Christmas Card

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Pumpkins!

Saturday my friend Ginny and I decided to take our kids to get pumpkins from a local farmer.




Trying hard to decide which gourds to pic....too many to choose from.

Zoey looking for her pumpkin.

Abby's pumpkin was almost bigger than her!

We had a great time and ended up with 9 big pumpkins, 3 small pumpkins, and 14 gourds for about $20.

Pictures

I had the girls photos taken at a local park. Here are a few of my favorites.

She's Moving UP!!!

Carly waiting... not realizing she is going to get her Blue Uniform.



Mr. Denu called her name and she is being awarded her Blue Uniform.



SOOOO EXCITED!



One-on-one training for almost Black Belts Team members.
Carly is going to flip this girl onto the mats.



and she did it!

This is her BLUE UNIFORM.

And here is all her equipment for sparring.

Check out the nun-chucks.

Mother's Day

The girls brought home my Mother's Day gifts from school and daycare this week. Here they are!!!




Carly made me a bouquet of paper flowers.

Zoey made be a pin to wear on Mother's Day.

Abby made me this to hang on the wall with her hand prints.

Orange Belt

Carly graduated belts this past Thursday. She completed the Gold and is now Orange. This is her final belt of the basic class. In June she will get a Green belt/Blue Uniform and join the black belt team. I am so proud of her!

Conferences

Tonight was our school conferences for Carly and Zoey.

We had Zoey's first. Having received multiple notes home this year about Zoey's behavior in school, we were sure that it wasn't going to be a pleasent conference.

Everything went good! She is above and beyond and a real leader in her class. Her teacher has noticed that she acts out when she gets bored. So, Zoey has been working on some 1st grade material and now seems to be on track.

Then the bad news came.

She has a boyfriend (E)!

And her teacher has had to talk to her and E about exchanging love notes, holding hads, and rubbing backs.

Really!!!

I thought we would come to this in 3rd, 4th, 5th grade, not kindergarten!

I've known about E for a while. Zoey's little group of friends seem to fight over him. I guess I didn't realize it was to this degree. Good thing I know E's mom through Carly's karate and had a chance to talk to her tonight about Zoey and E. She informed me that E has come home a couple times crying because Zoey had broken up with him. But he would always let his mom know when he got "his Zoey" back.

Wow....

So, Paul and I had a talk with Zoey tonight at the kitchen table about being friends and not "boyfriend/girlfriend."

Carly's conference went better. She has improved greatly with her reading but still struggles with math. Her confidence has improved and she is a total people pleaser! She is making friends and there are a few boys that are crushing on her, at least she doesn't care or act on it! It is amazing the progress she has made since the beginning of the school year.

Karate Belt Graduation

Carly graduated out of her white belt tonight into her gold belt. Here are some pictures. We are so Proud of her!



Getting ready for class.



Working on Balance.



Journey moves.



Doing her moves to graduate.



Practicing her wrist escape.



Waiting to put her new belt on.



Taking her white belt off.



Paul is putting her new belt on.



CHEESE!



Her instructors. Not sure who the guy on the left is. Mr Denu owns this Karate America, Carly is standing in front of him. Mr O'Haver and then another student instructor, I'm not sure of her name.

Abby's 4!!!

Abby turned 4 today! We had tacos for supper, her choice. A delicious chocolate cake I picked up from Walmart last week and put in the freezer.



CHEESE!



The cake was chocolate, with buttercreme frosting, and marble chocolate shavings.....it was SO good!



MMMmmmmmm!!!

We bought her a new outfit with matching leggings, a new barbie, and new finger nail polish.

Fishing

Paul and I went fishing one day when the girls were at school. It's a private lake and nicely stocked. Paul built a home for the owner and now we can fish there whenever we like. It was very good eating!


12" Perch


10" bluegills

A Cappella

While at the Neuens Christmas party. Paul's brother Chris introduced us to this amazing A Cappella group. Here is a link to there website and one of their songs. It is amazing. They all met in college, went their separate ways, met up 10 years later, made a video and posted it on youtube and now have a record deal!

I highly recommend visiting the youtube video's below!

Straight No Chaser
http://www.sncmusic.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFop#watch-main-area
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5XPQwel8uE&feature=channel

Photos

Yesterday we had the Neuens Christmas at Paul's brothers house in Omro. Before going I figured I would try to get some pictures of the girls since they were dressed nice and had their hair done. The results are below. I think the first or the second photo will be the one going on the wall. I want to get another photo with Troy the next time we have him.