The Nutcracker

Olivia and I went to The Nutcracker ballet a few weeks ago. It was fun dressing up and going with her three little friends. My friend Molly brought her 2 1/2 year old, Gillian, and my friend Christy took her 4 year old, Samantha. The girls were enamored with the ballerinas. Just a tip, though, if you ever decide to go watch The Nutcracker--find out what it's about before you're there. Molly, Christy, and I had no clue what was going on until someone explained it for us during the intermission. By the end, the girls were tired, shoes were coming off, and hair-dos were coming unraveled. But all in all, it was a fun experience for all of us. Olivia and I took a purse because we had to have our lip 'glass.'

Josh has a shoe infatuation. If he ever is without shoes or socks, he will let you know. His favorite shoes are his camo crocs, but on this day, he found Daddy's hiking boots. Look at that grin!

Josh has gotten brave. One day I was folding laundry in the living room and I looked up and he was on top of our (tall) kitchen table. He's a little monkey. In this picture, he's just playing with his booster seat in his diaper and hiking boots.

Yes, those are Olivia's glasses.

Dora and Boots

Are you noticing a theme? It seems as though Dora and Boots have occupied a lot of space on this blog. Well, Dora visited the mall in Billings on the day after Thanksgiving, so I took Olivia to see her. She was thrilled, even though Dora didn't talk. Olivia asked if Dora was going to go back into the tv after she left the mall. It was a fun trip for the two of us. We got a lot of Christmas shopping done that day too. Thankfully Mom kept Josh so we didn't have to brave the day in Billings with Mr. Busy.

Our basement is finally done!!! For all of you who don't know, we started the huge task of finishing our basement and turning it into a bedroom/office for Andy and me. It's finally done (except for a few lights and a closet organizer). We're moved in--that's the important thing, and we love it downstairs. It's warm and quiet and cozy. Now the kids also have their own rooms, which is working out so well. We also put a half bath downstairs so that makes a huge difference in our house.

Here's Josh's room--all to himself. I need to change a some of the decorations to look more "boyish." But overall, its a nice big space just for him.

Olivia got her new room FINALLY!!! We finished the basement and moved our bedroom down there. Olivia loves her new room and thanks God for it every time she prays.

Lots of Love

Josh likes to give kisses now, and while it's still open-mouthed, it's pretty sweet.

A Lady and the Tramp moment Olivia and Andy shared over spaghetti.

Happy Halloween

So we failed to ever get a great picture of Dora and Boots together. Josh hated his hat and it never stayed on for more than 2 seconds. But he seemed to enjoy having a tail, and Olivia loved her Dora costume.

We didn't get a picture of us either (Dora's cousins Diego and Alicia), but we got a great pic of our friends Jenn and Tyler as a 40s couple. They looked so sharp!

Fall Fun

Olivia, Josh and I had some fun in the cool fall weather today. The leaves are beautiful this time of year. We got some great shots today.

Joshua

Josh is so full of energy and life. He makes me smile every time I look at him, or want to cry when he cries. I am in love...

Olivia

I think she's the most beautiful girl in the world. I can't believe God entrusted her to us. What a blessing...

Vannatta Halloween Party

It's that time of year again. The Vannatta's 3rd annual costume party. The kids and I went as Dora, Boots, and her cousin Alicia. We didn't win any prizes, but Olivia loved her costume. Haley's family went as the 5 cell phone guys from the Alltel commercial. Too funny. And I just had to throw in some pics of my 3 handsome nephews, Ty, Caden, and Luke.

Dancing the night away...

Olivia literally danced until she couldn't dance any more at Ashley's wedding. We had a blast, and Ashley was such a gorgeous bride.

Katelynn's Visit

Our friend Katelynn got to visit from Montana in September. She was here to shoot a wedding for our friend Ashley Tyler, but we had some fun in the beautiful fall weather, too. I think Kate's a bit taken with Joshy. We also got some great pics with our gaming buddies, Khale and Renzy.

Summer Fun

We are finally starting a blog. Now you can all keep up with our family. We'll try to post pictures and videos so you can see how the kids are growing. To begin, I'll just post several pictures of our adventures this summer.