The purpose of this blog is to capture some of the high lights and low lights of just normal day to day life. Our life is loud, busy, and fast, but we love it!
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12.29.2012

Mini Me

We have really been enjoying football season this year!  After church each Sunday we head over to my parent's house for a great Patriots game!  My sweet Chiara came down in her Brady game shirt and I already had my Wilfork one on.  She even wore her jeans and boots.  Mini Me! 

I love that she is getting into the spirit of the game!  One of these days I hope she wants to learn it and starts actually watching it with us, but if she is anything like her Mom that won't happen until she is older.


12.18.2012

ZooLights/Phoenix Zoo 2012

Another family tradition this time of the year is our night visit to the Phoenix Zoo to see the lights...and a talking Giraffe named Jengo. The girls look forward to it every year.  Since the weather has finally turned to winter out here it was quite chilly which just makes the experience better.  

Last year the music light show they do (every 5 minutes) was a "storm" and was complained about by myself and my mother...along with many visitors and we are happy to say they changed it!  Back to kid/family friendly! 

Emma enjoyed seeing Jengo the talking giraffe and absolutely loved the lights!  


Nanny bought her girls animal hats so they all wore them on this chilly night!  Such cuties.


The light show on the lake!

Jengo talking-he said each of the girls names, but mispronounced Chiara and Mayah.  We excused him because he is a giraffe.

Nanny and Grampy with the girls

Emma insisted on walking.  We are slowly leaving the season of needing a stroller anymore. 
Crazy thought!

Chiara went on the Polar Slide, but I could not get any pics.

Emma, Leah, and Mayah went on the carousel. 

Petting her zebra. 

Leah loved her lion!

Mayah was on a jackrabbit this time
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12.16.2012

Christmas Baking with Nanny

Each year Nanny bakes with the girls and they decorate gingerbread houses.  The girls look forward to it every year.  This was Emma's first time participating, which of course is wonderful to watch.  We baked for hours, had smoothies, and fun!  Chiara even made Nanny breakfast!!!  A great day!

This is what all the aprons say, which each girl's name
Nanny and her girls wearing their baking aprons!

Leah decorating her house

Emma, decorating and doing some sampling too!

The big girls have "designs" in mind

Nanny helping Emma

Emma being silly with Leah's penguin hat/mittens from Nanny

Mixing the dough for thumbprint cookies

"Cheese" making peanut butter cookies

The big girls making PB Cookies

Just chillin' at the table making eating cookies

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Christmas Show and Evening

Another yearly tradition is attending Phoenix First Assembly's Christmas production.  It is not your average church Christmas show-it is right up there with a Broadway show....flying angels and live animals!  Fantastic!

It had been unseasonably warm and the sun was getting the girls eyes outside so we did not get our normal family shots this year.  

 Chiara and Mayah with Mr and Mrs Claus

My beautiful, precious girls. I do not take lightly that they are happy, healthy, smart girls.  We are truly blessed beyond measure.

Nanny and Grampy with their girls.

Me and my hot husband!

Emma was clapping and ready for the show.  It was so cute to watch her.

After the show we head to my parent's house for dinner, tree trimming, and presents.  This year we are so happy to have my uncle and his family here in Arizona! 
Above is Rachel, my cousin, putting on ornaments with the girls.

Present time!

Nanny knows what Leah loves!  Llama Llama books are favorites!
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Christmas Photo Shoot

My dear friend Julie asked me to take her family picture in front of their tree this year.  It was my first time using my speed light to create some back light. It was fun to capture the photos leading up to the family picture!  I love this family!!!

 
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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

"Its the most wonderful time of the year...."

It really is. I love all our family time traditions.  I love the joy the exudes from my girls this time of year-well honestly they are pretty joyful kids anyway, but it seems to ooze from them right now!

Emma is an active participant in all the joyful goodness this year, which just makes my heart sing even greater! 

The two oldest participated in the music program through our home school group.  Chiara loves to belt out music and it is a stretch for Mayah to get up in front of people.  I am proud of both of them.


My two big girls dressed for the occasion in their Christmas shirts.

Emma waving to "ara", which is Chiara or Mayah. 

Singing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"
 

Mayah had a verse to say, with little time to memorize.  Chiara loves her so much she was feeding her words....cute.

Chiara reading her verse.

I had an indoor Christmas shoot to prepare lighting for so I asked for some models. 

This week, since we are off from school all month (oh yes, I said ALL month!!!), I taught the girls how to make paper snowflakes. Our house is decorated with them and the girls all loved making them!  Me too!
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12.06.2012

American Heritage Festival-Part 1

This year we decided to attend the annual American Heritage Festival at Schnep's Farm in Queen Creek, AZ.  It was an awesome day for us all!  David and I really enjoy history and American Wars and I love that our girls are developing a similar passion.  My parents came with us, which is always great, especially since having my Dad around is like having a walking encyclopedia.

I had to write two posts about this because there were just so many great pictures from the day.  You know your kids enjoyed something when they ask about coming back before you even leave!


Here is Mayah with "Hal" who was part Native American and lived during the American Revolution.  He was FULL of knowledge and information!  However, he kept calling the "white man" stupid and I thought Mayah was going to come out of her skin since that is a four letter word to her.  

The Red Coats are coming!!!

Abraham Lincoln.  My parents took the girls home with them after the festival (woo hoo!) and  we went to see the movie Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field.  Amazing movie!  

The girls learned about washing clothes in the late 1700's.  Nothing like a bar of lye and bacon fat to make your clothes feel super clean! 

One of my favorite discoveries!  This is a bar of tea, just like the tea dumped in the Boston Tea Party!  I never knew it was a solid block-I had always imagined it as loose tea.  I love learning!


Cannon ball!  Very cool.

General George Washington leading the historians/reenactors out to officially start the day. It was a very Patriotic ceremony.  We all loved it, especially after coming out of this most recent election feeling a bit sad for the direction of our country.

Abe and Ulysses S. Grant


Civil War

Chiara wearing a bonnet similar to that which Felicity would have worn.  She did a whole unit study about the Revolutionary War using the American Girl Series; you can read about it here.

Leah joining in the fun

Revolutionary War reenactment.  To our surprise and delight the girls loved these most of the entire day!  In fact, they have played "Revolutionary War" and "Civil War" with some friends in the backyard recently.

Emma can't help but be CUTE!  

The girls loved the school section. 

We were told Leah would not have been allowed to be left-handed.  My guess is she would have said "not fair" and did it anyway!

Emma looking at some OLD school books and novels.
 

I was so very proud of my girls for remembering the horn book we studied in history!

David and Leah jumping rope!!!

Chiara and Mayah giving it a try.

Check out more about our day here.
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