Annie Get Your Gun

Maddox, Ava, and Kade are involved with the Children's Youth Theatre.

They have put a lot of time and energy into being apart of the play Annie Get Your Gun. 

Friday, Ben didn't have school, so we went to the morning show with Christian. 

It was SO good. They were all SO good! I was very impressed.

Before the show...Christian was pretty excited.

He would point out each time he saw one of them during the performance. 

Kade was "Little Jake"...a very fitting role.

He was so happy to see Christian after the show. He was in his shining moment...the way he performed and then watching him interact with all the other cast members afterwards..so happy.

The cousins.

The actors.

They each did an amazing job. Made me proud to be their aunt!

(And Alyssa was in charge of all the costumes for ALL the cast...she did a good job as well!)

Cousins

We were glad to have some quality cousin time this week.

Jace-man with his Easter basket..ready for the hunt.

Gia and Christian (and Cleo..begging for attention)

Mia & Gia

A lot of time spent in the sand pile!

Collecting worms!!

Hundreds, yes hundreds, were in there when it was tilled up! 

They all loved it...they spent so much time getting them.

All the family came over to our place Tuesday evening for supper. 

They met the chicks..Ava holding Lola.

 I don't know what Noah was up to..but the other 8 cousins were in the picture (Jonah just snuggling with Grandma).

Jace came over one day for awhile.

Christian and him carried on for quite some time, their conversations are VERY entertaining to listen to. How they are going to fix things up, and what needs to happen, and how they play with certain things, how to properly build things..I mean, really, what is there not to talk about.

Jace was saying, "WHY?" something was a certain way in this picture, it really cracks me up.

(What's even funnier is thinking of how Carissa has said, "whhhhhyyyy?" many times in the past...hmmmm, makes me laugh.)

They loved jumping together. I just love these pictures...mid air nose wipe and all!

Building does not stop during their snack break.

Friday, we went to the zoo. We had lunch at a park before, then checked out all the animals.

It was a gorgeous day.

The three of us sat on the tram together..while Carissa and Mom had all the kids. 

Such a funny and random combo. 

And Ben was sitting on top of a very flat tire, a-whomp a-whomp. We told the driver when we got off, that perhaps he has a low tire, "oh yeah...its been like that."

Christian, you are no longer a penguin sized boy. 

Well, neither is Jace...but regardless, they are all pretty cute boys!

Noah loved to see the animals. 

Visiting the penguins.

Friday night we had a bon fire..what a beautiful night. 

S'mores, the sky..it was really a nice night.

 We had a very full week, filled with special memories...

thankful for cousins both near and far!

Celebrate the Gredlers [Thursday & Friday]

The very anticipated adoption of Mia, Gia, and Jace has finally come!! Actually, it was final January 9..but the celebration was the 18th. These three children have been living with Carissa and Tim for just over two years, and we love having three more cousins officially added to the family.

Early Thursday morning (like 3:30 am...EARLY), we got up and around, picked up Dad and headed to the airport. Ben couldn't take off work...so the boys, Grandpa, and I headed to PA to join Grandma at Tim and Carissa's house. We had our hands full, literally, but it went really well.

The flights both went smooth, and the three little travelers handled it wonderfully!

We got in around 1 pm, greeted with a sign made and held by Jace and everything! Carissa took us out to a restaurant that they had eaten at following the adoption hearing. It was tasty.

We arrived at their home and the boys didn't waste any time getting busy playing. Christian and Jace are just 3 months apart in age.

The girls came home from school...they were quite excited to have us there as well.

Mom worked on cutting out fabric to make bunting for the adoption party, and made cinnamon rolls.

After supper, we went to Inside Scoop...and had a very special treat. 

The Volcano = 14 different flavors of icecream and 8 different toppings....a whole lotta goodness!

Everyone had reached their limit on what they could handle...

this little man was still going. (Granted he took tiny bits, and if he didn't like something he'd shake his head no..and move on to nibble at another section.) He left the store with just a onesie wrapped in a blanket due to the amount of icecream ALL over his clothes :)

Bedtime snuggles with Grandpa.

Friday morning we ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast. 

Carissa gave Noah a new look..

Mom, Carissa, and I (and Jonah) went to get a few things from Michaels...

and I picked up an antibiotic for Noah (poor guy coughed and coughed during the night..the same crud Christian has had and needed antibiotics for). Carissa picked up Mia and Gia and they went to get beta fish for the party....they are so pretty.

During the afternoon, I worked on making the bunting. 

Carissa made the gingerbread houses (they were used in decorating the cake).

Tim, Christian, Jace, and Mia worked on squeezing lemons to make lemonade for the party.

Jace, Gia, and Christian in their outfits.

They all certainly had lots of playing to do...oh how they can play!

That evening for supper we went to a place in Bethlehem. It was good food...and it was probably a blessing it was so loud in there..a certain 2 year old was not pleased by the time we got our food. We had a quick time for gifts (some for Tim's birthday coming up on the 26th, and a couple gifts to celebrate the adoption) when we got back to their house. Grandpa told a bedtime story...and off to bed they went.

Camp out

Camp out at Aunt Jessica and Uncle Ben's!

 We had Maddox, Ava, and Kade overnight and oh man, did we have fun. 

we played...

we set up the tent and got firewood...

we played some more...

we roasted hotdogs...

we ate outside...

we ate s'mores and demonstrated how to "go" behind a tree...

we read bedtime stories...

and these three troopers stayed the WHOLE night in the tent with Uncle Ben!!! 

**We all attempted to go to bed in the tent. Christian was more than slightly distracted. Not only did he have his favorite cousins with him, but he also was very aware of the night life outside. He had a running commentary between, "Kade...BUGS....Kade....Mama...BUGS....Kade", you get the picture. So I took him inside, and he immediately fell asleep. **