Jog-A-Thon

Owen's preschool had a Jog-A-Thon last month to raise money for their field trips and new supplies for the classrooms. I sent Owen's pledge form with Scott to work and Scott did a great job coercing his coworkers to donate! (Owen collected the most money. Thank you everyone!!)

On Jog-A-Thon day, the families were all invited to come and support their kids (and buy snacks and drinks to raise more money--nothing like a $2 hot dog at 9am!) and play games before they started running.

The laps they were running were pretty small, afterall, these kids are 3, 4 and 5, and so they had the children run in groups. There were 4 groups all together and Owen ran in group 3.

Each child had a paper safety pinned to their back and each time they came to the start/finish line, one of the teachers would cross off a number on their paper showing how many laps they had run. Owen was the first kid to complete all 20 laps!! Most kids stopped between 9 and 11, but Scott and I just kept yelling "Keep going!! You aren't tired yet! You can do it!" (He really wasn't tired---it was pretty amazing to watch him go and go and not break a sweat or start breathing hard!) We were so proud that he finished-and he was so proud of himself! He ran the whole time with his friend Arianna (in the red, above) right behind him--her dad kept saying the same things to her and we all laughed about what great naps they would take that day!

Good Job Owen!!

So happy with himself for finishing!!

All 20 boxes checked!!

Just Like Mommy

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE ice cream...this is not just love, but LOVE LOVE!! I could (and usually do) eat it everyday. Sometimes twice a day (and yes, even for breakfast!) Guess who also loves ice cream???

Emme is Growing...Kind Of

Our little girl is now 16 pounds (the size of a 6 month old--but we are happy with it! Growth is growth!) and 27 inches long! She got her first tooth at 14 months old (a molar) and now has 2 molars (the first ones to come in all the way). Next came her top 2 front teeth (she will look like a bunny for Easter pictures) and now the bottom 2 front teeth are on their way in. That means 6 teeth in one month! The thing I am most excited about??? Hair!! She is finally getting some hair! Little curls are coming in on the back of her head! Maybe I will get to put barettes on her head afterall...

Hamburger Creature

Owen LOVES to play with his Play-Doh...and this is one of his masterpieces! He created a Hamburger Creature! You should see the things this kid comes up with...

Ice Skating

Scott took us to Seaside Lagoon where every year they have an outdoor ice rink and snow. Last night was a special Kings event night and we got in for free! So Scott decided to let Owen try skating. Owen had so much fun (even though Scott just ended up pushing him around the rink-he wasn't really skating) and said he wants to do it again. At first he didn't want to go: he said he was too cold (from playing in the snow) and needed hot chocolate and then he said he already knew how. But once he had his hot chocolate and his skates on, he had a blast! Emme and I hung out dancing to the music and watching the boys skate-Emme was also a fan of the hot chocolate...

Owen was showing me all the ice on his skate after being out. He had to stop to warm up with his hot chocolate!

Owen's Birthday Party

Owen's 5th (I can't believe he is 5! My kids are getting so old!) birthday party was this last Saturday. It started off very eventful---Owen threw up! He had a fever the day before, but woke up that morning feeling fine! No fever, no complaints, so the party stayed on! (We would have called all the friends and cancelled if we knew he was sick.) So, while his friends all made pizzas and played in the back yard, Owen hopped in the bathtub, took some medicine, then rested and watched some SpongeBob.
Before we knew it, all of his friends had snuck into the room where he was, and were on the bed watching cartoons with him! (I hope no one got sick-we haven't heard that anyone did!) He said he was feeling better, and we figured everyone had now been exposed, so out he came to join in his own party!
The kids made their own pizzas, played some really funny games, and decorated cupcakes (which is a tradition at Owen's birthday parties...the kids all look forward to it.)

Cupcake craziness!!

Playing the Donut on a String game.

Emme's version of the game.

We sang Happy Birthday and Owen got to open his presents! He had a great time and got some cool stuff!
(Scott and I gave him one of his presents, a scooter, on his actual birthday. He also got to have donuts for breakfast, which is his favorite, and he picked In-N-Out for dinner.)

