Vacation!

Jason and I went on a real vacation - without the kids!  Jason and his friend Jeremy, surprised myself and Jeremy's wife with a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas.  We were all celebrating 10 years (Jason and I have been dating 10 years and Jeremy and Jenn have been married 10 years)  
We decided to go down a little early so we could go to Disney for a day. 
It rained.... a lot, hence the slicked back look of my hair

The elephants didn't mind the rain

We still managed to make it to all of the parks and walked about 14 miles that day



We never told the kids we were there because I don't think they would forgive us!
We left the next day to go to the Bahamas.  It was overall a nice trip but Jason got the stomach bug and was out of commission for the first day and a half.  
On our way to the first meal Jason ate... he still looks a little green

Thankfully he felt almost normal for our last stop at the beach



the final night


All in all we did have a good time but it was a bit rough.  We were happy to be home and we did miss the kids.

Toothless!

Bella has never really liked nicknames.  If you call her "Princess Bella" she will often correct you, "My name is Bella!".   (Well Bella is a nickname but if you call her Isabella she will not answer you.) That was all until she lost a tooth!  I never even knew it was loose.  I came upstairs from the treadmill  one morning and Bella was eating Special K.  I thought she had a piece of the cereal on her tooth but it was just gone.  She must have swallowed it at some point. 

She drew the Tooth Fairy a picture of her with an arrow pointing to the tooth in her belly and we put that in her tooth pillow

The Tooth Fairy did indeed come over night so she was very excited.  Her other bottom tooth was loose so I just kept my eye on it.  Poor Jack was convinced his tooth was loose and that it was going to come out soon.  Bella lost her tooth about a month ago and Jack's are not even wiggly.
Two weeks ago we were out to lunch and I took Bella to the bathroom and sometime at lunch she swallowed that tooth too!

So another note to the Tooth Fairy and all was right with the world. 
Although a bit blurry this was another good picture of her toothless grin

Well it has not been a full year....

I keep meaning to update and then I get caught up in this or that.  I plan on doing a couple posts in the next couple of days to get a little caught up. 
Here are some of the highlights:

This past Spring Jason built a fire pit that we enjoyed through out the summer

Yay for mountain pies and hot dogs!


Bella had bangs for a little while there


Jack hit Molson by accident one day so he was sorry and wanted to take his time to say he was sorry.  


We did a lot of camping:

Jack with a buddy

Playing with their shadows

Loving life

Halloween camping
TinkerBella

Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtle


Like Father Like Son



We saw Santa and Mrs. Claus


Christmas Eve

Santa Came to Granny's

Bella got a baby


They had a CandyLand Program at school


Jack ate a cheeseburger --- why is this in the highlight's of this past year?  Jack never ever would have tried it in the past - one day he decided he liked them and then ate it.  Huh?  Wish it was always that easy


Like everyone we had too much snow

Just turn your head a bit...

I don't know why sometimes I am unable to rotate the pictures so you can actually look at them the right way.  I tried for 2 hours and am done trying to rotate them so it is what it is ....
About a month ago we took the kids out to Rita's for some Italian Ice

They loved it.  Unfortunately we came home and we were all running around and Bella fell.

The poor thing injured the growth plate in her heel.  The good news was that there would be no long term repercussions the bad news was that it is extremely painful.  Didn't stop her from being a princess though
She only had to have it on for 10 days. Here she is in the waiting room - she just loved the huge fish tank

 She cried when they took the cast off.... not because she was scared but because it was "so pretty".  This girl just loves pink.
It took about another week or so for her to be able to put full weight on it and now she is doing really really well.
 The weekend after she got it off I had signed up for a 5k that benefited the Special Olympics.  I had to carry Bella around the majority of the time she had her cast on and I pinched a nerve in my back.  I couldn't run so the family came with me and we did the mile walk.  The kids were really excited and wanted to do the kids run

It was awesome.  Jason ran with them because we knew Bella would not be able to do the whole thing.  She did not get that far into in when she yelled for help.  Jack ran back and said, "Come on Bella, we can do this together".  He grabbed her hand and tried to help her.  My heart about exploded - I was so proud!
Jason ended up carrying her on his shoulders so they could finish

They both got medals when they were done


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Jason built a fire pit area for us... it is so nice and we have had two fires this seer ason already

it is nice having such a talented husband!
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Me and my beautiful girl

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Jack showing me his muscles for Football Day at school

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The kids enjoying smores from the first fire of the season


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Bella enjoying our rather chilly Mother's Day outing at a street fair.

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Bella has bangs!

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Jack is so proud that he can both dance and sing with his eyes closed.  He was very very proud of his new "trick"

Unfortunately they inherited my dance skills
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Random hat from Target.  "Bacon is my favorite flavor"

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Bella just got up from her "rest" so I better go.

Care Bears....

Both Bella and Jack kept asking for toys so Jason and I started them with chores so they could earn them.  Bella saved and saved and finally got her "Rainbow Bear".  She was so so excited and loved it

It came with a free video and Jack and her fell in love with Care Bears.  I was down stairs one day and I remembered that I had the Care Bears that Grandmom made me when I was young.  They were a little dusty and Tenderheart's heart was a very worn.  So I threw them in the wash and sewed a new heart on and they were good as new.  The kids were so excited.  There was no fight - they each knew who got who - 

Later on that day Bella and I went to Sam's Club and she was able to bring one toy with her.  Look at who she chose



oh and on a side note - Bella did my nails for the first time.  She insisted that they match hers.  This is how I went to Sam's Club.

I didn't change it because she was just so darn proud of herself :)

I am hoping to have some more free time shortly.  I have 4 weeks left of class and if I get an A on my test this Thursday I don't have to take the final (Right now I have the highest grade in the class)

"Do you know who my best friend is...."

Jack came up to me this morning and said, "Do you know who my best friend is?".  I asked him who it was and he told me, "Grandmom Newman".  
That just made me smile.... he might just love her as much as I do.
An oldie but goodie of Jack and his best friend

An even older one of Bella with Grandmom

and a somewhat ancient one of me and Grandmom

This was such a fun day

haha... liked this one too!

Last one.... I have to bring the kids to school