Happy 6th Birthday Ellie!!! Welcome to camp silly swamp. This was the theme of Ellie's party this year. We planned to set up a tent, have a fire, roast hot dogs, have water balloon fights, etc. The kids all wanted to play in the pool and pour water over each other.

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The invitation read:

Ellie is itchin to have you join her at camp silly swamp to celebrate her Birthday!

We then made poison ivy shaped invitaions.

We also decorated flower pots and made dirt pie for her cake. We put some realistic fake flowers in the pots and Evan and I would pretend to look around to make sure no one was looking (when we knew they were). We then snuck bites of "dirt". After dinner, Evan dared some of the kids to eat a mouthfull of dirt. Ellie and Lana stepped right up because they knew what it was. The other kids had to be just as brave and tried it too. Their moms were starting to ask what they were doing and telling them not to eat the dirt. Finally we served it up for desert. Lot's of fun!

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Ellie was so excited that Auntie Nettie was able to make it to the party.

Everyone was soaked! Alyse kept pouring buckets of water over her head.

Alyse and I went to the Breckel campout this summer and had lots of fun together. This was one of the few times she's had me all to herself.

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Attitude! .

. We finished up the trip by going to see Mom. We love you Mom! .

I will try to catch up with a brief overview of Winter/Spring 2009. .

Buddies during Ellie's school year. .

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She has a fashion sense all her own. .

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Easter at the cabin with all the cousins.

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Ellie and Lana both played soccer this summer. .

Summer on the Lake.

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Alyse would jump continuously for up to an hour! .

More soon!

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Here is the answer to many requests for pictures of the progress. These were taken at the beggining of April. I can't wait to be done and moved in!!!!

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The front porch ceiling is done in Cedar.

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Back of house and deck.

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View from our deck (prettier in summer).

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Entry and view when you walk in (the great room).

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Ellie helped Evan to lay the wood floor for a while.

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Master bedroom.

I'll try to keep you updated with more pictures. We hope to move in around the end of May.

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Here is a quick start to showing you the house building process. We are a lot further than this now but need to get out and take some pictures again. This first picture is in October.

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Now we move on to November.

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This was our favorite activity when we visited before the snow started falling. Sliding down the huge mountains of dirt was great fun!!!

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We'll get some more pictures soon. The house is now covered w/ Tyvek (plastic), the windows are in, plumbing, electrical and framing of extras (like the fireplace) are happening now. We are also finalizing the cabinet designs for kitchen and baths, getting the well dug and trying to decide on interior and exterior doors (so we can seal the place off). It is a great layout!

Christmas at the Cabin 12/25/2008

This cheerful Mrs. Claus met us at the door when we arrived. I was so proud of Ronda, she wore her Bingo Gift from our Christmas celebration at Thanksgiving! I told her that she is what I aspire to be at her age. I don't think she believed me, but I am sure my sisters will.

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Here is Alyse in her Christmas nightie.

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We rarely get the oportunity to get pictures with the girls 5th cousin. Alyse loved Bella, but was wild enough to make Bella a bit nervous.

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Ellie was a bit excited about opening the "big" gift from Grandma and Grandpa Schiebout. The Plasma car was a hit! I think I will probably use it quite often as well!

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Lana dressed up for gift opening. These are costume items collected by Dave and Ronda for cabin toys. They are some of the most used items in the cabin!

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The girls went sledding each day at the cabin as well and had a great time! This is Ellie's favorite cabin hat.

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We took this video sideways, but you still get the idea. Grandma was out sledding with the girls all afternoon!

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Family Christmas at Home

We actually set up our Christmas tree this year and had our own family gift opening! We didn't do a gift exchange btwn the Schiebout siblings this year for adults or kids. We did go to the cabin later for Grandma and Grandpa Schiebout's gifts though.

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First we need to show off Evan's Christmas socks, a long time holiday tradition in our family since 2007 when he wore mine as a joke and stretched them out! The kids ask for daddy's fun socks now at Christmas time.

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We opened lots of gifts but did not find the infamous "Two Front Teeth".

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We had some very well loved gifts from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Brady. I heard Lindsey had a hard time giving this one up!

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Aaaaaaaaand this one wins the prize for most appropriately named gift of Christmas 2008

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The girls sleep with their new Nemo and Squirt ( who they call Little Dude) stuffed animals. They love that movie! Thanks Aunt Carrie!

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Evan and I decided not to exchange gifts this year. I already gave him a garage and he gave me a huge closet and a laundry chute! That stinker went and got me snowboard boots anyway though! I got him a stocking cap, woohoo!

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Merry Christmas to you all! We love you!

Christmas Program at church.

Lana's class was first in the Christmas Program at church this year. They sang quite a few songs and each had a line in a Christmas poem. Lana's line was "and sang a song of joy". She did great! She is getting so tall!

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She also gave us a present after the show. They had made a DVD in the preschool class of all the children dressed up as people from the manger scene. A photographer from our church then shot black and white photos of them in various poses and scenes from the nativity story. Lana was an angel in several of them. It was very neat and professional (and they kept the secret for several weeks!!!).

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Next came our little show person Ellie. The Kindergarten class and up did a whole Christmas musical called "A Star is Born". Ellie was an angel. There were four of them who got to dress different to "decorate the choir".

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It was really fun to watch for us parents!!!