Christmas is coming...

The kids have been anxious to set up the Christmas lights as our street is starting to brighten up at night, so this Saturday we got out there and did it! It was chilly, but Justin and Craig did a great job...especially considering the clips that kept breaking....grrrrr.



Addie was cold after we came in...and asked for some apple cider and to sit infront of the fireplace. What a way to bring in the Christmas season. So she sipped apple cider and ate a yummy homemade granola bar (which if anyone is looking for a good, low sugar recipe I really like this one) I thought it was pretty cute.

What a beautiful Princess!!
My boys. So handsome!!
A couple weeks ago on our way to church I was teasing Addie that devin was a girl and she was a boy...and she thought about it and replied. You and me are GIRLS. Because we both have pretty eyelashes! What funny logic!! But yes, she is my pretty little girl.
So in November Addison learned how to write her name all by herself. She is doing really well now with all her letters and is drawing better too. It is exciting.


Wow...this post was all about Addie!! Sorry Devin. We love you too!!

Halloween and Swimming Lessons

We love Halloween. I love getting my kids all dressed up and going out. We thought this year was going to be a really cold Halloween night, so we decided to have a Halloween party with some friends in our ward. It actually ended up being a lot of fun for Addison and I to get ready for. We made a pinata, made lots of homemade decorations, and of course made the costumes. She was so excited about it, that it was fun for the whole family.

This is right after the pinata broke open.
In case it is not self explanitory, Addison is TinkerBell Devin is Peter Pan, Justin Captain Hook, and I am Wendy.
Devin LOVED his little dagger. It took him a long time to notice it was there, but once he did he thought it was pretty cool.



I was in charge of the pumpkin this year, and I HATED doing it because I am not a perfectionist and I had to be to make the Dora Pumpkin look good, but I was proud of it in the end and the kids loved it....2 hours later!!
Addie's month of swimming lessons ended last week. She really enjoyed them. The first week she was really shy and not so interested in paying attention to her teacher, but she got better and better and actually learned alot. She loves the water to begin with, so this was really fun for her. So this picture is of her swimming through the hoop. I took these pictures about half way through the course, so she got better at some of the things. She can not swim through the hoop with her head under water!

The back float.
They did this a lot. They wold swim with the floaty around their front or their back. She really improved at this too.

All in all, I am glad we did it. It did increase the business factor, but it was nice to be doing something for her.

I love this age!!

They are actually playing together!!! It is a Hatch miracle. Not that they are bad kids, but they are close enough in age that they often want the same thing at the same time. I love it when they play together and keep each other happy.

I don't know if it is just me....but I think Addie is at such a pretty stage. She is my little helper. She loves to do jobs for me, which is really helpful, and she is starting to get some regular chores around the house which I didn;t think would happen at 3 1/2 but I am glad it has as she helps out a lot!
And then there is Devin. He is 18 months and such a sweetie. I have found myself thinking every day that he is at my most favorite age. He tries to repeat our words...and is getting so good. He can say about 1/4 of what we do. Addie works with him a lot. And he loves trucks, and cars, and calls, and anything of his Daddy's. It is really cute. But he is also cuddly, and loving. His cutest work right now is 'see ya' it just comes out so funny and when Addie was a baby her Grandma Hatch taught her how to say 'I do' when we asked who loves grandma/mommy/daddy... And Devin is saying that now too. It is adorable. He is in nursery now too, which is fun, but Justin is there now too which is great for Devin but Justin and I were sure looking forward to going to class together. He is going to be great for nursery.
The shirt says it all!!
Mom, Addie has used this paint set almost every day. It is great though. The brushes that coordinate with the paint color so they don't get all mixed up is brilliant. she loves it and so do i. It really keeps her busy.

Glasses

Sorry to leave you hanging...I chose the second pair-the green ones. I am happy with them. Thanks for all your imput.

Help...new glasses!

Please help me pick a pair of new frames! My other glasses, which have lasted over 4 years broke a couple weeks ago. I was able to get them repaired but decided it is time to get a new pair! (And thanks to Craig's amazing discount and Justin's plan I have been able to look at the frames I like, not just the pricetag) So these are the 2 pairs I am down to.

I really like this first pair. It is very classic and can you ever go wrong with black??



This second pair has a bit more flair and I like how it brings out the green in my eyes. It is plastic in front and the sides are a wide metal.


Sorry the pictures of me are so geeky....it feels weird smiling when you are the one holding the camera. Just look at the frames and tell me what you think. If you can't post a comment, please send me a quick e-mail. I am probably going to make the decision by tomorrow. HELP!

The dreaded post...

I always do it wrong...so the pictures are from newest to oldest. This is Devin carrying around a zucchini from our garden...not bad! It makes him look little.

We love you Carter!!

Devin loves cars...such a boy.


2 Of Justin's dad's horses.


Devin loved driving the boat.





Waiting for daddy to get home from work!! cute hey! If this doesn't make you feel loves...what does?

We did a square foot garden this year. It looks so pretty small. This picture is from July.


addie's pony ride at the zoo. She was so brave.
We got really into toenails this summer. Look at Addie's watermelons...they were the favorite.