First "spend the night parties"

We successfully tried our first spend the night party! The girls counted down the days until Hadley and Sam could spend the night. What a wonderful memory and major milestone in a 5 year old's life! Mommy wasn't sure what the night would hold....so we went on a hike to make sure that all the 5 year old energy was used up prior to bedtime. First, we played in the mudhole...

Then I had them run themselves silly. The picture is blurry since I am trying to keep up!

We all found the perfect walking stick

...and hunted for treasures.

Showing off our treasures for the camera...

Then we buried the treasure...

After pizza and a movie, they all crashed without a hitch by 8 pm!!

The next morning working on the 3 hour craft with 3700 pieces. I'm not exaggerating...that is what the box said!

Of course, last but not least, trampoline games! Oh how I wish I could be a 5 year old twin.

Seeing their friends be so brave gave Lily and Kate the courage to spend the night out, too. The day before Thanksgiving they spent the night with my sister's family 2 hours away from home! I still can't believe they did it. Granted, my mother slept on the floor of their room and they woke up at 5 am both vomiting with a stomach bug....but I still consider it a success. And, most importantly, so did they! I don't have any pictures since I was at home sleeping so peacefully. (thanks, Mom and Aunt Julie!)

Twin Mode

Lily and Kate have this thing we call "twin mode." Where they start laughing uncontrollably and seem to be in their own world. It usually winds up in them getting in trouble, but before then, it is pretty funny and lasts for 1-2 hours. I finally captured one on camera while we where at the beach in Sept. Here it is... (once you press the arrow to get it going, be sure to click on the botton right square of 4 arrows to make it big).

This is Snoopy the Poopy Dog

The girls love to play with stuffed animals. They have never gotten into baby dolls...only stuffed animals of which they have like 50 or something. Anyway, they kept trying to give me this one to get rid of him and clearly were ostrasizing him away from the other animals. Finally, they handed him to my like this. "Here, Mommy. You can have Snoopy the Poopy Dog. We fixed him so he won't poop on you."

Halloween weekend

We had an action packed weekend! I think I've decided after this one that Halloween may be my favorite holiday for these reasons...the kids LOVE it, it is filled with imagination, free festivals, good times connecting with neighbors and very little preparation on the mommy's part is required. We celebrated so much that it will take two posts to relay!
First, the girls got to wear their costumes to Mother's Day Out and they each got to bring a pumpkin home from the "pumpkin patch" at the church. Lily is the princess and Kate is the penquin.












Here they are all ready to go showing me the stickers Lily is bringing to her friends and Kate with her pet lizard that she caught the day before. We devised a plan that she could take it to school and let it go in the pumpkin patch.











Sam, the lizard, was pretty popular with the kids. Their little friends were so cute in their costumes!















Then Mommy and Daddy went on an all night date at Ross Bridge! Our second one since the girls came home. Sarah came to have a "spend the night party" and she spoiled them, as usual.... Thanks, Molly, for coming too! I asked them what was their favorite part of the spend the night party and they both said, "Spending time with Sarah and Molly."



















Playing with Sarah's old barbies...

Trick or Treating and the Tailgate

Off to get the candy! Lily has a strange aversion to vertical pictures. Here she is telling me to turn the camera around. She decided to be a ballerina for Halloween night.
















Ringing the doorbell and waiting...!











We had so much fun visiting with neighbors. They are like family to us. They love to spoil Lily and Kate and look forward to seeing them! It was hard knowing it would be our last Halloween in this neighborhood. I love my little cul-de-sac!











Sorting the candy at the end of the night.











Next, the tailgate at the church with more candy and rides!

5 year old Birthday Party at the Pumpkin Patch

Kitten, anyone?!

Please, save me from myself! I took in this sweet, sweet kitty and have fallen in love with her. I took her as a "babysitting job" until we found her a home. I bottle fed her and have cuddled her for hours and now she is ready for a family. I'd keep her but my 15 year old cat hisses when she is in my lap since he is so spoiled. I need someone to give her a home before I become hopelessly attached! One thing about professionals who work in adoption is that we adopt too many animals. Amongst our staff at the International Adoption Clinic, we have something like 7 kittens available for adoption in our homes. I know....it's a bit much.

Here is sweet Grace (or Little Squirt as Phil calls her). Post your email address if you want her!

Happy 5th birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday! The girls turned 5 on the 5th. Everyone has always told me that 5 was a big birthday. Now I see why. It was wonderful! I have loved all of their birthdays. This one was so special because they were so excited about having a good time with their friends on their birthday. Here are pictures of their birthday party at Mother's Day Out.
Here is Lily blowing out her candles...

Kate's turn...

Later that day, we went to Toys R Us to spend Grammie and Grandpa's birthday money! It was so much fun walking around the store letting them pick out what they wanted. Kate walked right to her toy that she had planned to buy...a Lightning McQueen track. Lily, who is less a toy girl and more a "let's hang out and chat" girl, spent 1 hour looking and saying no to everything until she saw it...the rock tumbler that makes "ordinary rocks into polised stones". So we are now polishing rocks daily. Both girls got a candy necklace, too.

They also got to choose what we had for dinner. It was unanimous...SUSHI! So I indulged them on their - too expense for a 5 yo old to eat - treat.

Honeysuckle vine

I'll have to transplant some of our honeysuckle vine to the new house. For a month during the summer there is a wall of honeysuckle that fills the backyard with fragance and fun! It somehow symbolizes the simple life I so crave.

Lily

Kate

Selling our house

Since we are planting a church in Helena, we will be selling our house. I've REALLY struggled with this. I really love my little house and my neighbors that are like family to us. We can also walk to our church, Phil's work and Lily and Kate's school from our house. Trusting God with this one has been so hard.

Anybody looking for a house in the Oak Mountain area?? It's 3 bedrooms with a full basement that we use as a 4th bedroom, cul-de-sac lot and big backyard. We are selling it for $189,000. It's MLS number is 4399000 with Remax.