Making Memories

Christmas is a fun time of year. But with the hustle and bustle of finding the perfect gift so much can be lost. I want our girls to remember serving and having traditions at Christmas. This is the second year in a row that we've gone thru the Christmas season without Kevin here and had a move right at Christmas. But we are making the best of it and starting some traditions now! Driving around looking at Christmas lights, watching Polar Express and eating popcorn, making cookies and sending/bringing them to ppl, jamming out to Christmas music (and not a second before Thanksgiving is over!), serving the needy in our community, etc. Ayda has really jumped in this year and its been so fun!

Our neighbors have a 2 story Santa in their yard! The girls think its hilarious...as do I. There's an equally large Rudolph as well. Ayda asks me to drive by there all the time. So funny







We also had fun making Hanukah and Christmas cookies one night. Ayda really got into pushing the cookie cutter into the dough and then painting them with icing after they had cooked. It was a fun afternoon project! I made one of the little gingerbread girls preggo to take to my friend whose due Christmas Day! It made me laugh! We sent the Hanukah cookies north to my dad and fam up there. And we took the Christmas cookies to my friend that night! Ayda even sang Jingle Bells to them. It was so cute. I want to set traditions for our family that we look forward to every Christmas season. There are such great memories behind every family tradition!





- Rebekah

My Precious FOUR Year Old

I cannot even believe another year has passed and Ayda is now 4. It has been quite a year for her as well. We moved to NC right after her 3rd birthday. She settled into her new school very well and made new friends in no time. She transitioned great. In the spring/early summer we had a bit of a rough spell though. She tested her boundaries but it didn't last long and she was back to her very happy go lucky self. And since the day she turned 3 1/2 she has seriously been the best! Kevin and I are truly so blessed by her. She lights up the room when she walks in, she is so patient and fun with her sister, she loves to make you laugh, she says the wittiest things, she adores her friends and family, she has such a great outlook on life, she is patient, and she just loves life!

Ayda,
You made me a mommy 4 years ago today. You came into this world bright eyed and screaming. You keep me on my toes but you are such a joy to be around everyday. I miss you the few hours you go to school everyday because time without you is much quieter and less funny! You love when you can get me cracking up and you keep going to keep me laughing. You know when something isn't right with me and remind me that you love me. I am so blessed to be your mommy and I am so thankful to watch you grow everyday. You are so smart! In some ways I feel like you've been four for months now. But I remember the day you came into my arms and I will never forget that. I love you sweet girl. It's been fun celebrating you this week! You make your daddy and me so proud! We love you to the moon and back...no matter what!

Here are some things Ayda's been saying lately:
Daddy: Ayda, I love you no matter what!
Ayda: What?!?

Grand-Pam: I don't know where to go to dinner!
Ayda: What about Welcome to Moes?!

Ayda: Mommy, what's that?
Mommy: It's Daddy's money he made at work. That's why he works so hard...so we have a house to live in, clothes to wear, and food to eat.
Ayda: Chinese food?

After about 3 hours of driving Ayda woke up from her short nap...
Ayda: Mommy, what continent are we on?
Mommy: North America
Ayda: STILL?!?!

Grand-Pam: Let's go find some reindeer (Christmas ones lit up)
Ayda: There are NO reindeer!
Grand-Pam: Yes there are!
Ayda: Reindeer are in Arctica (Antarctica)

Ayda: We are following the UPS man!!! Maybe we can get my meeguks!!! (She calls her vitamins "meeguks"! She has called them that since she first started talking and it doesn't matter how many times I correct her they are still Meeguks!

(My personal favorite)
Mommy: Ayda, I love you to the moon and back!
Ayda: I love YOU to the moon and back again!

 Ayda a few days old!

 Newborn Pic

 1 Year Old

 2 Years Old

 3 Years Old

4 Years Old

Ayda's 4th Birthday pARTy!

