It's been a FUN week in Orlando

The kids enjoyed a little 'rock climbing' at MGM Studios



We got to go to Daytona Beach and see our friends Peyotr and Angela. It was so fun to see them and to get to feel 'at home' with our Russia family.

Madison has developed a style of her very own. I have given up!! Have you ever tried to reason with a 3 year old about why she should not wear cow socks and black shoes with her blue dress??


I think Brennan is taking after his dad...they both love the calculator

Going IN dancing Friday Night

Who needs to go out dancing, when you can dance to your hearts content in your living room?! It is great that the kids are getting to the point where they can play together. They really enjoy each other and they keep us very entertained. By the time I took this video Maddie had already been dancing for quite some time, so, believe it or not, she is pretty low key in this one.

Odds and Ends

Here is Madison showing off her new outfit from Uncle Michael and her new pose that Nana taught her!

Aren't they so cute!! Have you noticed that Brennan has a bruise on his head in most of our pictures...that's my boy!

Hehe - we had a little fun with Bren's curls after bath time last night.

Peek-a-Boo

Brennan really does get more fun every day! He is a delightful little boy and he makes us laugh all the time. He cracks himself up when he hides behind the curtains...i think he would do this for hours if we cold keep up with his energy.

Party with Nana and Grampa

Mike and I went to Boston for a few days and my parents stayed with the kids. I think I can speak for everyone and say that we all had a great time. The kids adjusted well, mom and dad were amazing, and Mike and I really enjoyed time to connect with adults and time to talk through and pray about our future direction. Here are a couple of pictures from Nana and Grandpa's time with the kids. Looks like Dad put lots of time in on the swings...and nana made maddie and me matching scarves!

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

Sorry I have been so slow to add these. I tried to do a little creative layout so you could see more pictures, but it didn't work...so here is just a glimpse of all the fun. Nana, Grandpa and Uncle Michael were here and we had such a great time. And the good news is that it's one entire week after Christmas and the kids are still playing with all the new toys!!

Little Buddies

The kids have been so cute playing together lately. Maddie loves to hold onto one end of a belt, put Bren on the other end and pull him around the house. It is really funny. She says they are going on a sleigh ride...she really has to use her imagination for that one since it is 80 degrees here!

Santa Claus came to town

You probably expected a picture of the kids with santa...but mom and dad have been really good this year!

Oatmeal Anyone?

Brennan has taken over control of the spoon~and meal times have gotten VERY messy. It is amazing to watch how fast he is learning. It is also amazing to see how fast a clean baby can cover himself from head to toe in oatmeal.

MADISON IS 3!!

It is hard to believe that our baby girl is 3! Time flies. We had a fun party and she was showered with princess goodies, dress up clothes and games. We will have tons of fun playing.

It does get cold here!

Ok, so it may only stay cold for two days, but it was a nice change.

In the Christmas Spirit....

This is Maddie and her friend Anna Katherine (that is for you meg) over at our neighbor Merrielle's house decorating a gingerbread house. They had a great time...but then decided that playing in a dark room with a flashlight would be more fun. So, the adults took over :)

Light Up Lake Hart

We went up to Crusade Headquarters on Friday night for a little Christmas celebration...and it was actually COLD! We had fun taking our picture on the sleigh, but there was a bright light shining in our faces and I think the kids had a hard time finding the camera guy! :)

A day at Disney's Animal Kingdom

We finally made it to The Animal Kingdom today! It was a really fun day. We went on the African Safari and then just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere. The kids were tons of fun on the way home and entertained us the entire way.

Brennan's Dance

Brennan loves to dance and to be around anything that makes music. Here is his attempt to dance while standing on the sit and spin.

Thanksgiving Day

To all of our beloved friends there in St. Pete...we thought of you on Thanksgiving as we celebrated with family in St. Petersburg, Florida. The weather was a bit different, but we still gave thanks for the same wonderful friends around the world. As a matter of fact, just the other day I was reading a book to Madison and I told her the author was Angela Something(forgot the last name) and she informed me that Angela lived in St. Petersburg, Russia!

Silly Faces

Brennan is proving to be all boy! We got this new little table and so far all he has done is crawl up to stand on top of it and hang upside down on it. Meanwhile, Mike has been teaching Madison how to look tough.

all dressed up...

Here's Maddie showing off her new dress from Nana and Grandpa and Bren showing off his cool shoes from Grandma Roz.

Smilin' B

It is hard for us to believe that Brennan is already 1!! He is the sweetest little guys in the world. He has a contagious smile and a determined spirit! You can usually count on him doing one of two things...giving you the world's greatest hugs OR trying to sneak into 'off limits' areas of the house. You've gotta love this stage.

Zacchaeus

Here is my little singer!