11.29.14

It's become our Post Thanksgiving Tradition

to make this stop on our return trip home

from Thanksgiving!

Its a drive through light display,

and there's hot chocolate, food and Santa.

Does it get any more Holiday-y?

T-Day

We always Travel across state lines
to my Parents' house for Thanksgiving!

And on T-day we start our early morning 

with some Pie-Earning

by Turkey Trotting!

Sometimes,

the Best time at a Race has nothing to do with Finish Time!

Love running with My Family!

When we got back to the site of the Feasting,

Grandma had her traditional Turkey making 

for the Grandkids!

And Much later in the Day,

after the Feast of Thanksgiving and naps

have been had 

My Mom always pulls out Gingerbread Houses

for the Grandkids to Decorate!

And let me just clarify something,

My Mom MAKES these houses from scratch-

no kits.

She mixes the dough,

bakes them, cuts them, assembles them with icing

and has them all ready to decorate before we get there.

She goes totally out of her way

and makes one for Each Family!

She's Amazing.

In the Days after Thanksgiving-

while all the family is still there,

the lady-folk make homemade chocolates

and cry while we watch

"It's a Wonderful Life"

And the Men-folk and Boys

Play lots of rounds of Backyard Football

Always a Good Time being Thankful!

Tickling the Ivories

One day at church, my husband and I happen to both be in the same class together, 

and there was no one who could play the piano for our songs. 

I haven't touched a piano in a very long time, but thought I'd give it a whirl, and volunteered. 

Much to my complete surprise, my piano playing wasn't utterly awful. 

When I took my seat, my husband said, 

"Lets get you a piano, I would love that for you."

He spent the next days scouring the classifieds to find a piano for me. 

We found this one for sale not even a mile away, 

and when we went to check it out- it was so completely PERFECT to me. 

We got it home and in the house 

(not an easy task at all, if you've ever moved a piano!) 

and we put it in our downstairs library area. 

I'm self-taught, so my playing isn't precisely right,

but my family seems to not be too picky.

I play at bedtime as the kids are settling into bed,

and they'll request their favorites and clap after each song,

until they fall asleep. 

I've really loved having a beautiful piano to play

and learn new songs or relearn old songs on-

It lifts my spirits to be playing the piano again.

I'm a Lucky Girl with a Thoughtful Husband. 

Jack-o-Lanterns

10.31.14

Pumpkin Carving Time

[Skeleton, KC Chiefs, and a Zombie]

Spooky Things

Halloween Breakfast:

Witches Brew Smoothie

and Zombie Stew Cream of Wheat

{Ooooooooo}

               

                The kids couldn't do Blood and Gore for School 

so they came up with these beauties:

   A Vampire, a Hippie and a Soccer Star

Then at night they got to let their Spooky Selves Shine!

Mom activities

My kids attend a year-round school,
so they attend school, year round, but have
3 week breaks about every 9 weeks.
We actually LOVE it!

While my kids were "Off-Track" in October,

I tried to have a fun "Mom Activity"

for Me and Them to do together Everyday.

I've been doing this for the last year,

when ever they have been off-track,

and they really enjoy it, and so do I!

Here is a peak of what we did in October:

Picked out Grody Gourds

Made Fall Banners

Took Treats to Neighbors

Had a "Wear Orange" Day

Made Carmel Apples

Made "Witches Hats"

Read Spooky Stories

Had a "Poet's Society"- they each memorized a  

Fall/Halloween poem to share with us

A Movie with Popcorn

and

An Afternoon of Witches 

One night,

Dad Decided to plan the Activity for the Boys

and He planned something that 

was much Cooler than any of My Mom Activities,

in that it involved getting Messy!

A look-for-the-prizes-in-the-cool-whip-with-your-face-kind-of-activity!

And they Loved it, of course!

On our Last Day of Off-Track,

I did something the Boys had been looking forward to

for weeks-

They got the money they had been earning and saving,

and we all rode our bikes down about 

a mile and a half (on sidewalks)

to a Convenience Store,

and I let them each use $2 to pick out a treat or drink

that they wanted to buy.

(I was very good,

and said nothing about sugar content, 

or healthy vs unhealthy choices,

just smiled and let them have a little fun)

They had to use their math and buying skills

and the clerk was very patient with them,

even though they slowed down the line.

I LOVED doing this Outing with them.

It was a BEAUTIFUL Fall afternoon,

the leaves were falling gently here and there,

they were kind and patient with each other,

and

I had this feeling,

that THIS is what I had hoped Motherhood 

would be like when I was a little girl,

and had wanted to be a Mom.

I don't know how to explain it-

My heart was full and Happy and it seemed Magical.

I never want to forget this afternoon.

Birthday Girl

Pretty Much the Perfect Birthday for Me
looks like this:

Early Morning Run

[Earning that "Extra Frosting" Badge from my Running app]

Breakfast in Bed,

Money for new Running Shoes,

a New Cookbook,

Sushi,

and Chocolate Cake

A couple of very sweet gifts:

7 yr old wrapped a handful of pennies for me-

in christmas paper, all by himself.

And a Bundle of Red Roses from my sweet Husband and Boys.

It was a Wonderful Day

10.19.14

Fall Family Hike

Pumpkin patch

My Mom Hosts
a Fall Festival for all our Family
every October at her house,
and along with hot dog roasts and hot chocolate,
and lots of cousins to play with,
We always make a trip to a local Pumpkin Patch.

And it is a Pumpkin Patch that is stocked with all locally

grown pumpkins and squash like you wouldn't believe-

of all kinds and varieties!

Annnndd,

it looks like I only got pics of One of My Pumpkins,

at the Pumpkin Patch.

Cute, though,

real cute.

You've Had a Birthday!

Look Who's 7!

The Birthday Boy got Breakfast in Bed

with Presents,

including a new soccer ball-

so we had a game of backyard soccer

to test it out.

And who won?

The Birthday Boy of course!

On the first day of being 7,

he said he could tell that he was taller,

liked more food,

had more muscles,

could kick farther,

and was much more smarter.

Turning 7

changes a person, 

I tell ya.