January...

January is THAT month. That month where everyone is pooped from the "holiday" season, because since October there has been major holidays that - despite being so fun, often times comes with lots of decorating, parties, planning  and preparing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the holiday season, decorating and parties but its still exhausting and even if you wanted to take a break there is no time, so January is when you get sick (if you were fighting off something) when you chill, re-coop and try to take it easy. No one has money b/c of Christmas and its just always going to be that way. I'm totally okay with it, but thats just how it is. This year, we did just that...chill, re-coop, get sick, take too long to pack up Christmas b/c heck, Valentines isn't until February. So here are some pics to show what we've been up to. I will say that the weather here in Tri-C has been pleasantly warm and I'm not going to complain, Im just so not use to it after Cleveland and of course being a Canadian!

 DOING SOME EASY BAKING!

 Messy truffle success!

 Lincoln started preschool just 2 days/week at Edgewater with Mrs. Debbie Hughes and besides the first day, where she thought she'd try and take Lincoln's snuggle for the whole time, which she didn't know how important it is to him, but must have been torture for him (I can't even wash it without him freaking out). I mean, think about it...First day, new kids, new place, new teacher and on the young side. He needed his comfort snuggles. I felt so bad for him and until we established that he can keep it, which took him a few times to build back that trust, but now he is totally fine with it.

 Love his little zebra backpack!

 look at this cute thing!

 Doing the Elsa puzzle together is quite a hit!

 Everett is my new kitchen "helper" you can't even imagine the things I find all over the place, but the garbage can is his favorite place to put things right now. Shoes, food, utensils, toys...you name it. keeps me on my toes no doubt.

 Going to Goethals park with daddy! and ziplining it up!

 doing her own hair for errands. Too adorable!

 Lincoln being adorable with his snuggles/

 I mentioned the bench Mike made me in my Christmas post and here is a picture finally. Isn't it awesome!

 Playdoh time has been super popular lately, especially Lincoln. He loves making us burritos, and any kind of food really. Here, Vienna is making a huge bowl of rainbow vanilla icecream while wearing her birthday hat from Vedder's B-day!

 We took advantage of our 1 and only snowfall for the winter. It was on Everett's B-day. I was so sick and it was a Sunday, but luckily Grandpa let us borrow the sleds they had. The kids were fun to watch, I wished I could join them.

This is what our house looks like after playdates it is 2-3 times the bomb it normally is.

 Grandpa and Vienna with Mario mustaches for Vedder's B-day, which was on the 6th and I was still SO sick, so I couldn't go and Mike was working. Luckily G-ma was willing to take them for me.

 Vienna with her little "real pet parakeet" has been fun!

This should be up with the other preschool pics, but oh well, his face is a good way to end this post. January, besides all of us being sick, has been a nice relaxing Month, thank heavens, we really needed it!

Everett is ONE!!!

Our sweet little boy is ONE! It's amazing to think that last year at this time we were in Cleveland and I had a newborn along with a 3.5 and 1.5 year old. We are now in Pasco and our little ones are all 1 year older and we are getting into the flow of things. We have had such a fun year with our new addition. He is so loved by his older siblings and of course by mom and dad.

Here is the Birthday boy! He really liked his Mickey's. He also really enjoyed his cupcake but it took him a while to get into it.

With my birthday boy!

Our yummy lunch!

It was a good spread!

Even though Steve was working he was able to make it for lunch!

Vienna was such a great helper with the goody bags, she decorated everyone's, I didn't take pics before the other kiddos used theirs, but she did a great job. She put mickey and minnie in the same house on hers and on Vedder's she made a cool star. It was fun!

The cupcakes were pretty good considering they were store bought.

Looks pretty good!

After lunch and cake we played a few games, our mickey mouse target game where we throw bean bags at mickey to hit the bell and make it dingle. We all had fun doing this.

This is on Sunday morning, when Everett was actually ONE. He was so cute with the sign, I love how he is pointing to the sign in the top left one.

Unwrapping presents was so cute. He was starting to get into it slowly but surely. He would hand a tiny little piece to Grandma and then keep going. Unfortunately we didn't have all day so Vienna gladly jumped in and helped. Poor little Lincoln was so tired and having such a hard time that he had to go to bed so he missed this part, but he picked out a great present for his little brother, a bright green fuzzbie ball. Vienna picked out a rubber ducky for him. It was fun to have them shop for him.

The kabob's were my favorite for sure!
Below: Mike was my saving grace to get all these things down, he really is the best hubby EVER!

Our last game was to pop balloons and get goodies to put in your goody bad. 

We had a nice time!

Right now our little E-man is

- walking for the most part

- getting into drawers, cupboards, garbages, pretty much everything.

- crawling onto everything and trying to stand up

- waving hello and goodbye

-  giving "loves"(hugs and kisses) deliberately

- loving his Mama the most

- wants to be like Lincoln

- loves to play on the stairs

- watches his siblings closely and responds to their behaviors

- loves to play with his Daddy

-sleeps great and eats pretty good

We love having our sweet little ONE year old! Love you Everett!

New Years and our Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa!

On New Years Eve day we had Christmas with our family and Grandma & Grandpa. It was fun to have them over and to open more presents and homemade gifts. We started about 3 and finished just in time to start our new tradition of having Japanese food on New Years. We wanted to go out, but then remembered that we have 3 little kids, who on top of being little are all sick (thanks Canada) and thought NO WAY! So we ordered in some things and it definitely wasn't what I was wanting but we made it work. Then we attempted to watch our new Lego movie (which again with so many little kids was impossible). Once Everett and Lincoln were asleep we finished it with Vienna and I was asleep in 4 minutes. It was an amazing nap and I really wanted to just stay asleep for the rest of the night, but that would have meant I went to bed at 7:45pm on New Years, so instead I stayed up and watched the Fiesta Bowl where BSU won again! It was a good game. I was awake for the COunt down and afterward with kids several times. They sleep so good until about midnight and then Everett and Vienna get the best of me, especially since they are sick, but Vienna with nightmares or wanting to crawl in our bed. It's cute, but when I go to bed a midnight its not cute. I should just go to bed when they all do and then I would be well rested when they start waking up, Maybe it's b/c thats when their medicine starts wearing off. Who knows. I can't wait until they are all healthy again though.

Lincoln with a talking/moving loader

Everett got a really cool block puzzle train (aren't Peg's slippers so cute!)

Grandma did great this year and got Vienna some Frozen clothes. She got a sweat suit and an Elsa nighty, which she has worn everyday since.

Everett got an awesome book with animal noises that we all love. Bat girl wanted to read it to her. By the way, she wanted to wear her bat girl costume to open presents...so here I am digging in the halloween tote trying to find it so we can celebrate..Christmasween. Who knows, she's four and sweet!

Mike opening his Russian doll present that had a gift card to Lowe's and today he got himself Miter saw. Yay projects!!! 

Last of all and I don't have a picure of it yet, but we kept our tradition alive and made each other something. He takes the cake by far...he made me a bench for outside my front window, but it is a tailgate bench. I just need to post a picture to explain it, but it ROCKS! I love it!

My present for him was a bicycle bag for him to put his phone and keys and other things in while he goes on his bike rides. I hope he actually uses it. making things for men is tough. He also made me a knife block that looks like old books. Its cool but again I need to post a picture to make sense of it.

We are always so blessed each year and its so fun to watch others get excited about the thoughtful gifts that are given. Vienna was adorable; after each gift she opened she would run over to Grandma and then Grandpa and say Thank you so much for the ...... I love it. Every time and I didn't have to remind her once. What a sweety pie she is. Now having everyone get healthy, that would be the best Birthday present ever!