Snow Much Fun!

Today, we headed outside for some more fun in the snow. We had about 4 inches of snow, 1/4 inch of ice, and then a wintry mix. It made for a wet and heavy snow...perfect for snowballs, snowmen, and sledding! We don't usually get this much snow, so we were without a sled. No worries though, Daddy got creative! He blew up one of our rafts that we usually use on the lake, and attached a rope. It worked perfectly! Blakely was completely content perched inside as Daddy sprinted up and down the street pulling her. She kept yelling, "Faster daddy, faster!" Needless to say, Daddy did not work out on the bike today, he got plenty of cardio outside :)
After the sledding, one of Blakely's little friends came out to help with the snowman. They had lots of fun working with their Daddies to build a cute snowman. Then it was time for a snowball fight. We sure are enjoying all the snow this winter, but next year we might just have to invest in snow gear!

Patrick's Football Party!

Blakely and Patrick have literally been friends since birth. Today, we helped him celebrate his 6th birthday. It was a really fun party. Patrick is all boy, and so his party was a "football" party. Blakely was super excited because the invitation said to wear your "team colors." She chose to wear her Sharks cheerleading uniform. The kids had lots of fun running around and playing with each other before they did several football related things. You can see Blakely signing her name to a run-through sign for the boys. The girls also got to lead the crowd in a birthday cheer. Blakely made a new little friend name Kyleigh. They had lots of fun pushing each other around the gym super fast on the little racers. It's hard to believe that our little ones are turning 6! Happy Birthday Patrick!

Family Bowling!

Blakely is interested in having a bowling party for her birthday this year, so we headed to the bowling alley to see how things would go. We had lots of fun! Before we left, she went to her room to pick out a big girl bowling outfit for herself, headband and all. After she was dressed, we went to dinner with Nana and Aunt Laura, then we headed to the bowling alley. Blakely was super excited that some more of the family could join us there too.
When we walked into the bowling alley, there were disco lights and music playing...Blakely was in her element. She was very excited to tell the attendant her shoe size. The attendant then gave her a lovely pair of glow-in-the-dark shoes, and a bright lime ball to match her lovely glowing shoes. She liked that a lot! Next we headed to our lane to input everyone's names. Blakely went first, and she did her best to get the ball down the lane like a "real bowler." Luckily Uncle Drew thought to have the bumpers raised, so her slow moving ball could ricochet from side to side before knocking down the pins. She bowled a 97...not bad for her first try! We're still deciding on whether to do the party there...I think we should wait until the kids are a little bigger. We'll see! Either way, she wants to go back again for some more family bowling very soon!

Dance With Daddy Day!

The girls were super excited this year for Dance with Daddy Day. The studio has this event every year, and it is always a lot of fun. The moms always get tickled watching the dads dance with their little girls. It's so sweet!
Since Blakely takes a jazz and a combo (tap/ballet) class, Daddy got to go twice. All the dads were great sports; twirling and stretching with their daughters. Each year at the end of the classes, the dads get the chance to learn a little choreographed dance that is especially for them. This year was no exception...the shot above, with the hands on their hips, is from that dance. The girls loved watching their dads shake their hips. I have to say, that was my favorite part too! It's always a lot of fun and the girls spend most of the class giggling and just having a blast!

Two Cuties!

Blakely and Makenzie had some fun playing in the tub the other night after dinner! I couldn't resist snapping a couple of quick pics. They always have lots of fun together, but this is the first bath they have had together in a while and Blakely enjoyed the fact that Makenzie can now sit and stand on her own. Blakely even helped wash Makenzie's hair. They grow up so quickly!!!

First Snow of 2010

Blakely was super excited to have her first snow day of the new year. Even though it wasn't a very wet snow, she still managed to have some fun. She used Daddy's snow shovel to scoop snow up and toss it in the air on top of herself, and then she made a path around the pool and deck in the backyard. She also stopped along the way to pose for a few cute pics. I love watching her having so much fun! Even though we couldn't make a snowman, she still managed to make a snow angel!

Christmas 2009

This year we had lots to be thankful for. We celebrated Christmas a little early with the Kiger's since they had to travel out of town for Christmas this year. The girls had lots of fun opening presents. Blakely took on the role of big sister and showed Makenzie how everything worked. We had a delicious dinner, and an overall great time spending time with all the family. Unfortunately, the family picture was taken with another camera. I may try to post it later.

Blakely's kindergarten class party was a lot of fun! The kids acted out the Gingerbread Man story, decorated gingerbread cookies, and played some reindeer games...but best of all was the surprise visit from Santa! The kids were in shock, but quickly warmed up to the big guy. He read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and delivered one small gift to each of the students before answering their questions. I'm so glad I was able to help plan that party. What a wonderful time!

Finally, the night Blakely had been counting down to...Christmas Eve. We all went to the candlelight service at church, before heading back to our house with everyone that was in town. We had a yummy dinner, and then we let Blakely open some presents. She was very animated this year, and couldn't wait to change into her big girl pajamas from Justice. She was very thoughtful and left cookies & milk for santa, along with carrots (one each) for the reindeer. She also wrote a little note to Santa to make sure he knew to give the reindeer the carrots. It is so much fun watching the magic of Christmas through her eyes! She must have been very good this year, because Santa filled the living room with all sorts of goodies!
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