Happy Birthday Kyle!!!

I will have to admit that I guess I was so tired of taking pictures from Christmas that I must have REALLY slacked on Kyle's b day because this is the best picture I could find, oh well.

Monday night we celebrated Kyle's birthday with his parents, Uncle Richard, Aunt Kari and us by going to Gator's and having some wings and beer-(Kyle's choice). Then everyone came back to the house for some cake and ice cream.

It is hard to get friends together since Kyle's birthday is December 28th, but family can always squeeze in some time. I thought it would be fun to list somethings about Kyle for his birthday.

Fun Facts about Kyle

1) He was born in Indiana

2) He has 2 of the GREATEST kids- I should know since they are mine too

3) He loves football

4) He graduated from a vocational school after 4 years and is licensed in HVAC/Plumbing

5) He goes to the gym 5 days a week

6) He is a home body- this can be annoying

7) He has hazel eyes- even though they look brown

8) He told me the first time he meet me I would be his future ex-wife (oddly enough the line worked)

9) He is more sensitive then he lets people think

10) He is a handy man now and pretty much can fix anything in the house!!

Cheers Kyle to 33 years and too many more!

The Closing of 2010....

The closing of 2010....

I will say my good bye's to 2010 in order:

January: Ethan turned 4 years old and we had the tumble bus come to the house- it was so much fun!!


February: Ethan continued to have February be his month too, and he broke his arm (radius), he was running from me and jumped off the couch and just landed the wrong way. 2 cast later and good as new!


March: Kyle and I celebrated 7 years of marriage!!!(been together for 13 years). We snuck away for the weekend to Ormond Beach, we had a GREAT time.


April: I turned 31 years old!!

----moving on

May: Alyssa turns 7 years old and we celebrate by having a fun weekend at Ormond beach and lucky for her Uncle Mark was able to join us from Indiana. The whole family stayed together.


June: We stayed close to home but managed to get out to the beach a couple times.


July:We took a road trip to GA and celebrated 4th of July with our good friends, The Meadows and The Hancocks


August: Alyssa started 2nd grade at her new school Claracona Elementary, hard to believe I have a child in 2nd grade


September: Kyle and I took a trip to Savannah for a friend's 30th and had a great time, we just love that city


October:Halloween Alyssa was Wendy and Ethan was Peter Pan, we had so much fun trick or treating


November: Kyle and I went to St Augustine for a friend's wedding and enjoyed the day sight seeing and enjoying each others company- no kids!


December: Awesome Christmas!!!! Our friend's came down from GA and Alyssa smashed her hand in the car door and broke her finger- follow up with the doctor in January, healing well so far though. Kyle's 33rd birthday!

Every year there is trials that come up but it never seems to be anything that we can't get through. I note on the good stuff because at the end of the day or year that "bad" stuff is in the past. As I get older I realize that nothing is more important then family and with family NOTHING is impossible. I wish everyone a year of happiness and good health, and STOP talking about what you want to change and change....... 2011 Bring it on!!!!!

Christmas.....

Christmas morning....I don't think that you are ever to old to enjoy this. I still get excited about waking up and see all the presents under the tree and to watch everyone open their gifts and the joy on their faces...sigh I just love it.


I was so excited that we had the chance to get a family picture together- so few these days!..note is was like 8am-no judgements please
The mess begins

Alyssa was so excited that Santa brought her the art eseal that she wanted

The gifts under the tree, before the mess

Christmas eve at Aunt Sharon's and all the kids got their Christmas Jammies from Santa

Santa came by the house to see the kids and remind them to be good, and of course he brought Jammies!!

Poor Santa was getting the 3rd degree from Ethan, he had alot of questions, but Santa did his best to answer

Once again the kids were spoiled and Mommy and Daddy are tired. Many thanks to all the family for the wonderful gifts and also a GREAT BIG shout out to Santa!!!

Halloween weekend in review

Halloween weekend was crazy busy, but I don't think I would have had it any other way. First it was to my office for trick or treating with the kids, then Saturday we went to a Halloween costume contest at a local store and Ethan won 2nd place (damn peacock) but was given 25$ gift card for the store!!= Happy Mommy. Then later that day we met up with Mama J, Papa J, Grandma, Kaley, Katelyn, Aunt Sharon, Uncle Herb, Emma and Lillian...breathe! at downtown Disney for some trick or treating, story telling and a DJ dance party.



Then on Sunday we had the WHOLE family plus our good friends Doug and Devon over with there 8 month old twins Jacob and Jackson for some Halloween BBQ and fun. The kids decorated a haunted ginger bread house, decorated cup cakes and even had a fun soccer game in the back yard, then of course later that evening trick or treating AGAIN, poor Ethan was so tired he walked up to me and said "Mommy my little legs are tired, I am done" and handed me his bucket, so cute. We had such a great weekend and even though I was very tired on Monday it was so worth it and just can't wait for the holidays to come!

This was at the end of the night Ethan was saying is was very dark and Alyssa grabbed his hand and said she would protect him...love it!



