1st "Real" Christmas Tree

We decided to make a new tradition in our family and get a real Christmas tree.  I used to do this when I was young and it was always so fun.  The girls' were very excited, even though I am not sure they really understood what we were going to do.  We went on a beautiful day out to a tree farm in Big Lake and found the type of tree we wanted.  The girls' picked out a perfect tree and dad started cutting.  Then you bring to the main area and they "shake and bale" the trees.  Get all the loose stuff off and wrap it so it's easy to get in the house.  They had a little petting zoo, and Santa there too.  We saw the animals and sat with Santa.  Then we went on a horse drawn carriage ride, and people actually sang christmas carols!  It was a hoot.  We were there about 2 hours, then came home and put up our tree.  The girls' kept saying over and over, "mom, dad...we have a REAL tree in our house...I can't believe it."

Dad cutting down our tree!!

Lights on...now for the "fun" stuff!!

Christmas 2010 -

We went to grandma and grandpa Voit's for Christmas celebration.  Of course the kids wanted to open presents right away...even the "big" kids!  I maintain, no matter how old you are EVERYONE likes to open presents!!  Grandma, grandpa and aunt Lisa planned ahead for summer which is great.  The girls' got a lot of summer stuff which will be perfect.  With birthdays and Christmas so close, we never think about the summer stuff.  So it is great to have all kinds of new, fun summer stuff if the warm weather ever gets here.  They are very lucky girls' and had a great time.  After gifts we packed up and went sledding, which was a blast!  Ashley has no fear of the hills and just took right off.  She was a hoot to watch go screaming down the hill...grandma too!  What a sport she is:)

New swim stuff!!

The "little ladies" heading down......

Great Grandma Voit

Grandpa, Taylor, Allie and myself went to go visit Great Grandma after Christmas as we hadn't seen her in a while.  Grandpa came and picked us up and we headed out.  We got to the nursing home and went to her room, which was really nice.  We sat and visited for a while and she shared all the "goodies" she had in her room.  We stayed for about an hour and a half, and then leftt as she was getting kind of tired out.  We left there and headed out to the farm, to visit Arlys, if she was home.  The girls' had never seen where grandpa grew up so it was fun to show them.  Arlys was home, so we visited with her for a while and then headed back.  We stopped at McDonald's for lunch and grandpa treated us!!  It was a fun day:)

Veterans Day at Twin Lakes Elementary

The girls' school does a big celebration every year on Veteran's Day.  The kids make posters to fill the school, and have refreshments in the morning.  Then everyone goes outside to the flag, and the honor guard from the police department come and play Taps, raise the flag and have a bagpipe being played as well.  Then everyone went into the gym, and the kids wore shirts in red, white and blue.  K-1 wore red, 2-3rd grade wore white, and 4-5th grade wore blue.  They all sat in the gym in this way.  The rest of us sat all around the gym and EVERY SINGLE PERSON who served or is serving in the armed forces got up and announced their name, rank, what they did and for how long.  The kids then all sang a couple songs as well.  It was really a wonderful tribute and we've never seen anything like that.  Grandpa Steve was in Vietnam, so the girls' asked him to come.  Random people would come up to hm and shake his hand and say "thank you", or "thanks for your service".  It was really touching and a great thing to be a part of. 

Taylor, Grandpa Steve and Allie

Bagpipe

Girls were way over to the other side, so didn't get a good picture of them

Taylor's Teeth

Taylor lost "2" teeth one in July, one in December, and she was so excited.  Allie had lost two of hers and got money and of course, Taylor wanted money too...which would only happen if she lost teeth.  She wiggled and wiggled those teeth.  She came in from outside and told me she had a loose tooth.  It was wiggly, but wasn't coming out yet.  So, we started eating supper and she laughed at something, and I noticed a big hole.  She lost the tooth!  She didn't even realize it.  Bummer was she swallowed the tooth:(  She just started sobbing, poor thing.  She wanted that tooth so bad.  She asked if when she went to the bathroom if I would look for it.  Ummm...nope!  There are some things you just have to let go, and that is one.  I will NOT be digging through "stuff" to look for a tooth.  In December, she lost another one.  THIS one we got!  And, because the tooth fairy is so nice, she left money for both teeth...even one we didn't have!  (I have pictures of the 1st lost tooth, but they are on my phone and haven't figured out how to get the pics off of it.)

Taylor's "big" space of missing teeth!


 





Holding the tooth we saved