Rocking in the New Year!

We decided to dance the night away with the kids on New Year's Eve this year and so Doug pumped up the volume on the stereo and we danced away to the music (old and new) that the New Year's special on TV was playing.  We had quite the jamming session and Joshua got quite sweaty in the process.  What a way to bring in the new year!  The kids were put to bed around 9:30...not quite ready to keep them up until midnight...and then Doug and I settled in for a movie and watching the ball drop at midnight in Times Square.  Here's to a brand new year filled with great memories and exploring the world that God created for us!  Happy New Year Joshua and Taylor!  We love you and can't wait to see how God shapes your lives in 2012! 

Christmas Loot!

A list of Joshua and Taylor's Christmas Gifts:

Joshua:
3DS Nintendo game system
3DS games:  Tetris, 3D Mario Kart, Carnival games, Phineas and Ferb, Monster Jam Trucks
HexBug Hive Track
Hexbug-green
Schwinn bike container
DS game case
Ninjago small lego kit
1600 piece lego kit
maze
headphones
small Cars movie radio
from Aunt Chris:  3DS Star Wars lego game, Cars movie giant pen, marshmallow Yoda sucker, Merry Madagascar movie, hotwheels car, straw glasses
little boy and lamb ornament
from Aunt Tricia:  3 in 1 lego kit (truck, etc)
from Aunt Angela and Uncle Doug:  Nerf bow and arrow, Veggie Tales book, lego pens
from Gran and Grandaddy:  Lighthouse lego kit, wind up flashlight, headlight, Operation game, Hexbug glow in the dark dual level kit
from Grandpa and Grandma:  Spy Trakr R/C spy car, "Heaven Is For Real for Kids" book, "Auto B Good" DVD,
from Mrs VanAmeringen:  Vixen reindeer stuffed animal, Scholastic book
from Julie Jones:  survival bracelet and bday gift:  survival kit
from Mary:  Smurfs movie
from Melissa Beard:  All about the Ocean Facts book

Taylor:
Rapunzel "Tangled" movie barbie tower
Little Mermaid boat and castle for the tub
My Little Pony baby room
Littlest Pet Shop pets
"Yogi Bear" and "Rio" movies
"Six by Seuss" book
Disney wood puzzles (4)
barbie clothes
Hex bug-light blue
headphones
2 pairs of princess slippers and 2 pairs of princess shoes (Snow White and Cinderella)
1600 legos
small princess radio
body glitter and nail polish
Hello Kitty socks and ornaments
baby Jesus ornament
Mickey mouse watch
Hello Kitty doll
Care Bears Christmas book
Princess rings
from Aunt Chris:  smurfette house, Papa Smurfs laboratory, princess pen, Littlest Pet Shop mini pets, straw glasses, "Merry Madagascar" movie
from Aunt Angela and Uncle Doug:  Flynn Rider barbie doll (from "Tangled" movie), Thumper board book, play make-up, princess floor puzzle and minnie mouse puzzle
from Gran and Grandaddy:  Littlest Pet Shop playground, house legos, Rapunzel hair and make-up doll
from Aunt Tricia and Rob:  Hello Kitty coloring books and hair accessories
from Grandma and Grandpa:  ukelele, "Heaven If For Real for Kids" book, "Far from Home" movie, play toaster, miniature nativity set
from Julie Jones:  hair extensions, bee headband, Minnie mouse headband
from Mary:  Princess Santa hat, princess zip up hard case
from Melissa Beard:  Biscuit stories book

Jib Jab Mania

This Christmas, the kids have had such fun dancing and laughing to Jib Jab videos with their faces attached to the characters that their Aunt Chris made over the past year.  She made several new ones while she was here (per the kids' request) and they have begged to watched them over and over.  The favorite "oldie" was the elves breakdancing starring our kids and their cousins.  Too funny!

Our Christmas Angel!

Taylor was cast as an angel in the Golden Start Preschool K4 play this year.  I found an angel costume for her online and some wings as well.  They played the navity scene and Taylor was one of 4 angels who came and watched over baby Jesus.  She had no lines and was a little cutie walking out onto stage and Doug and I both had no idea what she might do when she stepped out on the stage...but she did great!  We wondered if she might run around and be silly, get scared and start to cry, or maybe get silly and say something loud, but she played her part well and we were so proud of her!  During their song, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" she was busy putting her finger in her nose and didn't sing, but she new the words, because she practiced singing it candidly at home.  She was getting over a cold, but Doug and I wonder if this isn't a nervous habit for her because she seems to do this in new situations.  Oh, we'll have to tease you about this when you are older, Taylor!  We have our growing up "stories" that parents love to share with others!  This is one of yours:) 

You were a beautiful angel and we got some cute pictures of you afterwards.  Santa came to visit Golden Start as well and Joshua went with you to get your picture taken with Santa.  You weren't willing to sit on his lap, but you sat on a stool in front of him and shook in nervous excitement as your picture was being taken. Joshua stood beside Santa and we got several snapshots!  You then got a book about penguins and so did your brother!  How exciting!  Great first play, Taylor! 

