Megan Loves to Feed Allie

Allie had a late nap and was being fussy while we ate dinner.  She didn't really want to eat but then Megan started helping her eat and all of the sudden she was eating.  She was liking Megan feeding her and Megan was elated that she was letting her do it.  She felt so big and was such a big helper.  It is so fun watching these two play together.  I hope they are always best friends!

Good Little Readers

Part of the boys homework is to read at least 20 minutes every day.  Sometimes I will let Tyler read to Josh as part of their reading.  When they are all cooperating then Megan will join in on the reading fun.  It is a joy to see these kids getting along so well and enjoying reading.  Tyler is a good reader and is really good at helping out his siblings.  Josh is getting to be a pretty good reader too, but he doesn't like to do it.  He likes things that come really easy to him, like math.  Megan just loves any attention she can get.  Love these kids!!!

Winter Sports

Allie liked playing football with Tyler.  It was pretty cold out, but no snow.  We all bundled up and had a great time.

Megan loved riding her scooter again.  It has been way too long since we've played outside.

Josh got his hitting on.  He didn't want to play catch, just hit the ball.  He's a pretty good hitter.

Allie is adorable!!!

Tony is the family pitcher.  Mom tries, but Dad is the best.  Allie is a good helper too.

I like this picture of Josh right after he hit the ball.  You can see the ball coming towards me in the window of the white car.  Josh sure loves hitting the ball.

Tyler hit the ball and ran to fetch the ball too.  After that he got out his roller blades and rode up and down the sidewalk.  Him and Megan would race.  So much fun to watch.  After we were all freezing we went inside to warm up.  It sure was nice to play outside again.

Tony's Birthday Dinner

Tony's parents took us out to dinner for Tony's birthday.  Tony wanted to wait until his dad was in town to go so that's why it happened a while after his actual birthday.
We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Garcia's.  It is a place that all of us like to eat at and they have plenty of room for our large family.
We all ate way too many chips and it was delicious.  We all had a great time and enjoyed our time with Grandma and Grandpa.  We are so lucky and blessed to have such a great family!

Megan liked to drink out of her water cup and her soda cup.  She is so silly.

Grandpa and Megan waiting for dinner.  So much fun.

Freezing Inside Fun

It has been so cold lately.  Like not just cold, but freezing cold.  So we have been spending a lot of time inside.  The girls like to watch You Tube videos of other little kids doing silly things.  Sometimes Megan likes to take the tablet and go in a closet to watch her shows.  It is pretty silly stuff.
The other day Megan was in the front room closet and then opened the door and Allie joined her in watching the show.  I always love seeing the kids do things together so nicely.  These girls really do melt my heart at times.
Allie has been struggling with napping lately.  She doesn't want to nap, she wants to play.  She is pretty good at laying down like she's going to take a nap but instead of falling asleep she is still awake...then she wants to get up.

Luckily this doesn't happen everyday and some days she gets in a good nap.  The other day she was sleeping in her room, but then woke up after a short nap.  She came in and snuggled right into me and fell back to sleep.  I thought that their might not be many more times that she is going to do this and that kind of made me sad to think she is going to be getting too big/old for mommy sleeping snuggles.

Megan wanted to join the snuggling and the picture taking.  Allie started waking up and we had to get us an all girls snuggle picture.  I am so lucky to have these sweet girls in my life!

Happy New Years!!!!

Yesterday the kids slept over at Grandma Margie's while Tony and I celebrated his birthday.  We got to go to the movies and dinner and did lots of shopping.
We picked up the kids this afternoon and after Allie woke up from her nap she wanted a snack.  She found a bag of licorice on the counter and decided that she wanted some and by some I mean a hand full.
It was pretty funny.  She didn't just eat one at a time she ate like five at one time.  Slobbering just enough on all of them that no one else could eat any of them.  She of course got tired of them after a few bites and then went on to something else.  She is such a funny kid.
All the kids had so much fun at their sleepover at Grandma's.  They love going over there and they are so lucky to have such an awesome grandma.  We are super lucky to have her too!

