New Years Eve!

It's become an annual tradition to ring in the new year with the Papke's!  We used to make it to midnight and someday hopefully we will again but for now we celebrate in the early evening and are home by 8:00…..usually in bed before 10!  We always have so much fun.  Katie always has fun activities for the kids and balloons/hats/decorations!  I can't wait for next year when Jack and Bennett are running around with the big kids!  Cal and Lyla are so good to Madelyn and she loves playing with all their toys and now she even likes their puppy, Addie!

Here we are in our party hats…..just after the balloon drop!

 

Cheers!

Bishop Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my dad's side on Saturday at Carla and Luke's house.  It's always a fun afternoon/evening.  The kids ran around, kept eating sweets and just had a blast together!  I'm glad we have started this tradition as we all get busy throughout the year and don't see each other as much anymore so it's a way for us to all come together for a day!

The Crew

Great Grandparents with the Great Grandkids
Madelyn wasn't excited for the picture

Carla, Grandpa Ray and me

Love this picture!

Nora and Madelyn feeding their babies

Christmas Day

Christmas morning we were all up bright and early!  Madelyn was excited to see what Santa brought!  Madelyn also opened the gift that we gave her….an art easel.  She enjoyed painting pictures for Mama and Gampa and Uncle Luke & Auntie!  We had a relaxing day at home which was much needed.  Madelyn enjoyed playing with her magna tiles and Jack was walking all over the place!

Both kids ended the day with cupcakes and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!  Our family is truly blessed and we had a wonderful Christmas again this year!

Hello Kitty for Madelyn
Magnatiles, Minnie Mouse Smartphone, Tot Clock and Disney Fairy water bottle

SpongeBob for Jack
Soft & cuddly monkey, Mickey Mouse sippy cup and Micky Mouse book

Madelyn loving her new easel

Our future artist

Trying out their new chairs from Santa

Building a house with the magna tiles

Yummy cupcake!
Madelyn's shirt got dirty from the frosting so she went shirtless the rest of the day!

Jack loving his Christmas cupcake too!

Jack is on the go with his push toys!
It won't be long before he's walking by himself.

Christmas Eve

We went to the Froehle's to celebrate Christmas Eve.  It was a fun-filled afternoon and evening.  We went to the 3:00 pm Mount Olivet Church service.  What a beautiful church!  The music and choirs were incredible.  Such a great way to start our Christmas Eve celebration.  Then we went back to the Froehle's and the kids played and we got ready for dinner.  Luke and Carla out did themselves with a delicious steak and shrimp dinner.  After dinner it was time for presents.  The kids were so excited!  Jack made his appearance as Santa and the kids started opening their gifts.  Madelyn is at the stage where she was more interested in playing with her gifts than continuing to open more presents.  Bishop is so wonderful to Jack - he is always so helpful and careful with Jack.  You can tell he loves having another little guy around :)  Our kids were exhausted…..Jack fell asleep in Papa's arms and Madelyn was so tired but wanted to keep playing with her cousins.  She never wants to leave when her cousins are around!  Both kids were fast asleep 2 blocks into our ride home!  They had to rest up to see what Santa was bringing on Christmas Day!

Mommy & Santa Jack

Madelyn getting ready to open presents

Madelyn saying "chhhheeeese" and smiling Jack

Daddy and Santa Jack

Bishop Family

Nana and Papa with the grandkids
Everyone's looking and almost everyone (except Jack) is smiling!

Thank you Auntie & Uncle Luke for my new sledding!
Madelyn can't wait to go sledding with Bishop and Nora!

Minnie Mouse dress up doll

Jack got a school bus

Madelyn loves her Minnie Mouse doll from Nana & Papa

Jack loved reading this book…..even though it wasn't one of his presents!

Another one of my favorites!
Auntie and happy Santa Jack

Such an innocent face

Jack was exhausted after a busy afternoon.
No better place to spend time than in Papa's arms!

Bormann Christmas

My precious babies

We took off for to Iowa on Saturday morning.  We ended up stopping in St Peter at my friend Nissa's house.  I forgot black tights for Madelyn and she was kind enough to let us borrow theirs.  It was a great place for a pit stop so I could feed Jack and we could get out and stretch for a bit.  The best part was catching up with their family as we haven't seen them for awhile now that they live in St Peter.

We got to Iowa around lunch time and had our traditional chicken noodle soup.  Oh so yummy!  Even better for me this year as I was still feeling under the weather.  If it hadn't been Christmas I'm not sure I would have made the trip.  Then we opened presents which was a lot of fun.  Jack was more interested in climbing on all the boxes!  Madelyn opened 2 presents to everyone else's 1 present!  One of Madelyn's favorite gifts were the Minnie Mouse slippers she got from Mama and Gampa.  She loved wearing them!!

Then we went to Mass.  The kids did great and Madelyn enjoyed checking out the manger after the service.  Then it was back to their house for dinner…..stuffed pork chops which are always so good!

Even though our trip wasn't long, it's always a fun time in Iowa!  Madelyn loves it there and Jack was all about the marble machine and his Uncle Chris!

Our little climber

Super cute hat from Marc & Jody
The tail moves up and down when you squeeze it

Gampa made the kids wooden caterpillars
Pink & yellow for Madelyn
Green & yellow for Jack
Kenny has such an incredible gift of wood working!

Madelyn reading to Jack
She is such a good big sister!

Bormann Christmas 2013
Blessed to be a part of their family!!

Ear Infection - Jack

Poor Jack has another ear infection.  Looking back I should have noticed the signs but he/we were all recovering from having the stomach flu from the weekend before.  The biggest sign was that any time we tried to lay Jack down - for a nap or at night - he would scream.  Poor guy!  He was also throwing up at night……but only at night.  It was the strangest thing but our niece went through this same experience when she was 11 months old - she threw up every other night for a few days - so I wasn't as concerned as I would normally be.  When Jack didn't seem to be getting any better we decided to take him to the dr and that's when we found out he had an ear infection.  The dr said that the throwing up at night is a sign of an ear infection as well.  Madelyn has had countless ear infections and she never threw up so that was a learning experience for me.  Hopefully the worst is behind Jack and he can be healthy for the holidays!

I was thinking we might get lucky and Jack wouldn't have ear infections but lately it's not looking so good.  He's had 3 ear infections but 2 of them were in the last month.  We'll see what January brings…..but if he continues to have ear infections we will take him to the ENT to be evaluated.  Tubes have worked wonders for Madelyn and for as much as I hope Jack won't need them, if he does I know it will be for the best.

Even when Jack isn't feeling well, he usually has a smile on his face!

Jack's 1st Haircut

Jack got his first haircut today!  You can hardly tell but it was getting long by his ears so I wanted him to get a trim.  He didn't really like it - in fact he screamed the whole time which made it hard for her to get a good cut.  I didn't get a lot of pictures as I took Jack by myself and I ended up having to hold him/his head while she cut.  Hopefully next time will be easier!

Before

So brave!

Still smiling but not for long

All done!

Movin' and a Shakin'

Jack has become much more mobile and on-the-go lately!  He is walking along furniture, climbing into the smaller rocking chair and one morning I found him going behind the couch when we were getting ready to pack up and head to daycare!

So proud when he can get into the chair by himself!

Going behind the couch!