Christmas in Full Swing

The Perrys have gotten our festivities started and been enjoying all our time with our families. We started last weekend with Alex's grandparents in Murfreesboro, then did Christmas with my family on Sunday in Lawrenceburg. Because it was also my dad's birthday we kind of did a two in one event. Here is a silly shot of my dad with all the grandkids.

The kids had some much fun playing with all their cousins. I am just now realizing I don't really even have pictures of Maddie because she never stayed in one spot long enough. Ashton however spent some time playing with his new moon dough farm set with Emily.

Alex and I enjoyed staying afterwards to visit with my sister and her family for a while. We don't get to just hang out and catch up much anymore. It was a nice chance to do that.

We've also had Christmas with some of our friends and the kids had a big time doing that. My mom came on Wednesday and we had a good visit. Then yesterday we all went to visit my grandparents before having lunch at this little local restuarant. Its been a great Christmas break so far and looking forward to even more.

Maddie's Christmas Breakfast

Maddie's class had a Christmas Breakfast this morning for their class party. They had pancakes that they got to use strawberries, chocolate chips, and cool whip to make faces on them. Maddie enjoyed that. Hers turned out pretty cute too I must say.

After they were done with eating (or playing for some), they played a game of pass the present on the rug. It took a few times of explaining it for them to all grasp the concept of what they were supposed to do, but once they got the hang of it... it was cute! Here is Maddie opening up her book.

After the game was all over with, Maddie passed out little treat baggies she made for all her friends. :-) (I think she takes more after her Mommy on that!! SSShhhh, don't tell Alex I said that.)

Snow Day

Today was a snow day!!! Ashton wasn't feeling well yesterday so I was pretty excited for him to have another day home to recuperate. However, he got up this morning just as normal as ever. I guess that stomach virus didn't have too much of an effect on him! :-)

Alex, Papa, Maddie and Ashton off to the barn to get the four wheeler so we could play in the snow. Of course, that didn't really work out. It wouldn't start for them. :(

Ashton trying full some sledding.

Much better this time!

Maddie pulling Ashton around on a sled. She thinks she is big stuff.

And finally some snow angels!

Christmas Concert

Friday night was the Christmas Concert at our church. Ashton and Maddie both joined some of the other kids on stage to sing Up on the Rooftop. The kids did a great job this year! I was impressed with how well they did. As you can see, Maddie was singing her heart out. She was right in front of the microphone and you could hear her for sure! It was cute! Ashton sang, but not as loud as his sister. He was he was a little "embarassed" up there. :(

Ashton looks so big next to that little boy!

I want to thank Papa Monkey and our friends Shanna, Addison and Berkley for coming to watch the kids. They loved having you there!!!

Our First Christmas Program

Last night, Ashton had his first program at school. Ashton was on the front row wearing his little reindeer shirt that we made in his class one day. They added the antlers and red nose right before they went on stage. They all looked so cute! The kids did a great job with their two songs and then it was over. It was by far the shortest program I've ever been to!

I'm super proud of my little boy for getting up there and singing away. I wasn't sure he'd like the crowd, but he did great!

Bubbles and Jets... Big Combination

Last night, Alex decided to pull out all the stops and him and the kids had some fun while I was doing bible study with the girls. As you can see, they took a massive bubble bath in our jacuzzi tub including the jets (which was the first time).

I think Maddie is behind all those bubbles.

Ashton looks pretty happy!

Bubbles, Bubbles, EVERY WHERE

Is that Ashton under there?!?

A big weekend

This was a big weekend at the Perry house. Friday night, Ashton spent the night with his first friend that wasn't a family member or really close friend. He stayed with his best friend from school, Evan. Evan has a dog, so Ashton was a little nervous, but by Saturday morning he was giving the dog treats and came home asking if Lady (the dog) could come over and stay the night when Evan comes. LOL Maybe we're getting somewhere with our fear of dogs......

Saturday night, Alex and I went to an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Our friend Kelly came over to keep our kids and Kaleb and Kaleigh. Since Kaleb was already here late, he got to stay with us for the first time and Ashton was pretty stoked. He has wanted Kaleb to stay a million times, but this was the first time it really worked out great. For Ashton this was a super treat to get to stay over with Evan one night and then have Kaleb stay at his house the next. Woo Hoo!!!

Now, the Ugly Sweater Party..... I'm not sure what to really say. It was fun and boy were we a bunch of great looking people! I think the pictures can say it all. :-)

November has come and gone!

I'm not sure where this month has gone, but its been a fast one. There are so many things that we've done I'm not even sure where to begin. Ashton had to turn in his first and only fundraiser of the year for school and he did great! He got lots of great prizes. Not only that, but Alex and I were asked to attend his school assembly and he was awarded the top seller in his entire school and an electric razor scooter. He has done really well with it. He had one minor accident, but nothing too big and he got right back on it.

