Olaf

One of our friends gave Ben a belated birthday present... Olaf! Ben wasn't too sure what to think of him when he first met Olaf but he eventually explored him and decided he would like him. He likes for me to put Olaf to a sitting position and knock him over. He will also crawl up to him and give him hugs or bite his carrot nose.

Ava likes him the best though. She likes to put on the frozen soundtrack and dance with Olaf. He is a great addition to when we play ring around the rosey as well!

Ava and Ben inspecting the new toy. 

Caution... Cuteness Overload!!!

I often get this lip from time to time when I tell Benjamin "no". This time in particular I told him no to playing with my computer and I'm so glad I caught "the lip" on camera!

Cutie wrapped up in our in enormous "blue blanket". This was a gift when David and I got married... And it has become next to our pots and pans one of our most used wedding gifts! 

Recently Ben has started to stand without holding onto anything. Last week he took a step! I think he may be getting closer to walking. Also that face and those cheeks are too much!

Ava and her "iPad". I love that she calls this her iPad. It cracks me up everytime she calls it that! Love the simplistic thinking of a child!

I gave the warning prior to the viewing... Cuteness overload!

Girly Girl or Tom Boy?

Ava is the perfect mix of tom boy and girly girl. She likes to rough house and be totally silly and crazy. She also loves to run around the house with her hooded towels and pretend that she is a superhero. She will make a whooshing sound as she "flies" around the house. Yet at the same time she likes to dress up, play dolls, and play "Annas and Elsas" (which pretty much means we play totally normal but Ava calls me Anna and I must call her Elsa)

Ava being silly as we were Christmas shopping in Target. She wanted to be a Superhero. This was her intense superhero face! Side note, look at that adorable baby boy in the backround!

My girly girl all dressed up in her Minnie Mouse attire. She loves dressing in her pretty Minnie Mouse dress.

Could this picture be any more precious with her little hands clasped below her chin?!

My girly tom boy playing in this crazy December weather outside. She loves going outside and getting down and dirty... I just love her so!

Christmas Festivities

We have been having a blast this December celebrating Christmas with various Christmas activities. We started off the month by going to Prestonwood's  Northern Lights Festival. It's a local megachurch that has a neat christmas festival for families.

Ava had a blast getting pictures with the stars of the ice skating show. Anna and the reindeer were especially hits with her.

Ben was enthralled with live nativity... Actually it was hard keeping him entertained during the 15 minutes program but good thing I keep lots of snacks on hand! Look at that little baby face and fist though! Too precious... The cheeks! 

Ava had been talking about meeting Anna and Elsa all day, but when she met them she froze. She looked terrified. But during the whole car ride home she kept asking to look at her Anna and Elsa picture. This picture also helped with potty training. She wants to see her Anna and Elsa picture all the time and it sometimes is her reward for going potty. 

I love the tradition that Lifepoint has. They have an annual Tree Lighting and I look forward to it during Christmas time because they always have a fun family event with singing and funny skits. This year David and the other pastors sang Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as Santa's elves, and it was hilarious. 

The only picture we have of the night that I stole off of facebook that a church member posted. David was dressed as an elf for the skit and he had a wig on and pointy ears... Ava was scared of David's ears and hair. David tried to put his pointy ears on her and she was not going for it! 

After the service Daddy did a spontaneous Sonic stop. Ava loved it! We don't often do things like this. Thankful for my kid's fun Daddy who mixes things up!

Bathtime Trauma

For a couple of weeks Ben went through an "I hate bath time phase". It felt as if I were harming him as I place him into a perfectly pleasant temperature bathwater. I felt torn because he needs baths yet the sounds of his screams sent chills up my spine. He has a good set of lungs when he is unsatisfied with something. But we worked through it because I started giving him bubble baths. He and Ava both loved it! 

The looks on his face in these pictures are so funny to me!

All smiles after a traumatic bath time experience!

Today

David has began his sabbatical. And so we kicked things into high fun gear today! The kids had a blast playing with Daddy this morning!

Ava has enjoyed playing with the Little People nativity. Seems like Ava is trying to figure out the Christmas story as she has the camel eating Jesus and has baby Jesus flying, and calling Jesus a her... :)

This is Ben's reaction when I tell him no to playing with the computer... Sweet baby... I'm glad I finally caught the lip on camera! Although this lip is mild compared to what I get at times!