We celebrated Ayda's birthday Saturday. Kevin was able to come up for the weekend so we wanted to celebrate early! My mom and best friend came from ATL as well! It was a fun weekend! Ayda was beyond excited to have daddy, Grand-Pam and Aunt Lauren here!

Her party was "Art" themed. She helped me pick out the projects and worked hard on the decorations the week before the party. She and Hadley both spent a few afternoons coloring! It was a fun party and the best part was watching her with her three closest friends. Sadie and Kate are in her class at school and Sofia is a sweet friend we met through Hadley's playgroup. Our family loves Sofia's family so it's been fun to have the girls get to know each other and play so well together this year.

Also Ayda has literally been asking for at least 6 months for a bike. Kevin and I really try not to just give our kids whatever they want when they want. Granted they do get plenty! So we told her she could get a bike for her birthday. Bless her heart for being SO patient in waiting. I have a love/hate relationship with the timing of her birthday. Part of me loves that it is in the middle of the holidays and all the excitement that goes with that and part of me hates that she gets Birthday and Christmas presents so close together. But she waited and waited and we made sure she got her only request!! And she was SO very excited. She rides it any chance she can get! Today she was perfectly content to ride in circles on the driveway. It's hard for her to get to really ride it while I am also chasing Hadley around. She is so proud of that bike, bell, basket and helmet!!

We had an awesome weekend celebrating our (almost) 4 year old! 

Thanksgiving

We headed to ATL for Thanksgiving again this year. It was such a needed break for me. To have my mom and Kevin helping with the girls I felt like I got a mental and physical break!

Wednesday my mom and I just bummed around with the kids.

Thursday Kevin and I got up early and ran a 10k race. Then my mom and Step dad met up with us. Kevin took the girls home and I walked the 5K with my mom and Jim. I was so proud of my mom for walking it and beating her best time only 9 months after she broke her leg! It was a great accomplishment and I was happy to walk with her! We came home, cleaned up, enjoyed some Chinese food take out (nothing else open!), and spent time with my step sister and her kids! Ayda LOVED playing with her cousins. Thursday night my brother's crew came so we got to spend a little time with them (they had to leave early Friday to head back to Bham...that's kinda a long story!)

Friday mom and I got up early and headed out for a morning of shopping. We both agreed that the retail stores have all but ruined (well let's just say ruined) black friday shopping. When people are getting trampled, shot, etc...it's definitely ruined. But we went for a relaxing trip to the Avenue and then to the mall to rome a bit. Neither of us really had anything major to shop for. I loved time with just her too...no kids! Friday evening we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day (a day late) dinner! Angie, Joey, Natalie and Michael came over again for most of the day and hung out. I don't get to see them much so that time was great with them! It was all around a fun holiday!

Saturday was spent with just Kevin, Me and the girls. Also very much needed. We bummed around in the morning, took naps in the afternoon and then Kevin and I went on a date with some friends that night. 

 Hadley getting a pep talk from cousin Michael

 Ayda LOVED playing with Natalie! They got along so well!

 Four little cousins cheesing it up for the camera!

My grandma with four of her Great Grandkids!

Halloween

We had SUCH a fun Halloween this year! We finally live in a neighborhood and could just go door to door trick or treating. We invited our friends over for dinner! Then we got the kids all dressed and headed out! Not sure who had more fun...the kids or us adults. Kevin and Joseph stayed at the house to hand out candy! It was just all around a fun fun time! So glad we were able to share it with the Nilo clan!

 Ayda ONLY wanted a pumpkin carved if it could be a ballerina. For Kevin...challenge was accepted! He did an awesome job! :)

 Ayda was (in her words) a "Princess Fairy Ballerina" 

Hadley was a "dog dog"

 I dressed as a dog dog too to match Hadley! 

 Ayda and Sophia had a blast together!

