Catch up! 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

So, I have some catching up to do on my thankfuls!  I'm quite thankful that Thanksgiving is soon.  I'm not so good at this blogging everyday and keeping up with life stuff!

21- I'm thankful for family movie night.  About twice a month we have movie night.  This started as my bonding time with Laney and now the twins are old enough the join us too.

We just kicked off the Christmas season a little early with this great movie!

My view. Love cuddling up with these kids to watch the movie.

22 - I'm thankful for early Christmas decorating.  Laney is so excited for the Christmas season this year.

Each year growing up we got an ornament.  My mom always wrote the year on the ornament and who it was from.  I love seeing all the ornaments from my childhood and now telling the stories to my kids.

My Grandma Vogel had the 45 of the song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" that she played for us when we were little.  We now have 8 ornaments that play the song on our tree.  The kids love to play them all at the same time.

A little train from my childhood.

A diamond ring for the year we got engaged.

I love my Winnie the Pooh ornament from Chic and Norma.

I was on a bird kick for 3 years!  I did switch it up and opt for a red one!  Come on Mom guidance on a cool ornament!  I always put them on the tree flying together.

Laney carrying her tree up to her room.

Connor was sure he could carry this tree all by himself.

23- As shallow as it may seem I am thankful for clothes.  I love dressing my kids in cute clothes!

Day 24 - I'm thankful for family dinner time.  Growing up I led a pretty sheltered life.  I didn't realize that families didn't sit around a table and eat dinner together.  We had our assigned spots at our kitchen table.  My sister always kicked me under the table.  Those conversations with kids are so important.  I love hearing the best part of the day from my kids.  

Day 25 - I'm thankful for my favorite (and only) nephew, Alex.  He is such a sweet, caring kid.  He is adored by Connor and the boys stick together.  I moved to Grand Island just before he turned one and we celebrated his 10th birthday on the 25th.

Laney loves Alex even though the day I came home from the hospital and he came over to meet Laney he said, "She sure is cute but I still wish she was a boy." 

The only boys with Papa and their Hawaiian shirts.  The last time we were altogether at the Auburn house.

The first day of school.  Laney loves that she gets to see Alex everyday.  He is such as sweet boy.

Day 19 & 20

So, I'm doing a catch up of 2 days.  My best friend Mandy gets both days!  19-I'm thankful for a friend I have had since I was 3.  20-I'm thankful that our kids are friends and adore each other!!

Here we are at 3 or 4 in preschool.  Wow!  Look at that 70's fashion!

Mandy and I have been friends for so long.  She is one of my favorite people.  She is beautiful inside and out and I am so appreciative that I have a friend like her.  Even though we don't get to see each other all that often we communicate at least weekly somehow.

I wish I had the maid of honor toast she gave at my wedding recorded because it couldn't have been more perfect.  She mentioned how in life we experienced all our firsts together.  On my 16th birthday I woke her up bright and early as soon as I got my license to drive around.  When my mom was sick with cancer and the aftermath of her treatments I seemed to arrive at her house at dinnertime and her awesome mama, Celeste always set a place for me.  Her dad was my dad's boss for a short while at a car lot.  We had countless sleepovers through middle school and high school.  I still remember her address and phone number from 20 years ago.  In college we were roommates and had so much fun.  We had a brush with the law that I like the send to her each March to remind her of!  When she needs a supportive voice or a ear to listen I am always here and vice versa.  Even though we live a couple hours apart unlike many of my friends that were no longer supportive or helpful when I had the twins she always checked in on me.  I am thankful that this girl is my best friend!

Pre Poison concert!

She and her husband, Jeff (isn't it funny that my sister, me and my sister from another mama all married Jeffs?) are Connor's godparents.

These two adore each other.  Laney loves to go play with Lyddie.  They are rockin' out here!

Connor and Claire (Emmers crawled away before we could get her in the picture) love Emma and Lyddie.

When we went to meet Emma Laney could have sat there all day holding that sweet baby.  I wonder if Emma can fall asleep and drool on the book she should be studying like it is a hidden talent too?

Buddies.  I love that our kids are friends and will grow up together.  I wish they could see each other more often.

How cute is Lyd twirling Laney's hair?

I'm sure Mandy will love this picture! :) Preggers with baby Emma.  Playing at the Children's Museum.

Many friends have come and gone but this one has always been there.  For you, Mandy, I am thankful.

Weekend catchup! 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 thankfuls!

14th thankful- I am so thankful for doctors (not only my sister and brother-in-law) but allergy doctors that have helped me over the years and infertility doctors who helped us become parents.  These people study study study and live on ramen noodles to put themselves through medical school.  I'm thankful they did!

15-I'm thankful for medicine.  I think of how many people and children died years ago because they didn't have the modern medicine we do today.  I'm thankful for my daily allergy medicine and the 200+ shots I took to carry the twins.

16-Fall in Nebraska!  My kids played in the leaves this weekend and I relived my childhood days of raking leaves up and diving in them with my neighbor.

17- TV.  I am thankful for the entertainment of TV, the babysitter of Dora, Doc and Jake.  Bedrest would have been pretty boring without TV!

18- My class recently visited Stuhr Museum and learned about live 200 years ago.  That trip always makes me thankful for our modern necessities....pluming, stoves, air conditioning.  Life is so much easier with these things.

A few pictures to go with each....

Modern machines to monitor the twins

What I love about this picture besides the screaming baby are the caring looks of those doctors and nurses.

Doctors and medicine....  Love how those machines are labels baby A and baby B.

As much as I LOVED to pump water at my Grandparent's farm and I so thankful I don't have to get my water that way each day.

Thankfully we no longer have to cut wood to heat a stove and our kitchens or use the ashes to make soap.  I'm sure I will want to send my kids to live here for a week and find out how hard their lives could be when they are sassy teens!

Fall!  I still love playing in the leaves!

Day 13

Lucky number 13 is for my Maddey Moo.  Madeline Noel came into this world after a day of shopping and diet coke.  I was so very thankful my sister, Abbey and Jeff moved back from Alabama in time for Maddey's arrival.  Maddey has been a charmer since the day she was born.  She was such an adorable little thing with more rolls than a bakery!  She was such a stinky little baby (bloody hemangioma on her neck) but darn was she a cutie!  She has always lived in her own world, but it is a happy place.  At times she drives my sister nuts because she is like me in many ways.  My sister was never very fond of me as a kid either! I really should get my hard drive and get some pictures for a few years ago out.

Careful girl that she is!

Her smile has charmed her out of some punishments!  Seriously so photogenic.  

Connor isn't so happy to have Maddey holding him!

In Colorado.  This girl has such beautiful, stunning blue eyes and a killer smile.

Not sure if you can see it in this picture but those 2 braces with bright green bands on her front teeth and she is still smiling as big as ever!!

Love that girl.  I am so thankful for miss Maddey Noel.  She is a one of a kind, sweet, sweet girl.