Rugby Banquet

Jeremy and I heading off to the Rugby Banquet 2012! It was a great time! Thank you to Grandma Mary for watching the kids!

Reading with Daddy

The three best people in the world,

reading together,

I love them so much it hurts.

Iowa Wrestling Meet vs Minnesota

Jeremy and I LOVE going to Iowa's wrestling meets. We typically go to a few every year. This year was the first year that we brought the kids along. They did pretty good for the most part. Owen was very well behaved and seemed to enjoy the wrestling. Ellie was a bit more difficult to keep busy and seemed to enjoy the snacking :) The Iowa Hawkeyes beat Minnesota and it was a great time had by all!

Best Friends

Ellie is always telling Owen that "you are my best friend". She actually tells almost everyone this...but I think that she means it with Owen.
Owen and Ellie LOVE each other they play all day with one another...and miss the other one if they are not around. They also fight once in awhile, but quickly forget those moments.

Ellie is going to hate this when she gets older, but lately she has been asking why she can't marry Owen. She always calls Owen her "Eric" (Ellie's definition of a prince) and says that she is going to marry him. We tell her that brothers and sisters can't get married. She is having a hard time grasping this :)

Best Friends

New Years Resolutions for the Daughetee's

Happy New Year! This year to ring in 2012 we took the kids out to eat at Red Robin at around 5:00 to beat the crowd, we then got ice cream at Coldstone (which Ellie puked all up in the middle of the night), and were all in bed by 10:00! We are living quite the WILD life these days! :) In reality it was a nice low-key way to ring in the New Year, especially considering the night before we were up soooo late watching Iowa get beat in the bowl game.
I have been thinking about some New Year Resolutions for us as a family to set:
Danielle:
- I'm going to be more aware of time management. I'm perpetually late (not to work) but everywhere else. I always think that I have time to work everything in and then end up panicking and feeling way too rushed.
-I NEED to do my first triathlon. I have done a duatlon, and now want to try the triathlon. Hoping for August.
-Complete 1/2 marathon. I'm officially signed up for one on May 19th and start training the end of February.
-Remove artificial sweeteners completely from diet (I know it sounds silly, but it is something I want to do)
Ellie:
-Learn to write her name without assistance. (She can write it now if I write it first)
-Recognize all letters, she recognizes most of them right now. For instance the other day we were in a public restroom and she points out a "F" written on the stall door...luckily she can' read what the word was, but I was proud she knew the F :). She also knows what all of our names start with and knows all of the letter sounds and long vowels.
-She is begging to take gymnastics again
-First swim lesson
Owen:
-Potty training!!!! He has no interest right now, but we will get there :)
-He is talking up a storm, I would like him to continue doing so well
-He has gained 6 pounds since surgery in October, I would like the progress to continue.
-First swim lesson
-Start to learn to write his name
-Stay in bed once put to bed :) (work in progress)
Jeremy:
-Shoot Monster Buck!
- House projects galore!
-Re-paint basement
-Put instillation in garage
-Knock out wall in stairwell to open it up
-TBD

Daughetee Christmas 2011

Christmas evening Jeremy left work an hour early and we headed over to Mary and Tom's place for our final Christmas celebration. They always cook a fantastic prime rib meal for everyone and this year did not disappoint.



Daughetee Cousins



Again everyone was thoroughly SPOILED!!! and we went home with way too much stuff. Ellie was so excited to get a new sleeping bag (this is one of the only things she wanted!) and Owen again loved everything he got, his favorite thing was a new Elmo movie that we have watched a zillion times!

A SLEEPING BAG!!!

Total Chaos :)

After opening presents we sat around and relaxed in the living room. We stayed up way too late, but it was great to catch up with everyone! Jeremy, the kids and I spent the night at Mary and Tom's new home for the first time! It was a great set up with each of us being able to sleep in a bed with one of the kids. The next morning we woke up, Tom made us a great breakfast and we headed over to Grandma Daughetee's to wish her a Merry Christmas!

And some pics of the girls....

Heins/Stackis Christmas 2011

 The kids and I went to Aunt Georgia and Uncle Peter's house for Christmas Eve. It was soooo nice to see the Stackis side of the family again. I'm embarrassed to say how long it has been! It was the first time that I was seeing my Grandpa Georges old house all fixed up. Peter did a great job! It really is a beautiful home!

Merry Christmas!

The next morning we woke up at Papa and Yiayia's house to open presents. Same thing goes with the kids present opening styles....Ellie rips through them and Owen takes it slow. Owen reminds me of a mix of my dad and Jeremy in this way. Owen eats slow and does things at his own speed (just like my dad) and Owen is also very meticulous and studious about certain things (just like Jeremy).

A Book Bag!

Tinkerbell

Papa collecting Owen's garbage

The kids and I were given WAY too much from my parents! After gift opening we had a very nice brunch and headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa Heins' house. Ellie got Rapunzel and these really cool melted down crayons from my cousin Kate and Owen got a tent and a tunnel from our cousin Jesse. It was all a huge hit!