Thanksgiving week

 I love random pictures of daddy being daddy :)

 Dave and Alexander proudly showing their success off !

 Can I get an AMEN that this kid is not my thrill seeker!!!  She hates swings, she has always hated swings since she was an infant.  She wants her feet firmly planted on solid ground!   She wants to try but is never happy once she does

 While the big kids played on the rope swing I found Chloe off alone playing with her new silly puddy on an old limb.  I don't know how long she stayed there but it was a while

 Helping Ben stack the fire

 I swear she never looks like it but she really did have a good time

I love this shot of the Bit in the bonfire smoke

 She loves her cousin Ben

 Chloe was annoyed with the hearing protection but mommy insisted!

 Sue did pretty great with Brian's 9 mil

 I love just turning them loose and saying "go, be free and run like the wind!"

 that's a big mountain with all those babies all over it

 a drive up to one of mine and Brian's favorite mountains.  Chloe and Maddie played with the US Geological Survey marker to mark the height we were at.  Pretty cool...literally

We had a great time Thanksgiving week this year.   Sue's family came in for the whole week so we had more time then we ever get to play at a nice slow pace with them.  We had them for dinner the beginning of the week and it was fun to see all those kids take over our house.   And everyone was able to make it to mom and dad's this year which was so fun.  Our day started slow.  The girls let us sleep in which was nice, well sleep in until 7 which isn't that great but better then our normal.   Brian had a lot of cooking to do so he hit the apple slicing before his coffee was even gone.  I was proud of him but I was much slower to get in mode then he.  Abigail even had a slow start.  She did something hilariously pitiful as we started our day off.   We were working in the kitchen and all of a sudden heard her sobbing.  I went to check on her and found her in the most pitiful situation I didn't know if I should laugh or  cry with her.  She was sitting on the toilet and it took me a minute to figure out her dilemma.   The poor dear had sat down for her morning pee, and proceeded to empty her bladder before she realized the lid was closed.  Maybe at  3 years old it would have just been funny but at 6 and a half she was humiliated.   The poor kid was covered in pee, it was all over the floor and her sobs just made more come out and exacerbate the problem.  I reassured her that it was an honest mistake and no big deal as I picked up her tiny wet body and passed her into the tub while she sobbed some more.   I cleaned up the mess, took the rugs to the basement and had a good laugh around the corner to Brian retelling the scenario!    The sweet girl was finally able to laugh about it too after 10 minutes or so and even let  me tell it over Thanksgiving lunch with a good gut laugh at her silliness.   It was a memory.  I love the random ones.
   It was such a sweet day in the warm November sun with the whole family there.  The men whipped out the weapons and enjoyed shooting into the side of the mountain at cans and boxes.  Even the kids took a shot or 2 after Uncle Brian went over safety measures again (per my request).  :)   The kids threw sticks in the fire, played with the rope swing and took turns strolling over to admire the dead corpse hanging to Dave's pride by a tree.   Poor Chloe took a lesson in death at why wasn't it running anymore, but the rest of us were just happy Dave finally got his kill.   As everyone left Sue and I took pity on Dave as the temperatures plunged once the sun went down, we kept the fire roaring so Dave could gut the deer.   It was fun chatting it up with my sister and we didn't dare look too close at what Dave was doing behind us in the dark.
   We went home tired, smelling of bonfire smoke and enjoyed full bellies and hearts of all the good traditions we partook of through the day.  We have so much to be thankful for.  We are so blessed to know Who to thank and we did all day long.   It was just how every Thanksgiving should be.

My holiday helpers!

Such a sweet time today as we prepare for Thanksgiving.   It's been a busy week getting things ready to start the madness.  We can not forget even in our busy times to make room for our little favorite pumpkin friends to kick things off and make the season official.   I am so glad that both kids enjoy eating these things especially since the recipe makes over 3 dozen muffins.   Every year since Abigail was old enough to sit up straight I have enjoyed including her in the messy process of the holiday pumpkin muffins.  This year our only chance to do it amidst the busy schedules was to do it on a day we were watching the Bit's closest buddy in her 1st grade class James.   She met him in her kindergarten class last year and we just adore him.  He is small like her and with tons of personality and imagination.  The 2 kids share in their "adventures" on the bus ride to and from school and Abigail loves to tell me all about them. He is such a sweet pea,  as soon as he bounded off the bus he ran right into my arms for a hug just like he was my own kid.  I can eat him up.  Earlier this fall Abigail and I were having one of our many discussions about Heaven.  She told me as her arms flailed and eyes rolled once,  "Mommy,  do you know what James told me"?    ..."what dear",...."he told me that since he is older then me that he will get to go to heaven before me.  He said that he would watch out for me from up there until I made it to Heaven with him".   Seriously,  how sweet is that!?!?  You see why I approve so much of this little friendship!?
  We let them play a little while after school then  I found 3 aprons so all the kids had one and we got to work in the kitchen.   It was definitely our messiest attempt at family cooking.  James is a wee bit wild in the kitchen but his enthusiasm for it made up for the flour going everywhere.  We had a great time and I sent them all to the back yard once the oven was full and timer set.  It was a great afternoon, the house smelled like one big Yankee candle and the holidays could now officially begin!   Glad to have an extra set of hands and giggles for the memory and pictures of project muffins 2012. :)

Halloween time

Dorothy looked adorable

Grammie's office always goes all out for the holiday, she was so excited to show it to Chloe and to show Chloe off :)

Chloe loves this tiny demo staircase at Brian's office

A stop first at Mi-Mi and Pa-Pa's house while the sun was still up

Off we go....bbbrrrrrr

The kids didn't complain about the cold once.   Chloe thought it was awesome that she just had to say trick or treat and strangers gave her candy!

so cute,  the little one in blue is the same age as Abigail and in her 1st grade class.  I forget how much of a squirt the Bit is until she's side by side w/ her classmates! :)

It was a good spooky celebration this year.   Abigail especially loves this time of year and as soon as I pull out our few house decorations she just gets giddy with anticipation.    I'm not sure if it's the candy or just the start of themed parties and decorations for the holiday season that she enjoys so much.   None the less both girls plan for months what they are going to be for the year on Halloween and change their plans very frequently.    Chloe and I did our rounds trick or treating to Grammie and Daddy at their jobs then back to wait on the Bit to get home from school.   That night we braved the cold and actually walked our own neighborhood.  We haven't done that yet and it was fun to run into a few of Abigail's school friends along the way.   We came back home w/ runny noses and rosy cheeks, lit a fire in the fireplace and ate candy and popcorn w/ hot chocolate.  It was fun!