Ready for Spring

Finally we've had a few days that we've been able to get outside and play....the kids are so ready for spring!!! Here are some pics...

Come on warmer weather...we are ready!!!!

Christmas, Natalie's 6th birthday, and Snowmageddon

So for some reason blogging has moved pretty far down my list of things to do...so I'm just now getting aroudn to posting some updated pictures.

Christmas 2010

We had lots of fun this year because the kids are really starting to get into Christmas and Santa and all of the excitement that goes with it. Here are some pics:

Shortly after Christmas Natalie celebrated her 6th birthday with a Hello Kitty party. She had her friends party in the afternoon and then family came over for dinner. She had LOTS of fun and enjoyed her special day.

And I don't think we have to say much about the crazy snow storm we had...here are some pictures of the kids enjoying all the snow.



Halloween Fun

Finally....here are some pictures of the kiddos from the past month of fall fun:

 Fun at Raders Pumpkin Farm

 

 



  

Trip to Brookfield Zoo

 

Carving Pumpkins

Trick-or-Treat

 

Update Kid Pics

Some pictures of the kiddos at the Prairie Aviation Day at the Airport. They had lots of games, activities, planes, trucks, helicopters, etc for the kids to play with/on.

Justin and Taylor started school. Justin goes three mornings a week and Taylor goes one morning a week. Here they are with their backpacks on and ready to go! Justin LOVES school which is a big change from last year. He tolerated school last year but I don't think he ever woke up excited to go. Taylor does awesome and her teachers say she has a calming influence over the other little ones in her class who have a little separation anxiety going on.

Here are the kiddos in their Halloween pjs (thank you grandma and grandpa!)...and just wait until you see the official Halloween costume choices of the Curtis kiddos...Justin's is definitely interesting...but very cute :)! We are off to go pumpkin picking later this week and I'm sure we'll have some cute Halloween pictures to share with everyone in a few weeks.

Justin's new activity....learning to play ice hockey. I'm not sure there is anything cuter then the little ice skates he wears :)! The first set of classes are all about learning to skate and he's doing ok. He falls down a lot but keeps getting back up and so far wants to go back every week. He wants to sign up for the next set of classes so it looks like we'll be investing in a hockey helmet. That will make mom feel better :)! Natalie has gone every week to watch and now she wants to give it a try...she'll be starting ice skating lessons in November too! She's giving up gymnastics to do it so let's hope she enjoys the new experience!

Halloween pictures to come in a few weeks...be sure to check back!!!!

Summer 2010

It's hard to believe that the summer is over already! We had such a fun summer with so many things going on that it isn't a surprise that it went by so fast. We had lots of family around so the kids were able to play with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents a lot. We we regulars at State Farm Park and by the time we reached our last trip there Justin and Natalie were pros at going down the waterslides by themselves and Taylor enjoyed going down with either mom or dad. We did our usual blueberry picking, a girls trip to the American Girl Store with The Curtis Family, tested out some real fighter jets, did t-ball/soccer/gymnastics, had a mini-vacation in Galena, kids had sleepovers with friends and family, we all went to the Lincoln Balloon Festival, and Justin drove some big trucks at the Day of the Dozer. I think the kids really enjoyed this summer! Here are just a few pics...

Natalie at T-ball

Taylor is quicker then my camera

The Kids in Galena

The family at the Lincoln Balloon Festival

Justin driving an excavator

Natalie started Kindergarten last week and is having a lot of fun. She rides the bus to and from school and hasn't had any issues with the whole experience...yet. She loves her teacher, class, and has made a new friend that rides on the bus with her and is in her class. Here is a picture of her on the first day of school.

Her glamor girl camera pose

Justin starts preschool after Labor Day and will meet his new teachers this week for a short time and see his classroom. He'll be going three mornings a week and Taylor will be in the toddlers program one morning a week. We are looking forward to a fun filled school year!

First Bike Ride Experiences

Here are pictures of the first bike rides for all the Curtis kids over the years. We have a range of emotions and it really reflects their individual personalities.

Natalie at 15 months - not a risk taker at all

Justin at 11 months - unsure so insert thumb in mouth

Taylor at 12 months - so laid back she fell asleep

Pre-K Graduation and Taylor's Big Day

So we had two big celebrations in the Curtis family the last couple of weeks. The first was Natalie's graduation from Preschool. There was a little ceremony with songs and the awarding of her diploma. She's already to start Kindergarten in the fall now! Here's a picture of the graduate:

There was also a big parade at preschool on the last day that both kids were in. They decorated their own t-shirts and since it was raining the parade was inside.

The second big celebration was Taylor's 1st Birthday!!! She had two celebrations...the first was just the five of us and since we had a bout of sickness all week we stayed in and just celebrated with a candle in a twinkie and opened some presents. Then we had a family party yesterday with all of the grandparents and Uncle Brad, Aunt Sheila and Sydney too. The kids played in the pool and sprinkler and we grilled out and of course had the traditional 1st Birthday ISU Reggie Redbird cake! Taylor had a blast and it was nice to have a party that could be outside. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family to celebrate with! Pictures of the birthday girl:

The kids also made a trip to Chicago with Aaron and his parents for the annual American Brain Tumor Association walk/run (of course I had to stay home and work..boo). Afterwards they went and looked at the Bean.