I'm Skating! Well...sort of...

Before the adventure begins...

Uncle Kyle and Auntie Heidi got Macy and Jorey their very own feminine-looking Hockey skates for Christmas.  Dad's been talking about teaching them to skate for a while, so it's probably time to get them on the ice.  Jorey wants to play Hockey, so she better learn to move around on the ice prior to any lessons in hitting pucks and swinging large objects...someone would definitely get hurt.  I'm still curious to see what Macy decides to do with sports - she seems to have little interest in contrast to her sister.  This is going to get interesting when we start signing them up for activities...the small amount of free time we have, now, will be gone. :)  I best start preparing for that.

Here are some shots of Ken, Kyle, Payne, and the girls working on this skating thing (I was little help with my no skating know-how and large belly, so I slowly walked around the ice trying to get pictures...no wipeouts).  The first time over the ice, they were like little deer, just spinning their wheels.  Then, after about 1/2 hour, they were getting up on their own and inching along.  I was amazed at their progress and Dad did a great job being patient with our emotional little ladies. :) 

Before - and during...When I took the 2nd picture, Macy tried crawling away stating, "I'm getting outta here!"

Uncle Kyle, How the heck are we going to do this thing?

Payne's got it all figured out.

Success!



Let's take a lap, Dad.



Merry Christmas!

What a great Christmas season for 2010.  There was more snow than anyone needed, beautiful dresses made by Orange Gramma, Great family to spend time with, great food (way too much - thanks for 2 more months of dieting to get back in shape after Boom Babba's born).

The girls fully embrace the Christmas season with Elfie and mousie - that keep an eye on them when Santa can't...every day, they looked to see if he moved and sometimes he was in the craziest places that they just couldn't believe they could get there!  Every day, I realize that life's way more exciting when you're a kid and I love watching them light up at the slightest thing.  Christmas is the most magical thing in the world to a 3 and 5-year-old. 

Macy wrote her own letter to Santa, with a little help from Mom with some spelling, and Jorey traced what I wrote as she told me what she needed to tell him.  I thought I took pics of the letters, but I didn't and we tossed them.  They were pretty funny, but I can't remember all that was on them.  Oh, well...I'll get my act together for next year.  I'll blame it on baby brain this year. 
Santa must have really thought the girls were well behaved this year because they each got a new bike!  Macy got a blue one and Jorey got a purple one!  perfect!  They also got some ice skates, games, toys, just a ton of great stuff.  I can't wait to have this baby so it's easier to play with some of this stuff, with them.  I know I'll have less time, but I'll be able to move around...starting to feel pretty handicapped.  Boom Babba - come on out!

Hunter Henry Freske - We've got a baby nephew! ...finally!



I'll wake up for a pic and then I'm going back to sleep!

 Well, after much whining and harassment by moi, Kyle and Heidi finally had a little bundle of joy to grow the Fry brood.  Clearly, this was not a gift to me, but at least they don't have to listen to me whine any more...Well, maybe for one more...but, I'm just glad we got one!  :)  


Sleepyhead

 The girls are completely pumped and want to hold him every time they see him.  He sleeps an awful lot, but they don't mind.  He's super cute and sweet so they just like to snuggle.  We can't wait for him to meet his cousin!  Lordy, we can't wait...me, especially.  But, we'll take to snuggling Hunter until we get to meet our own little man.  Then, we'll have plenty of babies to take care of and snuggle.  I look forward to being able to hold him without the mound-o-baby in my own belly.  He'll know who the heck I am by then...and, I just can't wait to get him his first ball tent!  The fun is just beginning!

We love you, Hunter!

This is the best

There's a memorable story, here, with the name.  I'll share an abbreviated version.  Heidi, Kyle, Payne, the girls, and I went to the water park one summer day, shortly after Heidi and I both found out we were expecting.  In a conversation about names, I stated that I figured we had a boy name picked out if it happened to be a boy...and shared what it was.  The look and silence said it all...that was their name.  How strange that we would both pick the same one!  So, all along, Heidi and I agreed that whoever had their baby first (my odds weren't good) would get the name and the other just pick something else - big deal.  Fast forward, my prego neighbor forgot it was a secret and said something to Ken.  He wanted the name.  Fast forward another few months when we find out ours is actually a boy...something that I figured was such a non-factor as I figured we were having another fine lady...Heidi and Kyle get uncomfortable just taking the name.  How nice, but not necessary.  One night, while playing cards and possibly indulging in a few too many cocktails, Kyle and Ken decide they should have "drawn a card" for the name.  ha.  Well, I laughed and didn't think much about it.  Then, fast forward a couple more weeks when Heidi's in labor.  I'm in a work meeting, talking to a client - and just so happened to be at that meeting with my father.  His phone rings and he says, "Ya, she's right here".  I figure it's an emergency and take the call to hear Ken say, "Heidi's in labor so Kyle called and figured we should flip a coin.  I'm on my way to Stillwater and could swing in.  Should I do it?"  "Sure", i say  "If I win, should I just give them the name?"  "What sense does that make?  Either don't go and give them the name or take the name if you go and flip for it and we win.  Either way - doesn't matter - your call."  So, he does...  While Heidi's pushing to deliver a baby, the nurses cover her up, Ken comes in, the nurse flips a nickel.  Heidi calls tails - it was heads.  So, we get Grady and they get Hunter.  So, when our son is born and gets his name...you'll know we had to earn it.  We've discussed many times that nobody "wins or loses" - but this was just the first silly competition between 2 boys that will likely be in the same grade and play the same sports, etc.  How silly! 

