Finger Painting Fun

Ben's teacher Ms.Erin said she wishes she could do some baby art with the little ones at school. She has tried pudding and shaving cream with the little ones she has worked with in the past. So today I decided to let Olivia try to express her creative side. I got her down to her diaper and let her get nice and messy! Ben and Olivia both made some great pictures and as you can see they had a blast!

Painting, Painting and More Painting

Here is the new Master Suite painted with the window trim in place. It looks great! My mom has been busy painting last week, all weekend and today. She has everything painted all the way to the family room. I repainted one wall in Ben's room but that is about all I can take credit for with this round of painting.

The family room still needs painting but I primed it a couple weeks ago and even the primer helps make it look more finished. Olivia's room is painted and the new closet shelf and bar are in place. I still have all the window/door trim to paint but that will wait until we are back in the house.

This is why we are still living across the street! We still have a mess over there and it will be a couple more weeks before we are home.

Family Photos

It was time for Olivia to have her 1 year pictures taken so in the snow storm we drove to my cousins Jeff and Julie Dreke's house to have her photo shoot. We also got some good ones of the family, siblings and kids by themselves. I am always amazed at how many turn out because it never seems like it is going well during the shoot (see the last picture!)

MOM, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!

Thanks Jeff!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!

Christmas Eve was spent with the Knight family this year. Leslie was home from Spain and Great Grandma "Farmer" has been here visiting from Washington state. The kids looked so cute all dressed up in their Christmas outfits. Olivia's dress was yet another great borrowed outfit from Addie Julien. Thanks Addie!

After Church while we waited for dinner to be ready Trevor, Ben, uncle Cory and Aunt Leslie did a little sledding. Check out Ben's new goggles. Those were a great birthday present to help keep that snow out of his eyes.

Christmas morning Santa came through and Ben got his new hockey helmet! He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

Christmas Day we drove to Fairmont to see the Alm family and Eisenminger family. Ben looked pretty sharp in his new hat from Spain. We spent the night at Great Grandpa and Grandma Eisenminger's and Aunt Susie was there from Brainerd.

Christmas day was spent at the the Olingers with all Grandpa "across the street's" family. He got a real hammer from Jamie. So appropriate since he has watched Jamie use a hammer at our house all fall. And of course safe first... as you can see by his very own safety goggles!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our loved ones!

Orchard Park Preschool's Holiday Concert 2010

Ben's Preschool had their Holiday concert on December 23rd. The kids got all dressed up in their concert clothes after nap time. The girls had their hair done nice and they waited for the parents to arrive. They came out one by one... Ms. Erin and Ms. Kristine had them so well trained and organized and the kids did a perfect job. They sangs songs about the Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas. Ben was so excited that he spent most of the just smiling from ear to ear.

New Skates!

So Ben asked Santa for ONE thing this year and that was a Hockey Helmet. So if Santa was going to deliver we figured Ben better learn how to skate. The weekend before Christmas we bought Ben his first pair of skates and off to the rink we went.

Of course Olivia went too all bundled up to endure the cold.

Ben spent more time riding on the folding chair cheering dad on to go faster and faster. You see Ollie Murray is much faster and daddy could not keep up with him.

The girls had a great time too riding around in the sled together. Ben did do a little skating on his own just hanging on to mommy's hand and he did great.

Overall, the skating was a success and the boys had a great time. Only a few tear and lots of smiles!

Sheetrock is UP!

Last week the Sheetrock went up and the mudding and taping started. This means we are living across the street again. Trevor and I moved all our furniture and put plastic over every doorway and closet and we moved out! We packed for a month stay and Grandpa and Grandma's and don't plan on moving back in until after the hardwood floors are set. Here is the new mud room and the 1/2 wall we took out into the living room. The window is where the doorway into our

house used to be.

The hall way back to our new master suite and the vaulted ceiling in the new room.

The KING size bed will fit between these two windows. The second picture is looking at the

closet and back to the hallway.

We are now 10 days into our stay at "Grandpa and Grandma's across the street" as Ben says and we are all still speaking to each other! We will see how the next 3 weeks go...