Christmas Recital

Last Thursday night Avery and Kendall had their Christmas Dance recital. Despite Kendall not taking a nap and it taking me FOREVER to do 2 buns in the new way that the dance teacher showed us, we managed to arrive on time at the church. My parents and Scott's parents also got to come and watch. Kendall performed a tap number to "Mele Kalikimaka," and Avery did a tap number to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and a ballet to "O Little Town of Bethlehem". They both did a great job! Kendall did the majority of her dance moves with some reminders from her teacher down front and Avery remembered nearly all of her dances. Avery was such a little performer with a smile plastered on her face the minute she started walking onstage. Scott and I gave them each a rose at the end of the recital and they couldn't have been more proud! On the way home Avery thanked me for the rose and Kendall kept telling me how beautiful it was and refused to let go of hers. Here are some pics from the recital. They didn't allow flash photography, so the action shots don't look too good, but I guess it was better than nothing!

Kendall had a grass skirt for her "Mele Kalikimaka" dance

Kendall (middle) with her class onstage
Avery getting ready to tap

Avery performing her ballet

. . . and more ballet

after the show (Kendall was SOOO tired since she decided not to nap that day and wouldn't smile)

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a busy and fun Thanksgiving this year! On Wednesday the girls and I spent a good part of the day with my parents doing some shopping together. Here are the girls and I all ready for our shopping trip.

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Scott's family over at his parents new house in Roanoke. The day went by fast with all the cooking, eating, game playing, and napping that we did. That evening the little kids opened their Christmas presents from Memaw and Dedaw and from their aunts and uncles, and the big kids and adults did a dirty Santa gift card exchange. Avery and Kendall stayed busy the rest of the evening playing with their new toys and with their cousins.

The Bedichek girls around the kids table (little Mason wasn't quite big enough yet)

Avery and Kendall getting high 5's from their cousin Mason
Cousin Braden helped Kendall join in a game with the Koosh ball
getting ready for the dirty Santa gift card exchange, which was really tame this year
Kendall opening one of her presents- a Disney princess Aquadoodle

Avery got to work right away on her new Lite Brite

Memaw, Dedaw, and the grandkids (poor Mason!)

On Friday we went to lunch over in Southlake and then met my parents and my sister and my brother-in-law at a little park area behind the Hilton for some family pics. This was my favorite.
After pics we went over to my parents' house to hang out and then have some dinner. My aunt got to come too, so it was almost like having a second Thanksgiving. That night we sat around my parents' fire pit and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. Yummy! The best pic of that bunch gives you kind of a close-up on those marshmallows!

We kept busy through the weekend as well, trying to see everybody one last time. Saturday we hung out at Scott's parents' house for awhile to see Mike, Amy, and Mason again, and then we went to dinner with my parents, my sister and her husband. Sunday we all went to church with Scott's parents, took our Christmas card pics, went to lunch, and Scott and I finished off the weekend with the new Harry Potter movie. Whew! Like I said, it was a busy and fun Thanksgiving!

2nd Trimester, Here I Come!

I am one day away from entering my 2nd trimester, and I realized that to keep with my previous traditions it was time for a belly shot. I can definitely tell that my body has done this twice before! It started making room for this little girl or boy right off the bat. I've even had one acquaintance/friend come out and ask me already if I had news to share.
I am feeling pretty good these days-- no more queasiness or icky feeling, but I am still really tired. But I've resolved that the tiredness will probably stay with me until the baby starts sleeping through the night. Oh well! I went to my second Dr. appointment yesterday and he said the baby couldn't look better. This time I could see all the little parts very clearly, even the spine and little fingertips. At our next appointment, right before Christmas, we will get to find out the sex! What a great early Christmas present!

Big sisters!

Although they already made their announcement on facebook, Avery and Kendall would also like to announce to our blog readers that they are BOTH going to be big sisters! I have been sooooo incredibly tired that I am just now, at almost 12 wks pregnant, getting around to posting their announcement. Avery and Kendall's little brother or sister is due to arrive June 1, 2011, and they are both super excited! Just tonight they were making up songs at dinner to sing to the baby so it will recognize their voices when it is born. I've decided that one definite advantage for the third child is that he/she will have constant entertainment and stimulation courtesy of the big sisters! I have not been too sick, but as I said before, just extremely tired with some mild nausea and lots of general icky feeling. Needless to say, I am ready to get past this 1st trimester so I can enjoy my third and last pregnancy a little more! I am looking forward to my Dr. visit next week so I can see the baby again (he does a ultrasound every time) and hear that heart beating lickety-split. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze and we feel so blessed to get to experience it again!