Peaceful little Christmas Angel



If you procrastinate on getting a Christmas tree...you must suffer!

So, we procrastinated this year.  Not without good reason.  One weekend, I was out of town.  The next weekend, my parents wanted the girls...I took advantage of a full day to steam clean the carpets - shout out to the Rug Doctor - 4x over the floors, the carpet looked and felt like it was brand new!  I got stains out from 4 years ago.  It was awful to do it, but awesome to have it done.  Anyways, so that's why it waited until this weekend.  Wow...this was the worst weekend in my "real tree" life to go get one.  We planned to do it first thing on Saturday, but due to winds, snow, and Hampton Hills being closed...we clearly had to put it off until today.  It was fairly entertaining.  First, I had gotten the girls these little hoodie things that will keep their necks and faces warm...I think they are awesome...Macy agreed.  Jorey --not so much...

she told me she's NOT smiling because she doesn't want to wear that hat/scarf thing! 

Once we got to the tree farm, she was all smiles for the ride through the trees and the pending excitement of the joyous adventure waiting for us. 

Don't go Tree Hunting after a Blizzard, nerds! 

Dad got out when we stopped so he could go find the perfect tree.  We got our jackets on and were going to come find him after he located our "beauty".  Well, when the girls and I got out of the truck, we sunk into snow up to my shins.  Then, we took another step, and the snow was up to my knees.  The next step was up to my thighs and Jorey said "No Way".  So, I threw her on my back and Macy and I kept going...the snow got deeper and deeper until I could barely get my feet up high enough.  We aborted our mission and headed back to the truck.  Dad had to be brave and get the tree, and then haul it back through the snow that was up to his waist.  It was funny and awful all at the same time because Ken refused to get a pre-cut tree and then hauled the scraggliest tree we've ever bought back to the truck.  Oh, well.  The memories are going to be great!  When he finally got back to the car, he had some frozen facial hair that the girls thought was soooo funny.

When we got home, we decorated the Charlie Brown tree all up.  In the dark, with the lights on, it's quite pretty. My little tree decorators did such a great job and they finally grasped the concept of decorating the whole tree this year - not just the bottom branches.  Though, we did have to have a few reminders that there is only one decoration per twiggy branch, they really did a fine job and it's fun to see how excited they get about a task I could really take or leave.  I have to try to remember to look at Christmas through my daughters' eyes because they seem to enjoy it much more than me. 

The Ghetto Gingerbread House was constructed here...

My poor kids...they have only me to try to put artistic flair to their daily tasks. 
We bought a pre-made Gingerbread house - the cookie pieces were a little crooked, which resulted in 4 collapses prior to getting the structure set.  Then, we decorated it with many candy pieces that must have been leftover from last Christmas because they were all stuck together and broken...then, add in my inability to be artistic and you get the result we have. 

But, the girls loved it and thought it was really fun.  They have picked many pieces of icing off prior to my threat of throwing it away if they keep picking candy off of it.  Here they are...and, yes...Jorey looks like a shaggy dog, but she did NOT want her hair in a pony. 

This was also a really great activity to do on the craziest weather day in the world.  My lunatic of a husband went out hunting.  I'm happy to report that he didn't get shot in the zero visability, while shooting guns.  The wind was blowing the snow straight sideways, the windows were all coated with snow, and we weren't going anywhere!  It was a nice warm day, at home.

Tomatoes...

Macy: "Mom, what are those big chunks on your salad?"

"Tomatoes"

"Yuk.  I don't like Tomatoes"

"I love Tomatoes.  They're delicious and good for you.  They'll make you big and strong and help you have beautiful skin."

"Well, why don't you have beautiful skin?"

"Hmmm...I guess I don't eat enough of them.  Thanks for noticing."

My sweet girl is just very honest...I can appreciate that.