Grateful

I have fallen behind on blogging lately due to several illnesses sweeping through our house. To start, all four of us had a flu-like virus for the first couple of weeks of January. We visited the pediatrician three times and the ER once! Then, Kennedy had the stomach bug which landed us in the hospital for 24 hours. So needless to say, I haven't taken many pics. this year so far. The past six weeks have reminded us how grateful we are to have healthy kids who are not chronically ill. My heart goes out to mother's who have sick babies everyday!! My friend, Gretchen, who is starting her own photography business, took some surprise (the last three below) pictures of Caleb while we were at the hospital with Kennedy!! She does such a great job, I'm so blessed to have her friendship!!

Does not like her hugging him!!

Pulling up in his crib (P.S. it is Halloween at my house everyday)


"Hey, Ladies"

My blue-eyed boy!!

Showing off those teeth!

Four Families & Jesus' Birthday Celebrations

With four families in three different cities, Christmas at the Coyle Household is a whirlwind of events! It is very exhausting, but well worth all the great memories we make with our big, blended, extended family!! We started the day off at home making a birthday cake for Jesus (the man of the hour) and the entire reason for all the celebration! Kennedy loves this tradition we have started and it really drives home the fact of why we are celebrating Christmas! We made our first attempt of a gingerbread house which turned out really cute and a sugar covered toddler! We traveled to Pine Bluff that afternoon to celebrate with all the Coyle Cousins. We always celebrate Christmas Eve with Dave's dad's family. We returned home that night in time to put out reindeer dust and cookies for Santa. This was the most fun year yet for Kennedy! She was so excited to awaken to Santa's surprises, especially her new Dorothy dress. She was mesmerized by it and if you know her this is no surprise that her favorite gift would be an outfit! She had to stop and look at it after opening each present and wore it for the next three days. She even got it out of the dirty clothes and put it back on one time!! I finally had to tell her it was starting to stink and she decided to let me wash it! This dress is already infamous at our house and around Cabot & HSV! She also made us call her Dorothy the entire time!! Caleb really did not quite know what to think about all the fuss but was really happy I was letting him rip paper! Anyway, we traveled over to Cabot to celebrate with MeMe, Peeps, Cousins, etc. Christmas Day. We had loads of fun opening presents, a family gingerbread house, and playing games! We returned to LR that night and left for GiGi's & Uncle Chase's house the next morning for our third city in three days!! Thank goodness they are all in Central Arkansas! We spent the night at GiGi's and had a great time visiting, eating, and opening more gifts! We returned home yesterday and still have one more celebration with my Dad and sister next weekend. What a busy time but I can't imagine it any other way!

Making JC's Cake

Kennedy's Gingerbread House


Daddy & Kids getting ready for PB.

Mommy & Kennedy Christmas Eve!

Coyle Cousins Christmas Eve

Putting out reindeer dust!

Christmas Morning!

Kennedy AKA "Dorothy "on her bike!

Dorothy & Sleeping Beauty

Caleb's 1st Christmas

Looking in his stocking!

Cabot Posse

Nana & Dorothy

Family gingerbread house construction!!

Finished project!

New P.J.s at GiGi's

MiMi Brooks, Mommy, & GiGi

Mother & Daughter book from GiGi

Our future star!

Uncle Chase & Kennedy

Tis the Season

We had a very festive Pre-Christmas Weekend. We took the kids with our great friends, The Davis' ,to see the decorations at the state capitol. It was really beautiful and the kids liked climbing up and down the marble stairs. It should be a fun tradition for years to come adding more political education and a lot less of "stop running!" On Saturday night, we meet GiGi, Uncle Chase, and MiMi Brooks in Benton for dinner and a tour of lights at the Saline County Courthouse. We took Kennedy last year and she enjoyed it even more this year. They have a great nativity scene and other little decor all over the grounds. Sunday night we traveled over to HSV (Hot Springs Village) to watch Uncle Chase play Isaiah and one of the three wise men in his church's Christmas play. He did a great job and I'm so proud of the young man he is becoming!

Capitol

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful and busy four full days of Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for. Our savior; Jesus Christ, and his love and grace he gives so abundantly, a country where we are allowed to freely worship Him, two beautiful & healthy children, a huge family that love us and our kids, and so much more. I could go on and on about how thankful I truly am!! We spent our first two days in Pine Bluff with the Coyle Family, eating Thanksgiving dinner, having a cousins party that night, and a Hogs vs. Tigers watch party, some of Dave's Louisiana Family was in town for the holiday. We are on a two year winning streak when they are visiting :) We headed down to McGehee (lower Arkansas) on Saturday and spent the day with my Mom's family and ended the weekend with the most special time of all, Dave's Baptism! I'm so proud of my husband and the proclamation he made of his love and faith in Jesus Christ. He became a Christian in college but was baptised for the first time on Sunday and I can't think of anything better to end Thanksgiving weekend with!!We went to Cabot after the baptism to eat lunch with Dave's mom's family!

Hello Kitty Madness

Kennedy's B-day party is in the books and was a lot of fun despite the chilly weather and change of plans from park locale to the Coyle Household. We stuffed fifty something people into our home. Although a little crowed and chaotic, we had a blast celebrating her birthday with family and friends. Thanks to everyone for such a fun day!!