Birthday Weekend

January 17th is both my moms and Andrew's birthday. Ava, Ben and I went to Fort Worth on Thursday for Andrew's party and stayed the weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday as well. His party was at Pump It Up. Ava and Ben both had a blast bouncing and jumping in the bounce houses.

All the party people!

The girls

The birthday boy!

Dinner time!

It took Ben a little bit to warm up to the pizza. He wasn't too sure about it.

Ava and Jakin serenading Josiah.

Out celebrating my moms birthday  on Saturday.

We went by to visit Granny after church on Sunday. Ava and Ben had a blast running in circles chasing each other in the wide open space of the living room. They were so cute laughing a giggling with each other.

January

This girl could sleep through an earthquake. One night we went to check on her before we went to bed and we noticed that she had peed through her diaper onto her bed. So we laid her on the floor to change her and her bedding and she didn't wake up until we actually started changing her clothes. She slept through being soaked in pee and being moved off her bed!

Me and My Little Man!

Ava proudly showing off her outfit that she dressed herself in!

Playing together. 

In this picture they look like they are so sweetly playing together, in fact, they were fighting most of the time. Ben was going Godzilla on the ramp, constantly destroying it and making it undriveable.  Ava did not handle that so well... :)

My little ballerina. Ava LOVES to dance and I love watching her dance. She has improved her dance skills from running in circles to fun kick moves and even somersaults. Although running in circles is still an Ava favorite. She also makes the cutest facial expressions!

Ben loves wearing shoes. He will pull them out of the drawer that we store them in and bring them to us to put them on him. He even insists that we put them on him if he is wearing footie pajamas. On a side note, could he be cuter in that hoodie?!

Ava loves her new Frozen dolls that she got for Christmas.

Minnie Mouse

After our final Christmas celebration at my mom's house I dedicated a day to organizing the house and all the new toys they received. So I got to work in Ava's room first and when that was finished there I moved onto Ben's room. As I was elbow deep in organization in Ben's room Ava called me into her room and the above picture is what I found. A cutie pie asking me to take a picture with her newly organized room demolished! Every item in her room was in that pile! My heart sank after all that work but she was so cute that I easily forgave her. She was so proud of her hard work. 

My little Minnie.

Ava has been loving playing with her new Minnie Mouse stuff.

Christmas at the Caivano's

Ben trying to sneak into the big kid dinner table...

All the kids lined up in their Christmas pajamas that Nana got them.

Buds!

Christmas morning at Nana's

Benzi and Daddy opening presents.

Nana getting lots of help opening a gift.

Ben and Jakey playing

That face!!!

Celebrating my birthday.

We put all the kids in moms bedroom with a show so the adults could watch Jim Gaffigan. Hilarious! 

Christmas at the Hanson's

Ava and Ben playing with toys waiting for everyone to wake up so the morning could begin!

Ben and Papa!

This is a real true unsolicited hug! Melt my heart!

Everyone opening stockings.

Ava enjoyed laying on this little bench while we were there. She got a microphone for Christmas and she would just lay there singing into the microphone.

Ben getting into mischief and Ava singing away!

Ava had a blast with the microphone.

Family Pic

David and Arlo wearing matching shirts. Cuties!

After the kids napped everyone came over and we had dinner and opened presents again! Ava and Ben got totally spoiled! :)

Could that face be anymore angelic?! Ben really enjoyed trying on Papa's hat!

Ava and Papa snuggling!

A lazy morning at the Hanson house! 

Ben and Daddy at dinner... That baby boy face!!!

Christmas Eve

I love the Christmas tradition we have created. We will always be at our home for Christmas Eve since David has to work the Christmas Eve services at church so we treat Christmas Eve as if it were Christmas. I make a yummy crockpot the night before and we enjoy a delicious breakfast before opening presents. It has worked out so nicely that my mom has been able to spend the night with us so she is there to open presents with us in the morning. My Nana always  spent Christmas morning with us growing up and I always really enjoyed that so its nice to be able to replicate that with my kids.

We started doing advent with the kids this year. This is us after breakfast centering our thoughts on Jesus before we opened presents.

Ava opening her stocking.

Ben playing with one of the toys he got in his stocking.

Playing with some of the stocking loot!

And now time for presents!

Ava has been into Minnie Mouse lately and as a result she got a lot of Minnie Mouse stuff for Christmas. 

I love this picture of this sweet baby boy!

It was difficult trying to get Ben interested in opening presents. This present was big enough to sit on so that got him pretty intrigued! We are waiting until he is a little older to assemble this toy so he has really been enjoying climbing on and off and sitting on the box and kicking his little legs... Its so cute seeing his little legs and feet swing back and forth! I hope he likes the tool bench assembled as much as he has enjoyed the box!

Ava helping Daddy open his present.

Ava has enjoyed her new books she got for Christmas. Reading with her is one of my favorite things.

Us at Lifepoint's Christmas Eve service. Our church had a live nativity in the foyer and Ava was infatuated with baby Jesus. She was so sad when baby Jesus had to go home. She talked about baby Jesus all night. I think she may have thought baby Jesus was the REAL baby Jesus.