And Lucas rocked his Gnome costume! Loved it!!! :)

Tough Mudder

October 27: Kevin was part of what's called Tough Mudder. It's an 11 mile course with 25 obstacles throughout. Not just simple obstacles like run through a bunch of tires. No these obstacles included ice, electrocution, mud, etc. He had to jump off a cliff into a lake of water, he had to crawl through a lot of mud, he had to jump into a huge "bath" of ice water (we watched them refill the ice bins), cross a set of monkey bars that were buttered and at an incline and decline. These are just to name a few. I was so proud of him for finishing and he loved every minute of. The soreness afterwards was no joke as well!! I can only imagine. 

Backing up a few months...Kevin decided in July it was time to get in shape and lose the "baby" weight. He joined me on eating Paleo and started committing to go to the Y almost every morning at 5:15AM. Me being the encouraging wife I am chuckled when he said 5:15AM. I know well that Kevin is not a morning person. BUT he did it. Every morning I'd wake up to the garage door going up at around 5:15. 

One afternoon we were driving home from somewhere and he saw an ad for a Triathlon. He said he wanted to do that and was going to sign up. Again, me being the encouraging wife I am, asked if he realized Triathlon included running, swimming AND biking! He wanted to do it though. He looked up the one we saw and set the date to do it. But before he could sing up, he came across Tough Mudder. Now if you know Kevin well at all...when he does something he does it right. Simply getting in shape was not going to cut it. He needed something big to keep him motivated and he'd have something staring him in the face for some accountability. The boy was pumped about Tough Mudder. He briefly tried to talk me into it and I told him he lost me at mud! We found out one of our friends was doing it too so Kevin was able to join his team. 

And Kevin got in shape, lost almost 30 pounds, and accomplished his goal of Tough Mudder! I am a proud wife! I watched all these people do these crazy obstacles and still had no desire to be out there. I knew Kevin was going to do great and he did...and I was happy to cheer him on!

Ayda ready to cheer daddy on at the starting line 

 Kevin's 9:40AM group ready to start!

 Buttered up monkey bars!

 The girls were SO excited when Kevin ran by us! They cheered him on! 

 A huge wall he had to run up and get over! 

All finished!!

So proud of Kevin and our friend Eric. They stuck together during the race and finished strong!

Florida Trip

Kevin had a week off from work in October so we decided to head south and spend the week with his family. It was a much needed vacation and we love the time with his parents. We really laid low and enjoyed relaxing!

Ayda asked to go to Disney and see the Princesses so we planned one day for that. She has been to Disney several times (perk of living there for 2 years and knowing ppl who work at Disney and can get us in free!). But it seemed like this time she really got how awesome it is. Even Hadley was excited. It wasn't crowded at all when we first got there in the morning. We rode 5 rides within about 2 hours. It was great!! Then we waited in line to meet Pooh and Tigger. That was the highlight for Hadley. She ran right up to both of them and gave them a hug. It was so cute!! Ayda was still asking to see Princesses so Kevin and I decided to see if she'd be content with just watching the show right outside the castle. There are several Princesses, music and dancing!! Then we watched the parade and she saw them again. She was thrilled!! Whew!! We really had no interest in paying an arm and a leg or standing in an insane line for her to meet a Princess.  On our way out of the park Kevin and I ran into one of the main stores and decided to get Ayda a princess nightgown. She doesn't have a favorite princess really so we went with the safest color...pink! It was Sleeping Beauty on the gown. Kevin's brother got us a discount so it was perfect. She was beyond excited when we gave it to her. She couldn't wait to get home and wear it to bed! So we are heading for the exit and Kevin's mom grabs me and tells me there is a Princess off to the side and not much of a line. She asked if we should let Ayda get a picture. I checked out the line and it only had a few people in it!! I grabbed Ayda out of the stroller and headed over. She couldn't believe she was going to meet a Princess. AND it turned out to be Sleeping Beauty!! I mean seriously...the place is magical! :) We met Aurora and Ayda got a picture with her. She still talks about meeting her and her night gown is definitely her favorite.

As we left Disney for another time, I looked at Kevin and said "well that could not have gone more perfect if we tried!". It was a great day!!