Christmas Fun

Barry and I have been searching out a local Christmas Tree farm we can go cut down our own tree since the first year we were married. It is always a fun way to get our tree each year. This year we went to a really great Christmas Tree farm in Holt, MO. It was a drive but it wasn't really about finding a good deal it was about making great memories, although the tree was less expensive here than at the tree farm just down the street from our house that we got our tree from last year.

Barry and the girls with Santa at the tree farm.

On the hayride out to the field to find our perfect Christmas tree.

The girls and I in front of our tree!

Barry and the girls... before cutting it down!

A fun picture:)

My sweet girls in their Christmas dresses in front of our Christmas tree.

Christmas Craftiness

I got these ideas from the recent Family Fun magazine! I love this magazine and there are always fun things I would love to do but never have enough time to do them. This year I decided these fun crafts were easy and the girls would really enjoy them!

This is our Christmas Card Tree. Gracie and Molly got to help paint it and then we get to look forward to putting our Christmas cards that we receive in the mail on our tree and enjoy them a lot more than in a stack on the counter!

I also found this really cute idea for an advent calendar. It was easy and I already had the supplies that makes it better too! The girls get to open a door each day and see what is behind it. The "rewards" range from: choose your favorite dinner, give Willow a bath, Family Fun movie night, doing something nice for your sister, plan a play date... to drawing a picture for a grandparent, visiting an elderly person from church or inviting a family over for Sunday dinner....

I was trying to incoorporate fun things as well as things that involve them doing something for others besides themselves!

So far they have really enjoyed it! We all get to reap the rewards too!

For Heather:)

The girls dressed up Willow in scarves. They thought she might be cold:) I hope she feels loved!

Willow is such a good sport! Barry was dressing her up in different hats, do you thing she minded or was mostly annoyed???

Willow climbed up in the chair and was looking out the window! She really liked it up there!

Willow

Yes, it is true! We have a new family member. Her name is Willow and we adopted her from Tony and Heather. We surprised the girls with Willow at Thanksgiving and it took them a while to actually believe they had a dog! They were really surprised... and so is everyone else who hears, I think:)
She is a wonderful dog and she lets the girls brush her and dress her and take her for walks around the house. We were able to get to know Willow more at Tony and Heather's this summer so making the decision for her to come live with us was rather easy.

Thanksgiving 2009

We spent a great Thanksgiving in Denision with Barry's parents and all the VanHorn family. We had lots of time with all the cousins and visiting Grandma's and Grandpa's.

Hadley and Leila with Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Phillips.

Molly, Sydney and Gracie with Hadley watching the Thanksgiving Day parade! I think Hadley liked it!

Tony and Heather and the sweet girls!

Tony and Heather with all the girls!

The girls "peeking" through the stairs!

My wonderful family!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and took time to thank God for all the blessings He has given this year! I am continually thankful for all the blessings God continues to show my family each year!

Art Gallery

Why I did think of this sooner I don't know! I turned the inside of my cabinets into an Art Gallery for the girls' artwork. It seems if things get put on the fridge they are getting moved or rearranged, now I can see the beautiful artwork everytime I open my cabinets... which is a lot!

Costume Party Fun

Better late than never? I am a little behind in putting up pictures from trick or treating and our church costume party. Our costume party at church had a Storybook theme, that might help explain the 'characters'. I am finally getting it done although many of you who may read this regularly probably saw these already... I hope it is enjoyable anyway!

Barry as The Man with The BIG Yellow Hat and Gracie as Curious George.

Nancy Drew (that's me!) with Curious George, a Dalmatian and a pirate princess!

My Perfect Pirate Princess:)

The girls with Fancy Nancy!

Getting ready to go Trick or Treating!

Barry's sister and her husband were up and their daughter, Lauren, got to to trick or treating with her cousins. I think they all had a fun time!

Happy 4th Birthday Gracie!!!

My sweet Gracie turned 4 on October 17th! She has been looking forward to her birthday ever since we celebrated her sisters birthdays! We had a great family party and with the theme of Hello Kitty! It is so fun watching her enjoy opening every gift and being excited about every gift too... okay she was not as excited about the clothes but she still had fun opening them:)

My Big 4 Year Old!!

Being Silly... she insisted she needed a birthday princess crown to wear to Preschool since it was her birthday!

Her new bike from Grammy and PaPop!

Gracie and her Dora scooter from Mommy and Daddy!

Getting ready to blow out the candles! She was not so fond of being sung to...

One of her birthday presents, a fun hat!

The birthday girl with her sisters!

Family Worship

We have been doing family worship in the evenings before the girls' bedtime with all three of them. We have been singing and having Bible stories. It usually goes pretty well and even Molly is getting the hang of it now! I took these pictures one night, I just couldn't resist. They were all "singing" along and sitting still... for the moment!

... getting ready to sing... Sydney sings, Gracie sings a few words and Molly does lots of noise making pretending to sing. It is funny!

Being Silly!

"Listening" to Dad read the Bible story. They are easily distracted!

My Girly Girls!

Some recent pictures of the girls! They turned out great:) Most of you who read my blog have probably seen these but I had to post anyway!
Enjoy!