Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Leavenworth...

We decided last minute to take an overnight trip to Leavenworth. Our good friends, Doug & Sadie called us up during the week to tell us that they were going to go for Leavenworth's annual tree lighting weekend, and to see if we wanted to go. Leavenworth is a little Bavarian Village in the mountains somewhere in the middle of the state. They go ALL OUT at Christmastime. I am so glad we decided to go even though it was so late. We had a great time. I was thinking as we were there how we used to take weekend trips all of the time when it was just the four of us. We had so many fun excursions, and how different life is now with the little ones. Definitely not as spur of the moment and they definitely don't happen as often, but so fun to enjoy these fun type of things with kiddos!
We stayed at the Bavarian Lodge:
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We got there late on Friday night, and basically just went to bed.
Doug & Sadie got there after we did, and the boys went out to get a bite to eat, but we decided to stay in a put the kids to bed.
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The next morning, we headed out to the little town center for some shopping and some good old fashioned Christmas spirit!
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Jacob & Taylor were little buddies the whole time and it was so cute to see them together!
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Everyone in town really embraces the Christmas spirit and theme there around the holiday's and there were many characters just wandering around, talking to kids, taking pictures with people.
Here, we met Father Christmas:
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Taylor wasn't excited at all about all the characters:
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Here we are with Father Christmas: (That's the only name I can think of for this man, that's who he is, right?)
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We finally got her to perk up a bit when we saw Santa & Mrs. Clause wandering around:
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After a morning of shopping at the candy shoppe, touring the nutcracker museum (riveting), sampling the chocolate, sausage and cheese shops, and a delicious lunch, we headed back to the hotel for some down time.
Playing a family game of boggle and doing some coloring:
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Reading a few Christmas books by the fire:
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Tucker was excited to see one of his pieces of art hanging in the hallway of our hotel:
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After a little rest, we headed back out to the town square for the lighting ceremony:
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The kids thought it was pretty cool that just randomly people would start fires and grab a chair and warm up. This one was right outside of our hotel, right outside our window, actually!
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Then we waited among the throngs of people for the town to be lit in Christmas lights. The mayor spoke, some carols were sung, and even Ms. Washington spoke to us!
Here are the Agurkis' waiting for the lights: (Doug coming fresh off of No-Shave November)
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Finally the lights were turned on, and literally there was not a tree branch not covered in lights, it was so fun and pretty!
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Tucker & Taylor joined in the dancing in the streets:
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The town center:
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After a bit more window shopping and some dinner, it was time to head home.
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I am so grateful for good friends and that cute little family of mine! It was the perfect weekend getaway and a perfect start to the Christmas Holiday! 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Kenzie May...


We were so spoiled this fall with my sister and her family here for 3 whole months! I so wish that she lived closer; maybe one day! My favorite part, of course, was having little Kenzie May around (no offence, Kayla & Jason!) :) 
This little girl is the cutest and funniest little girl ever! And we got in a lot of time with her. 

If anyone ever left the fridge open at my dads house longer than a few seconds, she would sneak right in and take a seat and start munching on something:
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It was so cute, so of course, Taylor had to get in on the action:
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She will never wonder what it is like to have older siblings. She literally lived these past three months with two cousins who were MORE than willing to 'help' her whenever they thought she needed it. Even when she didn't want it...Sorry Kenz! :)
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Maybe she will be ready to potty train before Taylor even is, she was really interested in this potty seat we had at our house and would drag it everywhere and sit on it, lid up and all! :)
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And we got lots of cousin bath times in with her. Yes Taylor is squirting her in the face with the rubber ducky. Like I said, she will never wonder what it is like to have older siblings. :)
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We all just fell in love with our Kenzie 'Rae' That is what Taylor called her since it is both her and my middle name. :) How can you not just love a little face like this:
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We miss you already Kenzie--please come back and visit us soon!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Thanksgiving week...

