School Christmas Programs

Each of the girls had Christmas programs at school...on different days. Hana's was first. Of course, we had to do a short photo shoot in the car before we went in to see her performance!

When the kids started lining up, I noticed right away that there were LOTS of parents in the room and Hana was in the second row, right in the center. She is NOT a performer. She doesnt like the fact that people look at her. I told her, no one will be looking at her, they will be looking at thier own kids. But, sure enough, right after I snapped these pictures....

...she started crying. Not horribly, but enought that her teacher felt bad and let her come down. So, needless to say, I ended up watching a bunch of other kids singing Christmas songs that day!

Maddison was next and I wasa so nervous that she would end up doing the same thing. She ended up being in the very back...so far that she couldnt see anything, which helped her not be nervous, but I could hardly see her either. I was able to to get a few pictures of her before she was blocked by all the others. The whole time, she just smiled and waived!!!

I did, however, get the cutest little Pratt boy in front of me singing...little Anson. So, since his parents were too far away and couldnt see him, I snapped a few for them!!!

And of course, Maddison and her "BFF" Zoey had to pose for a bunch of pictures!

Chloe helped me make cookies this morning. She was so proud of herself for cracking one egg. Then she tried another and it went all over. She told me I am better at it and I should do it! She looked cute though and I was so proud of her for not crying because of it. Major accomplishment!

ICE

Every year, Gaylord Palms has what is called "ICE". It is where they turn the convention center into a wonderland of ice sculptures...and the whole place is cooled to a chilly 9 degrees. We had never been, but this year, Hana had heard about it and that is all she wanted to do for her birthday. Bryan and his dad and brothers wanted to go camping, so it was just the girls! My mom, Bryan's mom and sister, his brothers girlfriend, Millie, and my girls and I! It ended up being more amazing than I thought. It was so cold though that by the end, I was done taking pictures and didnt want to take my camera out anymore, plus Chloe was cold and crying and I was busy holding her, or passing her off to someone else. It was fun, though, and beautiful. And, afterwards, we all got hot chocolate!!!How nice was it that they provided jackets for everyone!!!Everything was life-size, or larger! It was amazing the size of some of these sculptures.The gingerbread house that the kids could walk throughThey even got to go and sit on Ice-Santa's lap.This tunnel was all icy branches. It was beautiful.At the end of it all, there were Kleenex stations everywhere for those runny noses with this sign...

Thanksgiving and Hana's birthday

The girls both had Thanksgiving Feasts at school this year. They were on the same day, but instead of lunch, Maddison had a break-feast, which was a nice change. I went to her class first, ate, listened to them sing and then headed right on over to Hana's class. They had a cute little play that they did along with songs. And then we ate again!!

Thanksgiving day was interesting. I knew that the flu had been going around school and I always dread this time of year because of it. Thanksgiving morning, Bryan's family came in and we drove up to Longwood to have dinner at the Marriott with his grandparents and the rest of his family. The whole morning, Hana kept saying her tummy hurt. I kept asking if it felt like she was going to throw up, but no, it just hurt. We drove almost an hour, got to the hotel, stepped out of the car, and she threw up all over the parking lot. I felt so bad for her. So, the rest of the family went in to eat while Hana and I sat in the car for the next 2 hours. She was fine until the drive home, where we had to stop several times for her. Poor thing.

Friday was Hana's birthday, so along with Bryan's parents at our house, my mom and her husband Mike came for the day. We fixed our typical Thanksgiving dishes, Hana felt better, and it ended up being a great day!

Until Sunday came along and everyone in the house, and those who had come to visit on Friday, were sick with the stomach flu. Ooops!

Halloween

This was was real low key. I was feeling horrible and had no desire to make a big deal about halloween. Costumes were not planned real well. It was not as exciting as usual, but the kids had a good time anyway, I think.

Maddison had a pumpkin patch at school where she got to go and pick out a pumpkin and carve it. She met up with her best friend, Zoe.

Both Maddison and Hana had activities at school that they had to dress up for. They had a parade around the school. Hana's class had to dress up as a character from any Dr. Seuss book. She chose Cindy Lou Who. I decided to dress her up as the one from the movie, not the book. Her hair was so long that it still had a few inches hanging down after it was done. (we got it to stand up even higher than this picture) And, surprisingly, there were several other girls at school with the same hair!

Maddison's class dressed up as crickets from the book "The Quiet Cricket". They all made thier costumes in class, so I was happy not to have to do anything! They all looked so cute!

At night, we went to church for "trunk-or-treat". Of course, no pictures were taken by me. Hana stayed dressed as Cindy, Maddison wanted to be a fairy, and Chloe was a witch. Maybe next year we will make it more exciting!

Ben and Mackenzie

Bryan's younger brother, Ben, got married Oct. 10th. Here are some pictures of the event!!

The boys walking in...or rather, dancing....to a Michael Jackson song.

Their little sister, Sydnie, was the flower girl and dressed just like the bride. All 3 brothers were crying as she was walking down the aisle. I dont look at the bride when she comes down the aisle...I like to look at the groom and the smile on his face. Ben's was priceless!Ben and MackenzieOur cute little family "Aunt" Sydnie, Bryan's little sister, and the girlsCody, Bryan and Ben The girls favorite part of the night was the dancing, and boy did they do a lot of it. Favorite dance partner? Daddy, of course. I did a little, but I was feeling a litte sick, so they stuck with daddy most of the night.

September 29

My grandfather had been sick for a while. But recently, it had gotten worse and he was diagnosed with leukemia. It took over fast and within a couple of weeks, he passed. He knew it was his time and he was at peace. He was able to have all of his 5 girls together to say goodbye and he had led a wonderful life. So, we made the trip up to Wheaton, Il for the services. The whole family was able to make it...all the cousins and spouses and great-grandchildren were there. Some of us, including myself, had the opportunity to speak at the funeral and share some of grandpa's favorite scriptures.

As sad of a time as it was, it was good to see the family. The kids had a great time with thier cousins, my sisters children. I was able to spend some good time with my sister, who lives on the complete opposite side of the country, Washington. We went to a favorite spot growing up in Wheaton...Cosley Park!Lisa's kids and my girlsThe kids decided to have a "sleepover" in the living room one night. I was surprised that they were all asleep by 10pm!All of the cousins, spouses, and great grandchildren, with grandmaThinking about fhe plane ride home made me nervous. I flew alone with the kids on the way up, and the way back home, I was alone with them as well. I thought they would be horrid, but they were so good! They listened to music and didn't fight at all!!!!

First things first....

Well, I am trying to upload all the pictures from the past 3 months. But, before I do that... Most of you already know, Melick baby #4 is on its way! Thats right...sometime in June!!!

We are back. Our computer is fixed and up and running. I have SO much to catch up on. 3 months worth of updates. So....stay tuned!!!! Lots of pictures to go along with the updates so we dont bore you in the process.

We are still here...kinda. Our computer completely broke and until we get it fixed...who knows when that is...I am doing work at the library. Lots of updates to come....hopefully soon!!!