February

What an amazing winter!  There was so much snow!  I love the snow...but I don't have to travel in it, so that probably helps me love it.  One night the neighbors came over and they built a snowman.

Casey took the big kids sledding one day.  Luke still checked on his package...even through all the snow clothes.  I hope he figures out soon that it isn't going anywhere.  Date night...shoveling snow. HA!

Keeping these two entertained is a full time job!  Luke's attention span is pretty short - but with water and bubbles, he lasted quite a while!

Casey finally got his deer head mounted and hung up.  And - I don't hate it!  Since this picture, it has came crashing to the ground putting a couple of pretty big dings in my piano.  I'm glad it didn't hit one of my humans though.

My front room is always a disaster...but this particular moment I was enjoying the view.  They were all content and happy and entertaining themselves!

In all of the years Caleb has been in school, he hasn't ever had the assignment of making a Valentine box.  His class has always just made something pretty generic.  So, when Taylor & Rylee were asked to make their Valentine boxes this year, it was a new adventure!  Thanks pinterest!

Casey's family came over to watch the Super Bowl...which really means everyone came over with some food and the adults chatted while the kids played.

As you know, a monthly post wouldn't be complete without some pictures of my sleeping babies.  Caleb doesn't want me to call them babies any more...he corrects me and says, "They are toddlers."  I say, "Nope.  They will always be my babies!  And you're always be my big boy."  He replies, "I'm sick of being the oldest."

This little guy (Luke, not Casey) is usually one extreme or the other.  Quiet and content with something, or off the wall crazy.  Every single night before bed he gets a crazy second wind.  It's adorable and exhausting at the same time!

My littlest Valentines! 

I work a graveyard shift once a week (sometimes more than that) but these 3 always end up in my bed when they know I'm working!

Styling Rylee.  Enjoying the sun & the snow.

Almost every single blanket that we own was hauled into the front room for a few days.  The kids loved it.

All the blankets out meant the perfect time for a nostalgic movie night.  Who doesn't love Harry & the Henderson's?  

Since watching Dexter though, I can't look a John Lithgow without thinking what a crazy creeper he is!

 Lexi is a little snapchat lover.  She especially loves any filter that has lipstick.

 Taylor & Rylee were my hair stylists one evening.  I look so glamorous! 

The day that I took these pictures I was feeling grateful.  There was so much flooding going on from the rapid snow melt - and everything was just calm and collected at my house.  Lazy days can be boring...but oh so nice at the same time.

We had a random snow storm after a massive week of melting - I had already cleaned up all the snow gear - I dug it all out again so these cuties could enjoy the last snow of the season!

Happy Birthday Ladies!

My little ladies aren't so little anymore!  I now have a couple of smart and beautiful 6 year old girls!

I had a permanent grin on my face as I was looking back through pictures to make this collage. I have loved watching these cuties grow right up.

The Sunday before their birthday we had family over to celebrate.  It's a good thing that there are 2 cakes!  Every one came to celebrate and some of the neighbors too! 

For their birthday Casey & I gave them a bunch of clothes for summer.  One of my childhood memories is shopping trips with my Grandma Babe.  So - I want to make that a memory for my kids too.  Grammy and I took the girls shopping for their summer attire.  What's kind of funny is I didn't take one picture of Taylor & Rylee on this shopping trip, but Alexa got plenty of attention.  She seriously was having the night of her life.  She was doing big girl things and LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

Another gift from Casey and I was a trip to dinner and then to build-a-bear!  The girls loved making their stuffed animals.  I think that they also loved the parent time at dinner.  We each took one and helped them with their place-mat games while we waited for our food.  One-on-one time is something that doesn't happen to often at our house!  Taylor ended up choosing a rabbit that she named Brownie.

Rylee made a white tiger which she named Sparkle Glamour.  Watching life through the eyes of my children gives me pleasure.  Why do we all have to grow up?!?!

Pictures!

