Anna turns 11

Is there anything better than having a birthday-eve pumpkin pie celebration with your family? 

Yes, there is. 

Having a birthday-eve pumpkin pie celebration with your family AND a tower of ICE CREAM!!

Birthday morning arrived bright and early with a killer streamer configuration and a box of French Toast Crunch. So grateful for big kids that can pull through on the streamers for me. 

AJ had a movie night with a big gaggle of kids. I would say "friends", but as the night wore on, we began to see that several of these kids did not qualify for the title. They were loud, rude and self-absorbed. It was a lesson Anna and I both learned and might be the most valuable gifts acquired that night. 

On the flip side, the other half of the kids really did show up for her as true friends and their kindness and friendship saved the day. 

Happy Birthday, Anna!  (Check out Rebecca's expression..now that's a good friend)

 

Make it a Fir

After last year's alligator skin debacle with the Virginia Pine, we are solidly in the FIR camp. 

Frasier Fir, to be exact. 

Don't be fooled by that face. This is not his favorite part...that's his faking face. Faker!

No time to decorate tonight...we have faulty switches to solder.

And chicken stock to simmer.

We were right back at it the next night. Nothing like a little teamwork to get the lights up.

Quick snowball fight break...

I think the top branch may be a smiiiidge to long...

    I fixed it later....bam! IT'S GLORIOUS!!

 

Thanksgiving Fundamentals

Turkey pie crust, old friends, pups, couches, dessert plates and leftovers. 

 That's all we need.

Missing Out

 I don't always miss out on important events in my kids lives, but when I do....  

I miss AJ's spelling bee (you know, the one we have been practicing for for months)

SHE WON!!!  Mark was able to be there and send updates and videos...it was a white-knuckle experience for me and my mom as he sent the word she was given, then "she got it!!". Oh my word, and when she won, we both cried for joy! It was so fun!

I missed the girls temple trip:

And their piano recital...but Mark did a great job getting these sweet photos with their teachers:

And perhaps the most tragic of all....I missed out on our tradition of being late to Stake Conference and sitting on the metal chairs in the back row. 

Good One

 I won't embarass myself by divulging how much time I spend raking the leaves in to a perfect circle just so I could go inside, look out the window and exclaim, "Wow!! Check it out! That tree was so courteous in the way it dropped it's leaves. So tidy!!" 

It was hilARious. 

Start to Finish

 Some homework assignments are better than others!

I give that an A++!

A good day

If I have garden stuff in between my toes.....it's been a good day. 

In November...it's one for the books.