We are grateful for Owen in our lives! He is such a smarty-pants and we love having conversations with him! He makes us laugh everyday!! (Seriously-we laugh everyday!) He is loads of fun, really loving and the best little boy. He is a great friend and a wonderful helper and we love him sooooo much!

What a cute baby boy!!

Summary of November & December

Like I said in the previous post, I haven't blogged in a while because I couldn't find the camera cord. I asked Scott if he knew where it was and 3 minutes later he handed it to me. I should've asked a while ago, I guess!!

I am going to play catch up here quickly...
For Thanksgiving we went to Oregon to spend the holiday with my family. We played lots of board games, my siblings played with the kids, Owen played with the dog, my sisters and I did girly things (had manicures done, face masks, etc.) and had a great Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great week! Owen had so much fun he cried when we left my parent's house and then cried again when we crossed the Oregon/California border...it was sad and sweet at the same time!

 

Emme turned 1 (I can't believe it!!) on the 9th of December. Grandpa and Grandma Stewart sent her her first dolly-a Cabbage Patch baby! She suprised us all by immediately picking the doll up, hugging her and saying "Hi Baby!!" She walked around the house with her baby all day and the rest of the week. (She still loves her baby!)

We had her party on the 12th and had so many people over! It was lots of fun to have family and friends over and hang out with us! Emme was a happy girl all day (although that is not unusual for her to be happy all day!) and had fun opening her presents and eating her butterfly cupcakes. She is such a sweet, loving baby and Scott and I are so blessed to have her be a part of our family! I love her so much!

 

Christmas was loads of fun! We spent Christmas Eve at the Mahkorn Grandparents house with about 40 of our family members and friends. We chose to do a service project that night instead of exchanging gifts, like we usually do. We painted terra cotta pots and planted plants in them-we then "ding-dong ditched" some neighbors and left the plants and christmas notes from Santa's Elves on their doorsteps. It was lots of fun and I think it is a tradition we will keep---doing a service project on Christmas Eve! However, the littlest kids still got presents from their cousins and everyone still got new pj's, too!

Christmas morning, our kids opened their presents from Scott, myself and Santa at home then we had breakfast at Scott's parents house with Steve, Tracie, Adam, Melanie and Preston. For Christmas dinner, we went to Aunt Sharon's house and had tamales for dinner----Scott's dream come true! Dinner was great, the people were fun and we are hoping that this becomes a tradition as well!

 

We are so lucky to have such wonderful people around us to share the holidays with. We are truly blessed and are grateful for everyone who is a part of our lives!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to all our family and friends! Thank you for all the fun and wonderful memories you have helped us make this last year...We are looking forward to another fantastic year!

P.S.
I haven't blogged in about 6 weeks for a reason---I can't find the cord to upload photos from the camera to the computer. As soon as I find it, photos will be posted! (I am missing Thanksgiving, Emme's Birthday, Christmas and after tomorrow Owen's Party as well! Sorry!)

Emme Walks!!

It's official...Emme walks! She is just so adorable toddling around all the time now! Here is a short video so you can see just how fast our little girl is growing up!

Halloween and Pumpkin Carving!!

I know I am posting these pictures a little late---but better late than never, right???
The kids had a great time at "Trunk or Treat" at church. They loved their costumes, had dinner and played with their friends, and got a TON of candy...which will now sit on top of fridge and go bad. Just like last year!

Here are the kids together before we left for Trunk-or-Treat.

Owen wants to be a K-9 police officer when he grows up (at least for now he does. He has also wanted to be a firefighter and a basketball player...) so he LOVES his costume. He has been wearing at least once a week since we bought it!

Emme made an adorable butterfly. She loved her costume and kept everything on! She didn't try to pull off the tutu or the antennae or anything! She just smiled all night and played with the ribbons in her tutu...silly girl!

I love these kids!!

** PUMPKINS **

Owen and I also carved pumpkins on Halloween...here he is with our works of art! (Owen's is the 3 eyed alien, as he called it.)