Germany smells like sausage

We saved our pennies for a long time so all four of us could go to Germany and it was awesome. I hope the kids remember at least something since they were so young but I'm glad I got to experience this vacation with them. It was great to meet Billy's aunts and uncles and even his older brother that he hadn't ever met before, and especially nice to have a personal tour guide and translator (Billy's Mom). We got to see quite a bit of sites and meet quite a bit of family it seemed like someone new came over, with candy and cakes, almost everyday. Billy's Aunt Karen was so nice to have us stay in her home and even went and bought a crib for Ashlynn to sleep in (even though she hasn't slept in a crib for 6 months she was a good girl and slept in it this time). His family is so nice and incredibly generous it was such an amazing trip. The weather was crazy it snowed almost everyday, not so easy to push the stroller in. So here are some of the good pictures we took.
and you pay to use the public restrooms or if you don't know you are suppose to pay the bathroom attendant you just run in and back out until your husbands asks you if you paid and then laughs and calls you a rule breaker when you answer of no

two years flies by fast

That's right my sweet little baby turned two

she says she's still my baby but just the fact that she can say "I'm your baby" means she's in fact a little girl. She is a lot of fun and surprises me everyday with all the knew words and phrases she learns. She seems to have a good sense of humor playing tricks on us however she tells us to stop if we are acting silly I can't believe she is already embarrassed by her parents. She already is so girly but that shouldn't be a surprise to me since she does spend the majority of her time hanging out with me, she loves to play dolls, and pretend to clean, she rubs Holden's back when he gets upset she's like a mini me although I don't like to clean nearly as much as she does. She shocked me when we asked her what she would like for her birthday and she said a purse and went right over to them and picked one out she loves purses anytime she sees a bag she puts it on her arms and claims it for her own, I thought she would be much older when she discovered her love of shoes and handbags I was not prepared for this, but I get a smile on my face when I see her wearing my shoes instead of her own, I just have to laugh when I'm running around the house Sunday mornings asking her where my shoes are.

she had a great birthday party she loved all her gifts and she knew exactly what to do when we lit the candles and she even blew them out all by herself I couldn't believe it, she just keeps surprising me with what she can do.

2010 is going to be amazing with a capital A

The things I'm looking forward to in 2010

in no particular order

1. going to Germany (more like being in Germany because the actual act of getting there I am definitely not looking forward to)

2. getting keys to our new home

3. parking my new to me Toyota 4runner in my new to me garage

4. taking groceries from car to kitchen in only 6 short steps

5. having a dishwasher

6. having my own room for sewing with a nice sign on the door that reads NO KIDS ALOUD

7. planting my own garden

8. learning how to make and use great tasting whole foods from scratch

9. having a hot body

10. Ashlynn using the bathroom and not washing diapers anymore (unless of course the lord so graciously decides I'm way to good and raising the two children I already have and feels the need to add a third, then I don't mind continuing to wash)

11. having a real conversation with Ashlynn

12. Learning how to play the piano

13. my children learning how to sit still and quietly for 10 whole minutes

14.telling the kids to go play outback

15. having a real fireplace

16. Ashlynn enjoying her hair being done and leaving her bows in

17. having Billy come to church with us occasionally

18. enjoying lots of family time now that Billy only works 5 minuets from home

19. being a far better homemaker than years before

20. soaking in a bathtub that I actually fit in.

There are of course so many other things I'm looking forward to this year and so many many goals I want to accomplish but these are the ones that stick out in my mind the most.

Christmas day

we had a great Christmas this year

I requested stocking by the fire and I got them. This is the first year we've had a fireplace!
happy faces all around
as long as mommy didn't see her eating all the candy she was happy too

We expected this to be a fun year with Ashlynn being old enough to unwrap her own gifts and seeing how excited she was and having Holden old enough to put a lot of thought and heart into the gifts he gave and of course Billy got his upright base that he has been dreaming of, aside from Ashlynn being not as happy as I had hoped all because I wouldn't let her eat the candy and not even wanting to unwrap her gifts because she was too busy whining and stealing other people's stockings, thinking we didn't notice, after hers was taken away it was a great day. Maybe next year I will forget the candy all together and then we won't have any problems

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve with the Dasslers

Ashlynn loves her pupets from Oma and Opa
Holden loves his bakugan from Oma and Opa too
They both love when Oma sneeks them candy ( it's especially fun when they think we can't see them)
Opa loves to sneek candy too

who doesn't love a brand new pair of comfy cute PJs

or an awesome transformer knock off snuggy made with love

How could they be so skinny

My Kids Are Eating Machines

I just don't get it Holden eats more than I do and Ashlynn eats just as much as I do they are machines I don't think I can afford to feed them much longer. Holden's school called today for me to come pick him up because he had a terrible stomach ache turns out he was just hungry, after talking to him for a min. I found out he had eaten breakfast at home then a granola bar that the bus driver was nice enough to give him and then ate breakfast in the cafeteria because he was still hungry. I told him if he was so hungry to just eat his lunch that Daddy made and I would give him money for a school lunch so he ate and ran off back to class this was a 10:00, how could such a skinny boy eat so much his school probably thinks we don't feed him. While he was explaining what he ate to me the school nurse's eyes were getting big and then she started giggling under her breath and after he left she said I've never seen a child eat that much he must be going through a growth spurt, so I replied oh no he eats like this all the time, is that normal, she suggested I talk to his doctor. Ashlynn is the same, she eats her own breakfast and part of mine and two more snacks all before nap time. Anytime she sees someone with food they become her best friend and she mooches off of their plate.

They are machines!

One very good thing is that I know my kids get very good nutrition and I don't have to worry if they decided not to eat their lunch one day (this happens once a year) they are not picky if they are hungry they eat what they are offered which is great because there is no room for picky eaters in our home I just don't have the patience for it. My kids are healthy and happy but seriously how are they still so skinny?

Holloween

This year was great we had dinner at a friends house and then went trick or treating in their neighborhood and the kids had a blast. This was Ashlynn's first year but she was a pro she loved it and Holden didn't even need Billy or I to help him he was up ahead of us with the other boys. It was a lot more fun with such a big group too.

Holden come up with the idea for his costume all on his own this year, a four armed four eyed Rockabilly Alien, I was so impressed I just had to oblige him. Ashlynn was a lady bug, she didn't have to twist my arm either.