It's beginning to look

A lot like Christmas!

  

  Zach did a lot of helping out this year. :-)

  

They both did almost all of the ornament hanging. Dad got the really high up ones and I directed a little bit of the placement so they weren't all bunched up. :-)

  

And then my husband so willingly risked his life to hang ornaments outside. Thanks honey! :-)

  

Christmas Tree 2012

It was quite the adventure this year.

It was a beautiful morning after a whole day of pouring rain on Friday.
We were grateful.

We got to the Red Barn Tree Farm just before the rush. The kids were in splendid moods. Elissa was begging for mini donuts and Zach was freaking out because we were going to miss the train - even when we told him it was coming back around. We got donuts and the train came back around and we were hoping for happy campers. :-)

Dad was telling them to please just give me one nice picture. :)

The hunt begins!

Zach quickly got fed up with us telling him that it was either too big or too small. Then he decided that he would just kick old tree stumps out of the ground.

Trying to get a family pic out with the trees.

Then when I told Elissa that we couldn't find one that we liked to cut down and that we saw some good pre-cut ones at the barn, she was having none of it. So we thought we were going to cut down this tree.

But then Darin looked closer and there was too much brown on the inside. Elissa was not happy and Zach was worried about getting on the train again. We split up. Darin & Zach rode the train back and Elissa & I walked to the pre-cut trees to find one to take home.

Elissa & I held them up for each other to look at, which made her happy.

  

Our pick was a little tall. LOL!

There it is….all bailed up.

We had our tree. Everyone was finally happy!

Red noses!

And comparing how each eats their candy can (as Zach says). Elissa licks and Zach eats. :-)

I really can't believe that it is Christmas time already.

Let the decorating begin!

Thanksgiving Family Pic Outtakes

I had to tell them that they would thank me years down the road when they have all these pictures.

They don't quite buy it.

  

  

Happy Christ-Giving!

Wednesday Evening

That's Christmas and Thanksgiving put together.

Two years ago I named it Thank-Mas, but I don't like that it left Christ out. So Darin came up with this new name for our evening with Grandpa Frink and Grandma Myrna before they leave on their search for sun. :-)

    

  

    

  

I once again forgot to get a picture of all of us together.

We had a nice evening of appetizers and catching up before they get on the road Friday.

We wish them safe travels and warm temperatures!

Pie with Pilgrims

Wednesday, 11.21.12

Zach's First Official Elementary Program

 

 

He did such a great job!

Especially considering he was out of school for two weeks for his tonsillectomy.

Then we got to go have pumpkin pie in their classroom.

I love this sweet boy!

Halloween 2012

This is how they left for school.

  

I really wanted Zach to have this shirt, but Walmart decided it was on the recall list when I brought it up to buy it. It makes me laugh every time I read it. :-)

 

Our school doesn't allow costumes and instead makes it "black & orange" day.

It is kind of a bummer. I remember that being something to look forward to during the school year.

And then that night they transformed into a slinky clown and Ironhide from Transformers.

The kids were excited to get out. Zach was mostly concerned with getting to the other loop to see his friends Brady & Christian.

    

Even Newman came out with his costume. :-)

He would't wear his hood.

We finally got to the other loop where Zach got to see Brady and Elissa & her friend Olivia.

   

Elissa left us and went on with Olivia. Zach then was on a mission to find Christian.

  

He found Christian and was then done with trick-or-treating. Funny guy. Darin took him home and I went to pick up Elissa.

Elissa wanted to trick-or-treat her way home.

  

She was so funny. She would go up to the door and have a conversation with the people. They all loved her costume and I would hear, "How adorable! So cute! I love the colors! So original!" She really enjoyed that. Then she would say as she left, "Scares and Ghouls!" I asked her what this meant and she said, "They think I'm cute when I say it." She was in her element. :-)

Our last trick-or-treat of the evening.

It was a FUN evening! Warm and dry!

We'll have to coordinate with their friends better next year.

Happy Halloween!