My Phone this Fall

Random pictures from my cell phone from this fall.

August enjoying Halloween candy and cooking himself.

 Checking out the pumpkin.

 Looks 15 already. Acts 15 already.

August doesn't sleep. This is him around 3am. Jumping off the table onto the beanbag. And I wonder why my brain isn't working quite right.

 New couch. Pretty girls.

 What the kids wore to school this week - I recieved an email going over their winter weather policy. The kids will go outside until the weather or wind chill hits 0. Yup 0. 

What my entry way now looks like.

August loves chili dogs!

 My little poltergeist loves to open drawers and doors.

Topher Jokes

Christmas lists were not too hard this year - all except Topher. He has passed little boy toys and has gone into big kid stuff. Action figures and playsets are too little kid for him now. It was kind of sad to do his Christmas list and realize that I was done buying little kid stuff for him. But it is fun to watch him grow up.

Tyler started telling jokes at the table during dinner. Not all of them, most of them, are not appropriate for dinner time. But with one very inappropriate joke Topher just lost it. He laughed so hard he was crying. I forgot to be upset and joined in laughing with my son who is growing up just a little too fast.

By the way, here are the two jokes that Topher just looses it over:

1. What is invisible and smells like carrots?

     Bunny Farts 

2. A man came home and carrying a wheel of cheese. His wife said where did you get it? He said it was rolling down the hill and he stopped and picked it up. His wife then asked what kind of cheese it was. The man said nacho cheese. The wife asked how he knew and the man replied, because when I picked it up a man was yelling "Not your cheese!"

Topher loves playing games and over the Thanksgiving break Tyler played Monopoly with him. Can you guess who won?

Also, Topher recently got glasses. He is glad because now he will "get to see Star Wars really good now." And that is what most of our lives center on around. A countdown to Star Wars. We can't watch anymore Star Wars previews. Star Wars music. August sleeps with Star Wars figures. We color and draw and pretend Star Wars....*sigh* 

13 more days till the boys get to go!

Sweet Little Caroline in Winter

Sweet little Caroline

Looks so cute in winter clothes!

August and the tree

August loves the tree and presents - provides hours of entertainment and joy!

 He just looks guilty doesn't he!

August and Caroline have both found things to do with the presents - stools, trains and beds!

Thanksgiving Break

We had a great Thanksgiving break. I didn't document with pictures too much - bummer. But we started the thanksgiving and celebrating with pie! 

I made pumpkin, pecan, coconut cream, banana cream, chocolate peanut butter and razzleberry. Friends brought key lime and strawberry-rhubarb pie. So we had plenty of pie to enjoy. I spent the first twenty minutes bathing August who had a blow out. So I don't know which pies the kids ate but by the time I joined the party most the kids were in the basement playing. 

 Near the end of pie night Peter and Jill showed up. 

The next day was Thanksgiving and on the menu was:

Turkey (I made my first turkey)

Gravy 

Stuffing

Mac&Cheese (Jill made this one)

Deviled Eggs (Peter and the kids tackled this)

Rolls (Kids helped Jill shape the rolls after Peter was kicked off for ugly rolls)

Sweet Potatoes (Tyler made)

Brussel Sprouts (a total let down - MN does not have the best fresh brussel sprout selection)

Jello (did not set up -sad)

It was a great meal! 

Friday we went out shopping for a bit. Played games. Relaxed. And decorated a tree! Afterwards we enjoyed candy canes, egg nog and hot chocolate!

The ornaments on the tree now no longer are found on the bottom two and half feet. August loves to pull off the balls and throw them down the stairs. 

Saturday Peter and Jill made us all french toast with hazelnut egg nog!!!!!

 Jill and I went shoe "shopping" and ate lunch with August. Peter and Tyler installed the garbage desposal (YAY!!).

When Jill and I returned home the boys went gun "shopping" and ate lunch. That evening we got a babysitter and went and saw Hunger Games. It was a good movie.

Sunday we went to church and Peter and Jill returned home!

It was a wonderful first Thanksgiving in our new home. 

We have been so blessed, Tyler and I. We have a good job that provides for us and that Tyler enjoys (most days!) We have a home! We have four wonderfully bright, healthy and beautiful children. We have family who lets us crash with them while we were a little down, and family that travels to help us move in and work with us to make this house a comfortable home for us, and we have family who takes time to visit and spend holidays with us. And we are so blessed to have the gospel. I am so grateful that I get to teach my children, especially this time of year about their Savior and what a gift he is and help them develop gratitude for Him.