These photos are out of order, but you will get the idea that our Thanksgiving week this year was a busy one!
Since Tucker's birthday this year fell on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, he got to bring treats to his class to celebrate on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, his last day of school for the week. He really wanted me to bring Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and so I got to come to the last half hour of school and celebrate my little boy with his friends. It was so much fun, and since he is not one to shy away from the lime light, he was loving it! :) There were like 8 of his 22 classmates gone from school that day so we got to take a lot of extra's home, which we didn't mind at all! :)
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While Allen & Kelli were here I took some family pictures (which still have yet to be edited due to some photoshop issues I have been having--sorry guys!) We just went into my dad's back yard and snapped a few and Tucker came to be my photo assistant but I had to capture one of the two BFF cousins together:
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Since Allen had to work on Thanksgiving day, they came the weekend before and we had a big Thanksgiving dinner with my dad then. It was, of course, delicious and the kids even got a little skype session in with their cousin, Carter who is far away in Kansas City...
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And here they are making faces at him:
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Grandma got all the girls matching dresses, and so we had a little photo shoot:
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Cute Kenzie May:
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Friends, Taylor & Cassidy:
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This guy was dead to the world after dinner. I guess all of that tryptophan got to him! :) 
(we have to harass him as much as possible when he's over, it's good for 'em, right?! :)
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That week we somehow managed to fit in a trip to the Children's museum, Mobius:
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Our former BFF's, the Enloes came into town for the holiday, and we met up one day before Thanksgiving at Noodle Express for dinner. The reaction of these two seeing each other was priceless. I am so glad that Shar caught it on her phone:
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Thanksgiving day came and since we had already had our big dinner with my dad while my brother was here, on the actual day of Thanksgiving, we went to some friends house. 
But not before I was able to get some bridal shots of this beautiful bride:
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Her wedding day wasn't until the Saturday following Thanksgiving, but this was the only time that either of us could sneak away to get in a little bridal session. She is gorgeous!
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After a morning of photos and some lounging at home, we headed over to the Wagstaff's house for dinner. It was fun to be with friends, who feel like family, and my dad and Kathryn were there too, so it really was a family affair! :)
After dinner we made these little turkey treats:
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And we finished the evening by heading to see 'Wreck it Ralph' with the kids and had a great day! I actually really liked the movie, maybe because I was expecting the worse, and it was better than I thought it would be!
The Friday after Thanksgiving we had Carter spend the night with us, so he could wake up the next day on Tucker's birthday with him. These two boys seemed to just continue right where they left off, even though it had been a good 4 months since we had seen them.
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The next morning, Saturday, we took Tucker to breakfast to celebrate. I had to photograph a wedding all day and evening, so this was the only time we were going to be able to go out to celebrate as a family. The Enloe's, my dad and Kathryn and Jason & Kayla all joined us for breakfast and Tucker got to open his gifts.
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I felt pretty guilty for not spending the day with him on his big day, as I was a bit busy with these two:
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{Although I enjoyed VERY much spending the day with friends and photographing them, I just love them to death!}
But when I got home that night and saw Tucker's room, I didn't feel too guilty, I think he had a pretty good day and got pretty spoiled:
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Oh, and this one, on her own, decided that she wanted to try the big girl potty and wear her new Dora underwear (something that I had been encouraging her for months to do!) and did it, went on the potty all by herself for the very first time!!!  It was a big week for all of us! :) It only lasted one day and she was over it, but at least it was a start, right?! :)
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I have so much to be thankful for! I love this time of year when our thoughts turn toward what we have! I truly have SO much! In all the busyness of the month, I totally spaced it on our Thankful poster, but thank goodness for pintrest, because I already have some ideas for next year! I am so so so blessed!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Dinner with Mama...

That same weekend, after an overload of kid activities, we decided to go out, just adults with my mom while she was here. It was so nice to get out with just adults; my mom and siblings, and we all had a great time together. Usually when we are together, it is an overload of children activities, which I don't mind, but it is nice to connect on a different level every now and then. We had a wonderful evening together. We went to the dockside in C'da.
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I guess it wasn't JUST adults, Aubrie did join us, and it was her birthday that day so she, of course, got a dessert! :)
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Because every one year old needs a dessert that big! :)
Thanks mom, for another wonderful evening!