2011 Family Beach Trip

We met the whole extended family for a beach trip again this year. It was so much fun to hang out with cousins, grandparents and enjoy the beach and pools!

Wheels UP!

This summer we are tackling all bike riding fears. It all started when I ran over one of Ian's training wheels with the mini van. No turning back! He isn't in love with it yet and still very nervous about falling, but hopefully it will be smooth sailing soon. Natalie got a big girl bike for her 3rd birthday and has not looked back. She takes curbs and corners and handles it like a pro!

Kindergarden Graduation

Ian's school had a ceremony for all Kindergarden kiddos. It was sweet to see how proud all those little kids felt to get through their first year of big kid school. Dad took time away from work to be there as well as Nana and Papa. We ended the day with a cookie cake too :o)

Natalie Turns Three

Natalie had a great third birthday. Family came to visit from out of town, with gifts of princess bicycle and a fun charm bracelet among other very girlie things. We topped it all off with a YUMMY hello kitty cake. What more does a girl need???? Happy Birthday Natalie!

Easter Sunday

We chose to attend church services this Easter weekend on Saturday and have family over for brunch on Sunday. Good food, good crowd, lots of laughs including a bunch of plastic eggs filled with fortune cookie sayings (hey, why not!). The kids followed a trail of candy to find their baskets to start off the day. Later on, Natalie got to ride her new scooter. Our little girl turns three next week and she got to try out the wheels a little early. Look Ma, no hands!

Little Poses

Bitty Basketball

Ian started playing basketball at a local church league. They practice and then have a game immediately after, smart planning. There are many coaches on the court during games guiding the kids along and a lot of traveling going on. Its fun. Ian is on the green team, the dragonflies. Go Green Team!

Christmas 2010

Here is our latest attempt at a family picture....and we leave the auto focus off. Man are we good or what?? Merry and blurry Christmas from the Thomas family. We had a great holiday - surrounded by family, good food and lots of laughs. Dad was on call for his practice this year, but was able to be around for all the key times. No emergencies - yay!!!

So, like many families, I grew up with a Christmas tradition of new PJs every year. They did not always match, but Nana got the kiddos these cute matching pajamas. The other tradition was my Dad making us wait at the top of the stairs briefly before going down to see what Santa left us. I have decided to torture my kids with this as well. Here you see the tolerant before, and happy after!

Letters From Santa

The mailman brought a couple of very special letters from the North Pole today. Santa took time out of his busy schedule to write to Ian and Natalie. He wanted to let them both know they were on the good list and that the elves were working hard on a fun Christmas. (ha ha) Both of the kids were very excited to read every detail in the letter! Thanks to Aunt Caba for 'arranging' the letters :o)

First Snow

We got our first snow in Louisville. It was a couple of inches or so...just enough to bundle up for. Ian was out in it a bit longer playing with the guys on the street. Natalie, well, it took longer to get her dressed than the time she actually stayed out in it. Somehow, Mom didn't mind the short play time outdoors. It was cold. Hot chocolate all around!!

Thanksgiving Rounds

We made the rounds this Thanksgiving. That meant we started out with a couple fun filled days in Nashville where the kids were in cousin heaven. Nana, Papa, and Uncle Joe met up with us and Aunt Beth's house. Eat, eat, eat - Play, play play - Laugh, laugh, laugh. Then, part two of our holiday fun......

We load up and head down the interstate a little bit towards Birmingham to visit with Nonnie and Poppy. It was a great weekend full of painting crafts, adventure hikes, and Star Wars pancakes. What more can the Thomas family ask for??? Not a thing!

Our Little Indian

There was a Thanksgiving program at Ian's school this morning. All of the kindergarden kids had their choice to dress up as either an indian or a pilgrim. It was a precious event with lots of fun songs about the holiday and being thankful. We were so proud of Ian and all the other kids! Below, Ian is pictured with some of his buddies from his class - Rafe, McKade and Gunnar.

Natalie was so glad to get to go to Ian's school and watch the program. She would count to 3 and say 'GO' in between songs...another little director on my hands! There was a short reception in Ian's classroom after the program....Natalie got caught red handed. She was acting so casual with her hand on her hip as she was going for her second cookie! Busted!

So Big

Our little girl got her first haircut tonight. She was excited about it. Mom had a surprisingly hard time watching the baby curls fall away. We came home after, got bubbly clean and in PJs for the night. Here are some shots of the kids playing and Natalie posing with her new look!

Halloween - Part II

Here are some photos of the crew on the actual day of Halloween. Ian added some flying poses to his collection of moves and Natalie loved being the cupcake all over again! Until next year....

Boo At The Zoo

We went to the Louisville zoo's annual Halloween festivities "Boo At The Zoo". Its always fun to get more than one wear out of those costumes and practice our 'trick or treats' and 'thank yous'. They had a path around the zoo with themed stops along the way. It was a fun night and the kids had so much fun. Natalie was mesmerized by the princesses and Superman (random). Look closely at Ian's funny face when standing next to Davy Jones. Stay tuned for more Captain America and the Cupcake....coming soon.

Expressions

So anybody who has spent anytime with Natalie knows that her bottom lip is a key part of how she communicates. This photo shows the lip in fine form as she shoots me a look. She is a full fledged two year old these days, which often makes no sense and involves a lot of pouting.

Just had to throw in a picture of Ian too. He is our young man, so original and so handsome.