The 4 Ousdahls

One Saturday in December

2009-12-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, we had a great, family day! We lounged around together in the morning, reading books and baking cookies. Above, Michaela is ready a library book to Matt. We found these Word Bird books at our library and Michaela LOVES them. They are books for beginning readers and she does a GREAT job reading the story to us. We can't wait to get more, when we return these.

Below, you see the girls peeking at our Gingerbread Cookies in the oven. This is our 2nd year making them together as a family and we LOVE it!!

While we waited for the cookies, we played with the Train set. This was the first year we put it under our tree and I must say, it is a GREAT addition to our Christmas fun. Daddy LOVES it and so do the girls! I LOVE watching them play with it. As you can see here, Michaela enjoys giving the princesses rides on the train...SO MUCH FUN! The train will now be up EVERY YEAR!

Below, Madelin is sitting at our "new" reading table in the kitchen. I say "new" because this table used to sit on our patio out back, but now that it is too cold to use it outside, and with both girls being old enough to sit at it, we brought it in and LOVE it! We keep our library books there and the girls LOVE reading there, coloring there, and just sitting there talking together...it is GREAT.

And here are our GINGERBREAD MEN!!! They are just as delicious as they were last year!

After all that, we went to Emma's house to hang out with some of our friends there! Below, the girls are wearing fun face masks...from left to right, it is Michaela, Madison, and Emma.

What a GREAT day!

The Nutcracker

2009-12-13T21:20:00.004-05:00

This afternoon, Mom, Michaela, and I went to see The Nutcracker! Mom bought us the tickets and decided that this would be a special treat that we could enjoy together every December! (Madelin will join us starting next year...she is WAY to active right now, plus it was during her naptime, so we decided not to take her this time.)

And WHAT A TREAT it WAS!!! All 3 of us LOVED the performance! It was Magical and Beautiful! The costumes were SO PRETTY! Michaela wore her dance leotard (Just in case they needed an Extra dancer =) , with my first Ballet Tutu. Mom bought her a little mouse toy and a special Nutcracker ornament for our tree, so we can always remember these special memories!

Thanks, Mom...we enjoyed it SO much and I can't wait to go next year!!! We LOVE you!!

MOPS Christmas Tea

2009-12-13T20:07:00.002-05:00

My MOPS Group at our Christmas Tea.

Madelin LOVES Gymboree!!

2009-12-06T13:55:00.007-05:00

Madelin LOVES her weekly Gymboree class!! We sing the Gymboree songs ALL week long at home together! She enjoys Bubble time, shown above.

She has NO FEAR and climbs everything. She is very assertive and EXCITED during class!

Madelin LOVES Gymbo the Clown!

A picture of Madelin and some of her classmates...

I love how she is cuddling with Gymbo in this picture! It is a joy to watch Madelin in class.

Michaela's 1st Dentist Apt!

2009-12-06T13:54:00.002-05:00

Michaela went to her 1st Dentist apt last Thursday. She did GREAT! The Dentist said that her teeth looked perfect and had no plaque!! She showed the Dentist her dog, Frolic, and told him that Frolic has a cavity...he looked in the dog's mouth and confirmed it...Poor Frolic. Michaela told the Dentist that she would help Frolic brush his teeth better =)

A New Tradition!!

2009-12-06T13:53:00.005-05:00

We started a new tradition this year...one that I have been wanting to do for a while, but had to wait until the girls got a little older, and one that we will SO do again! We went to Lancaster, PA on Friday, just Matt and I, and spent the night, and then did all our Christmas shopping up there and in one day!! It was GREAT. Mom and Dad kept the girls...THANK YOU SO MUCH!! (We really do appreciate how awesome you are to all 4 of us!!)

We lounged around the fabulous hotel, enjoying the indoor pool and hot tub, as well as the King suite that Matt booked!! We stayed at the Fulton Steamboat Inn and it couldn't have been more perfect. A direct route from our house, taking us only about 1 hr and 15 min. to get to and right across the street from the MANY outlets in Lancaster. We plan to stay there again and again!

Shopping was GREAT. We had it all planned out: A budget in mind, a list of who to buy for, plus some already thought out ideas of what to buy. It was so stress free knowing that we had NO girls to lug in and out of stores, strollers, and vehicles, and knowing that in one trip and one babysitting lined up, we would be finished!!

We completed what we set out to do....have a mini get away and knock out Christmas shopping! Thanks babe for setting this up for us to enjoy! I love you!!

Note about the picture...I wanted a shot of us, but it is very difficult to take one of me and Matt and with the height difference, get us BOTH in it...so, Matt's head is a little cut off...oh well =)

Decorating for Christmas!!!

2009-12-05T23:48:00.005-05:00

It's the MOST WONDERFUL time of the YEAR...the Christmas Season! We decorated for Christmas on Black Friday. The girls were SO EXCITED. Here they are intently watching Matt take one of our ornaments out of the box to get ready to put on the Tree!!