Jacob and Jackson riding in style to head out for some fun trick or treating

And let the fun begin, Kyle was leading the way for the kids

Trying to get a picture of all the kids dressed up Alyssa, Kaley, Katelyn,Ethan, Jacob and Jackson

Doug, Devon, Jacob and Jackson....boys first Halloween and they were looking at each other..too cute

Alyssa ready to score a goal, check her pose out, that's my girl

Family fun in the backyard playing soccer on Halloween day

Ethan was doing a GREAT job, look at his pose. I see soccer in his near future

Ethan said he had enough and was going to play with his trucks

Alyssa, Alexa, Kaley and Katelyn playing on the monkey bars

On to the fun of making the haunted ginger bread house

Kaley and Katelyn helped with the gingerbread house too

The green tights turned Ethan's feets green, and he thought it was hilarious

All the cousins at Downtown Disney Ethan, Kaley, Alyssa, Lillian, Emma and Katelyn

E Kaley, Katelyn, Alyssa and Ethan-he looks thrilled doesn't he

Trick or treat

Alyssa and Ethan- Do not ask me what is up with his faces lately, I can not seem to get a "normal" picture of him anymore

Alyssa and Ethan with the Mickey Pumpkin balloon at Downtown Disney

Alyssa and Ethan- When I see pictures like this I wonder how I got so lucky to have two healthy and beautiful children, I am truly more blessed then I deserve some days

Photo shoot behind my office building-great spot, and I never realized it

Big Boy Bed

Kyle and I put together Ethan's "Big boy" bed and Ethan was not happy. He was fighting with us to put his chair bed as he calls it back in his room. For me it was bitter sweet, I enjoy each moment of the kid's ages but then again I just wish they could be my babies forever.

I was able to get Ethan to sit on his big bed and take a couple pictures
The crib...sigh*. For now we have it against the wall. Kyle said sell it or store it in the attic. Hmm I just wish I did not have these emotional attachments to object. For now the crib stays there until I can "detach" myself from it.

Ethan was still having a hard time with the big boy bed, Kyle took Belle in there to lay with Ethan and he was doing ok and he did eventually fall asleep, if only he knew Mommy was having a hard time with the big boy bed too.

Pumpkins!

When we got home we explained to Alyssa and Ethan they had to draw what they wanted their pumpkins to look like and Alyssa went a little over board, Ethan did a simple one with Mommy's help.

Ethan's pumpkin design (upside down)
Alyssa drew a really nice picture, but Daddy changed it a little bit

Alyssa jumped right in to help get the pumpkins ready to carve

Ethan was not happy about cleaning the pumpkins at first but he came around

Ethan's pumpkin

Alyssa's pumpkin

All the pumpkins

I Love the fall, not to cold and not too hot. I can't stand to be inside and the kids love it too. Tonight we went out on a "nice" family outing to pick up some food and of course our pumpkins. The kids were so excited and Kyle thought it would be fun to get 3 this year....just an FYI every year Kyle picks the pumpkins and cuts the tops off then waits for me to clean them out, he HATES the insides so i do the scrapping and once completed he starts the carving.

DeVore homemade pizza night!!!

My post have had some delay, but I did not want to forget the night we made home made pizza's!! Alyssa and Ethan were so excited to make their very own pizza's.

Alyssa was not a fan of the dough at first but once she got the hang of it, she did a great job.

Ethan usually does not like to get his hands dirty, but was ALL into making his own pizza
Alyssa went for the traditional cheese pizza and nice and round, (for the most part)

Ethan was upset with me that the only meat I bought was peperoni ( he wanted a meat lover's I guess)

And after all their hard work and a bath....They ate.

Christmas in July

I hate that the kids only get to wear their CUTE Christmas Jammies one time, I was cleaning out the kids drawers going through clothes that no longer fit and I found their Christmas jammies...woohoo. So I told the kids to put them on and we would take some pictures for Christmas in July. At first they were both all into the idea and laughed taking pictures, then they started talking about what they wanted for Christmas....ummm. No gifts kids, just fun. That was a hard one to explain. But had fun with the pictures anyway.

Alyssa and Ethan in their Christmas Jammies
I love this picture, Ethan was playing in the basket, then Alyssa jumped in!

My poor Alyssa......

Over the weekend Alyssa and Ethan both ran a fever and were ill, but by Sunday everyone seemed fine. On Tuesday Kyle called and said he noticed Alyssa had some spots on her cheeks...nothing to worry about I thought. That afternoon Kyle dropped the kids off to my Mom's and he called me again and said that it seemed like the rash was spreading. My Mom called the doctor and a little later it was confirmed Alyssa had ROSEOLA....really!!!

For those of you that do not know what it is, roseola is a viral illness typically in young kids it starts with a high fever and then follows by a rash that breaks out all over. The bad part is you are contagious until you break out.....so since I have 2 children my fear was that Alyssa may have given it to Ethan. So to be on the safe side Alyssa stayed at my Mom's and I took Ethan home. Of course she was spoiled and loves the attention she gets when sick...secretly I think we all do.

Well at least she is doing better now, I guess it could always be worse.

Fun beach/ fishing

So we planned on going boating with Pa J and Ma J and of course something had to go wrong. As we pulled out of the driveway the boat jerked and we found that the tire was messed up on the trailer, so I got into the traffic and have cars pass so we can park the boat so my Dad can check on it.
Once the boat was back in the yard Dad was able to check and see and found that the axle had broken....so no boat but we all decided that we would still go to the beach and go fishing.

Alyssa was upset at first that we wouldn't be able to go on the boat but once we got to the beach everything seemed to work out

This was Ethan's first fishing trip, he did pretty well after he got tired of reeling it in as soon as it hit the water. Ethan caught 3 fish and Alyssa caught 3 too.

Alyssa and Ethan sat their waiting for Pa J to put the bait on the hooks and get started fishing

Ethan had so much fun fishing and at the beach that he did not even make it out of Jetty park before he passed out, once to Ma J and Pa J's I tried everything to wake him up....nothing worked. This is what one tired little boy looks like!