After grandma Margie's we went home for a little while before going over to grandma Kim's and Papa G's house.  We really wanted to let the kids ride on the sleds being pulled by the four-wheelers before it got too dark.  We wanted to do this earlier in the week, but it has just been way too cold.
We bundled up and we all had a great time.
Allie loved riding on the four-wheeler and could have kept going.  Josh fell off the sled and got snow in his boots and coat so he was the first to go in.  Megan rode on the four-wheeler with Allie and Tony after that for a while.  She then decided she wanted to try out the other sled that Tyler was on.  She did really good on it and they had a wonderful time. I was getting pretty cold so we took the kids around a few more times before heading inside to get warm.

My mom got the Wii out for Josh to play and then when we came in from outside, all the kids wanted to play too.  They really like the Dance Revolution game.  Tyler did it the longest and even got me to play with him.  It is a good workout game that is fun to play.  Allie, Megan, and Josh like to dance around to it also and we all had lots of fun.
My mom had made some ginger bread cookie mix earlier in the week and rolled it out for the kids to cut out cookies.  After she baked them she let the kids decorate them with frosting and chocolate chips.  They had so much fun and probably ate way too much sugar.  Which came out in Josh being super crazy silly all night.
My mom also got out a fun new marble track that the kids all liked.  They played with it until Tony brought us some pizza for dinner.  After dinner we played little more before getting the kids changed into their pajamas.  Once we bundled them up to go outside we watched my dad set off a few fireworks.  They were super awesome, I love those aerials.  Then we brought our silly kiddos back home to put them to bed.  What a fun day we have had.  Happy New Years.  Here is hoping 2017 is as good as 2016 (if not better)!

Merry Christmas - 2016

Tyler, Megan, Allie, and Josh in their new jammies all ready to start opening presents.  They had some pretty awesome bed head. 

Josh and Tyler opening up their stockings.  We almost forgot about them...you have to open stocking first, it's tradition!

Megan loved her stocking too.  I always loved opening my stocking as a child.

Tyler got the Harry Potter books and much much more.

Allie got many dolls this year.  Mostly Elsa and Anna dolls and she loved them all.  She was so fun to watch open presents.  She would get so excited when she saw what the present was and then wanted to open that present right away.  It was pretty adorable!!!

We decided to finally get the kids an Xbox.  We let Josh open it and he and Tyler were so excited.  Tyler kept saying that he really wanted one and Tony and I just played it off.  It was fun to see them both so excited.  We all were really so spoiled this year and so blessed.  We have each other, our health, our family.  So blessed!

Happy Christmas Eve

We sure have been having a fun few days.  Our first party was the annual Clark family party on Christmas Eve eve (or Christmas Adam...silly).  We had it at Julie's house this year and it was lots of fun.  We had a good turn out of Clark's and Willis's and a good time was had by all who attended, I hope.
Then on Christmas Eve we went to the annual Kresser family party.  Margie always throws a good party and we always have a good time seeing extended family.
After the party was over and the guest all left it was time for the grand kids to open their jammies from Grandma.  This is one of my favorite things of the season.  It is just the Steenblik's and everything seems so calm.  It is so fun seeing all the kids in their new jammies, especially when they match.  It's adorable!!!
This year we video chatted with Nate's kids so that all the grand kids could open their jammies together.

After most the kids changed (the teenagers were too cool to change) they all got together for a picture.  They even got Matt, Lydia, and Cora in the picture with them on the lap top.  It is always so much fun.
After all that excitement we took the kids home and got them to bed.  They were all very excited for Santa to come, and so was I.

Tyler and Josh's Christmas Program

I love when the kids have their Christmas program.  Margie was so nice to come out and watch Tyler and Josh sing their songs with Allie and I.
Tyler's class sang two songs and he did a really good job.  He did get a little emotional during the first song and got a little choked up, but then pulled it together for the second song.  He sang that one loud and proud.  He a loves singing and did a really good job.

Josh's class only sang one song.  It was "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."  He didn't sing all the words, but he did most the actions and he was adorable!  He was super fun to watch.  Josh is always surprising us with his cute personality and his silliness.  I sure do love this kid!

Thank you Secret Santa!

Last night while Max and Donna were at our house dropping off some most delicious cookies and some cute coloring books for the kids a stranger knocked on our door.
I didn't see who it was but when I looked out the door this cute basket of breakfast goodies was on my front porch.  In it was a card saying "Breakfast was on us from Secret Santa."  So cute and thoughtful.  It was complete with pancake mix, butter, syrup, hot chocolate, marshmallows, choc chips, plates, and utensils.  It was such a nice surprise and really made us feel special!