Adventure Night:

2009-11-28T22:01:00.001-05:00

Friday night was Adventure Night (a monthly get together with childhood friends). We all met at Timothy's at the Riverfront in Wilmington. Dinner was great and the time together was awesome. A few friends were missing...we hope to see them in December. Anyway, shown here is Christine, Wendy (who is pregnant and you can't even tell...she is having a GIRL...there first baby!!!), Me, and Casey!! The husbands were there too, but this was just a Girl shot!!

Our time at the Children's Garden at Longwood

2009-11-28T13:02:00.004-05:00

The Indoor Children's Garden at Longwood is AWESOME! The girls LOVE it and thankfully, Madelin is now "big" enough to walk herself around and do a fairly good job at keeping up with Michaela. They LOVE to explore all the hidden nooks, paint with water, navigate around the flower garden maze, and sit and watch the water features "jump" from one place to another. We always love it here and have such a great time exploring.

More From Longwood

2009-11-28T13:00:00.001-05:00

Michaela took this picture of the beautiful flowers. She loves to take pictures and asked if she could snap a few photos of her favorite flowers. I thought this picture was so pretty with the white, red, and silver!

Michaela and Madelin sitting in front of the reflection pond and another HUGE tree. We were taking a break to eat a quick apple and then more walking around the Gardens.

Black Friday at Longwood Garden

2009-11-28T10:25:00.006-05:00

This Black Friday, I decided to take the girls to Longwood Garden to see all the beautiful Christmas trees. (Mom and Dad were busy buying and setting up their new HUGE TV, and Matt was busy working, so it was just me and my lovely daughters!)

We couldn't wait to see all the "ra-ra-rees" (as Madelin calls Christmas trees.) The tree shown here was decorated/planned/and organized by our dear friend, Roger (Emma's dad from The Davis Family...Emma is MJ's really good friend). Michaela couldn't wait to see Roger's Butterfly tree!! Butterfly's have been a big part of the Longwood experience this year, with the Butterfly release earlier this fall. This tree had Beautiful Butterflies decorating it and the butterflies were mechanical, so their wings fluttered at random times. It was Magnificent!!

I took a shot of just the tree in hopes that you would be able to see the butterflies. We can't wait to go back and show this to Mommom, Pappy, and Daddy!

Our Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-27T16:15:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner at Mom's with our family! These were the only pictures I took...don't know why, I guess I was enjoying the evening. The girls wore matching dresses that Mommom bought for them. Cousins Corey and Kevin always dote over the girls SO much! It is GREAT to see my cousins interact with Michaela and Madelin!

This year, in addition to my Yummy Mashed Potatoes, I also brought my Homemade Dinner rolls! They were GREAT and disappeared quickly. Guess, I should've made 60, huh babe? Aunt Judy always brings the sweet potatoes and this year, she tried a new recipe that was.to.die.for. We all want the recipe! Mom did great with the Turkey and stuffing! And a Deverell/Watkins family meal would not be complete without Aunt Donna's Heavenly Hash and Deviled Eggs!! Yummo!!

I LOVE my family and am so thankful for all of them!

So Much to be Thankful For...

2009-11-26T14:00:00.004-05:00

We have so much to be thankful for!

Nothing like some time with Mandi

2009-11-24T19:04:00.002-05:00

Mandi and I at Charcoal Pit. I am so thankful for Mandi and our 18 years of friendship!

Our Girls Singing...

2009-11-21T16:26:00.003-05:00

P.S. (these were taken right after their last silly time before getting ready for bed, so excuse their messy hair!) Both girls LOVE to sing...Enjoy!!

Michaela's Thanksgiving Pre-school Meal

2009-11-21T12:02:00.005-05:00

(Michaela is on the Front row, 3rd from the right in Purple!)

This past Wednesday, Michaela's preschool had a special Thanksgiving Chapel. The parents were invited to attend and hear the children sing and then we all enjoyed lunch together. The first picture is the Turkey handprint that MJ made in school. It was part of the table setting, which made it so special. The second picture is of MJ's class singing their Thanksgiving Song,which MJ has been singing non-stop at home =) (This picture is terrible, but all I got...I SO need a new camera!) The third picture is of me and my growing up way too quickly, sweet as can be, Michaela!!!

Below is a video of the last bit of them singing and then every kid says what they are thankful for. In case you can't understand MJ, she said that she was thankful for Mommom and Pappy letting her spend the night! (It is really going to annoy Matt that this video isn't centered on the Blog, but he isn't home right now and I can't figure it out...Oh well.)

Enjoy the video...Click play below to watch it!

Christmas at Grandma Pat's!!

2009-11-19T21:10:00.008-05:00

While in California, Grandma Pat surprised us all with an early Christmas celebration. The Girls were SO EXCITED. (Pat is the most thoughtful person and so sweet...we love you!) Pat had a tree set up and presents for the girls. It was so special to open up Grandma's gift with Grandma Pat right there with us!

As you can see, the girls LOVED their gifts. Grandma Pat got them each an awesome play cell phone with a recorded message from her, so they can listen to her voice anytime!! What a special gift!!