Happy Halloween from Mariposa and Snow White

This year Avery chose to be Barbie Mariposa and Kendall chose Snow White (surprise, surprise). Kendall was able to wear her costume to school last Thursday, but Avery was sick Wednesday, so she wore hers a little around the house that day and then had to wait until Halloween night to wear it out somewhere. But I did take Avery's money for the pumpkin patch to her teachers Thursday so they could get her a pumpkin and gave them her treat bag so they could take it around the church when the class trick-or-treated. So it wasn't a complete loss I guess. Halloween night we took advantage of Pizza Inn's free kids buffet when they wear a costume and then came back and trick-or-treated in the neighborhood for 30 or 45 minutes. Avery and Kendall got lots of candy and of course I thought they were the cutest little girls out there!

Snow White

Mariposa acting sassy

waiting patiently at someone's door- they took turns ringing the doorbells

Mariposa showing me her loot as we got back home

posing by our jack-o-lantern

Visit from Aunt Amy

This weekend my sister was in town visiting from Tennessee. We had not seen her since she moved in May, so we were all excited-- especially Avery and Kendall. We had dinner at my parents' house and then just enjoyed hanging out together. Avery and Kendall decided to play dress up and then had Amy judge them on the little shows they did. It was pretty funny. We have been watching Dancing with the Stars quite a bit lately, so they are all into the performing and judging thing right now. Although it was too short, we had a great visit and are already looking forward to seeing Amy and Chris at Thanksgiving.

silly faces

posing for their Mimi

a family pic

performing and being judged by Aunt Amy

"We can't wait 'til next time Amy comes!"

First Day of School!

Avery and Kendall had their first day of school at YCW last Thursday. Avery is so excited to be in Pre-K this year and to be the top dog. She is loving it so far and is glad to have many of the same little girls in her class this year that were with her last year. Kendall was really excited to have one of Avery's old teachers and one of her best little friends from last year in her class. It's so amazing how much older she acts this year. She just walks right into her classroom, talks to the teachers so big, and sometimes even carries her own backpack and nap mat. She seems to really be enjoying herself this year. Here are a few pics from their first day.

Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day this year we headed up to Broken Bow, OK with my parents to enjoy a relaxing weekend at Beaver's Bend State Park and to play on the lake a little. We stayed in an amazing cabin, complete with a wrap-around porch, firepit, and hot tub. It was so nice to sit out on the porch reading while the girls took naps and to climb in the hot tub every night to relax. We didn't have much time to do anything when we arrived Friday except eat dinner and then take a little walk around the neighborhood. Saturday we lazed around most of the morning and then took the girls to do pedal boats and to explore the state park a little. That evening Scott grilled some delicious steaks and my Mom and the girls threw me a little birthday party. They were so proud that they helped my Mom bake the cake and even helped her pick out my gift. Avery had told my Mom she should get me a rainbow shirt and a sparkly bracelet and earrings. Sure enough, I did end up with a sparkly bracelet, earrings, and a really cute, colorful shirt with rhinestones on it from Charming Charlie in Southlake. When I wore it all this past weekend, Avery said, "You look like a fancy Mommy!" I also got a personalized calendar that my Mom made with her Creative Memories software and a cooking class at Central Market from Scott. On Sunday we went to ride this little train that goes around the park and let the girls play on one of the playgrounds. That afternoon we rented a boat for a couple of hours and enjoyed tubing and swimming in the lake. Sunday night after dinner my Dad built a fire out back and we sat around roasting marshmallows for s'mores and gazing at the stars. It was such a treat for my little city girls to see so many stars. They were amazed! After taking some family pics in front of the cabin and watching Avery and Kendall make a pine-needle path on the porch, we headed back home. It was a relaxing weekend and a wonderful birthday!

Scott and Avery playing and enjoying the view out the front windows of the house

Mimi, Avery and Kendall hanging out Saturday morning on the back porch

Kendall rode with my Mom and I for awhile, then decided to jump on with Avery and her Daddy
helping Mimi frost my birthday cake (Kendall was doing more licking than spreading I think)

the master griller was listening to the OU game on the Suburban radio

the fam in front of my birthday cake
Avery and Kendall were so excited to help me blow out my candles

getting ready to ride the train through part of the park
Avery and Scott on the train ride

Poppi, Avery, and Kendall enjoying the porch and view of the forest out back

standard picture with the grandparents

Scott and Avery tubing- she was scared at first but then kept giving us a thumbs up to go faster

Scott and Kendall- going super slow

the hot shot- the rented boat wouldn't go very fast so he took to doing tricks

Mimi, Kendall and Poppi enjoying the fire

Scott and Avery roasting marshmallows for s'mores

my hubby and I- he's a keeper!