Pre-Christmas Fun

 December is one of my very favorite months.  It's full of good feelings, fun music, thinking of others, and together activities.  This December was no exception for us!



 We had a "Chinese night" at our house with some of our good friends! YUM :)

 

The boys decided to take up decorating... multiple times...some more successful than others.

 

 You know that old notion that kids would be just as happy playing with the box that the gift comes in??

It's TRUE.

Thanks Nana for the AWESOME BOX! (oh, and the gifts inside of it ;)

 Classic (and not so classic, slightly frightening) dress up fun.  Yes, those are balloons!

 

 One of the many adventures in the culinary 'arts'. 

Kyla started sitting up and rolling all over this month.  Her favorite place to roll was under the tree to grab presents to drool all over. 

 She actually unwrapped two gifts- both of them hers!  Already shaking (or eating) the presents to find out what they are!

So many messes, so many laughs, so much fun!

Hallowriffic!

A fun night with good friends!  The boys enjoyed ghouls, fingers, mummies, teeth, and monster claws for dinner with some swamp slime to wash it all down.

We decided for the first time to not go with a 'family theme' in our costumes this year.
...although Rudy and I picked a theme to go to an oral surgery costume party...

We won the costume contest :)

 

We tried walking and/or riding bikes from house to house in our neighborhood (I've always had an aversion to those kids who were driven from house to house to maximize their candy load), however, we quickly (25 minutes later) came back to the house after making it to only two doorsteps and jumped in the back of the Malone's van.  This was not to maximize any candy loads.  This was survival.  Multiple acre properties with 6 kids, 2 of them 4 of them all of them unable to make it on their own.  I think house driving was definitely excusable...and for the boys, quite fun.

Visit to Arlington National Cemetery

 Took a temple trip to DC with our friends, the Malones.  We decided to stop by Arlington.  It was a humbling and inspiring experience.

Fun to share with good friends.  We were even able to find their grandpa's grave site! Being there so close to September 11th made us really think about the selflessness and courage that has come from SO many people! We're so grateful to live in the USA!

Visiting molar man at Bedford Centerfest

 Rudy and his neverending thinking outside the box- dressed up like molar man at the biggest community festival in Bedford to get the word out about his office.  We had fun hanging out and enjoying carnival food.  Nice to know that Rudy will never stop singing Elvis in public...even if he is dressed like a tooth! :) 

Oma and Opa and the Wolf Lodge Birthday

 For Rudy's 31st birthday (we're officially into the 30s now!) I made a killer ice cream cake!  But what you can't see in this picture is that Rudy's parents, Oma and Opa, were here to celebrate with us!  As their birthday present to Rudy, they took us all to the Great Wolf Lodge for a weekend getaway...

 I love how much fun these boys have together!!

 Rudy: The "I think I'm getting the hang of this" shot

 Rudy: The "I'm getting really good at thi..." shot

 We had so much fun together at the great wolf lodge!  Thanks Oma and Opa!

 

 Oma enjoying her first granddaughter!!

 

 Playing some croquet Rudy got for his bday from Wenmom and Rondad :)

 Having a good time trying out some local fare.  Liberty Station is a great restaurant in Bedford created from the old train station that the infamous D-Day 'Bedford Boys' came home on. (you're not really expected to know that reference or the story behind it...I didn't until we moved here :) )

 And I loved how the two Rudys wanted to help the little boys by "showing them how to play the game"...funny how I don't see any little boys in the picture...

 Makin some meat-a-balls in da keetchen with Oma!

Happy Birthday Rudy!  We all love you very much!
And thanks for the fun times Oma and Opa! We love you and miss you!

Happy Fourth

One month and a lot of fun!

 Here are a few unedited home shots of our month old Kyla.

 The boys have been SO cute with her.  They really are such great big brothers...pretty sure she's never going to date though! :)

 They're pretty great buds for each other as well!

 And they always keep me laughing!

and what comes from lots of rain??  Naturally-- A handful of earthworms!

 Kyla's first friend, Sydney, due a month after her, yet born 2 days EARLIER! :)
...i think they're talking about boys right now.

Super Duper Cooper!

 Cooper is THREE!! 

After almost a year of acting like he was three, he finally officially had his birthday!  

Although exceptionally small for his age and having the cutest little helium voice I think I've ever heard, Cooper has been talking extremely well and doing everything he can to try and keep up with his 5 year old brother this past year.  Because of that, we feel like we have a pretty mature 'little man' on our hands who is a bundle of joy in our lives! Cooper already has such a handle on social cues.  Whenever I try to wrestle or play with him and he's not in the mood, he always asks me to stop, then pauses and says, "But I yuv you!".  As if to say, "I don't want to hurt your feelings.  It's not you, it's me; and my lack of desire to play with you has nothing to do with my love for you."  At least once a day, while I'm busy with various chores, he'll come up to me and get my attention to say, "I yuv you Mommy!"  He will compliment people on what they're wearing- shoes, shirt, earrings, watch.  Which I find hilarious that a little boy even looks at those kinds of things, let alone thinks to make a point of telling someone that he likes it or he thinks it looks good! (Then again, he is Rudy's son :) 

Cooper loves to play pretend.  He and Tucker can play for hours with their McQueen cars or any other toy they can make talk.  He's so cute with Kyla and how he always wants to make her "yaf" and smile by tickling her feet or making silly faces.

Cooper, you're such a great kid!  We love you and cherishing every minute we have of your 'portableness', cute little voice, and mature and wonderful personality!

Disclaimer: Cooper decided he wanted a monster truck cake for his birthday, when asked what color of truck he wanted, his resounding answer was, "PINK!"  After repeated attempts at dissuading him, this was the outcome. No, I didn't just mess up a red truck cake, it's supposed to be pink! :)

  The one thing Cooper wanted for his birthday was his "Hippo Game".  We decided to go portable with it so he didn't lose the marbles.

The Scott's came over to help us celebrate Cooper's bday