Grace's School Christmas Program

Grace had her school Christmas Program tonight for the 2nd through 5th graders. She did a great job! All the kids did, really......gotta love those high notes! Anyway, I had to break up the upload into two different parts - Youtube has a 10 minute time limit apparently.....Enjoy!


Part 1 -


Part 2 -

Grace's Sunday School Program

Grace also had her Sunday School program, and it turned out really well!  Her group sang about 5 songs, and I've included video of those from the performance!

Alison's Christmas Program - 2011

Alison had her Sunday School program this morning. She was the angel that spoke to Mary and told her that she was to have a baby and name him Jesus. She also participated with all the other kids to sing several songs! Here is a sample of the program -



This was Alison's last year as part of the "little kids" Sunday School program. Next year she'll be with the big kids!!

Alison's First Soccer Practice!

Alison started soccer practice tonight!  She'd been taking swim lessons for over a year, but decided she'd had enough of that - "I don't like them telling me what do" was a common theme of why she didn't care for swim anymore.  Anyway, she decided she'd like to start playing soccer, and about a month ago Ashley signed her up at an indoor soccer facility here in town.  She's part of the preschool program they have. 

She waited "patiently" for soccer to start and today was the day.  She asked if she could skip daycare and pre-K today so she could just go to soccer in the morning, but we had to tell her that wasn't how it worked.  Here's a "short" video from tonight.  It's a lot of her running around either with a ball or in a big circle.  I'm not sure always knew what she was supposed to be doing, but she had a lot of fun just running in open spaces.  It's one of her favorite activities.  As an added bonus, our good friends had their son Dylan in the same time slot as well.

Snow-torious B.I.G.

So, tons of snow drifts, tons of wind, no work, a snow blower, and a shovel......here are the pictures for posterity's sake:

Here's the hill that God, the snow blower, and my shovel created in the front yard.....

 One of the houses across the street....not sure how long it will take them to get rid of those drifts up against the door....

 To the west..........

 To the east........

 The queens of the hill......

 Playing together on the snow pile......

 Sooooo, that's the end of the driveway....so I still don't know how we can go anywhere until they plow....

 The girls off to play in "traffic".....

 Alison making snow angels in the street......

 Grace taking her turn to make the snow angels......

 Too cool for the cold.....Ali sporting her blue shades.....

 The drift against the back patio door.....

 The back yard......snow's pretty high up in the corners........

Just a few photos

A few photos that I don't think we've shared yet....can't believe it's almost February!!

A couple of weeks ago, Grace "graduated" from swim lessons!  It took her a little over 18 months (and some spare change) to get all 10 stickers, and we couldn't be prouder.  She's grown a lot during that time, and it was fun watching her improve over those months.  She seems so much more coordinated now, and shown us she can be dedicated to finish what she started!!  She's got a few weeks left in the current session, and after that she wants to stop the lessons, and move on to playing guitar (guess we better look for some more spare change)

Alison after swim lessons that same night....she's been doing really well too.  She's been at it a few months and already has several stickers of her own!  Here, she's showing you how tired she is after a long day of school and swim lessons.  Go Ali!

Grace hit her 100th day of 1st grade yesterday, and all the kids got to dress up like they were a 100 years old!  She had so much fun with this  - Ashley took her out shopping for a cane and a shower cap the other night.  She's sporting some old frames of Ashley's with the lenses popped out.  Fun!

 Ready for her close up!!

We Didn't Start the (Bon)Fire!

One of the really fun things we did while we at my parents' house for Christmas was a "bonfire night".  We built a big fire, tried to make S'mores, and my dad hooked up one of my old sleds to the back of his new-used snowmobile.  The girls had a great time going on laps around the pond!!  Alison, especially, couldn't stop giggling when it was her town.

Hanging out by the fire sporting my favorite color - hunter orange!

The girls had a little hill that they could slide down to the frozen pond

The two "Charlie/Charley's"

Grace and I trying to warm up - our jingle bells were frozen!

Aunt Vicki with her two favorite ladies - they had a blast over the weekend!

Alison riding the sled.....she started leaning into the turns on her own.  It was pretty cute!

Grace cheering Papa and Alison on!

Grinny McGrinnerson after one of her turns!

Alison warming up!

Ready for take-off!

The set up!

Grace gets a "turn" at towing her sister around

Papa and his passengers after it was all said and done

Grace and Nananuk of the North

"The gas is on the right, right?"

Awwwwwwwww

Thought this picture was funny because it looks like I'm shoving Alison into the fire......but I wasn't.

Nana and her little buddy

Uh oh, look out!!

Big smiles!



Christmas 2010!!

A BUNCH of pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at home and then drove to Michigan during Christmas Day.  The girls were super-excited to head north since we hadn't been up since late July.  They loved all their presents (It's always funny to see which presents they end up being the most excited about.), and loved spending time with family.  Not sure how we're fitting all this in the house yet.  It may be time to clean out old toys!!  Anyway, hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!

The girls opened up their new pink Snuggies on Christmas Eve from "mom and dad" - they were super excited!

Just like Baby Jesus, they were swaddled in bright pink cloth!

Ashley also got a new robe that she had wanted - my gift is that I get to turn the furnace down now $$$$$



The girls received new desks from Aunt Vicki and Uncle Ted.  (I personally was impressed on how well they were assembled!)



Grace is already planning to do her homework at her new desk!

Alison hugged her desk later in the night and told it, "I love you desk.  Thank you for being here."  I don't think she's ever told ME that, but she said it to a desk.  Not that I'm bitter.  : )

The "before"

Alison got a new bike from Santa!  Hope she doesn't get her snuggie tangled in the spokes!

Grace got a new bike as well....she was excited to have one with a kickstand!

Alison starts opening presents from Santa

Grace wonders what's in here

Big Sis helping out

Toy Story 3 - we saw this in the theater in 3D and Alison took her glasses off so it would be less scary that way.

She FINALLY has Pixos - I think she may have been the last one in her class to get them.  That's the story she was selling, anyway.

Alison didn't take her new backpack off for the rest of the day

The "after"

Or maybe they aren't quite done yet

Alison sports a new head band that was in her stocking

Grace decked out in an American Girl outfit

Alison got a big box of birthday from Aunt Vicki and Uncle Ted

Moving on to the next present

Play Doh ice cream shop!

And the burger builder set!

Alison opening some new "Snoophy" movies from Papa and Nana

A new hooded bath/pool towel for the Ali-gator!

Time to hand out the Christmas presents!

Excited to hand out the presents!! She was the tag reader.