The gingerbread house

Breanne and mom got to make a gingerbread house at school yesterday. It was fun to watch her create...she's extremely thoughtful, slow and orderly as you can see by all the straight lines of candy. I also got go meet more of her classmates and their moms. I'm sure they'll be more playdates in her future after the first of the year.
Our week has been busy finishing up Christmas gifts, wrapping presents, making homemade ornaments, baking cookies (that weren't worth the extreme effort...grr...should have just dipped pretzels), coloring pictures for classmates and Derrick's visit to the oral surgeon. Just one step away now from that permanent bridge.
Ah, Christmas...it won't be long now!

Countdown

The countdown has begun in our house. Only 14 more days until Christmas. Madison and Breanne have each taken home a chain countdown (you take 1 link off the paper chain every day and when you have no more links left...it's Christmas Day). What a joy to see Christmas traditions through the eyes of a child! Aliya is somewhat oblivious to it all. She just likes keeping up with her sisters, or trying to.

A week ago, Madison was involved in a program with a theatre company in town. They came to Alkali Creek Elementary to do a 1-week theatre musical. She practiced M-Th for 1 1/2 hours after school and then on Friday, did two performances. The name of the musical was "A Day in the Country." It was a very big week for her. She enjoyed it and never complained. She had lines that she did with her group, sang and danced. Songs included "Old McDonald," "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush," "John Jacob Jingelhimer," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and "This Old Man." After her last performance, we took her out to celebrate. She picked the Olive Garden. On the ride home, Derrick and I had a very quiet conversation as one, two, three little girls fell fast asleep. What a big week!

Madison in top row, middle.

This past Friday, both Breanne and Madison sang in the Christmas program at school. Madison's hit song was "Mashed Potato," and Breanne made gingerbread men to dance in her last song. They did great.

Breanne, top row, fourth from the right.

As the countdown has begun, I have lots to do...more later!

Wedding Surprises!

Tucson, AZ was a sunny warm place to be for Melissa's wedding this past weekend. While the snow started falling and the tempuratures started dropping in Billings, we flew out for the warmth sunniness of Arizona. Great timing!

Madison and Breanne did wonderful as Melissa and Ben's flower girls. They were mini princesses and cute of course. Aliya again cooperated for a family picture...or not. The ceremony was beautiful and the setting perfect! We enjoyed much time with Derrick's family.

While we were waiting for pictures before the ceremony...SURPRISE! Madison pulled out her front tooth. I didn't even realize it was loose. Somehow, by the grace of God, she didn't get blood all over her dress. Love that new toothless grin.

Breanne just grinned at the happenings...After standing for the ceremony, the girls were rewarded with princess ring pops! What a deal.

The reception included lots of kissing and a blast dancing.

We left the 70 degree balminess of Arizona for the fridged zeroness of Montana. It sure was fun while it lasted!

Barb, Sue and Audrey...the sisters.

Dress Rehearsal...

How could I ask for more?

Lord, I am humbled and honored all at once! Tonight is a night that I never want to forget. Tonight, on our way out, I made mention to the girls to look at the moon, it was in a perfect crescent shape and thought they might enjoy that. As they marveled, Madison said, "That is so cool how God made that!" Wow! Not just, that's cool, whatever. She realized that the moon, the creation, is a gift from God. Talk about a life being transformed by the renewing of her mind (Romans 12:2). I was brought to near-tears, humbled that God chose to bless me with these three little lives that are daily increasing in their knowledge of Him. And honored to get a glimpse of the transformation going on in their hearts. You are so good to me, Lord!

Fall Memories

We have 3 princesses in our house now! Aliya tried on Breanne's old princess dress and it was just a bit too big, but when they're only enough to want to wear the princess dress, then they are officially a princess. (Although, see does make a really cute piglet too!)

We have had a fabulous fall with gorgeous weather. We even got to walk home from school today. Our new school routine includes bathing in the morning so we can have more quality family time at night. This last week, the girls have had a blast cramming into the tub together at once for a bath. Not sure how clean they get, but look how cute they are cuddled up in their towels after their bath. Madison and Breanne can be so wonderful at including Aliya in their play. This week they've been encouraging Aliya to be silly, "Aliya, do a funny thing."

