Merry Thanksgiving New Year-mas!

I am going to stop apologizing for my lack of consistent postings -- life is crazy now, and I know you know that!  So we've got some fun pics from the past couple months, and I'll try to hit the highlights rather than post every darn one.  

As for the FUN of our kids right now -- because seriously, they are SO FUN RIGHT NOW -- there is much to tell.  Susannah is hilarious.  She told me yesterday, "Mommy, you don't call me 'Sus' anymore because, well, it's DANGEROUS!"  Her new favorite phrase is "in no time."  "I gonna take dis bath in no time!"  "I gonna be done doin' dis in no time!"  She's been known to use that phrase over 10 times in 10 minutes -- she'll make the record books someway, somehow.  

John is in a toddler bed now!  And he never skipped a beat.  He still loves going to bed and waits for us to come get him when he wakes up.  He will move in to Susannah's room probably next weekish, so we'll see if he stays in bed then!  (Yeah right.)  He is more obsessed with balls than any kid I've ever encountered in my life.  I think he'd probably prefer to have one to snuggle in bed over the bear he keeps in there.  For Christmas, Figgy and Pop got him a basketball and hoop, and I cannot tell you the hours he and Pete have spent out on the porch playing; since we put it up not quite a week ago, that's almost all he wants to do.  John is talking a lot more now, too, which is lots of fun!  It's still mostly that language that only Pete, Sus, and I can interpret, but it's still fun communicating with him.  He understands just about everything we say and is really good at following instructions, too.

We are now 6 months along with Baby 3!  We decided to wait on finding out the gender until delivery, so that's exciting!  Boy or girl, we have what the babe needs, no doubt.  As for names, we're still at the drawing board.  Hopefully we'll come up with a couple solid choices soon.  And as far as how I'm feeling/looking: same song different verse: my belly is staying small again (thankful!), so I'm not uncomfortable at all. 

Now for what you're all here for anyway -- PICS!  (And a lot of them!)

Ware clan cousins at Thanksgiving.  I said, "Whoever smiles biggest gets candy!"

This is just too sweet of John and Aunt Lauren!  (She's a boy expert, no doubt)

Sus and John had the best time with Sydnie, Maddie, and Aunt Carissa at the Children's Museum in Hburg

The best I could get of [most of] the Acker clan cousins during Thanksgiving week.

John was so happy to meet Uncle Bill! (And Aunt Carol, who's not pictured unfortunately) 

This was my birthday gift -- snuggles and football!  FIVE WHOLE MINUTES! 

Sometimes my big boy lets me pretend he's a baby again.

Brinner for Christmas Eve dinner!  Pancakes, sausage, bacon, fruit salad, and strawberry poptarts -- This might have been my best decision of 2016.

CHRISTMAS!  John got his own "iPad" from PopPop and Dizzy!

Showing off the earrings her sweet brother got her for Christmas

Our 2016 Christmas experience in a nutshell. (New princess dress from Dizzy and PopPop and ball from Uncle Bear and Aunt KK.)

No damsels in distress tied to to tracks -- just some crazies under them!  A fav gift from The Ware boys!

Just your average pile of dirty laundry

Figgy and Pops got Susannah a beautiful tent for Christmas, and the girl LOVES IT!

Celebrating Christmas a week late (thanks to Sus and croup) with the Gilberts! 

These girls were super excited to discover that they had matching PJs after spending a whole day in unintentionally matching shirts!

As described above, this boy is ballin' nonstop.

Celebrating NYE (and our 5-yr-anniversary!) with friends and lots of kids!

These three are the sweetest little friends -- all born within 3 months of each other.

Lunch dates then and now -- she still can't take her eyes off him!  (me either, for that matter....yowza!)

Her first ever written word, and she's already name-calling.  Poor Hello Kitty never stood a chance. 

SUGAR BOWL GAME FACE.

My first baby bump pic of the pregnancy in honor of being in the THIRD TRIMESTER!

Watching a movie together in Susannah's new tent.  I melt.