November/December Jewels and Recap

So I noticed last night that this will be my 146th post for the year...this is my least blogy-est year yet.
::hangs head in shame:: ;)  HA! My system is to download pics, and then blog them and then file them as needed...wanna know where I stopped? Mid-November.

Here I am organizing and trying to get my digi scrap on. And lo and behold I failed. HA. I just want my memories in one tangible place...so get ready for picture overload. :)

November Highlights--
A zoo trip with one of my besties...I love these girls together. My MIL got us this zoo membership and I couldn't be more thrilled and the next day it was really nice for November, so we went. Of course we had big plans to be there at 930a...zoo opens at 10a, so we went to the park instead to kill time. Love this photo Ginger took!

Zoo fun...

 MW admiring the beautiful giraffe! He knows. He is my boy!

I took the kids through the rainforest while Ginger hung back with Ezra, hoping he would nap...

 Gorilla love and lunch break! I Love going to the zoo with these guys, so fun!

 Another beautiful November night, playing at the park.

My little Rainbow Bright! What can I say she has her own fashion sense...better than mine at least! ;)

 I don't want to go all bragg-y about my kids, but I suppose this is my blog so I can. HA!
Leighton's mind is a beautiful thing. I am now starting to see her strengths and weaknesses in learning and how she learns. She is very artsy. She colors all day and in the lines very meticulously, most of the time...she also comes up with craft ideas or projects. She is always trying to figure out how to "make" something from nothing. That's my girl! Below is a prime example. She wanted a doll carrier for her bike. They are like $6, I would have just bought one...nope she wanted to make one.

So there you have it...this is 100% her conception, daddy just did the cutting with the box cutter. She told him exactly where and how to cut so her dolls would fit and how to put it on her bike. She did the same thing with the elves she crafted.


Now for some highlights for December.

Leighton up and finally learned to spell her own name. All the letters are there, order not so much. HA! However she now has them all in order and can do it with zero help. Pretty good considering her name is 8 letters long! And just for the record I have no part in this. She is always self taught and driven. Which is probably a good thing for this mommy.

Daddy turned 32 a few weeks ago. You know when you get old your birthday means little.
For his actual birthday we made a chocolate chip cookie in a mug. It was so good and perhaps a tad dangerous of a skill to learn. Pinterest it. You won't be sad.

 

Leighton was pretending it was snowing inside, thus the attire. :)

 

 A few nights later we had dinner with his mom for his birthday. Lo liked the broccoli! Only my kids.

 Leighton is very into making cards and gift pictures for people and wrapping them all up herself. It really means so much when she does that!

 MW takes after me and his grandma...CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 My grandparents are moving, so we went over to pilfer their home for ourselves. HA! The kids had fun running and jumping on the mattress.

I love this picture. Daddy always gets the snuggles. Not fair. 

Well besides a few snow day pictures and a visit to my Great Grandma and the kids' Great GREAT grandma that pretty much sums up December!

Now to snuggle up, enjoy the snow coming down, drinking my hot coffee and celebrating the New Year! Seems like just a month or so ago I was closing the chapter on 2011 and relishing the fact MW was going to be one. Now they are nearly 2 and 4. This is just utterly heartbreaking to me. They both are at such perfect wonderful ages and I can't bear the thought of either growing another day older...Leighton thinks it is so funny when I teasingly tell her to go sit in the corner for "growing up."

Happy New Year's Eve.
See ya next year!