Christmas Day

It was so much fun to wake up and walk down the stairs with the kids to see what Santa brought them. Madelyn immediately put on her new wig and ran down the stairs to check out if Santa ate the cookie dough and milk. After opening all of Santa's gifts and presents from the Cantin's we got ready to head to Mimi's.

Of course they were flooded with presents over there as well. Christian was very happy with his new train table.

Christmas Eve

We had our last Christmas Eve dinner with our families at our home. As usual, Nathan prepared a fantastic meal for everyone. Madelyn had a blast playing with Ayden and getting the food ready for Santa and the reindeer. We opened and gave out all of our presents. Madelyn absolutely loved her Rapunzel wig and dress.

The first picture is a Christmas classic. I stripped Christian down to his diaper because he was so messy after eating and then Madelyn proceeded to take off all of her clothes. I had to capture it on camera.

Halloween

Madelyn was Cinderella for Halloween, and Christian went as Super Man. The Zebala's joined us for trick-or-treating. It was so much fun watching Christian go up to the houses and say "Trick-Treat."

Chicago

Nathan are in Chicago for a mini vacation. It is my first time leaving the kids so it is different for me not having to worry about them. It has been great for Nathan and I to get some alone time and have been having fun exploring the city. It is going to be difficult to narrow down where to live. There are so many options in the city with lots to consider. Right now I am thinking Oak Park my be easier because we know it is safe and the schools are very good.

I think M&C will have a lot of fun in Chicago and so will everyone that comes to visit. So I am pushing for a 4 BR place so we have plenty of room for guests. The food here is amazing... good thing you burn off a lot of calories by walking around here.

Fall Activities

What a great time of year. We love exploring all that Fall has to offer in St. Louis. We visited Rombach Farms again this year. I also got to be the mom volunteer for the day at Madelyn's school. I really enjoyed seeing Madelyn interact with the other kids and see what a day is like in her classroom. Madelyn has also participated in soccer at the YMCA. We are trying to enjoy everything outside while we can.

Apple Picking at Eckert's

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What a perfect day for apple picking! Jelena and Baba joined us for a fun day at Eckert's. There were pony rides, funnel cakes, rides, and plenty of juicy apples. Christian and Madelyn could not get enough of the apples, and we got some really great pictures.

Madelyn's 4th Birthday

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The day after the wedding we celebrated Madelyn's 4th birthday. It was nice to have a lot of family to celebrate it with and for Madelyn to have kids her own age. It was the ultimate princess party. I have already informed her there will not be another party of this magnitude next year.

Jeremy & Sara's Wedding Day 8.14.10

The day couldn't have been more perfect besides the heat! Sara looked absolutely beautiful and the day was filled with lots of love and emotion. It is a good thing I had waterproof mascara on. Madelyn and Ayden were so adorable and did a wonderful job. They were such troopers and both of them fell asleep at the reception. It was amazing being part of their special day. The ceremony was my favorite part and was incredibly beautiful.

The Mall Family Wedding Festivities

It has been a busy week here as all of the family has been arriving for the wedding. We have had a great time hanging out with all of the cousins. Jelena is also here so we have had a great time hanging out. The wedding rehearsal was a lot of fun. Madelyn and Ayden are so cute and take their jobs very seriously. I don't think Christian will be able to make it down the aisle as I think he would be running and screaming ahead of them. Here are a few pictures of the week.

Summer

We have had a busy summer. Nathan started his fifth and final year of residency woo hoo! Madelyn had her first dance recital and she was so adorable and knew all of her steps. She also was on her first tee-ball team at the YMCA. We also saw Beauty and the Beast at the Muny and that was probably one of the best shows I have ever been to.

Christian keeps up with his big sister and is right in the middle of all of the fun.

Orlando Family Vacation

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Our first trip to Disney World and you can say that Madelyn was in love. We hand lunch at Cinderella's Castle, and we had a fantastic time. She got to meet all of the princesses and everyone was so sweet.

We spent most of our time at the pool and hanging out with Mimi and Grampie. Nathan actually relaxed and did not work too much while we were there.

Vail

We all went to Vail for Nathan's Steadman-Hawkins interview and stayed with the Carlisle's. We certainly enjoyed the beautiful scenery as well as the company. Madelyn absolutely loved playing big sister to Charley and enjoyed catching up with her old pal Brooks. Christian was right in the middle of the fun too. They both did very well with all of the traveling and returned home without a cold. It was great spending time with the Carlisle's and we look forward to when we can see them again.