Merry Christmas

Here are our Christmas pictures. We had a great day Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We opened our gifts from Santa at our house, then went down to Nanne and Grampa's house for more gifts and Christmas dinner with Nanne's family! Enjoy the pics!

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Third Annual "Gather 'Round the Campfire"

For the past three years, we have been hanging out in our driveway the weekend before Christmas gathered around the campfire with friends and family. We have a great time just enjoying the company, the food, the drinks, the cold, and of course, all the cars visiting the Christmas House! This year, we decided to do a fund raiser as well for the Ronald McDonald House. Jim named it "Stuff the Stocking", where we dressed up a big trash can like a stocking, and people dropped off goods to be donated to the local Ronald McDonald House. Jim and Mr. Chuck (from the Christmas House) did a radio broadcast last week to promote the benefit, as well as a write up in the Mechanicsville Local. Between family, neighbors, friends, and just people driving by to see the lights, we raised well over $1500 in goods that will benefit the recepients of the hospitality of the Ronald McDonald House. We hope to do this every year for the many families who have to make use of their facilities! Enjoy the pics!

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Dad's Weekend at Wintergreen

Last weekend, I had a swim meet to coach on Saturday and Ms. Lisa also had to work, so Daddy and Mr. Tony decided to take the kids up to Wintergreen for the weekend! They had a blast playing cards, watching movies, chillin by the fire...and of course, riding down The PLUNGE! Jim didn't take the camera out for the Plunge because they were blowing snow, but supposedly Mr. Tony got some great shots...we are waiting on those pics, but I will post them when I get them! Enjoy!

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Santa on the Fire Truck

Each year, the local fire department drives through all the neighborhoods in Mechanicsville with sirens blaring and Santa on top shouting "Ho Ho Ho!" Bryden and I got home from swim practice just in time to catch Santa coming down our road with Daddy and all the neighbors! Enjoy the pics!

Christmas Decorations

Here are some pics of our Christmas decorations and our tree...oh, and a picture of the Christmas House (as much as I love this house, I am glad we don't live right next to it, I am pretty sure we'd have to hang black curtains over our windows to keep the lights out at night!) Enjoy!
Santa swinging in the breeze...He's so cute!


The Three Kings

Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus and............Bryden???




Minnie

and Mickey


The Christmas House


This is how it looks down our whole street. All the neighbors bought candy cane lights and light the way to the Christmas House...Candy Cane Lane! That is the Christmas House illuminating the background!!!

The night time glow!

Bass Pro Shops

This weekend we went to Bass Pro Shops...they just opened a new one near us and it is SWEET! It is huge, has tons of fun stuff to look at to keep both kids and adults entertained! It is where Daddy and Bryden go quite often when they spend time together. Through the Christmas season, they have a ton of stuff going on for kids and families, so we made our way out there to partake in the festivities.

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Making Ornaments

Bryden and Mckenzie decorating ornaments for the Christmas tree!

Daddy's Girls

Daddy surprised Bryden and I with breakfast in bed this morning! What a great man and daddy...I think we'll keep him around! We had a yummy spread of french toast, scrambled eggs, grapes and apples! Now THIS is the life! Thanks Daddy!

Pregnancy Pics - 28 weeks

YAY! We finally made it into our thrid trimester! Only 12 more weeks! We are all ready for little Kiwi to be born, especially Bryden. She asks me nearly every day "Mommy, is today the day that Kiwi is coming out?" She is anxious to be a big sister! I am trying to explain to her that we have to make it through Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's before Kiwi is ready, but time is a hard concept for her to understand at this age. She is being very patient though and putting her big sister skills to work by talking to Kiwi and singing to him/her and rubbing my belly! So cute! Here are some pics! Enjoy!

Bryden's Wardrobe Malfunction

Well, according to Bryden, her wardrobe was not in malfunction, but I think to the general public, it is!!! No worries, that is part of the fun of being her age, getting to wear whatever she picks out, and not worrying about what other people think! How many non-coordinating colors can we fit into one outfit?!?!? This outfit could not go without being photographed and shared with family and friends...she makes us so proud!!! (To get the full effect of the outfit, left click on the picture to enlarge it...you can really see all the colors then!)Enjoy!

Christmas Decorating

Time to decorate for Christmas!!! We got our tree up and all of our outside decorations (though they are still being added to!). It is fun because we live three houses down from "The Christmas House" as we call it...you know one of those houses where they go absolutely CRAZY with the amount of lights they put up...yeah, one of those. We love it though, and Bryden enjoys walking down to see the lights each night! Enjoy the pics!

