Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

This year has come and gone faster than I ever imagined possible! It was a wonderful year, and I look forward to the many fun adventures yet to come in 2010!

We spent this afternoon with the family at Andrea and John's house eating tons of food and sledding! They have a HUGE hill right next to their house, so we got in our snow gear and went to have some fun in the snow. It was a beautiful day...we couldn't have asked for better weather. Yes, it was a bit chilly, but the blue skies made it all worth while :). It was a great day to end this year.

Leah was ready beyond excited when we got her all geared up to go and play in the snow. She was only out there for about 20 minutes, but boy did she have a good time! Plus, look how dang cute she looks!
My Noah...he's so funny!

Alex, Alli, and Ryan...isn't that view amazing!! I love it!

My boys.

Connor and Andrea all bundled up and enjoying the fun!

Noah thoroughly enjoyed going down the hill with Doug and would ask to go again after each ride. That's my boy!

I just have to add this for giggles. I try...really I do to get a decent picture of these two together. Noah is cooperative, but Leah will NOT have ANYTHING to do with it. I love look on Noah's face...it's like he's saying "Mom, seriously, I am SO sick of this!". BUT, I will keep trying...I will!

Merry Christmas ~ 2009

We hope that everyone had a fabulous Christmas this year. We spent Christmas Eve with my parent's and had a wonderful night. Christmas morning was full of excitement and happy faces. We spent most of Christmas day with Doug's family eating food, opening gifts, and just hanging out together. It was a wonderful Christmas for us and the children this year...I wouldn't have changed a thing. Here's a little recap {left to right}...

1. My parents gave me a little box full of keepsakes from my family. I got some jewelry from my mom and both of my Grandmas, as well as some little things from when I was a baby {my birth certificate, hair from my first haircut, etc...}. It is a wonderful gift that I will always treasure!
2. The usual family picture :).
3. Noah got a Leap Frog Scribble and Write, which he loves.
4. Leah riding her new ride-on toy with her new purse in hand. She is very protective of her new toy and rarely lets Noah ride it around...it's actually pretty amusing to watch her try to get him off of it. The joys of watching the children share their new toys.
5. Noah opening one of his many new books. He couldn't be more thrilled to have more books to add to his collection.
6. Leah putting lipstick on Doug...too cute!
7. They also got some new musical instruments. Seriously, what was I thinking to give this gift...my poor ears! Oh well, at least they like it :).
8. Noah playing with his new castle, which Leah likes to constantly destroy. I'm becoming a pro at putting that thing back together.
9. Noah finally stopped to smile for the camera...he was SO busy playing with his new toys. I don't really blame him :).
10. Ryan showing off how yummy our Christmas breakfast was at Steff's house...it was SO incredibly good!
11. One of the favorite toys was this little shopping cart. Noah and Leah can't get enough of it! I'm thinking I might have to invest in another one...they both like it that much and of course they both want it at the same time. We'll see what happens.
12. Leah opening her last gift...Mrs. Potato Head. She was really into unwrapping her gifts this year and would spend forever tearing off each piece of paper.

Christmas Wishes

Together

These two are together all of the time, and, no, sometimes it's not all fun and games, but lately they have truly enjoyed being close to one another. It makes me smile to see them cuddling on the couch or having them both stand on the chair to watch the popcorn pop. And all the time they are chatting back and forth while giggling...it really is so cute!

Santa

Yet another classic Santa picture...

Noah had no problem sitting on Santa's lap, although he wouldn't open his eyes to look at him! Silly boy! He talked to Santa and told him what he wants for Christmas, all with his eyes glued shut. And, nope, he wouldn't even open them for our yearly picture. I guess it's just another classic picture...remember last years picture? It was pretty good too.

And, no, Leah didn't even get close to sitting on Santa's lap. When she saw him from her stroller she started to freak out! Can you imagine how that picture would have turned out? Lets see what happens next year...