I attempted to get some pictures of my kids a couple of times.  Caleb was due for his 9 year old pictures and the girls were turning 6.  I thought, "I have a nice camera!  I can just do this."  Professionals just know what they are doing.  Period.  I took the kids to Mantua one snowy morning and we tried that - needless to say, they sun glare off of the snow as a little much for everyone.  

 Then one morning before school I thought Taylor & Rylee were looking extra cute, so I just tried some in my driveway.  F A I L.  They girls look cute, but the angle is wrong, the lighting is wrong,  wrong, wrong, wrong.  (that is a stupid word...wrong...looks Chinese the more I type it....wrong)

Shelby Evans is amazing.  She has captured a lot of darling pictures of my little people. These pictures of Caleb make me happy.  He is a cute boy!!  He is so artistic and his sense of humor is coming along nicely.  The other day he was SLOWLY eating his dinner (some soup) and I said, "You better hurry and eat. It doesn't taste very good cold."  Without missing a beat, he replied, "It doesn't taste very good warm either."  Then I looked at him and he was grinning and said, "Just kidding!!"

Taylor...look at that pretty girl.  She is so sweet.  She is always thinking of others and always trying to do the right thing.  She is my little mini me.

Rylee...another pretty girl!  She can also be sweet, but she sprinkles in a little bit of sass and drama too.  She gets so emotional!  We were at quilted bear a while ago and she came to me, hugged me and said with tears in her eyes, "This is the best day of my whole entire life."

They have both told me that they don't want to be twins anymore - which I am thinking means they don't want to dress the same.  I don't enforce it when we are just home doing nothing...and my mom says I can dress them how I want for the next few years.  I'm thinking 3rd grade I'll stop being so weird about it.  I understand they are individual people...but they are individual people WHO LOOK THE SAME!  It's neat!

I brought Luke & Alexa along for the photo shoot and had some group shots taken.  Alexa was such a poser!  Luke loves his manhood.  There are several pictures that he is just making sure his package is still in tact.

I love these kiddos.  I am so glad I have these pictures to love on when I get old and wrinkly.

January

I finally got around to taking the kids pictures with their favorite Christmas gifts.  Taylor loves her art kit, her jewelry box, her barbie and her lotion.  She forgot her little kitty in the original picture and insisted on taking another one with her cat.

Caleb loves his magic set and his Jurassic World legos.

Rylee loves her jewelry box, her lotion and her cat. 

Alexa just LOVED her make up the very most.  She sparkled for at least a weak straight.

She also loves her new Elsa dress from Santa.  She is actually looking at her sweet reflection in the TV as she adjusts her crown.  Such a sweet little princess!

I am currently still Luke's favorite thing.

These two and their beds.  They got new bedding from Santa and they LOVE it.  Princesses for Lexi and dinosaurs for Luke.  They are snug as bugs every night!

Caleb has been studying the Solar System.  I happened to have a mobile paint kit that I had bought a while ago and he LOVED putting it together.  He was so fun to watch.

Casey & I took the big kids to the circus.  It was neat!  Caleb loved the guys in the motorcycle cage and he LOVED his cotton candy.  The girls loved everything.  

Taylor couldn't sleep one night.  I look exhausted...but she sure wasn't.  I don't know why - but at least 1 kid ends up wedged in between Casey & I every single night.  Sometimes 2 kids.

I babysit my friends kids after school a couple days a week.  This day, we rummaged through my tote of snow clothes hand-me-downs and found enough snow gear to head out to do some sledding.  It was a lot of work, but they had a lot of fun.

It was a cocoa and toast kind of morning.  I decided it was time to teach the littlest how to dip their toast.  Lexi was a pro...and Luke loved observing.  Look how cute they are!!!

We had so much snow this month!  One afternoon after school we made snow cream.  (fresh snow and sweetened condensed milk).  We added sprinkles and oreos too!

My little girly girl.  I got her dressed after her bath one morning and she grabbed her purse and her headband and was ready for the day!

Casey did his fair share of shoveling this month.  It's times like this you appreciate the single car driveway :)  And holy camouflage!  He loves the stuff.