. Bailey actually decorated her cookies, Emily ate every cookie I gave her to decorate and Lou was happy eating his plate.

Catching up . . .

Sorry, I don't know where the last month has gone? Well, it was busy. Dan went to Park City, Utah for a week. The kids went to Tesa's for a day and then to Bamma and Pappa's for two more. I took the rest of the week off of work and we had a ball!

But let's catch up. In November, Emily got her first black eye and that same week she ended up in the ER because she couldn't breath. She's being treated for asthma now and that seems to be really helping. However, I thought for sure we would be questioned by the staff at Childrens bringing this kid in with a black eye and she says "ouch" and "hurt" all the time . . .

We made an apple pie and sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving. Emily LOVES to be in the kitchen helping with whatever food preparation is happening. She always wants to help "stir stir."

It also snowed a little bit on Thanksgiving Day. The kids were so excited!! They both stood by the door and kept asking "snowman?" Like the dusting of snow was going to be enough and we need to get out there. Louie could hardly wait to get out and run around in his new boots. He LOVES boots and was very excited to get a pair of his own. Emily loves to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

The pie. Playing (pounding on) the piano at Auntie M's house. Auntie M has lots of fun toys at her house. She's got a whole bucket of Thomas Trains. Lou is all about Thomas and anything to do with trucks and trains.

Trick or Treat

Emily and Louie went trick or treating the other night. We took them to a few houses on the block, it was lots of fun. The funniest was Mary Ellen's across the street, she had on the Wheel of Fortune when we got to the door. Lou pushed his way right into the house and started yelling out letters in front of the TV.
Emily wouldn't say "trick or treat." Stood on Kelly's front step staring at Molly and Claire. She finally warmed up to them and said "trick!" Both kids were good about saying thank you.
When we got home, they both enjoyed watchign all the kids coming to the door.

The Great Pumpkin

We went to Gerten's Annual Fall Pumpkin Festival on Sunday to get some carving pumpkins. They had an endless patch of pumpkins, a straw maze, face painting and animals. There was a reindeer, a white whitetail deer, a tortoise and a bull calf. It was sort of a chilly day, but we had fun. Louie really liked the straw maze, he could run and run and run and we couldn't see where he
was.

The Florida Cousins

A couple of weeks ago, the Florida Jansen's came for a visit. We had so much fun with them!

Emily and Louie loved spending time with their cousins. Emily even got to hold little Justin, he was only 6 weeks old, still has all that hair he was born with.

On Sunday, we went to Grandma and Papa's house and had lots and lots of family pictures taken. More on those later . . .

We made it through the whole weekend without any trips to the emergency room with one of the kids!

It was sad to see everyone go home on Monday night, but we had lots of fun with them.

Leaves!

Oktoberfest!

We went to Assumption's 150th Anniversary Oktoberfest Celebration on Sunday afternoon. It was so much fun! There was face painting, a pumpkin walk, beer, rootbeer, a huge polka band and lots of food. Emily and Louie had a blast! The kids got their faces painted when we first got there, Lou wasn't too sure about that. Emily didn't care. Then Dan and Emily won a punkin in the pumpkin walk. Emily was so proud of herself! There was a guy with one of those organ grinder music box things, he didn't have a monkey though??

We went and had some dinner with "the Ladies." There's a group of women at 9:30 mass every Sunday, they love watching Emily and Louie grow up. Emily always puts on a show for them. This week was no different, except it was at the party instead of in church.

After we ate, Emily was intrigued by the HUGE polka band and wanted to dance. So, she grabbed Louie and they went and danced. He wasn't fast enough for her so she found a better dance partner a little later. We were very tired when we got home and went straight to bed. It was a great celebration!