Happy New Year!

2017! Wow time is flying! As I order my blog in printed book form I realize this is the start of my 5th book! That's so hard to believe! 2016 was a beautiful year for us full of so many memories and great family time! I feel we spent more weekends playing, building friendships and relaxing and less time focused on our to do list! It was a year of growth and family! 

 

I just love the few weeks around Christmas! My office closes between Christmas and New Year so it forces me to take a break from being at work and just focus on my family! It is the best! And this year with Amy and Zhenya in town we did nothing but family and I loved every second of it!

 

 

 

 

 

As we start the new year with a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old I feel grateful and blessed for my little family and for the new memories we will get to create this year! 

 

They are developing such a great friendship and watching them together warms my heart! Lately Elisabeth wakes up and calls for jack from her room to his. He climbs out of bed and runs into her room and sits next to her bed. They talk, sing and giggle. I can hear all this happening from downstairs and I never want to interrupt it! Those moments are so special!

 

 

 

(It was warm the other day and the kids were helping us wash the cars)

 

 

This is what dinners look like around our house! A full table with lots of conversation and singing!

 

 

 

 

Saint Nicholas Day!

The kids were so excited to put their wooden shoes outside their rooms on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day! We talked it up and read them a book about his life - jack could barely sleep! When he woke the next morning he quickly asked "did he come? Did he come!? Let's go check!"

 

 

 

 

 

I love watching them enjoy traditions as much as I do! 

Advent, Visiting Santa and Saint Nikolas and December Adventures!

 

 

 

We like to kick off the Christmas season with Norwood Christmas town! We visit with santa and enjoy the live nativity and festivities!

 

We also got to visit Saint Nikolas at The German Heritage Museum! 

 

  

Also while at the German Heritage Museum I was able to snap a few Christmas pictures of

The kids! 

 

And in the same weekend we got the Christmas tree and decorated it! A fun filled holiday kickoff weekend!

 

We've been silly and adventurous this December enjoying cold days inside and bundling up for some greats walks and play outside! 

 

 

The kids like to "put on deodorant before we sleep mom just in case we sweat - I'll put some on Elisabeth as well." Elisabeth always has to have and do everything her brother does! 

 

Elisabeth loves to pull up her stool to the nativity and play and "rock and hug"  baby Jesus!

 

 

Friends of ours hosted the most adorable polar express themed Christmas play group last week! Being that is jacks very favorite story right now he was in heaven!! Elisabeth also really enjoyed riding the train, listening to the story and sipping on hot cocoa!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of Jack from 2 decembers ago followed by a picture of Elisabeth! I think they really resemble each other! I dressed her in this outfit and immediately had a flashback to

Baby Jack being in the same outfit!

 

 

 

Thanksgiving!

We had a lovely long weekend in Cleveland celebrating Thanksgiving! We got to spend lots of time with the March family and had a great time at the extended Snyderburn family thanksgiving hosted by Aunt Kim and Uncle Charlie!

 

Elisabeth loves her Uncles and thinks they are just the funniest! 

 

 

 

The day after thanksgiving we spent sometime in downtown Cleveland at the tree lighting and watching the toy soldier show put on for kids! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got to spent a day with Grandma March and Mrs. Kunzel playing play dough!

 

 

 

 

Such a wonderful Holiday!

Becoming an Artist

Jack has been working hard doing projects and practicing his scissor cutting, glueing, drawing and writing skills. He's always asking to "do his homework" something I will be sure to remind him of in a few years when he starts whining about it instead ;) I want to remember a few of his most recent drawings and the way he first wrote his name!

 

It might not all be rightside up but it sure looks good to me! I felt proud of him and he sure was proud of himself! 

  

His most recent smiley face includes a big wide open mouthed smile!

 

His sad face and below is a picture of a "boat man" as he called it!

 

He really likes cutting out shapes and writing letters. He's eager to learn and I love that about him right now!