Olivia's first Christmas program

Here are a few pictures from Olivia's first Christmas program.  I have some others and videos I need to post as well.  This was so much fun!!!  The boys were always pretty shy during these and would end up turning around or lifting up their shirts.  Olivia was ALL ABOUT IT!! She was singing SUPER LOUD, was all smiles and all about doing the actions.  At one point she was singing super loud.  She's growing up!

30 minutes with Olivia

This girl is such a goof, she helped me out cleaning the garage tonight.  Seemed like every time I turned around she was doing something different.  

Then she found herself a little job.  She put all the pop and the beer in the refrigerator.  This works out quite nice.

Snack break.

Jam time.

More Snacks.

Thinking about climbing the ladder.

Snacking & mowing.

More snacks.

4 years later.....

If Carter could talk in this picture, I think he would say, "if only mom would have gotten me a pumpkin costume, this would be way more fun."  

I have a really hard time believing this, but we have been living back in Iowa for four years now!  I always think of four years as a significant amount of time.  When you are in school high school, seems like forever.  Then  you go to college for another 4 years (5 for some of us)- again, what seems like a significant amount of time when you begin.  And here we are 4 years here already.  I still miss a lot of things from Minnesota, but have no regrets moving back and love where we are at!  We do love, love, love Iowa - even though it's a little harder to say in January. 

Look at my little guys - they are so much bigger now.  They were about Olivia's age in these pics.

Hard telling what the next 4 years will bring.  Seems like we were forever down the path of the next thing... married, moved to New Jersey, moved to Minnesota, bought a house, got a dog (and Stella is 8 now!), had babies, moved again, built a house, had another baby!  So here we are, not sure what the next big thing will be.  Maybe making time stop so these guys don't grow up so fast.  Seems like our heads are spinning with the kids, but I know it will go by so fast and I'll wonder where the time had gone.  There are already lots of things they no longer need our assistance with.  

This girl

Olivia is 2 1/2 already and she is a very silly girl.  Actually I don't see enough of her right now and when she is home she is glued to Frozen.  Seriously OBSESSED!  The boys never really went through movie phases quite like this.  But it keeps her happy and we are stuck inside.  A little of what this lady is like these days.

• She loves her brothers and still does all they do
• She is getting quite fun with her pretend play.  She loves playing with her babies, her kitchen the boys blocks and really just keeps pretty content without too much effort
• Overall, she is a really good girl.... accept when she and her cousin Alec sneak off for a while.  This weekend involved a very messy toothpaste incident.  Which was far worse than the Christmas Chapstick incident.
• Lately she will call one of her babies Dylan.  Tonight during her bath she was holding a washcloth in her arms like a baby and was taking care of her baby "Dylan".
• She loves her friends at school especially Tatum (Tater Tot) and Reecie (Reeci piecie)
• The girl loves candy canes
• I'm certain when she sees me her mind does not see my face, she sees one huge fruit snack.  The girl cycles through asking me for fruit snacks, candy canes and vitamins
• We had the girl potty trained.  Went super well, she picked up on it the first day and now we have regressed 100% and are back in pull-ups.  I have no idea???  #fail
• She is really into her elsa hair (side pony) and she loves the braids too.  At Target every girl she saw with a bread she said she had Elsa hair, she must have done it at home.
• She is really funny- last night I found her doc mc Stuffins band aid box was loaded with Band aids.  Initially I assumed Keith did it and then I realized she had gotten her new band aids from the bathroom and loaded it up.
• She is so good about putting her coat and shoes on when it's time to go.  I still battle this daily with the boys, so I sure do appreciate her making a move for the door.  Sometimes we will just be talking about leaving and she will go put her shoes on.  It is amazing!
• She has been loving her new tutu from her Grandma Shirley, she had it on for 3 days until she projectile vomited all over it at the McDonalds Playhouse (remember that next time you go) - the good news is the skirt has been washed and she did get sick anymore after that.  Me, I'm still a bit traumatized.  It doesn't matter how long you have been a mom, the puking thing is never one you are good at taking care of.
• She is a total food thief.  Anything you eat, she wants a bite... and another... and another.
• If you ask her what she dreamed about, she says horses every time
• When you carry her up the stairs she always says, yeah I'm heavy
• The girl loves to brush her teeth but not as much as she loves vitamins
• She still loves Scooby Doo and Friends
• She loves having her nails painted.  Luckily she hasn't asked much the past two weeks. For it a while it was 1-2x a day.

I guess it's safe to say she is getting a bit girlier by the day.

All of you stay healthy out there, this influenza is starting to freak me out a bit!