Detroit Kid City!

After Thanksgiving we went to a place called Detroit Kid City with our friends the Ryckman's. It's like a mini indoor version of a city with the kids can use imagination and pretend play. They have 8 "rooms" set up like a recording studio, school, autoshop, barber, bank, post office, market, pizzeria. The kids love the freedom to play wherever they want! Its been a great place to o this winter to get us put of the house! Just wish there were more of these places around because as more people find out about it, it gets busier and busier each time we go!

 Jackson trying out his piano skills

 working in the bank

 Ellery driving the car

 Ellery trying out the mini guitar

 look at all the nobs and buttons that we can touch :)

 playing in the market

 Ellery loved the fishing hat on this particular day :)

Jackson and Ellery in the bank

Florida - Fall 2012

Jackson Ellery, and I left Daddy in Michigan and headed to Florida with Grandma in the beginning of November. The kids did really great on the plane...but glad we were prepared with lots of stuff to do and snacks :) We mainly stayed at the Condo and relaxed the whole week we were there, which was great. Jackson and Ellery absolutely LOVED the beach! Can't wait till we can take them back there again!!

 

 Getting ready for takeoff! Jackson was sooo excited :)

 keeping busy on the flight

 watching some disney junior in the morning of course and having a banana :)

 The ocean YEAH!! We were so not smart and had Jackson wear his clothes to the beach and not a suit cause it was still early in the day. Needless to say he was soaked by the time we left....lesson learned :)

 my pretty girl on what's left of the beach....lots of erosion due to the hurricanes recently!

 These two munchkins kept wanting to drink out of our water bottles and not their cups, so we found them some small water bottles. They were super excited about them :)

 Our usual morning activity...playing at the beach. We couldn't have asked for better weather while we were there!

 Ellery likes to wear her sunglasses on her forehead...and upside down :)

 my little man :)

 having fun in the BIG waves!!! it was a windy day but we managed to get a little beach time in!

laying in the warm sand :)

Ellery's Swim Class!

When Jackson graduated from the baby pool to the big pool we slid Ellery into his spot. She loves going to swim class just as much as Jackson does!

 

 practicing her kicking across the pool

 kicking the big ball around the pool

 using her pulling arms to gather up the rainbow balls and bring them back to the bucket. She's gotten really good at holding them under her chin so she can bring back three to four at a time :)

 Having fun with Daddy :)

 Walking across the big blue mat

 and the BIG jump back in :)

 practicing elbow, elbow, tummy, knee to get out of the pool

 supergirl glide to Daddy :)

 "floating" on her back and singing twinkle twinkle while looking at the mirror

 motor boat!

 Her favorite part...the slide!

Giving Ms Olivia high five and saying goodbye :)

Niagara Falls!

Gerrad and I took a belated 5 year anniversary trip to Niagara Falls the end of October. My sister Kristyn came to stay with our munchkins on one of her breaks from school so we could actually get away for a few days! It was great! Granted the weather was pretty yuck the whole time (cold and rainy), but we still managed to have a great time and get some sight seeing in :)

 

 This was the view from our hotel room!

 We walked up to the falls to do the journey under the falls and thankfully it wasn't raining when we went. On our way back it started to sprinkle and eventually downpour but we made it back just in time.

 The Canadian Falls

One more photo op....Gerrad was too cool to wear a plastic bag :) I however didn't want my non-water proof coat to get wet!

Fall Fun and Halloween!

We had sooo much fun this fall with trips to the farm, picking out pumpkins, zoo boo, pumpkin carving and of course trick or treating :) We thankfully had wonderful weather for our trips to the farm with church and Jackson's class.

 

 Our family photo op at the pumpkin patch! The pumpkins were slim pickings by the time we went but we managed to find a decent one. there was no way Jackson was going to let us leave without one!

 After the pumpkin patch the kids went on a pony ride! They both LOVED it!!

 Ellery holding on tight...she's getting to be such a big girl!

 We had heard of a trick or treat at a local park and had told the kids we were going to go. However just as we were about to go our friends said don't go....apparently the line to get in was SUPER long and chances are there wouldn't have even been any candy left. So since the kids thought they were going trick or treating our neighbor's and I decided we'd put the kids costumes on and scrounge up some candy from inside our houses and have them "trick or treat" at our two houses....they didn't know any different and thought it was fun :)

 Jackson's preschool went to the farm and all the kids got to pick a pie pumpkin to take home. Here are Ellery and Jackson putting their pumpkins they picked in their bags. They were too busy to look up at the camera!

 Jackson and his buddy Connor from school with their pumpkins :)

 After the pumpkin patch the class did the corn maze. This was Jackson's turn to tell Farmer Bonnie which way to go in the maze. All the kids had a chance to pick a direction to go.

 My little pumpkin :)

 Jackson milking the goat....he thought it was soooo cool and he was one of the few that would actually do it. Ellery and most of his classmates wouldn't go up there! Go Jackson!!

 Ellery and Jackson ready to trick or treat at the Detroit Zoo Boo! We went with our good friends the Ryckman's and had a great time and got a lot of treats!

 This was our better late than never pumpkin carving on the night of Halloween! It was a busy fall for us and we just didn't have time to get it in before Halloween...but we did it!

 Jackson loved pulling out all the seeds!!

 Our finished products!

Jackson and Ellery ready to go trick or treating with their good buddies Jack and James!!