Aliya is always just a step behind her big sisters. She wants to get dressed in their room and when they drew on their jack-o-lanters...so did she.

Even Grandpa Verlyn got in on carving Madison's pumpkin. He cut out the mustache and daddy did the rest.

We had some last minute visitors for Halloween. Grandpa and Grandma made a quick trip out to trick-or-treat with the girls. It was a fun weekend of shopping, drinking yummy lattes, playing games, carving pumpkins, crying over a Vikings loss and of course trick-or-treating with the Eknesses (Faith and Grace).

P.S. We have enough candy to last 'til Easter...

TFFAAo

Der Tothfae

I thing that I swoloud my tooth.

Love, Madison

(followed by a sketch of the tooth fairy)

I can't believe the tooth fairy these days. This is the second letter Madison has written to the tooth fairy in place of an actual tooth and she still got a dollar!

Surprise!

Derrick's officially an old fart! (Not really, but it's fun to tease him!) He got to spend his birthday hunting with a friend and when we came home, we surprised him with a small party with friends. Man that was a lot of candles on one cake! (Good thing for me he doesn't bother with candles on my birthday.)

We were fortunate to have Lucas and Kelly's family visit with us this past weekend. We actually didn't DO too much. The kids had a great time playing and we did get to the Corn Maize and took them to Red Robin for dinner on Friday night.

Aliya loved the cow ride while others enjoyed the slides, mind puzzles, duck races and of course the maize itself. It's always a fun fall event!
Aliya was so torn because she couldn't possibly carry all the corn she found on the ground. She sure tried though.

Last week, I got to take Breanne on a date. She experienced her first strawberry malt from Dairy Queen which she may like better than an icecream cone now. We then went shopping for shoes to wear with her flower girl dress and finished up, our cameras in hand to take pictures at a park on the Yellowstone River. This is my favorite picture. What a doll of a daughter I have!

Madison and Breanne have been learning about initiative this month. Specifically last week, we talked about when someone has a need, don't wait for someone else to do something about it. I came up with (what I thought was) a great idea of picking up trash in the ditches on Alkali Creek Road. Breanne thought that would be boring and Madison wasn't sold either. So later that afternoon she says, "Mom, we could have a lemonade stand!" It has been a gorgeous fall, I'm sure our neighbors would love a bit of lemonade.

We wanted to give it away, but everyone kept trying to pay them. Breanne was getting so frustrated, she didn't even want to flag cars down anymore because she just knew they would want to pay for it. The money they did make, they brought to church for the Immerse campaign (getting our city's pool in the ground.) What giving hearts! We were fortunate to have Bella (a girl down the street) join us in sales and deliveries.

Check

Gorgeous weather this fall has allowed us time to finish projects up around the yard. Check one more thing off the list as we finish up painting the deck, painting the cement foundation and touching up paint around the house. We had our first frost (October 12). I'm relieved to be finished watering flowers and eager to get my tulip and daffodils in the ground.

We had some friends over to wipe the dust off the cover of Rock Band (not much time for that in the summer.) The kids (and Derrick) are all so into it. However, for a brief time, we thought the Wii was broken, so we got Monopoly out and played. I'm thinking the kids actually like Monopoly better than the Wii. Good times!

Let the good times roll

Grace, Breanne, Faith, Toby, Aliya, Madi and Karissa...what a crew!

After everyone got home on Friday afternoon (Derrick had been gone all week) we were finally able to open birthday presents with Aliya. She of course loved her toys, but was most excited when she'd get new clothes. Immediately the clothes she had on would come off and she had to wear the new ones. She's such a girl!

We were able to have family friends over on Friday night for a birthday celebration for Aliya. It was fun for the kids to play and we did have a pinata for the kids to break open.

It was our first pinata and was a success.

