Baby Steven's Baptism

Last weekend we got all gussied up and got ready for baby Steven's baptism.  He was born in August, and since they live in Texas, this was the first time that we got to see him.  Mya loved him from the second she laid eyes on him.  She said over and over, "Baby Steven is so cute and snuggly!"

The best part is that everyone was home for the baptism, which is a rarity.  We even got to meet baby Elliott, who was born in October.  Babies all over the place!  Mya got plenty of cousin time and was kept very busy!  She was definitely in seventh heaven!

The girls with baby Elliott

Mya loving up baby Steven

A Very Merry Girly Christmas

This weekend I hosted our annual girly Christmas with the ladies of my family.  Oh, what fun we had!!  Mya was just so excited to have everyone over and spend time with just the girls.  She could care less about what we do or if gifts are involved...she just loves family.

We gobbled up some pizza, fruit and cupcakes.  We opened up some gifts and then we worked on some craft projects.  I picked up some ornaments and we put crayons in, heated it up and watched the colors mix.  Lots of fun!!

Elf Capades!

Rosy the Elf has made her return!  Mya has been counting down the days until it was December!

The first day that Rosy arrived, she toilet papered the Christmas tree!

She also got stuck in a duct tape web.  That was a huge hit.  What made it even better was when Rosy accidentally fell out of the web.  Then, somehow, when Mya was going to the bathroom, Rosy flew back up to her web.  

Then she had a tea party with Barbie and Gumdrop the Bear.

The funniest thing was when she stuck bows all over the bathroom mirror!

And then she tried stealing some money from Mya's piggy bank.

Rosy the Elf certainly gets into some shenanigans!  But, she does fly back to the North Pole each night and tells Santa how Mya has been that day.  Mya is enthralled with Rosy.  She'll sit and stare to see if she moves.

Mya is having a ball trying to figure out what Rosy will do next...and so is Mom!  :)

Turkey Time!

This year, we spent the first part of Thanksgiving with Greg's family.  Mya loves being with her cousins...especially the girls, Tatiana and Nadya.

Aunt Tina even gave Mya some fancy braids.  I need to learn how to do those because they are ADORABLE and she left them in the entire day!!!

We spent time with cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents.  A lovely day!

Later on we went to my parent's house where, we spent more time with family.  Then we ate.  Thanksgiving means giving thanks.  But, it also means food!  Mya probably ate about 5 servings of turkey between the two houses.  Then she had about 10 servings of fruit at the end of the day!

We love holidays because it means that we get to see family that we don't always have the opportunity to see.  

I went Black Friday shopping with my mom and have, basically, everything taken care of for Christmas!  What a great feeling!  We even snuck in some fun by going to the movie Frozen on Saturday.  Fantastic movie!

It was a great Thanksgiving Break!  Now, only 15 more days until Christmas Break!

My Cup Runneth Over

There are so many reasons to be thankful this year.  Here are just a few examples...

1.  First and foremost, I'm thankful for these two.  They are partners in crime, that's for sure.  They give me a run for my money and I wouldn't trade it for anything!  Mya adores Greg and he adores her.

2.  I am thankful for the sweetness and kindness that can only be found in young children.  Mya genuinely cares for others and feels for others who are in pain.  She tells me the most heartwarming things and is so intuitive.  I can already tell that she cares a great deal for her baby sister.  She talks to her, tells her she loves her and reads her books.  I know that she will protect her little sister and love her to pieces.

3.  Our families are amazing.  Enough said.

4.  I am thankful for the healthy baby that I am cooking.  For a very long time I was nervous.  I was nervous if things would turn out okay.  I am beyond grateful that this pregnancy, thus far, has been perfect.  This little babe is growing and moving and it is just wonderful.

5.  I am thankful for a job that allows me opportunities to grow as a teacher and leader.  Last spring, I was asked to become a model literacy classroom for my district.  I've attended trainings, book studies and other things in order to prepare for it.  A couple weeks ago the woman whose program I am using came into my classroom to do some model lessons with my kids.  Now, whenever teachers (new or old) need to see how to do guided reading, Daily 5 or Tyner, they will come and watch me.  A couple weeks ago I had a group of about 6 new teachers come to watch me.  It is a humbling experience and it makes me feel good knowing that I am helping other teachers.

6.  I am thankful for Mya's love of "the arts."  She loves dance, music and theater.  A few weeks ago, my mom and I took her to Blues Clues the Musical and last weekend we went and saw Aladdin at the State Theater.  The expressions on her face were priceless.  This was something my mom and I enjoy doing together and it is so exciting to add Mya into the mix.  She is already looking forward to Shrek the Musical this summer!

This list could seriously go on and on.  As stressful as life can be sometimes, I really need to reflect more on what it is I am truly thankful for.  And we all have reasons to be thankful!

Roar!

Maybe you are a fan of Katy Perry.  Or maybe not.  Well, Mya loves her song, "Roar."  She's a radio junky and seems to memorize the lyrics to all of the songs she hears in the car.  

She'll also tell you that she's a better singer than her daddy.  

Think Pink!

We found out today that the next addition to our family will be a little girl!!  We are beyond excited!  I couldn't say one way or another what I thought it would be, so it was a surprise!

Mya has been saying all along that she wants a little sister.  We'll see if that holds true this spring!  :)  However, Mya did say that she thought the baby would look like a puppy.  You can judge for yourself in the ultrasound picture...I, personally, don't see any resemblances to a dog!

Baby girl looked great at the ultrasound.  She was super wiggly and was moving all over.  I've been feeling her move for a few weeks now and it was such a relief to "see" her.  I've been nervous for a long time about this.  I just needed to know that this baby was growing well and everything was okay.  And it is!

A Spooktacular Halloween Week

Mya's week started off with a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa Telisak's house with all of her cousins.  They had a candy hunt and carved pumpkins.  Mya had a great time!

The next day was dance class and the girls could wear a Halloween costume to class.  It was fun to watch them prance around in their costumes and sing Halloween songs!

Mya had a bit of a dilemma.  She couldn't decide if she wanted to be Wonder Woman...

...or Bat Girl.

Well, Bat Girl ended up winning out and the Wonder Woman costume is worn as dress-up!

Mya was so excited about trick-or-treating!  She couldn't wait to get started!  We stayed in our neighborhood and couldn't believe how many people were out and about!

It wasn't a bad night out at all, just a bit chilly.  After a while, the hat and gloves came out, but she refused to put on a jacket.

We were out for a couple of hours, which was longer than I thought she would go!  Toward the end, her little legs got tired from all the walking and Daddy carried her home.

But, then she perked up when we got home and she dumped out her stash.  Now, the funny thing about Mya is that she isn't a fan of candy.  So, maybe there were 5 pieces of candy that she will actually eat!  She was excited about it, nonetheless!  And Mommy and Daddy get her unwanted candy!  :)