Here is his giving it a try the first day!

We did a little Thanksgiving lunch with my side of the family on the Sunday before and it was nice. We don't get together as an entire group much and it was good to get to just hang out and visit. Thanksgiving day we had lunch with Alex's family and then dinner with my dad. All and all we had a really nice Thanksgiving! We are truly blessed more than we deserve!

Pumpkin Carving

The kids wanted to carve their pumpkins that we got from the pumpkin patch. So, Thursday night we decided we'd take the plunge and see what happens. Maddie was great. As you can see from the picture, Ashton was not so thrilled with the "feeling" of cleaning out a pumpkin. He quickly wanted to wash his hands and take a back seat on this project! :-)

Maddie likes to be all in the action, so she had to keep a watch on Alex and make sure he was doing her Dora pumpkin right.

Here are the pumpkins we ended up with. We have a spider web for the family, Ashton has a predators logo and Maddie has dora.

Alex did a great job!!! The kids love them and can't wait to sit them out on halloween for everyone else to see.

Ashton is SIX years old

Tuesday, Ashton turned SIX!!!! He was so excited. Alex took the day off and we had lunch with him. After lunch, we had a little cupcake party with his class. It was so cute to watch he friends get so excited about his birthday and he loved it! Miss Dawn, Ashton's teacher, does a great job making the kids feel super special on their birthdays and Alex and I were both impressed with what all she did. She is great!

Here is Ashton sitting in his "birthday chair" eating his cupcake.

Maddie gave Ashton a cowboy hat (along with a selection of other things) and Alex and I got him golf clubs. This is what we've started calling our "cowboy golfer". :-) These are probably his two favorite items.

Alex, Ashton and Maddie went to the driving range to try out Ashton's new clubs. They had a great time and Maddie did good taking pictures of the boys.

Family Pictures

Our last family picture was when Maddie was only a year old! I know, I know that is way too long!

Saturday afternoon, we had new pictures done! I wanted these to be more fun and less of a "studio" look. So, we decided to do outside this time around. Back in the summer I was walking some out at Long Hunter and thought that would be the perfect place. Maddie was not her usual camera hog self, but we did get some great shots despite her "attitude". I'm really excited with the job Nat Uhl did. Here are a few of the ones I liked of the kids. There are so many to choose from I'm not sure how I'm going to decide which to get prints of.

1st Field Trip

On Friday, I joined Ashton and his class on their first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch in Smyrna. It was really nice and we had a great time.

Here are a couple of pictures of his class minus one little girl that couldn't go. :-(

Ashton had a great time petting the animals which is so odd for him. Normally Ashton's is a little bit of a baby about things like that and so Alex and I were totally shocked by him being so excited about them. I had to get pictures just so Alex would believe me. :-)

Evan is one of Ashton's best friends from school.

Here is Ashton and the other kids that sit at his table at school playing in the corn bins. Mary is the little girl right across from him and she is probably one of his favorite girls in the class.

Everglades Alligator Farm

On Tuesday, we took the kids to the Everglades to an alligator farm. We watched an alligator show, then took a airboat ride through the everglades (which was really neat, despite the getting wet part) and then we got to watch them feed the alligators. Maddie was really brave and somewhat held the alligator. Ashton didn't hardly want to even touch its tail in a picture! I amazes me how much they are different when it comes to certain things.

Fall Break Trip

Last night, we arrived in Miami after our first plane ride with the kids. Maddie ABSOLUTELY loved it!! Ashton was a little apprehensive at first, but after the take off, he was fine.

Maddie got the window seat during the take off and Ashton switched with her for the landing.

Day one:

Ashton learned to "ride his surf board" in the ocean and is super excited about it. He goes about 3-5ft and thinks he is a pro. :-)

For some reason, running up and down the beach has always been Ashton's favorite pass time on fall break and this year has already proved to be no exception. Maddie joined him for one run and then she was done and needed to "take a break".

While the kids were digging a whole in the sand to bury each other's feet, they had a visitor come to check things out. Ashton decided to scoop him up with his shovel and put him in a bucket. I was totally amazed by its eyes. They are so odd, but interesting! I know, I know.... I'm weird!

The Pumpkin Place

Thursday, we went to The Pumpkin Place in Gladeville with some family and friends. It wasn't the best pumpkin patch I've ever been to, but the kids enjoyed themselves and that is the most important thing. We took lots of pictures, took a wagon ride (no hay involved though they called it a hayride), went through the corn maze led by Ashton :-), and then they played in their little "kid fun" section. There were animals to check out, corn hole boards, a sandbox full of corn and toys, little games of all kinds, a hay stack maze and then a few other things. The kids had fun! We even got little pumpkins on the way out.