Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This is a little late and a little early.  We are having way too much fun with family to get to blogging.  We hope that your family had a wonderful Christmas, as we did.  And that you have a super New Year!

There will be more updates about our spectacular Christmas in the near future.

Campbell's creative outlet

Campbell has been using scissors for a little while now.  But it usually results in a big mess and nothing to show for it.  Today there was a change.  She made a stegosaurus with her riding on his back. 

And a duck.

And last a platypus.

I think I like her new hobby.

And a drawing of her, Taite and Bill on a sled all wrapped in blankets.  Oh, and the sled is smiling.  So cute!

What we have been up to.

We got our Christmas tree.  It was nice because there wasn't any snow yet.

My parents came down last weekend and Bill and Dad took the big girls sledding.

My mom brought these cute festive outfits for the girls.  They love them!

We built a gingerbread house.

 And we went to our ward Christmas Party.

 

If only we had a teleportation machine . . .

Dear Grandpa Bob,

We were decorating gingerbread cookies the other day and Campbell really wanted to bring you some.  She suggested we drive.  If only we had a teleportation machine.  Then we would be delivering you cookies.  

We are inside today for another snow day.  The girls are having so much fun playing together.  

Here are some pictures the girls made for Grandma and Grandpa Wicke

Welcome Winter

We woke up to a little frosting this morning.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving my parents were so wonderful and rented a minivan so we could all fit in one car and make the drive out to Pennsylvania to spend the holiday with Heather and Rebekah's families.  We had a wonderful time with everyone and seeing all the cousins playing together is just fantastic.  We are looking forward to spending Christmas with Maegan's family.  We are so lucky to live so close to my parents so we can see everyone when they come to visit. 

The day after Thanksgiving we went to Hawk Mountain.  It was really a fun hike.  It was too windy the day we went so the hawks were soaring pretty high.

Everyone at the top of Hawk Mountain.

Campbell posing with the raptors.

I wasn't very good at taking my camera out to snap pictures.  But here are a few candid pictures.

Mom, me, Heather and Rebekah.  (Heather is having a little girl in February, doesn't she look amazing?!)

We loaded up and got on the road at 5:30 am.  Campbell woke up around 6:30 and I gave her an applesauce for breakfast.  She yelled up from the back that James wanted one too.  When I looked back, this is what I saw.  Totally asleep.  But Campbell is so nice to be looking out for her sister.

The Bean

Yesterday my mom was talking to Campbell and she told her that she likes dinosaurs.  Campbell's response was "Then you will have to do Dinosaur Training.  Like, dinosaur running and dinosaur roaring."

Book Parade

James chose the Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs for her book parade float.  We had a blast putting it together.  Campbell graciously let James use her dinosaurs for the float.  

James with some of her friends from class.  They always love the baby.

Baby Pictures

These are some pictures of Bill and I.  You decide who the girls look like more.  Bill and I both have blue eyes, so there is no variation there!

Bill at birth

Erin at birth (with Rebekah, Heather and Maegan)

Bill (3 years old, this is what he looked like when I was born!)

Erin 6 months old (about the same age as Taite now)

Bill at 1 year old

Caption on back "Bill has a way with dogs.  All dogs love Bill."

Erin at 1 year old

7 months old

 

Taite is so much fun.  She loves James because she carries her around (especially when I am not looking) and will take her out of her crib whenever she cries, even if I just put her in there.  Taite makes herself known.  We have resorted to the hallway during sacrament meeting because of her screeches.  She rolls over and can sit up.  I am glad she isn't crawling yet.  But I know it is soon to come!  Campbell is just starting to warm up to her.  I think it is because she isn't a lump anymore and can interact with you now.  She likes to say "da da da da and ba ba ba ba"  and the random pterodactyl squawk.  She is feisty just like the other two.  Three peas in a pod!

This last picture is of Campbell's favorite show.  The Dinosaur Train on PBS.  Check it out.  You can watch videos of songs and parts of the show.

Campbell is 4!

We had a whirlwind weekend in the Windy City. First stop: Ricobene's. One of Bill's favorites from the mission. My parents met us there and Campbell had the opportunity to open her first birthday presents. My mom found a baby pteranodon. She calls it her baby. It's name is Chompers. She is totally in love with him.

This is Chompers toy.
It's always fun feeding a baby. My mom and I were getting a kick out of all the faces Taite was making.
Next stop: Field Museum. Digging for dinosaur bones in the children's area.
My dad loves all of his grand kids and he will always hold them whenever they need it (or whenever he needs it!) It is wonderful.
The whole group in front of SUE. We had a blast at the museum. We could spend weeks there. They have so many things to explore. A little side story: They have a DNA lab area and when we walked by my mom started telling James about how she used to work in a lab just like that. I lifted her up so she could see everything. My mom started explaining pipetting and DNA gels. Then I started talking about the Genetics class I took in college. We explained about cells and their functions. Then James said "This is a lot of stuff to learn!" I chuckled because my mom and I were just so excited to fill the sponge that is James' brain right now.

We have an annual tradition that started when James was just a baby. We spend Halloween at our good friends the VerCautren's. It has been great seeing the kids grow up together. The girls always have a blast. Here they all are before trick or treating.
The next day was Campbell's official birthday. She wanted a cheesecake (I think because last year we went to Eli's Cheesecake Factory for her birthday) with a picture of a Corythosaurus made out of blueberries. I have no idea where my kids come up with these ideas. But I try my best. I could only fit a drawing of the head on the cheesecake. And she loved it.
The whole family. Campbell is now a big 4 year old!