Abigail Turned 1!!

 Abbie is finally a number as her older siblings would say!! On Thanksgiving our precious little Abigail Bonnie turned 1 years old!

 

 I tried to get a family picture before we opened presents.  You can see from the strained look on my face it was not an easy experience.

 Aunt Whitney got Abbie these cute balloons that she loved to play with.

 We thought it would be fitting since her Birthday was on Thanksgiving to have her Birthday cake be Grandma Bonnie's famous Pumpkin Cake Roll.

 She loved it and devoured it!!

 These monkeys would not be satisfied until I took a picture including them.

 Carter insisted that he get his finger #1 in there.

 Abbie seemed intent to not smile or be happy during her Birthday celebration ~ Abbie has two modes: happy and content (sometimes with a little silly goofiness) or just plain ornery. So I was so glad when we got her out of her ornery funk to get a few smiles out of her.

 She can see from her empty plate, the mess all over her and that smile on her face that she really liked that cake roll.

 There's my big girl walking.  It isn't quite her main mode of transportation yet but everyday she is getting better and more confident at her walking.

 She was looking so big to me in Grandma's basement playing so independently with all the toys.vf

 Another looking big moment climbing up on the chair all on her own.

 This was a portion of our Thanksgiving Day - we watched the movie Brave. I loved sitting by my 2 bigger kids and snuggling the whole time. Plus, it was a great movie.

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 This was before all the other festivities began - Abigail opened her presents.  She got a ballapoolza from us and a bouncy little bike and cute outfit from Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Jay.

 The whole crew surrounding her trying to get her to smile or take a picture with her and her candle.

Here are two videos:

The first is of Abbie eating her cake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxHpsw1qNlA&list=UUzNsVkVTRvTlaadmUN59I-w&index=1&feature=plcp

 This second one is of Jay being an awesome Grandpa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HJMQEQrekg&feature=autoplay&list=UUzNsVkVTRvTlaadmUN59I-w&playnext=1

Halloween Festivities

 Hayden loved the Halloween Seasoning!  When we were opening up the Halloween boxes and she discovered all the costumes it was as if it were an early Christmas.  In just one hour she had worn 6 different costumes.

 We have some good friends the Christensen's who have a tradition of having a murder mystery party every year.  It is so fun and everyone went all out this year - the decorations, the costumes, the characters. Matt was the MC of the event and Death. He made the night so hilarious and was AWESOME at MCing - true talent!! I was a one uping Zombie who thought I was the total bomb.

 Here are just some of the decorations.

 Hayden wanted to be a princess.  I had spaced buying her a tierra so the night of our church trunk or treat I made her a "homemade" one.

 Getting a good picture of all three kids together is virtually impossible.

 Hayden would not sit still for one second so I could get a picture of all her ringlets, make up and hair.  She truly looked like royalty that night.

 Our little lady bug.  I totally forgot that we had wings for that costume, darn it.  She probably wouldn't have left them on anyway.

 Carter totally in character!!

 I got to help with Carter's first ever school party - the Fall Party. They paraded around the school though parents weren't really allowed in the hallway during it. Lame, since I remember the hallway of my elementary school was jam packed with parents all anxious to see their little kiddo.  I would have loved it to be more like that.

 Carter's K class.

 It is tradition for Grandma Bonnie to do a spooky meal the Monday Night before Halloween - we also carve pumpkins.

 The actual night of Halloween.  The troops are bundled up and ready to roll.

 Here is our street crew.  We have the BEST neighbors and BEST neighbor buddies.  It is tradition for us to trick or treat together. It is quite the group with some super fast and some super slow.

 Our pumpkins.  The pumpkin on the left Carter designed and carved on his own. He was very proud of his masterpiece.

AND for her debut to our blog - let me introduce you to my doggy niece Luna.  She is Ryan and Whitney's and we LOVE her.  She is so super duper sweet, cute, loving, etc.  Here she is all dressed up ready for her own trick or treating. 