After birthday cupcakes, the kids played hide and seek and eventually made their way outside to the garage where the adorned our floor with magnificent pictures of fairies drawn with sidewalk chalk (complete with pixie dust mind you). It was a fun evening to spend reconnecting with friends.

On Saturday, my neighbor claims I cracked the whip on Derrick and we finally finished our landscaping project around our house. (It only took 4 years from start to finish, oh well.) We're pleased with the finished project. The yard is so green, with the wonderful weather we've had this year. It was nice to pull the hammock out today and enjoy it for a while...ah, fall!

Sugar Pie Honey Bunch!

Our little bundle of joy is now two years old! She is full of life and constantly trying to keep up with her sisters. From time to time, she takes a break from running to cuddle with her mom or dad.
She started the "Terrific Twos" this morning with chocolate chip pancakes. We topped the pancake with whipped topping and 2 candles. She blew the candles out before I even picked up my camera. (We tried it again, just for the picture.)
This morning, she had to go to daycare for a couple hours and while we were there, some friends wished her a happy birthday, to which she responded by making a blowing out the candles jesture....too cute!
With Derrick out of town and her party with some family friends not until Friday, we celebrate this evening with a trip to McDonalds where she got her "nugs," "sli," and "ice," (translation: chicken nuggets, slide and icecream.) Big sisters were equally excited to celebrate with her.

39 quarts later...

A week before Labor Day, Derrick and I decided to take a quick trip to Minnesota over the long weekend. Although the time was short, we had a great time reconnecting with great-grands, grandparents, cousins and even the Pizza Ranch! (Look at all those Tevas! Thanks grandma Linda!)

At the DeWilde farm, we were able to gleam the apple trees and scored ourselves 6 1/2 boxes of apples. I'm relieved we thought to give one box away to ambitious cousins and bake an apple pie at my mom's to share with everyone. So, 39 quarts of apples later, we have given a few bags away to neighbors and are eating apple everything..apple bread, apple french toast, apple bread pudding, apple peanut butter smoothies, applesauce, apple crisp....

On a comical note, Derrick told me that Aliya successfully killed two bugs yesterday by getting a shoe from the garage, returning to the bug and smashing it with the shoe. And Madison informed Derrick and I that she killed two grasshoppers at one time yesterday while they were "tackling." Umm, I didn't know it was that time of year for the grasshoppers.

Our girls!

We now have a Kindergartner AND first grader in our home! Breanne started Kindergarten on August 25. She was very excited and not nervous a bit. It was like she's been ready for this since January. She chose what to wear the first day of school. Interestingly to me, she picked out the same dress she wore on the first day of preschool.

The picture looks just the same as last year, except for the new backpack. She got a new haircut the day before school too.

When we got to school, Madison and Breanne took off.

They obviously didn't need dad and mom. They walked circle together and met up with one of Madison's friends, Alyssa. After the bell and pledge of Allegiance, they lined up with their teachers and they were gone.

About an hour after getting home and telling me all about it, Breanne sighed and said, "I just can't wait for Kindergarten tomorrow!" I think that says it all! A week into it, she's learning friends' names and singing songs she's learning.

Friday after work, we headed out to camp with friends in Cody, WY. We got to spend time with friends who moved there a year ago and see the ranch that he works at. Two families in our small group joined us on Saturday. Unfortunately, it rained off and on Saturday afternoon and evening. We saw the first wave of rain coming across the lake which looked really awesome and when it came in, it met us with hail and high winds.

However, we did get to enjoy some s'mores. Derrick and I adored the JUMBO marshmallows! You could never have too much mallow! When it got dark and time for headlights, Aliya was not without!

Thanks to the rain, I got to play a razzing game of Sequence with the girls and got some reading done.

On Sunday afternoon, we rolled into Billings just before a big storm that we watched brew all the way home. The lighting was flashing so we all headed inside for cover. As it started to blow and rain, we noticed the hail coming AGAIN. Derrick got the truck in the garage just before the hail really started pelting. We had marble size hail for about 5 minutes. Needless to say, I think the garden is done. I've never before seen hail in Billings and this year I've seen it 4 times! Just bizarre!