Art Class

Last night we read Lunchtime for a Purple Snake, a book about a girl who visits her Grandpa's art studio and he teaches her about mixing colors to make new colors and they paint together.  So today we practiced mixing colors and painting!  

Gracie was thrilled to mix red and white to make PINK!

Ava mixed red and blue to make purple for the snake. 

Ava loved looking at the picture in the book and then trying to copy it.  

I was impressed with how well she did!  

Gracie spent over an hour painting the rock that the snake is crawling over.  She had a great time mixing colors and trying to make 'mud' but we don't currently have black paint so she wasn't able to make it exactly how she wanted.  They both had a great time...but in very different ways.  Its fun to see the differences between them.

Mine didn't turn out too bad.  =) 

We love this huge paper roll my mom got at Ikea!  The day before we had read A Picture for Harold's Room (one of the cutest books ever!) and tried to draw some of the things that he had. 

We've had a fun week.  Rene's family was down at their ranch so we went out there twice to spend time with them and see lots of baby cows!

We met friends at the Children's Museum on Friday.  Lots of fun!

Went to Story Hour at the library.

Read lots and lots of new books we borrowed from the library.  

I came across several lists of suggested read-alouds for children (thanks, Barb!) so I went off that instead of randomly selecting books and we've really enjoyed them.

Caught a frog and played with him until he was on the verge of a heart attack.

Created homemade mud puddles in the back yard and got very, very dirty.

'Helped' Joel repair the fence and got very, very dirty.  

They tried to dig holes like he was for the fence posts, then they 'planted' some grass, covered it with dirt and watered it, and keep wanting to go check to see what's growing in their 'garden'.  HA!  

So this evening I think we'll go buy something to plant...

Some Recent Pictures

It's that time of year again...time to pack up the too small/winter clothes and pull out the bigger/summer clothes!  We are blessed beyond measure to receive all of Amelia and Gabrielle's clothes!  You should have heard Ava when I dumped out the bags.  "NEW CLOTHES!!!!!!  Can I try on this one?  OH, I like THIS one!  Do you like this?  Oh, I have to go show Daddy!"  

She is a girly girl, through and through.

The closet is full: 

The dressers are full.  I think we're set! 

Came upon this the other day: 

Joel has been repairing our fence.  Taking down sections and re-cementing the posts to make it sturdier. 

Breakfast outdoors! 

Modeling some new dresses on Sunday:

 

Joel preached a Children's Rally in Edmond a couple weeks ago.  I think there were around 180 people crammed into a church that probably only holds 100.  People were lining the aisles and some had to stand the whole time.

Precious girls worshipping during song service:

He did awesome!

This sweet girl received the beautiful gift of the Holy Ghost!

We spent the night with Matt and Amanda and got to visit with them the next day and eat at The Cheesecake Factory!!

Joel took Gracie for a special Daddy Day recently:

And Ava came with me to re-decorate my Sunday School classroom:

Both girls are completely attached to the PJs they are wearing in this picture.  They have insisted on wearing ONLY these ones for months and months and months.

I'm so sick of looking at them!

They won't give them up though.  I have tried to convince Gracie that they are too small (sleeves are 3/4 length now) but she insists they're not.  I tried to tell Ava we needed to pack hers up because they are winter ones but no such luck.

Oh well.
=)

Ava's Morning Routine

For 2-3 weeks now, Ava has been very much into getting dressed each morning and fixing her own hair.  She picks out her clothes, goes into the bathroom and shuts the door, changes clothes, sprays water on her hair and combs it, then picks out a headband to wear.  Then she emerges from the bathroom, very proud of herself and ready for the day.  It is SO cute.  =)

Imagination Strikes Again

Self-Portraits

Weekend with Daddy

While I was at Ladies Conference this past November, Joel took the girls to the city for a fun weekend!
They were very excited and just couldn't wait so he ended up leaving a couple hours earlier than he planned.

They got to eat at a restaurant.  Always a highlight!

Checking out the hotel pool.

Ready to go swimming.  Daddy fixed their hair!

All decked out with arm floaties and life jackets.  Gracie swam all over the place but Ava stayed close to the side.

They went to Subway afterward.  Worn out!!

Daddy fixed their hair again the next day.

He took them to an indoor playground and they had a blast!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Ladies Conference and am so thankful I got to go and didn't have to worry about the girls.  =)

A Date with Daddy

One Saturday Ava asked where we were going for the day and I said that I wasn't going anywhere, but that Daddy was going to Lowe's and she could ask him if she could go.  She ran right off to ask him and came back to Gracie and I and said, "Gracie, Daddy said we could go with him!"  Gracie said to me, "Are you going?"  I told her I was not and she said, "I don't want to go."  So Ava said, "I don't want to go either."  Arg!

 I've always wanted to do one-on-one time with them, especially as they get older, but they haven't cared much for the idea yet.  So I was aggravated that day because Ava would go if Gracie would but Gracie wouldn't go if I wasn't going.

So anyways, it took a bit but we convinced Ava that this was going to be a special day for her and Daddy and that he would take her to get ice cream.  She picked out her clothes and was excited to wear a new hair bow.  "Everybody will love it," she said.  =)

Gracie was quietly watching her get ready and finally said, "But Ava...you might get sad...and you will want me."  Basically telling her that she wasn't going and that maybe Ava should reconsider going as well.  Ha ha!  Then as Ava was about to walk out the door, Gracie, who was across the room, frantically said, "Ava, I need to hug you!"  So Ava ran over to her and Gracie held on tight for longer than usual and finally Ava said, "I have to go now."  LOL! 


She was proud to have a purse and have money in it.

First they went to Lowe's and Joel was amazed at how different, and easier, it was to have only one child along.  Then they got ice cream and Ava paid for it.  She said, "I'm getting big now.  I'm learning to know how to pay!"

Then he took her to Big Lots and she asked if she could get a toy.  He said, "Maybe, if it doesn't cost too much money."  She said, "I have money!"  =)

Meanwhile, Gracie was VERY happy to have me all to herself.  She wanted to build blocks so we spent most of the time doing that.  Joel called a couple of times and Gracie said, "Mommy, you KEEP talking on the phone.  I want you to build blocks with me!"

And then she wanted to take a bubble bath by herself.  I think that was her favorite part!