Christmas Decorating!!!!!

Last night we didn't have life group since it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving so we took the opportunity of a free evening and decorated for Christmas. Some of my fondest memories as a kid is during Christmas time and decorating for Christmas. I want to replicate this for my kids. So we got out some of the classic Christmas tunes aka George Strait's Merry Christmas Strait to You, Reba McEntire's Merry Christmas to You, Alabama's The Classic Christmas, and Carpenters' Classic Christmas... Along with some Josh Groban, Pentatonix, and Michael Buble and we were ready to get to work!

Helping unpack boxes...

This picture was a reaction to me going crazy and being silly behind David taking a picture. Sweet smiling faces worth every ounce of my humiliation! ;)

I love this picture because it looks like they are throwing their heads back in laughter.

Ava placing her first Christmas ornament.

When I let Ben hold his first Christmas ornament in an attempt to get a picture he threw it on the floor. After the third attempt I finally gave up! Thankfully it didn't break!!!

I love this picture even though its a little blurry. He is such a mommas boy and I love getting his sweet baby boy hugs!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my moms house this year. We went to Fort Worth after David got off work on Tuesday. 

Tuesday night we went to Rosa's for dinner. 

Wednesday Bobby had to work but Lauren brought the kids over in the morning and they had a blast playing all day! All the big kids watching the penguin show together.

Ava got to meet her newest little cousin Josiah. She has been talking about going to see Maya's baby for weeks. 

Benjamin helping Mommy cook.

Lauren and I were ready to eat while the rest of the adults dawdled getting to the table!

My babies.

Granny with the Caivano sides great grand babies.

Will was my little buddy this week! I loved getting sweet William snuggles. 

These two boys are so cute! We got a small glimpse of things to come this week, they played catch together for a little bit.

Ben was worn out after a long day of fun playtime with cousins!

Friday we attempted to go to the Fort Worth Parade of Lights but after much traffic and ending up at the wrong parking lot we ditched that idea and went to Joe T's. It was a delicious consolation prize!

My two little buddies!

November

November has just seemed to fly by. We have spent our time in many fun different ways. We have done lots of Christmas shopping, we have had lots of fires, and we had a fun Thanksgiving craft playdate with friends. Here's a few pictures to show all the things we've been up to.

Ava and Ben went with me to vote. Ava kept saying to me, "Mommy are we going to motored (vote)?" We talked about what voting was and she was very excited to participate and especially excited about the stickers we got after we voted.

Sometimes baths are just a fun way to pass time... I will often give them baths in the middle of the day for a fun new way to play. Ava had gotten a Dora bath toy for her birthday and has loved playing with it in and out of the tub.

Ava and Daddy's creation... Daddy makes the best buildings. Ava and I later made a spaceship that did not even closely resemble a spaceship but Ava kept calling it one. :)

Ava Daddy snuggles.

CUTIE!

This guy likes to invade sisters bed even when she is just waking up.

Poor baby got sick for the first time this month. He required lots of middle of the night snuggles. (Which I was okay with since he isn't the snuggliest baby. I'll take them anytime I can get them!) He had strep and in addition to that he broke out in a full body rash. We went back to the pediatrician a week after he started his antibiotic and the doctor said that it was a reaction to the MMR vaccine he had received the week and a half prior. 

Rocking my poor sick baby.

Considering he was running fever and sick he was still in pretty good spirits. Still jamming to Daddy's beatbox.

David went to Atlanta for a youth ministry conference. He had a great experience and made lots of good connects while he was there. This is us face timing and David making crazy faces at me...

Ava and I playing hide from the dinosaur aka Buddy. She would put both her and Ben's chairs and place a blanket over them and say we are safe in the "tent". 

Ava got to stay up late and wait for Daddy to come home. She was so excited to see him and felt so special because she got to stay up late. David didn't get home until close to 9 so Ava and I had a nice evening playing together. We got some good one on one time together because Ben went to bed at his usual 7:15.

Ava was so happy to have Daddy home.

The Acura's transmission went out this month so instead of fixing it we decided it would be best to sell. We got our asking price! Praise the Lord! We are now a one car family and Ava has had to be woken up from her nap a few times to go get Daddy. She's not such a big fan of this, as you can tell from her face.