Lake Lanier Magical Nights of Lights

Gran , Grandaddy, Aunt Tricia, Rob, Jaeson and all of us went to Lake Lanier to the beautiful Christmas lights drive through experience.  We followed behind Aunt Tricia's car as Jaeson sat in the trunk of the SUV with the lid raised up on a quite a chilly night.  As we first got there, the kids saw other kids in convertibles standing up with their heads sticking out and decided that this was a fantastic way to see the lights so we went along...at first.  Doug opened up the sky roof in his car and the kids wiggled back and forth as they both tried to have their heads stuck out the roof at the same time.  As space was tight and patience seemed to get thinner as well, we opted to watch the rest of the lights inside the nice warm car.  Although, Taylor came up front to sit in my lap and wanted the window rolled down.  We were quite chilly with a blanket wrapped snuggly around us for half of the ride until we got a bit too cold and rolled up the window.  At the end of the tour, there is a Christmas village with a live performance, roasting area for marshmallows and carnival rides.  The kids were more than ready to get on some rides so we bought some tickets and they each rode two rides.  The first was chosen by Taylor, who saw the ferris wheel and decided that this was the one she wanted to do.  I reluctantly went with her, as I am more susceptible to motion sickness these days, but thank goodness, she wasn't one to rock the seat much so it ended up being a lot of fun and it was well worth the trip to see the smile on her face as she rode her first ferris wheel.  Joshua rode with Daddy right behind us and this was his second trip on a ferris wheel.  The boys made funny faces at us and had a great time as well as Aunt Tricia was snapping pictures and the grandparents were waving to us as we went around the wheel.  The kids got to ride two more rides each and they rode the spinning hearts ride first which was like the Disney teacups but in a heart cage instead (so thankful that I did not have to do this one!).  For their last ride, Joshua chose the bumper cars and Taylor wanted the swings, but the wait was too long so she rode the boats instead.  A great Christmas filled evening that I'm sure the kids will remember for a long time.  Taylor's favorite light display was Pooh Bear falling into a pot of honey and Joshua seemed to think that one was quite funny as well!

Wig fashion show

During our Christmas time with the Harding side, we pulled out the Rapunzel wig and Doug's 70's wig and we all took turns putting them on and posing for pictures.  I have to say that I think Doug enjoyed sporting the Rapunzel wig the most and posed many times for the camera and even grabbed the guitar for a rocker pic.  Aunt Tricia and Rob and Jaeson joined in on the fun, but we couldn't get Joshua or Gran or Grandaddy to try on the silly wigs.  Maybe next time!!!  Too funny.  Taylor put on the 70's wig for just enough time to get a couple of snapshots and then the wig was off.  Oh well, she's already got curly hair so it wasn't quite as dramatic as the rest of us:) 

Air Tran Flight Extravaganza!

Joshua went with his class to Air Tran for a field trip today. What an experience!  It was jam packed with so many great experiences for the kids and the chaperons.  We started out the morning meeting on of the Customs dogs whose job is to sniff out fruits, vegetables, and meats that are in bags.  His name was Vance, a beagle, and the kids LOVED watching him in action.  The kids tried to find the hidden foods in the bags under all the chairs before Vince got a chance, and Vince was much more accurate than the kids at finding the foods either by sniffing or looking through the bags.  We then went to a room where two flight attendants helped the kids with a craft of coloring wooden airplanes to take home.  After that, we walked over to the Boeing building across the street.  Each student got to get into a 20 million dollar flight simulator machine (the same ones that commercial pilots train on) and do a take off, flight and landing.  This was a really cool experience.  They did not turn on the movement part of the simulator (thank goodness), but it felt like we were moving as we looked out the cockpit window and saw everything you would see if you were a pilot.  Joshua loved this and took off a little jumpy, but then got the hang of it and had a great landing per the trainer! The kids also had some air traffic control training as they had to listen to direction to move themselves along the runway to take off area without running into each other.  Pizza was provided for lunch and then we headed off to the hanger to look at some jet engines (no planes were in for maintenance so the kids didn't get to see an actual plane) and get into a airport fire truck and watch the truck shoot off a seriously strong stream of water on the pavement.  They also got to go up in a bucket ladder (as I did, too, and got to go almost to the top of the hanger...perk of being an adult!) and they sat inside a vehicle that pulls planes to the hanger that need to be worked on.  All of the kids seemed to have an incredible time and it was a great experience for all!  The kids got to end the day with going down the escape slide in the training center as I did, too, and that was quite fun!  Awesome day!

Joshua's Christmas Concert

Joshua had his first speaking part in a school Christmas concert this year.  Most of the kids spoke and they all did a great job!  They sang about the trip to Bethlehem for Jesus' birth and Josha's line was "Imagine...you are on the road to Bethlehem".  He spoke loud and clear and didn't rush through it.  He was  real pro up there and I hope that he'll get more chances like it in the future.  Great job!  The 2nd grade classes sang a couple of songs and Joshua looked a little sleepy through one of them with a yawn, but he made it through and his class did so well.  Doug went up close and got some pictures of Joshua speaking and we got a lot of the singing on tape. Great evening!