Annual Fowler Family Christmas Party

We had our Christmas Party with my dad's side of the family this past weekend, and I am amazed at how much our family has grown in the past few years. There are so many little kids running around...I just love it!

My Grandma Fowler is incredibly organized and she buys a gift for everyone in the family...from the littlest to the biggest...we ALL get something from Grandma. And she always put so much thought into what to give everyone. It's always fun to see what everyone is going to get :).

After we opened gifts, we went to the church and did some crafts and ate some more yummy food. Noah is all over doing arts and crafts, so he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Leah had fun running around and getting lost...I wasn't surprised. She won't sit still to save my life! It was a good day and I was glad to get together with ALL my cousins and their sweet families! Good times!

Everyone trying to fit in the living room for the gifts.
Noah was so sweet to help Leah open her present.
Noah decorating his Santa...
...and gingerbread cookie.

Bath Time

Every night after dinner, I say "Who wants to get in the tubby?", to which both children start freaking out with excitement and dash upstairs. I think that I like tubby time just as much as they do...we all have so much fun. I think it is actually one of my favorite things to do with them each day...good times! I mean, just look at those happy faces! Talk about cute!

First Day

Noah doesn't start preschool until next Fall, but I really wanted to put him in some kind of class that would prepare him for when that day comes. Our city has a great Recreational Center that offers tons of great classes for kids, so I signed him up for the "Kid Class", which is a class for the 3 1/2 to 5 year olds that meets once a week for 1 1/2 hours. The class has a theme each week...and NO moms allowed! Oh boy...I was thinking that this was going to be harder on me than Noah, and in a way it was. I've been preping Noah by telling him that he was going to go to a fun class and that he was going to play with kids his age, and he was excited about that, but he wasn't excited about the part where I don't stay with him. The poor little guy was so confused, and I don't blame him one bit. Noah and I are tight...we do everything together...really! I feel weird when he's not around, and I'm sure that the same goes for him.

Well, this morning he was excited to go, mainly because I was acting so excited about it {you know...I was just keeping his spirits high}. I went to drop him off and he was a little hesitant to go, but he wasn't crying {thank goodness!} and he finally sat down and gave me a hug goodbye.

Then I left. I couldn't help but stay in the hall for a few minutes and check on him, and once I felt good and knew that he was OK, I left. Just me and Leah. It was weird...really weird. And once I got to the car I started to cry...I wasn't sad, I was just having a moment. I have never left him like that before, and I know that it was good for him to participate in a class like this, but a part of me just broke down. That's normal, right? I'm just realizing that he is growing up and that he doesn't always need me. A part of me thinks that I need him more then the other way around. He's my little buddy...he's my little side kick...he's my little partner every day. And I'm his, and he tells me every day that I'm his buddy and that I'm nice and that I'm his best friend...he makes me feel good like that. He really is the sweetest little guy and I'm going to miss not having him around every day when he actually starts school.

I think that this class, that meets ONCE a week, is a good prep for both Noah AND me. Yes, I know I'm going to be a cry baby on his first real day of school, but that's OK. It really is just so crazy to me how fast these little ones grow up.

I was there early to pick Noah up from his class, and he really did have such a fun time. He told me all about it and how he had made friends. It made me feel so good that he was happy. And he was SO thrilled to show me his little craft that he made...a snowman to hang on our tree. I love this kid...he really is amazing :).

N-O-A-H

Check it out...Noah can write his name! He did this all by himself, without any help. I'm such a proud Mommy :).

Oh Christmas Tree

The tree is up and the house is decorated...we are officially ready for Christmas!

I usually try to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but I was way sick this past weekend, so we didn't get around to it until yesterday. Noah had SO much fun helping me decorate the tree, and Leah had fun taking off every ornament that we put on the tree. Noah wasn't too happy about that, but what do you do? She's one!

I love the feeling in our house right now...I LOVE Christmas! This really is my favorite time of year!