Squadron Parties 2011

This past weekend Mike's squadron had their adult and kid holiday parties!

Friday night the adult party was hosted at a hotel in Norfolk for dinner, and Saturday afternoon at a hangar on base for the kids! Needless to say, I don't know where the weekend went, but we had a great time.

 Our table of 10 for the night.....ALL of us are prior California squadron friends. So our husbands were all together in the same squadron at Mugu, and now have all moved East finally!

What a face! She snarled at me as I snapped her photo!! Gotta love a 4 year old!

Maddy Mommy

Maddy and I were home one day this week while Abby was at school, and she LOVES to play at home by herself. I found her in Abby's room, tucking a tiger, a baby doll, and a teddy bear into Abby's bed. 

 It wasn't til the very end that she saw/heard me taking photos from the hallway!!

Sunset....

 Caught a great sunset after Thanksgiving!!

SISTERS

 Okay these girls love to be silly, especially together! Oh, and are rarely clothed apparently...... :)

Ballet Party

Abby's good friend Emily had a Ballet themed 5th birthday party this past weekend and all the girls had a great time. Her are some shots, they were all encouraged to wear tutus!! 

They spent 1.5 hours with the ballerinas doing story-time, and dancing!

 

The party favor was an actual ballet flat that they got to individually decorate and take home!

All Fall Down!

Falling......DOWN!!!!!

The girls got cute matching holiday PJ's, and as they did ring around the rosie, I caught a shot of them on the way down! Maddy's face shows her anticipation!!!

EAT CAKE!!!!

We went to dinner at a friend's house last night.....we will call it a Veterans day celebration, any reason to eat cake!! So I brought dessert!! I got this idea from a recipe blog I follow (recipegirl.com). All her posts are full-fat and never diet, but they are always delicious and this one was the BEST!

Introducing, the KIT KAT CAKE!!! The base is a box chocolate cake mix, but you add a few ingredients and it is delish!! Plus the frosting is homemade! Mmmmm

Here it is as I created it yesterday, with two chocolate hungry monsters watching at my side! 

One of the two layers of chocolate cake, cooled and waiting to be frosted and stacked!

 The almost finished product, awaiting the candy finishings!

 My batter licker! She was pretty effective!!

 Surrounded by kit kats!

 Wrapped up!

 

And ready to go!!!! Topped with M&M's, which you can change for the seasons when different colors are released!

 

Playtime!

Oh my girls!!! They love playing make-believe......or rocking out!!!

 Abby got a try at Mike's rockband set the other day and loved it.

 Mike found Maddy walking from the toy room dressed up like this....scarf on, purse in hand, and one slipper on.....all by herself.....he thought Amy would be proud of her fashionista niece!

TWO????

Happy 2nd Birthday to our beautiful little girl!

How these past two years have flown by, I'll never know! I can't even remember the baby days anymore!!

She brings laughter and giggles that fill our home, and joy to our hearts with her hugs and kisses!!

 New tradition in our house.....crappy "whether you are awake or not" morning birthday photo!

 Loving on her morning birthday gift from friends Addison & Casey....her first cabbage patch baby doll.

 And of course loving on her daddy as he left for work! Maddy gives LONG kisses as she squeezes your face, pulls you in, and presses her lips to yours!

 Her first baby doll of her own and her own shopping cart (baby gets strapped in on top, or down below)

 Thank you Great-Grandpa & Grandma Reiss!

 Play cupcake set, where wipe-off markers decorate the top of the cupcake!

 We had cake and ice cream......all in one! Ice Cream Cake!!!

I couldn't get a photo fast enough, both girls had their hands on the cake removing candy pieces!

Fall is here!

Fall has definitely arrived......can't you tell?

The girls were all decked out in their cold weather clothes. Abby for school, and Maddy to be cute as a button as she tagged along with me for the day!

 Abby has finally started to love dresses, (so I am tasked with finding more winter long-sleeve styles) and these cute light-up boots from Grandma Donna! She got rave reviews at school :)

 And Maddy is sporting her skinny jeans, panda sweater, and her birthday gift from Grandma Smith, new black boots!

 And of course, its fire-making season again!

Both girls love watching the fire roar and hearing it crackle. I love the warmth and smell it gives the house!

They know the rules of being around the fire, and Maddy says "hot" whenever she sees it!

Bored??

This is EXACTLY why I didn't get her too many toys for her birthday! Apparently we already have too many because she is stacking my spices! Good thing these are the ones I rarely use!

Crazy Girls of Mine

Maddy's new hiding spot......the shelving unit by the front door!

She realized if she knocked down the shelves, she fits right inside and can even close the doors as she sits sideways! Mike finally had to tie the doors shut so they wouldn't play in it!

But I got one last shot of them kissing thru the glass!!