I think Grandma Pat enjoyed watching the girls open their gifts as much as they enjoyed opening them!! It was a so special for us to celebrate our own Christmas with Grandma Pat!

California Continued::Dinner at the Moore's

2009-11-19T16:15:00.004-05:00

While in California, we had dinner with the Moores, Matt's good family friends. They are SUCH WONDERFUL people and we enjoyed the GREAT time with them. Their daughter, Amber, who grew up with Matt, took our new Family Photos. She is GREAT. A few of the photos are on our new Blog Header...we will post more soon. (you can check out her site here)

The first picture is of Amber's daughter, Adi, and Michaela having a BLAST in their bath tub. Thank goodness the Moores are used to grandkids and are such good Grandparents. We love you guys!

We LOVE GG!!

2009-11-19T13:01:00.001-05:00

So Sweet!! Both girls LOVED hanging out with their Great Grandma!!

More From Columbia

2009-11-19T12:54:00.006-05:00

After lunch, we headed down to the Candy Store. We ALL enjoyed picking out old fashioned candy. The candy store also had a coffee shop in it too (a little modernized), so we all sat and enjoyed a warm coffee drink or hot chocolate for those that don't drink coffee (...Matt). Below, Michaela is enjoying her first Mocha. This was GG's drink, but GG let her taste it and I think MJ had more if it than GG. Michaela loved drinking a grown up drink with her GG!

The picture above was from us getting ready in the morning to go to Columbia. Michaela LOVED having GG brush her hair! It was so sweet for Matt and I to watch his Grandmother interact with our girls. GG, you are GREAT and the girls LOVE you! We can't wait for you to visit us!

Columbia, California...aka Matt's Rocks!

2009-11-19T12:27:00.008-05:00

Matt kept talking about how he wanted to take the girls to this place his family visited often when he as little. After digging up his old memories, he finally recalled that the place was near Jamestown, CA, and it was an old Gold mining town, called Columbia. He remembered these HUGE rocks that he loved to climb as a child.

So, on Tuesday, we went to visit Columbia with his Grandmother and Aunt Twila. We kept teasing him that these rocks he remembered were going to be so small to him now that he was older...Boy, were we wrong!! The rocks were HUGE and we enjoyed climbing on them, just like Matt did when he was younger.

After rock climbing, we strolled down the old Main Street and ate lunch at the local old fashioned saloon. We even had Sassparilla (spelling?) to drink. MJ loved it as seen below!!

Matt was thrilled to take his family back to a place that his parents took him to as a child!

Great Grandma & Great Aunt Twila Visit

2009-11-18T15:37:00.003-05:00

Great Grandma (aka GG), Michaela, Madelin, and Matt. We were THRILLED to have Matt's Mom's Mom visit us while we were in Modesto. She came up from Southern Cali and spent a few days with us.

GG's sister, Twila joined her and the girls LOVED them both. Michaela said it was like having 2 Great Grandma's in California.

Modesto has a Chuck E Cheese Too!!

2009-11-15T23:50:00.010-05:00

While in California, we hung out with our GOOD friends, Mike, Shannon, Skylar, and Gage. We SO wish they lived closer!!! (Shannon, I am still on the lookout for your blog ; ) ) Seriously, we just click with them and SO love hanging out together. Our children are about the same age and love to hang out too!

We did a Family date at Chuck E Cheese with them. Michaela and Skylar had a blast and decided that they were twins =) Madelin and Gage had fun too!

Check out this picture of Michaela and Skylar when they first met -- Click here.

Always a good time with them!!!

PS: Later in the week, we did a double date with them (NO KIDS...Thanks, Grandma Pat!!). I didn't take a picture, but it was the perfect way to end our time in Modesto. Thanks for the AMAZING dinner guys. We LOVE you and are praying for you as you get settled in at Chico! Did I mention to start Blogging, Shannon? ;)

Beyer 99 Reunion!

2009-11-15T22:58:00.002-05:00

Our first evening in California, Matt and I went to his 10 year High School Reunion. The event was 7-midnight...which was 10-3 am our time!! We had a blast and amazingly we weren't too tired either =) There was a photo booth for all to enjoy, which we obviously did. I was so glad that it was there because in the rush of getting everything ready for the event (Matt was on the planning committee) we left our camera, so these are the only pictures we have.

Matt introduced me to SO many of his old friends from high school and it was so nice hearing them all reminisce about the crazy things they did. Several people told me that I had a Great guy and that Matt was a great catch...I couldn't agree more!!

When it was time to dance...let's just say I am not convinced that California knows how to Party! (Matt and I were the only ones dancing) At least we had fun =)

Other Pictures from our California Trip

2005-12-13T18:43:00.001-05:00

Here we are with Matt's grandma, Marty.

Dave Louis was all smiles when Matt was around...or maybe he was happy to see Michaela.

"Look, we match!" Our good friend Carmen with Michaela.

Michaela's first flight. Believe it or not, she didn't make a sound during the entire trip.

We enjoyed a breakfast with Bill and Jeanne Moore. They loved meeting Michaela.