Thankful Turkeys

Luke (He kept asking for more feathers because he didn't have enough):
Family
Baloo
Daddy
Mommy
Evie
Lily
My Friends
Legos
My Bed
Church

Evie:
Family
Family (yes, twice)
Princess
Coloring
Halloween
Daddy

Kelly:
Running
Holidays
Family
Time at home
A warm November
Kid pictures
Cuddly babies

Ken:
Turkey (yummy!)
Football
Children
Washable markers
Colored paper
Trips (this started out as "business trips." Until I reminded him he doesn't do those any more).
Home
* please note who didn't make the list. Gee, thanks.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!


I've got a pretty good list going this year. We have so much to be thankful for.

1. I am thankful for family and good friends. We had 24 people at our house yesterday for dinner, including my sister and her family plus her sister-in-law and family (their company got sick at the last minute and had to cancel). It was wonderful to have so many people there. I am thankful my husband convinced me to buy the 21 lb turkey and that my mother convinced me to make 3 batches of rolls. I am thankful we had enough food for at least 60 people (I don't know how to cook small).

2. I am thankful for these little people. They make my day.


3. I am thankful for an 8-week-old baby who has slept all night for 3 nights now. 4. And started really, really full-faced smiling over the last 2 weeks. I finally have proof.
4.I am thankful for a job I love and for great people I work with. I am grateful that it lets me get in-and-out in 45 minutes when my little boy needs stitches on Thanksgiving evening. I am thankful that he was very, very brave. And that he ate pumpkin pie with me when we got home at 11pm and for breakfast this morning.

5. I am thankful for a husband who can cook a mean turkey. And who, despite going on almost 9 months of unemployment (and lots of stay-at-home time) continues to be supportive of me, patient with our kids and find joy in service.
6. I am thankful I got to get out shopping today with my great sister-in-law. We found some great deals. And we had a pretty cute shopping partner who spent the entire 2 1/2 hours like this:



7. I am thankful for a little girl who, for the last 2 days, has started coming up to me, throwing her arms around my neck, and telling me "Mommy, I wub you. Soooo much."

8. I am thankful for my Savior and his teachings. I am thankful for the spirit we have in our home.

Hope your day was wonderful!

Home Sweet Home

I love this comic



Especially the part about pants being optional.



The best part was that she came down the stairs wearing only one white shoe. On the wrong foot.

Scrooged

This is how we roll on Friday nights around here.





We took the kids (yes, all of them) to see "A Christmas Carol" this weekend. It was the first family movie-in-an-actual-theater we've done in a really long time because:

a)Luke is afraid of movies he's never seen before.
*Any new movie (he may have cried during "Bolt"). We think it's because he's such a creature of habit he doesn't like things where he doesn't know the ending. After we're done making him watch the movie, he will admit he loved it and it will become a new favorite. And he was excited about the 3D glasses, popcorn, Sprite and wanted to give it a try.

b) Evie can't sit still for more than 3.5 seconds without talking, moving, jumping on someone or yelling something

c) We're not (completely) crazy

My take?
Honestly, it was pretty darn scary. Way scarier than I thought it was going to be. I felt like a horrible parent half way through as Luke is hiding under his blanket asking if "it was all just a dream."m Evie (who wasn't afraid at all and was completely content to be huddled up on Daddy's lap) kept pointing at the screen yelling "it's a scawy ghost! a scawy ghost." But at the end, when Scrooge "becomes a good guy" Luke admitted it was a great movie and was happy he watched the whole thing. But the animation was amazing (You must see it in 3D). And I was grateful there were approximately 2 other people in the theater because my kids are not quiet. Especially when they are supposed to be. We didn't get any dirty looks and the other couple kept laughing at Evie. So I don't feel too badly about it.

We'll have to do it again.

Candy and Crunchy Things

Evie insisted that I play a game with her this evening.

And by "insisting" I mean that she walked over to where I was lying on the floor and plopped the Halloween pumpkin plastic bucket that she's been carrying around for 3 weeks on my abdomen and instructed me to not knock it over because "it feel you better." This is similar to when she "insists" that you read her a book, where she basically plops herself right next to you and turns your face to hers with both hands until she has your undivided attention. Mid-conversation, mid-meal, or mid-using-the-bathroom. It doesn't matter.

She then proceeded to instruct me to lie face first on the ground ("wie down! wight hewe!), covered my head with a blanket, placed the pumpkin on my upper back, and pounced on me.