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Thanksgiving in Maine

After two LONG weeks without Daddy, we finally got to see him when Bryden and I flew up to Maine for Thanksgiving! Daddy welcomed us at the airport with a big "Daddy-made" sign (thanks Daddy!!!) and we got to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Daddy's family! Enjoy the pics!

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Festival of Trees

Today, Bryden, McKenzie and I went to the hospital where they hosted the Festival of Trees. People decorate trees and wreaths for the Holidays in effort to raise money for a local foundation. They have tons of crafts for kids, which McKenzie and Bryden thoroughly enjoyed! They got to make a reindeer (B made a big one for herself and a little one for Kiwi...too cute!) and a snowman, decorate a cookie, color a picture for Santa, decorate a 1 inch tall wooden tree, make an ornament (which soon turned into a bracelet instead for Bryden!) and...hmmm, well, I think that was about it! Santa and Mrs. Claus were there, but it is the first time this season that Bryden saw them, so she was still to shy to go sit on Santa's lap...she'll be ready in a few weeks! Enjoy the pics!

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Greek Olympics

At Bryden's school, they have been learning about Greece, so the hosted the Greek Olympics yesterday! They got to participate in several athletic events, and all the kids had a great time! Enjoy the pics!

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I will post a video later, but it was taking too long!!!

While Daddy's Away...The Girls Will Play

Jim is up at Camp in Northern Maine for the week going deer hunting and enjoying some male bonding...so Bryden and I enjoyed our time together. We made our way down to Nanne and Grampa's house for the night Saturday and man, did we have some fun! Bryden did some swimming...of course...and she shot some hoops, made cookies, and, the most fun of all, she got to help set up Nanne and Grampa's Christmas tree for the first time! Yipee! Well, if any of you have ever seen Mom and Dad's tree, it is normally like a 20 foot tree with like a million Christopher Radko ornaments on it...in the past couple years, they have downsized to a 12 foot tree and about a half a million Radko's. The WHOLE family got roped in, even Murat's parents! BUT, we got all the ornaments up in record time, and it looks beautiful, so it was worth all the pain (just kidding Mom and Dad, it wasn't really that painful!). Enjoy the pics!

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Disney on Ice

We went to see Disney on Ice this past Wednesday night. Jim was going to leave early Thursday morning to go up to Maine for camp, so we wont see him for two weeks, so we decided to have a fun family night out before he left. I had swim practice, so Bryden and Jim went early to look at the princess dresses and see Cinderella, then I caught up with them at the show! We all enjoyed the show, especially Bryden. Enjoy the pics!

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Pregnancy - 24 Weeks

Well, we are 24 weeks pregnant and things are going pretty well. I am definintely showing my pregnancy big time now. My belly has probably doubled in size in four weeks! My only complaint is clothing. What a pain, my pants are constantly falling down because of the elastic waist...grrrr...I am threatening to start walking around naked, which Jim is all for, but I am not too sure about the rest of the world! At least I am in swim season now, so I can get away with wearing workout clothes all the time...though they are getting pretty snug too!
Kiwi is moving like crazy. S/he is so predictable...any time I sit, lay or eat, s/he starts to move. S/he loves when I do my breathing exercises at night too...more room to stretch out...and s/he totally takes advantage. Man, I have a new nick name for him/her...Thumper! I love it though! Bryden is so loving with Kiwi too...well, Smushie to her...She comes in our bed when she wakes up in the morning to cuddle until it is time to get up, and she usually says "Good Morning Smushie" or "I love you Smushie". She has a pretend baby in her belly too, named Charlotte. She told me at breakfast the other day that when she (Bryden) eats, the food goes down her belly and Charlotte opens her mouth and eats the food too! So cute! She is going to be an amazing big sister. She really understands so much of what is going on, and it is so interestsing to hear her explain it back to us when we ask her questions. Sorry, no pics with Bryden right now, she has already gone to bed. We will try to get some and add them in!

"Pink" Wintergreen

Apparently, Wintergreen has been renamed by Miss Bryden Grace Hurtubise to "Pink Wintergreen". She has such a knack for working pink into EVERYTHING!!!! We just went up for the night on Saturday to hang out. We hiked up to the Lookout to watch the sunset and got some beautiful pics! Enjoy!

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