Night at the Square

One of our favorite holiday traditions is going to the Lights on the Square.  We went and had pizza on the square and then out to see the lights.  I think we went the last "nice weather" night possible so we ended up running into several sweet friends! 

 The kids love to ride the ponies! 

 They are both at such a fun age all the time (well at least MOST of the time-ha!) but especially fun for the holidays!

 I think I was messing with my camera setting and got this crazy picture of my pretty girl.  Ha! 

 She had been asking and asking and asking to go to the square so she was excited!

 This year she wanted to ride the Cinderella carriage.  Every year before this one we have went in a sled pulled by a horse named Bobby (and we remember his name because Lilly talked about Bobby for MONTHS afterward) but Bobby was off work that night and we ended up with this horse--which is Bobby's lady mate/horse wife.  How funny is that? 

 Ready to go! 

 This tree is my favorite!

 But there are so many beautiful lights--they really do an amazing job with all of the lights.

 Pictures with some of our fun friends Jackson and Avery!  Love their sweet family!

 Cheesing for some photos!

This cheesing camel cracks me up!  Ha! 

Trying to get a picture of these two. 

Love all the giggling and sweetness that is going on here!

And of course the night wouldn't be complete without a cupcake from our favorite cupcake place--Bliss Cupcake! 

We had a great night and are so thankful for all the sweet memories made! 

Silver Dollar City

Well I figured since we celebrated Easter with MoMo today that I should probably blog about our trip to Silver Dollar City to see the Christmas lights tonight.  Ha! 

 Back in December we took the kids to Silver Dollar City for the first time.  Matt and I had been before but never at Christmas time.  Although I didn't get many pictures of the actual lights--they are everywhere and so beautiful!  We spent most of our time during the day at the kid rides.  It turns out that Lilly and Reid LOVE to ride the rides!  At first they wanted to go on the rides where they had to ride with an adult so DeDe and I rode with them. 

 They liked to hold down the red button that kept us up in the air. 

 Then we found the rides they could ride by themselves! 

 During the day we had to wait for a few minutes in line. 

 I love this picture! 

 At night--there were no lines and they got to ride as many times as they wanted!  Which was about 5,000 times.  Ha!  We shut the park down!!

 They really loved this frog ride.  The frog carts jump up and down in a circle.  Sounds nauseating to me but they LOVED it. 

 We also went to a big play area.  This tube sucks the balls up in it.

 And then there is this gun that shoots the balls out. 

 Then the balls go up on this thing and fall out at the top.

 The kids had so much fun! 

 We watched a Frosty the Snowman show and we were all entertained.  There was a lot of improv going on by the actors/actresses and it was hilarious. 

 Then we found a good spot and waited for the parade to start! 

This guy was at the beginning of the parade. 

 Everything was covered in lights.  There were even princesses in dresses that were covered in lights. 

We had a great time!!

February

Well I have missed the blog world!  I am enjoying catching up on what everyone has been up to!  I will do a little IPhone/Instagram photo catch up since I still have not found my camera battery charger...but I haven't done a ton more looking either.  It's on my to-do list.  ( ; 

 The weekend after Matt's birthday we headed to Benton to celebrate with (and see) some family!  We went to YaYa's for dinner and we ordered a couple of desserts for the table to share--a brownie, a bread pudding, and then the kids' meals came with Ice Cream with oreos and gummy worms.  Reid was ALL IN at dessert time.  I know he ate just as much bread pudding as I did. 

 While we were there Lilly willingly went to bed while other people (i.e. Reid and baby Breanna) were up and then on Sunday she laid on the couch and said, "I think I'm going to take a nap."  I very sarcastically said, "Oh, ok." because this has NEVER happened before...but she actually did.  I suspected she was sick.  I kept taking her temperature there and it kept saying she didn't have one but when we got home she had a 102 fever.  I love my sweet little girl but the ONLY times she has ever laid down and went to sleep on her own initiative have been when she was sick. 

 Reid came out of Mike and DeDe's room with Mike's shirt on.  He has done this with a couple of my shirts, too.  (My clothes are on the bottom of the closet--he can't reach Matt's.)  Every time it is hilarious. 

 We went by and saw MamMa and what luck we had because Cars (the movie) was on!  Reid climbed up in MamMa's lap and watched until it was time to go. 

 Hanging out and watching some tv while Lilly was running a fever.  Thankfully she was just a little more tired than normal and never really seemed to feel bad.  I love that her and Reid like to sit in the same chair and watch tv together. 

 We got snow!  It came in the morning and was gone by naps!  The kids were beside themselves excited.

 Reid loves to eat snow.  In fact, the other day it snowed again and while the snow was falling, Reid said at least 20 times, "Mommy snow is good to eat!"  And Lilly replied ALL 20 times, "But not if it has grass on it!"  Ha! 

 This little snow angel loves to make and throw snowballs. 

 Enjoying their snow day! 

 Okay so I almost didn't post this but it was so funny...I look up to see a white booty and Reid peeing in the snow while saying, "Look Mommy I'm in the bathroom outside!"  Oh the joys of life with a boy.  ( ; 

And while I am at pictures that will embarrass him later in life...his bottom has been providing me with laughs all week.  We went to a local kids gymnastics place and because his underwear are on backwards (at his insistence because he wanted the big Lightning McQueen in the front and not the back) Reid's little crack was constantly on display. 

 Lilly drew her very first pictures of me the other day!!!  She said, "Look Mommy I even gave you a pony tail and you look soooo beautiful!"  I am pretty proud of her art skills! 

Also I drew a picture of Lilly and showed it to Reid and he looked at it and said, "Where is her tiara??"  I laughed--but he is so right--she is always wearing a tiara. 

 She also wrote DeDe's name all by herself the other day!  She is starting to get the whole letter/sound connection and reads a couple of (3-letter) words.  Her KDO has a wonderful phonics program (yes I am her KDO teacher but not her phonics teacher so I can not take credit for this) and they have been working on reading certain word families and she is starting to get it! 

 While I am at bible study they do a bible study for the kids as well.  They were talking about the book of Lamentations and asked each child what made them sad.  Reid's response?  "When dad didn't give him a fork when he was eating his brownie."  It is a tough life for that boy.  I am thankful those are his biggest problems!  And I love that he takes that to the Lord in prayer, too.

I am reading a couple of books right now and I am LOVING The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson!  I am only a couple of chapters into the book but it is SO good. Hopefully I can get back in the swing on blogging and share what God has been working on in my heart lately!