When I asked what we were playing, she replied "Candy! And cwunchy fings!" (She has a little trouble saying her Ls and Rs if you are having trouble deciphering this. It's pretty darn cute.)

We proceeded to play this for about 1/2 hour until I couldn't take it any more. Then Luke obliged her.

He's a great big brother.

FYI

This is what 3 pounds of chub looks like.

(Yep, she gained 3 lbs in the last 4 weeks)

Don't you just want to eat her up?

I do.

Rough Day

My baby looks miserable, absolutely miserable. (And Lily doesn't seem to mind too much either).

One month

My little lady is one month (well, yesterday).

Frankly, it makes me a little sad. She's getting all kinds of big on me.



She really is the sweetest little baby.

She eats. A ton. 5 ounces without so much as a little spit up, then ready to go again 3 hours later. That explains the double chin and fat little thighs.

She sleeps. She'll go 4 hours at night (usually). I feel lucky.

She squeaks. Lots of little baby squeaks and squawks. I love it.

She cuddles. I think she'd sleep forever as long as she's being held. We take naps cuddled up on the big green rocker in her room - I sleep as well as she does.

I think she smiled today. I was the only one home, so I think that means I get to count it.

Halloween Part 1 - Requisit Halloween Stuff

I've been a little behind posting stuff and I have about a gazillion pictures.

We have had a great last few weeks - this is my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday. I love it (and it's been nice to be home so much).

Here are the pumpkin carving pictures:

Luke designed his own little pumpkin. He planned it out on paper then traced on the pumpkin.


Ken looks like he's concentrating really, really hard. We tried to carve the warty pumpkin (I wanted a witch). Note: they look cool but they are really, really hard to carve. Like, you need to use a saw to take the top off. Then you'll probably give up and just draw a face on (like we did).


We tried a few Halloween meals. The kids loved the mummy pizzas.

Ken liked the ghost-y shephard's pie.
Frankly, I'm just happy I can eat again. No more pregnancy, hooray!

Halloween Part 2 - Finally Fall

We (finally, finally) got some beautiful fall days over the last week. The kind of weather that makes you want to jump in the leaves, climb trees and wear cozy sweaters. Then come inside for hot chocolate.

We went on a hike in the nearby park, spent (a ton) of time raking leaves and jumping in them, climbed the tree in the yard, and took some nice walks through the leaves in the neighborhood. There is nothing better than beautiful fall weather.

Halloween Part 3 - Party on

We partied.

We went to a party with our family last weekend. It was great - such creative ideas, games for the kids, scary storie and Ghostbusters.



Luke had a party with school friends.

Evie went to Halloween playgroup with some church friends - she insisted on wearing her princess dress. They made pretzel skeletons and played outside.



Our creative friends held a Halloween bash the night before Halloween - it was great (and there were no kids!).


Ken and I went as rockers (Elvis/Cyndi Lauper). Check out that chest hair. Sexy.


The decorations (and food) were great. It was really amazing.

We had a blast hanging out with friends. I love Halloween!

Halloween Part 4 - Trick or Treat

The kids were E-X-C-I-T-E-D. Excited.

They were dressed up and ready to go a solid hour before dark, bouncing around the house, watching for their friends out the window. It was a usual chilly Minnesota Halloween so they were all bundled up.

Even Lily dressed up for the occasion.

Love the Princess Leia hat - my favorite part about the costume.

I think they were screaming "I love candy!" in this picture. They were doing a lot of (happy) screaming, so I can't really be sure.
Luke (Skywalker) showing how to use the light sabers. Very intimidating.
Me and Lil.
Friends here - ready to go!
It was funny how different they were trick or treating. Luke, ever his Daddy's little engineering-minded boy, knew exactly which houses on each street he hadn't gone too, which cul-de-sacs he needed to hit, and how many of each piece of candy (especially the big ones) he had gotten. I think he ate maybe one piece of candy.

Evie went up to each door, would check out the bucket, and inform the person handing out the candy exactly which piece of candy she wanted. If it wasn't the right one, she would respond "I don't wike that one" and point to another. She informed me she wanted "to go home and eat my twick or tweats" after 2 1/2 cul-de-sacs. She then came home and examined her stash by emptying it piece by piece into another bowl. She would have eaten it all last night if I'd have let her.
Hope you all had a wonderful eve - Happy Halloween!