Sweet Playtime

I love those moments when you find them playing so sweetly, and then you actually get a good picture of it! Doesn't always happen that way....

Kendall is really starting to pretend these days, and I love it. She's just so sweet and fun.

Basketball!

Jaclyn has given basketball a shot for the first time this year. She's played on a team of other 1st and 2nd graders at the Rec Center and has improved a lot! I'm not sure if it's something that she loves or not, but it's been a good experience for her. Up until yesterday, she had only made one basket the whole season, but yesterday she made 3! After she made the first one, she jumped up a down for joy. I caught the last of the celebration in the next picture (although kinda blurry), and it was a fun moment for her.

8 is Great!

Jaclyn turned 8 on Wednesday. She was very excited, of course, and we seemed to celebrate all week long. :) It was a fun time.


She had her party on Saturday. We had just a few girls over, and her best friend, Abigail, got to stay and spend the night. They all had a lot of fun and enjoyed being together.

So, let's see, what can I say about my sweet Jaclyn...

-She is definitely growing in maturity. There are times when she'll realize that I need help, and she'll go make peanut butter sandwiches for lunch or start cleaning up (sometimes). She's also very good at helping with Kendall when I'm trying to get something else accomplished.

-She is a good friend to almost everyone! She continues to be very outgoing and friendly, enjoying every minute with any friend.

-She enjoys doing school, which is a big blessing for me as her teacher! She loves to read, both on her own and with me. We are enjoying reading through the Little House on the Prairie series together. We cuddle up at night by the fireplace. :)

-She continues to take piano lessons and is doing very well. I enjoy seeing this talent develop in her.

-She is currently playing on a little basketball team at the rec center and we are starting volleyball for her as well.

-She's very imaginative and does well playing with her sisters and creating different scenarios for them to play in.

Yes, she is truly a blessing from God, and I love seeing her grow up.

We love you, Jaclyn.

Happy Birthday!

Time to Cut

Jaclyn has been asking for a very long time now if she can cut her hair really short. So, I told her she could grow it out and donate it to Locks of Love, and that's what she did. :) She needed 10 inches for them to be able to use it in wigs, so it's taken quite a while, but she finally made it. She was so excited and thrilled with the entire process. It was a fun time, and I'm glad that all that hair can be used for something special. Ashlyn's wasn't quite long enough to donate, but she wanted hers as short as Jaclyn's, and she loves it. It was fun for both of them.

Last week was picture week at Ashlyn's gymnastics class, so here are a few recent shots of her. She is doing really well and starting to work on some really cool things that are very fun for her.

There are times when I'm unsure if she should continue in it or not, but then I see her doing this, just for the fun of it! (Those are totally not my genes!)

December in Review

Well, I don't know about you, but December just flew by for us! So, I guess I'll just try to sum up the whole month in one post. This is always such a busy month for us between wrapping up high school volleyball, beginning club volleyball, piano recitals and concerts, and that little thing called Christmas! It is an enjoyable time of year, but I usually give a little sigh of relief when it's over. And, now that it's over, I have a little time to update my blog, so here we go...
We started off the month with a little ride aboard the Polar Express, courtesy of Aunt Jill. It was pretty fun for the girls (but quite cold with no heat!). You board this old steam engine and they simulate going to theNorth Pole. And then you arrive at the North Pole and you get to meet Santa, have hot chocolate and cookies, and make a little craft. It was cute, although did I mention cold? Mom was ready to leave the North Pole...


Jaclyn also had her Winter Recital this year and did very well. She played Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and Morning Has Broken. Ashlyn has demonstrated ability to play also, so she was able to start piano lessons this December. She is doing very well, so she will get to be a part of the next recital!




This year we decided to stay at our house for Christmas morning, so we celebrated at home for the first time! Over the years, we'll see which activities "stick" and become traditions, but this year we tried out a cinnamon role Christmas tree. Kinda fun, I thought. :)

And then came the presents! We had a lot of building and activity gifts this year, which was great. So, the girls have been building and creating ever since.

Christmas afternoon, we packed up and went to Des Moines and then on to Kansas City on Monday. We had a wonderful time with both sets of families. We spent 5 days in K.C., so the girls got their fill of cousins...hopefully it'll last until Summer.

We always have a little "concert" in Kansas City for the cousins, so both of my girls got to play their songs this year. Ashlyn played Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, Jaclyn played her songs, and then Kendall couldn't be left out, so she ran up to the piano and "played", but her song was accompanied by some pretty hilarious dance moves. She kinda stole the show.

Then more presents...

Jaclyn had a desire this year to learn to sew with a sewing machine, so my Mom was very kind to give her an introductory lesson. All the girls wanted to be involved, so they all got a chance to give it a try. They made a little cupcake blanket.

And last but not least was a trip to the new American Girl Store in Kansas City! Our gift to Katelyn was to get her doll's hair done at the salon, so she and Jaclyn got to go together and give their dolls a spa day. (I needed that for my Christmas present!)

It was a fun month. I hope that all of you had a blessed Christmas season too!

Merry Christmas!

State Volleyball!

Congratulations, City High, for an outstanding performance at the State Volleyball tournament this weekend! Of course, we are very proud of the coach. :)

They played in the finals today against Iowa City West (our cross-town rival). It was a very, very close, nail-biting game. They ended up going 5 games with them, and the score was tied all the way to the end. The game could've gone in favor of either team at any time, but in the end, West ended up winning with a score of 18-16 in the 5th game.

So, we are a little disappointed, but very, very proud. They had an outstanding season.

(Many thanks go out to Uncle Russ, who was extremely helpful in entertaining 3 little girls during the game. I actually got to watch a lot of it, and it was a huge blessing!)