Turkey Day Thoughts!!

I love this picture. I think this could have been me as a little girl! I still think a giant Tom Turkey is about the coolest looking bird on the planet! I will also admit that I don't really like to eat turkey, especially on Thanksgiving. I can't remember the last time a actually ate any of the turkey that was served. Every year Brian asks later if I had any of the turkey and I always feel bad when I tell him "No." Luckily, after 18 years of marriage he gets me, or has given up! Yes, Brian is the one who cooks the turkey at our house, and he will again this year. It always smells good, looks beautiful and everyone raves about how it tastes. I would say that maybe this will be the year that I eat the turkey...but I seriously doubt it!

We decided to make some hand print turkeys. This is one of my favorite crafts of fall! It always amazes me how much the kids hands have grown each year!

Camille always loves to get her hands dirty, so this project was right up her alley! I think she even had fun washing off all the paint by the way the bathroom sink looked when she was done!

After hand prints the kids took turns painting.


Joe loves to paint! Actually, he likes to do anything the older kids are doing!!

Yes, I did make them all wear the chicken apron that Elise and I made a year or so ago. I really need to get smocks...maybe for Christmas everyone can have their own smock!

We have been decorating for Thanksgiving and we are excited to have all of the family at our house this year!

A White Christmas!

We braved the frigid north this Christmas...and had the time of our lives!

This Christmas we drove to Montana to have Christmas with my sister and her family. It was the very first White Christmas for all of us!

This picture was taken at the Billings Zoo. Yes, we went to the zoo on a day when the high for the weather was less than 20 degrees! It was soooo cold, but a lot of fun!
Even Isabel loved the snow!
She would follow the kids down the hill on their sleds, then jump on them at the bottom!

We had a lovely Christmas! We went to church on Christmas Eve, and lit the advent that evening also. I think it was about 6 degrees when we went to church, the high for the day!

The kids had a blast sledding and playing in the snow!

Camille was always the first one done being out in the cold(well, the first kid, I was usually the biggest wimp!) We were very thankful for a really warm coat Traci had for her, it meant she was able to be outside without crying.

Joseph and Daddy trying to stay warm!

Hannah and Camille sledding!

Aidan looks a little cold!

Isaac loved the snow most of all!

He was usually the last one to quit playing and he loved to walk around on the ice and snow!

Elise looks like she belongs in the cold!

Traci knows how to gear up!

Ben and Aidan!

On our way home we decided to take the long way! Crazy? Maybe, but we do love a roadtrip!

We went from Billings, Montana to Cheyenne, Wyoming the first day. Cheyenne was a neat town! The home of Wrangler, there were big decorated cowboy boots on every corner.This is a picture of Camille sitting on the one across from the restaurant where we ate dinner. Being in Wyoming, Brian felt the need to order "Bull Nuts". They were deep fried, and we didn't tell the kids what they were until after they tried them!

The next day we drove on to Salt Lake City, Utah. It was such a beautiful drive, especially coming through Park City, Utah. With snow covering the mountains, it almost made us want to take up skiing! Salt Lake City was also very beautiful. We ate at a Brewery downtown(I had a great espresso ale!), and walked around. It was New Years Eve, so there were a lot of festivities. We also drove by the Mormon Temple. It was lit up for Christmas and was very amazing.

We drove home from Salt Lake City on New Year's Day. We had snow on the ground from the time we left Truckee heading toward Montana until we got back to Truckee on the way home. Almost two full weeks of white, cold but beautiful scenery. God blessed us with a safe trip, great weather and fun family time!

Next year....a turquoise Christmas?

(think hut on the beach!!!)

Halloween Cutting Practice!

It is fun to do holiday arts and crafts!

The little kids needed some cutting practice, so I drew circles on orange paper and they cut out pumpkins!
It is nice to see Isaac finally holding scissors the correct way(he was determined to hold them thumb down!!) Camille is beginning to get it, but still wants to turn her hand. I know it must feel awkward to hold scissors the right way at first because almost all kids hold them upside down!

The finished products!

Happy Halloween!

Hopewalks and the Pumpkin Farm!!

This past Saturday we participated again in HOPEWALKS: A Promise to the Children of the Epidemic. We walked to raise funds for children and families affected by AIDS, poverty and child slavery. The money raised goes to organizations that are meeting physical needs, as well as, reaching these kids and families with the love of Jesus. It was an awesome opportunity serve others as a family. It is also exciting that what we did Saturday will make an impact on the other side of the world!

Aidan isn't in our pictures because he was part of the event volunteer team.
Isaac had a great ride! Camille rode in the stroller part of the way, and also walked some. It would have been to slow for her to walk the entire way(she tends to stop to look at everything!!).
After HOPEWALKS, we went to a local flower farm, nursery and pumpkin farm. It was a very beautiful location in the foothills.

We rode on a hayride!

The hayride stopped at the chicken coop. The kids got to see the orange Halloween eggs the chickens have been laying!
Aidan & Elise! (Yes, he is that much taller than she is!) Isaac and Camille had fun choosing pumpkins!
We had a lot of help getting the pumpkins to the truck!

We Fish You a Merry Christmas!!

After two years of vandalism with Jack and Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas), we have decided to change the the theme of our yard display.

This Year Santa is fishing!!
The Boat Santa has chosen is a Stiper just like our boat!

He has landed a marlin, while a sea lion looks on from atop a bouy. There is also an old pier post with a holiday greeting for the other boaters and passers by.

On the smaller side of the yard is our christmas card(most of the neighborhood has these), and a more traditional north pole scene. We also have a window scene with a snow scene including Mr. & Mrs. Claus, a Christmas tree and sledding snowmen in the garage window.

Merry Christmas!!

Halloween!!

Aidan decided to be a hobo for Halloween. I think he thought he could just throw on his dad's old jacket and call it a costume, but Brian had other ideas. In the end he had black smudges on his face and a garbage bag on a pole. I guess he still had to work for his candy!!Elise dressed up as an indian. We made her costume, and she looked so cute!
Isaac was a dinosaur again this year!

He loves this costume and wears it for dress-up year round. I think he wore it last year, and Elise wore it a few years ago, so we have certainly gotten our money out of this costume!!

Camille was the cutest pumpkin ever!! She loved dressing up, and wanted to wear her costume all day. She also enjoyed trick-or-treating and eating candy!!

We hope your Halloween was as great as ours!!