September Recap

Life is flying by these days it feels like and when people ask me, what have you been up to all I can say is I don't know I just know I have been crazy busy.

 

 Most of what keeps me so busy are these two girlies.  I am loving my role as a mother these days.  It took a while (a few years for me to completely give in and let my whole self become that role.  I am just a naturally selfish person and it was hard for me to let go of all my other "wants" or what I thought were my "needs".) Now I just love being a mother and being at home with these two while Carter is away at school.

 

On this particular Saturday, Matt was away doing church stuff and this picture cracked me up! It was as if Hayden was saying, "What kind of mischief can I get into while my Dad is away?"

Sure enough, just minutes later, Hayden poured a bucket of water over Abbie. The good thing is Abigail didn't mind too much as you can see.

This picture is of my Dad's family.  Labor Day is a big weekend for my family because we have a lot of connections to the Midway area and Labor Day weekend is Swiss Days - a big boutique fair in Midway and it is usually Grandma Ione's birthday.  This is the whole family except for my family and two babies of my cousins who are probably napping.  I don't get to see these cousins much anymore since I have lived out of state (over 9 years now) and it's crazy to see them with spouses and kids.  I love my family and seeing pictures of them, especially my siblings and their kids.  I love how beautiful they all are and how much they are growing up (the kids anyway)!

This has been a favorite game of Hayden's.  She loves to put her babies and stuffed animals to bed.  You will find them in any given bed or couch through out the house all day long.  When it is bed/ nap time for the girls I sing them songs, turn on the fan and close the door.  So that is what Hayden does all day long with her "babies," too.

This is my awesome Missionary Brother Big Timmay serving in N Atlanta, GA.  He has used his musical talents all mission long to help him get in to share the gospel. He calls it "jammin for Jesus!"

Hayden's bed is one of Abigails favorite places to play. She loves to climb up and down from it and play with any of the toys that might be on it, too.

Carter decided that it was about time that Abbie started hauling her own stuff around, so he hooked her water to her pants.

One weekend in September I and two of my close girl friends Heidi and Rosalyn and Rosalyn's sister went to Time Out for Women in St. Louis.  LOVED IT!! It was much needed. 

I think my favorite part of my girls weekend was the 4 hour drive to and from talking to these amazing women.  It was emotional detox time for me!!!! No Joke!!!

Look at this cutie hobo bearded girl.  This girl loves to eat and has really started to chunk up.

Abbie loves to "walk" underneath the table because there are so many things to hold onto to help her get around.  I think she feels somewhat adventurous as well.

When I was in Abigail's room organizing her closet, Hayden came charging in her room with her hands on her hips like so and in an authoritative voice yelled out, "Amber Nielsen." Whoa, I must have been in big trouble.

Once school started and Carter was gone for most of the day, things seemed to really calm down here at the house.  Carter is such a great kid, and I love him of course, but he is a handful and without him even realizing it (or sometimes he TOTALLY realizes it) he just demands all that everyone can give and the girls have to just take what's left. I didn't realize this was happening until I started noticing how much less whiny and difficult Hayden was during the day and then as soon as Carter gets off the bus, she turned back into the Hayden I was used to.  But I digress, now that it's just the 2 girls and I at home Hayden has become my little buddy. She is anxious to help and create and just have fun.  I have loved getting to know her better on more of a one on one basis.

We even got in some last little bit of water fun.

This girl just loves being out on the water doing crazy things like wake boarding, skiing and tubing. She cracks me up!

Hayden is now puss in boots. She LOVES to try on my shoes so now that it's boot season and I pulled out these new bad boys of course it wasn't any different. She was determined to get those boots on even if they went all the way up her legs.

I am all about girls striving to be whatever they want to be, so Hayden if you want to be a baseball playing, Snow White Princess Ballerina you go for it girl!!

Here is Hayden wakeboarding. This girl LOVES being out there with her Daddy!

Here is a cute video of Abbie ending up in the rain and me trying to figure out how she got out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKNyOASG-uk