Happy 6th Rice!

A letter from mommy!

Rice another year has come and gone.  You are starting to look like a miniature version of the man you will one day become.
This has been a big year.  You started kindergarten which was tough on both me and you.  You have a new baby brother that you can't resist loving on at the end of a long day.  You started to share a room with Hadley.  She loves it and you don't mind having the company right beside you.  Reagan still sleeps every night on the end of your bed.  It's a room full of love for sure.  You have tried many new things and made many new friends.  We could not be more proud.
You are a deep thinker.  Thinking about the way the world works.  Sometimes I wish you wouldn't take things so seriously but you still have that fun loving side.  The goofy laugh that starts when you get excited about even the littlest thing.  The way you bury your face in your hands when something so silly just overwhelms your whole body.  I love those moments because a huge goofy smile spreads across your face.
You share very little about kindergarten.  You share about who you played with and what special classes you had but you hardly ever share what you are learning.  But you are learning.  You can add and subtract like crazy in your head.  You can read.  You work hard to sound out the bigger words.  You love to write and label your pictures.  You love your teacher.
You have grown to love watching basketball and football on tv.  We now tape games that are on too late for you so you can catch up the next morning.  You have played basketball and baseball and soccer this year.  Your favorite changes with the different seasons but you have learned new things and even scored the first basket in your first practice game of the basketball season.  You work and definitely want to improve.  This summer you had me (6 months pregnant) pitching you baseballs in the 90 degree heat.  You love building legos, reading animal books, playing games especially video games.  You love lots of different foods and you eat your vegetables without any complaint.  You love snuggling on the couch at the end of the day.  You love being outside.  You love being with family.
My wish for you this year is to enjoy each moment.  Don't take things too seriously.  Losing a game of Dino checkers or having to take a shower each night is not the end of the world.  And one more wish...Be brave!  Be brave enough to share with others what you are feeling.  If someone asks what you want to do, share!  If someone asks how your day is, share!  If someone wants to share a silly story about something you did, let them!  Be brave with a full heart and the world is yours Rice man!
Love you to the moon and back, then once around the furthest star!

Ollie is 2 months!

Live it up little dude!

This month was full of smiles and lots of growing...check out his belly.

 And the start of a mohawk.

 You will do big things in life with a big sister that loves you this much.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great 2013...we were certainly blessed with a lot of great things. A few trips to the beach...lots of time with friends and family at the lake...a few wonderful teachers...a cute, healthy little brother...honestly, way too many things to name.
In 2014, I hope to make many more memories. And I want to learn to tie my own shoes. Wishing each and every one of you the same (although, I know most of you know how to tie your shoes. Pick something challenging and try hard at it.)

Happy New Year!

Oh and don't take yourself too seriously!  Live a little.

New tricks at gymnastics.

Hady is moving right along in gymnastics.  She is learning lots of new tricks and having fun with her favorite little friend.  Hady's favorite part is getting to see Bella every Wednesday.

 Check out her splits.

 And lunges...she is looking like a gymnast now.

 Handstands.

 Backbends.

 Pullovers all by herself.

 And a big ta-da to finish a great session of gymnastics.

Christmas Day.

Christmas day is finally here after a lot of anticipation.  And it was perfect.  The perfect combination of chaos, family, mess and tired.

Merry Christmas!

 Snowboard...and snow is scheduled to arrive in just a few days.

 He filled our stockings.

 And brought presents on our wish list.

 

 Oliver was so impressed.

 Then the last stop on our Christmas train is at Nana and Papa's.

Christmas Eve.

We always spend Christmas Eve with Nene and Duke...This year was no different.  There was a lot of family and a lot of little kids.  The best kind of celebration if you ask me.  Oliver was sleeping before the fun even started.

 Duke and Hady looking festive.

 There were presents.  One of my presents keeps coming all year long...ZOOBOOKS!  I can't wait for my first one.

 Hady got her first real barbie and check out that purse that carries the goodies.

 Minus Ollie.

 Dino checkers were a hit even with the big guys.

 A few of Santa's elves...Ali and Noah.

 Our attempt at a family picture...not. too. bad.

 And home to bed but first reindeer food has to be spread.

 And milk has to be poured for Santa.

 And cookies need to be placed by the fire.  But we can't leave the fire on...Santa would never make it down the chimney.

More preparations...

Christmas is coming and what better way to celebrate than with friends...we made gingerbread houses and reindeer food to get ready for the big day with some of our favorite friends.  Gingerbread houses are all about the candy if you didn't know.

 Oh, and reindeer food is all about the food and sparkles so reindeer can find them.

 Then, on Christmas Eve day we had to decorate cookies.  Santa likes cookies at each house he visits and we had to make ours special.  Hady thought that meant colorful icing and lots of sprinkles.  I agreed.

 Then they had to be taste tested.