Visit with Santa 2014

 Our visit with Santa was magical this year!  The boys were decked out in their Hanna Andersson "Gnome on the Go" pajamas.  I think they are my favorite Christmas jammies to date!  Both boys were eager to visit with Santa.  Caleb asked for a monster truck.  Dylan asked for a marble excelerator.  Christmas is full of such joy!

A whole lotta Christmas fun!

Here is what we were up to in December:

Bam, the kind elf, returned! 

Dylan with the star, Mary Katelin!

Dylan at Elf @ the Repertory Theatre.  He loved his date with Mommy & Daddy.

Dressed for his preschool program.

Santa visited the preschool Christmas party. 

Magic.

Christmas jammie day in Pre-K4. 

Baking cookies for Santa. 

Gingerbread house on Christmas Eve. 

Arnold Family Christmas. 

Sunday Christmas best. 

Our family. 

Baking and eating with friends. 

Helping bake homemade cinnamon rolls. 

Letter to Santa. 

Survived our first night terror with this one. 

Garth Brooks with Sis. 

Annual Christmas party with friends. 

Out to see Christmas lights. 

Their first Starbucks. (HOT hot chocolate inside)

Delivering Christmas gifts for others. 

Daddy is thirty-two...

We had such a fun time creating a little homemade family birthday party for Daddy!  We did this last year and the boys enjoyed it so much.  Honestly, we did as well.  We love family time at home.  We feel like making memories while they are young is truly a special gift.

Dylan made him a HUGE card!  

 Caleb decorated it, too!

 We had party props and party poppers.  Dinner was tacos, rice, and cheese dip-per Daddy's request.  Then, yellow cake with chocolate icing for dessert!

 We also got all dressed up that weekend to go to a wedding.  I think our dates were the most handsome dates there!

We love you Daddy!  We love you more today than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow!

November Wrap-up

Caleb went with me to vote at the beginning of November.  He told me he was going to vote for cars and asked me if I voted for cars.  He told me Daddy would vote for cars.  

 Spending time with their Daddy Vell on Veteran's Day.

 Caleb is an out of control sleeper.  Daddy caught this one morning before he went to work.

 We managed to sneak away for the weekend to go to the LSU game.  I had on 2 pair of thermals and lots of layers.  We actually stayed warm.  Probably because of all the yelling, jumping, and screaming.  So glad we got the BOOT back!

 Mrs. Workman let Dylan come to her Pre-K 3 class and read to them.  What a great thing!

 Dylan was the only one in Taekwondo class one afternoon and he got some one-on-one instruction from Mr. Baez.  It was great for him!

 Playing outside in November.  My favorite tree in the yard is finally changing colors!

 We enjoyed a trip to the Nature Center and a trolley ride around downtown!

 Dylan went on his first duck hunt!

 November 30

He loved it!

 Daddy was prepared with ear plugs and snacks!

 His very own tiny little waders!

 Watching the ducks circle. 

What a great November!  Caleb also had an X-ray of his collarbone.  It is healing nicely.  He no longer has to wear his brace, but we do have to be careful for 3 more weeks.  Yikes!

Our Little Reader

Dylan has been real into spelling any word that he notices.  EVERYTHING.  Cereal boxes, store fronts, stickers, basically just anything where he notices letters.  He also has been pretty great at beginning letter sounds.  He has been asking me to help him read.  We started out by reviewing letter sounds on his chalkboard easel, then blending sounds together.  

November 13, 2014

Dylan read his first book! 

"Mat"

Book 1 in the BOB series for Beginning Readers

 We "face-timed" all the grandparents and Aunt Carole.  I also took video of the BIG milestone! We are soooooo very proud of our sweet 5 year old boy who loves to learn and eager to try anything new!

Here he is reading to me! Heart. Explodes. 

Happy Thanskgiving 2014!

Making turkey cookies, a tradition we started two years ago!

 The finished product!

Thanksgiving morning family selfie!

We had a great Thanksgiving Day in Amagon, AR with my Mom's extended family.

I am so thankful for my boys.  God has truly blessed us. 

 All of my parents grandSONS!

Thankful for Sis being here this year and of course for our Daddy Vell! 

Loving on their Poppy!

 Riding "country style" in Uncle Wayne's truck to his house!

 We all really enjoyed their thankful tree this year.  Caleb was old enough to really participate, and Dylan wrote on his leaves this year.