Christmas in Kansas

Dede and her great grandchildren.

X-Box time.

Christmas Eve service and Dede's church.

My sweet kiddos!
What great big brother and sister they will be to our new addition.

Just the 4 of us...not much longer!

Dede, Hunter, Ryan, and Reagan

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Reagan playing with her new dollhouse.

Hunter with his transformer.

Sko playing with Reagan and all her many parts to the dollhouse.

Reagan patiently waiting to open her gifts.

Hunter patiently waiting to open his gifts.

Hunter's new binoculars.

Reagan with her Uncle Carter.

Dede very proud of her new calendar full of pictures of Ryan, Hunter, Reagan and I.

Dede, Sko and I with our new snuggies.

Daddy watching Hunter learn how to use his new Cars computer.

Reagan dressed in her Cowboys Cheerleader uniform very busy playing.

Dede with her three grandsons...all trying to be taller than the other!
Obviously taller than Dede!

Sko having snuggle time with her grandbabies.

Hunter getting a goodnight snuggle from Uncle Carter.

We had such a wonderful time in Kansas for Christmas this year. Dede had her house decorated so nicely and was a wonderful host for all of us. We all played lots of fun games and spent good quality family time together! Ryan and I drove with the kids and as usual they were perfect in the car. Thank goodness we have such great travelers. Here's to hoping Helwig #3 is good car rider as well!!!

Gingerbread and Festival of Lights

Just being silly one night before bed!

Hunter giving a smirk at the camera.

Serious concentration for the masterpiece.

All the kids at the Festival of Lights
Abby, Jack, Reagan, Maddi, Hunter, Tate and Sam

Maddi and Reagan enjoying their gingerbread cookies while being pushed around the zoo.
What a life!

Abby and Hunter posing on the elephant that is usually spraying water for the kids.

Not sure if Reagan was in mid speech or if she really didn't want to pose for a picture.

Hunter and Abby with Frosty.

One of Santa's reindeer resting before his big night!

Since we have a zoo pass they have a Festival of Lights each year around Christmas time. They cover the zoo with the most beautiful lights. Not a tree or shrub is bare. We went with our neighbors and all the kids had such a wonderful time!

We also made a gingerbread house this year. Ryan and I had to put the house together and then the kids were on their own. It turned out to be the most interesting gingerbread house that Ryan or I have ever seen!

Triple Crown Christmas Party

Concentrating on the beautiful ornaments for our tree.


Santa made a surprise visit to the dinning room.

Working on crafts...Tate, Hunter, Abby, Jack, Molly and Reagan

Patiently waiting to see Santa.

Listening to the carolers in the hallway.

Sweet picture with Santa...for some reason Reagan is ALWAYS looking off!

Santa listening to Reagan...this could take a while!

Hunter's shyly talking to Santa...what a cute face!

The Moms of that crazy bunch of kids: Michelle, Me, Erin, Ashlea and Nhien

Charlie, Molly, Jack, Maddi, Emily L., Hunter, Reagan, Emily R., Sam, Tate and Abby

Every year our clubhouse has a big Christmas party for the neighborhood families. They have crafts, good food and of course a fantastic Santa for the kids to see. Hunter and Reagan had a wonderful time and loved hanging out with all their neighborhood friends. Reagan told me the whole day that she was going to ask Santa for a princess or barbie computer. When the time came, Santa said, "What do you want for Christmas?" Reagan said, "A candy cane!" I guess she saw all the other children getting a candy cane after they sat on Santa's lap and at that point...it was the most important thing. Too funny!

Thanksgiving at The Johnsons

Ryan, Michelle and Fred

Michelle's parents...Mammaw and Papaw
Check out Ryan in the back, it looks like Michelle is teaching him how to use the water dispenser!

Tate, Hunter, Abby and Reagan

This year we were without family visiting so we decided to join our dear friends, The Johnsons. They graciously invited us...under one condition...I did all the cooking! Michelle is not the "cooking type" so it was a great deal for us since I love to cook Thanksgiving food. I, of course, am not in any pictures since I was the one taking them, but these are a few from the day. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we are so blessed to have such awesome friends here in Kentucky!

Karate Green Belt

Charlie and Hunter, just before Hunter tested for his green belt.

Check out Abby's intense karate face!

Our neighbor Charlie is now in Hunter's karate class. He absolutely loves it and is doing so well. Hunter tested for his green belt and finally got it along with a new certificate. Some days he is the highest rank in the class. It does come with a lot of responsibility and Sensei Mike expects a lot out of him. Hunter was very intimidated at first, but seems to be enjoying the high rank status now. So hard to believe he has gone from white to yellow to orange and now green in 16 months. Way to go Hunt-man!!!

Harvest Party

Our vocab hat.

Listening to a story before the Vocabulary Hat Parade.

I remember now why I dreaded party days when I was teaching...now I see why the parents wanted to try so hard to make it fun for the kids. Interesting to see both sides of the fence. Either way...PARTY DAYS ARE EXHAUSTING! Since the public schools don't actually celebrate "Halloween" Hunter's school had the kids do a Vocabulary Hat Parade. The kids choose a vocab word and then decorate the hat according to that word. Hunter did Mystery. We headed to the Dollar Store and created a pretty neat little hat. The parade was great and all the words were very creative!

Hunter's First Field Trip

My group: Nali, Hunter and Jameson

Hunter's favorite animal there...the llama

Feeding the chickens.

Hunter holding a full cup of food since he wouldn't feed the animals.

About to start the hayride.

The only snuggle I got the whole field trip...Hunter was too cool for hugs.

Picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Hunter went on his first field trip this week to a Pumpkin Patch/Farm with the morning and afternoon Kindergarten classes. He had so much fun and couldn't hardly sleep the night before. They had lots of animals to pet and feed along with a huge pumpkin patch for the kids to choose their very own to take home. Hunter was not too fond of the animals licking the food out of his hand so he just watched his classmates enjoy that part. We went on a hayride through the woods and into the pumpkin patch. There was not a child around without a smile on their face. I'm glad I got to experience the first field trip.