Happy Thanksgiving

This year our Thanksgiving Holiday was a little rocky, to say the least. I was sick with the flu a few days before Thanksgiving, Brett and McKaleigh took turns with the sickness during Thanksgiving Day and it continues, and now Alex is coming down with the hots and colds, along with a cough. I guess we are all getting it over with before the Christmas Holidays roll in! Thats something to be thankful for...There is always something to be thankful for!

I certainly wish we(I) could remember to be thankful and help others more often - not just during "the Season." It is so great though, that at least once a year - if not more- we take the time to really ponder the good things we have in our lives. And we really do have good lives!

I am thankful for...
My family. For a wonderfully patient, loving, kind, thoughtful husband.
For great children who have the spirit of love within and share that with each other.
For my extended family, where I know I will always feel love and at peace.
I am thankful that I matter to those around me.
I am grateful for the steadfast example set by my parents who have taught me how to love others.
A warm home full of fun memories with the knowledge that there are so many more to make.
Our gently, loving, loyal dog.
Great friends and neighbors who are encouraging and supportive.
I am thankful that I can lead and guide and teach my children in a free country.

I am such a lucky daughter, mother and wife - I couldn't be more happy! (And yes, I have nonstop Christmas going in the car and have already changed my background to Christmas - I excited to have the Joy this and the upcoming holidays bring into my life).

Young Love

While picking Alex up from preschool today, he informed me that he needed to tell me something important. After preschool the important things are usually the letter of the day, the name of his new reading book etc... but today was different and here is why...

Alex: Mom, I need to tell you something important.

Me: K, lets get going home first and then you can tell me...OK, what's so important?

Alex: Mom, i'm in love with Sarah.

Me: Does Sarah know that?

Alex: Yes, I told her that and she told me.

Me: That's nice, she is a nice girl and you are such a nice boy.

Alex: I need you to tell me some lovely things, like you say to dad, so I can tell them to her. And I might need to give her some jewels.

Me: OK, we will think about it.

Alex: Maybe we can make a date with Sarah.

Really, at 4 years old? At least he knows the way to a girls heart already...nice words with some jewels thrown in!:)

Lately

Lately we've been busy doing exactly what we want...gone are the projects of Summer and here are the days when the cold weather has set in and it is fun to hang around the house playing Rock Band, games, read or watch movies on the weekends - and boy is it refreshing! Don't get me wrong, we still have a million things to do, but it is so nice to have some pockets of time where we have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Alex has a new found love for Brett's phone. He doesn't ask to play games, but just wants a blank memo page to type his letters. He is loving preschool so much and is learning way more then I thought possible. He is already reading and sounding out words! He has asked us for his own i-phone for Christmas!
A few weeks ago we all went to a place called "Planet Play" for the day. It was a really fun place to take the kids! Here is one of our most favorite games to play, Deal or No Deal.
Dad played a round of mini golf with the boys. It was fun because It was the "glow in the dark" mini golf course.Playing some kind of "shooting" game. Doesn't McKaleigh look excited!
The kids really like the go carts! McKaleigh and Colton were always going too fast around the corners, but dad and Alex stopped for a picture!
McKaleigh and Colton had a great time on these bumper car things. Alex was too little for this one, but it was really funny to watch the big kids chase each other with their cars and bump into each other!

Alex LOVES air hockey! He is always ready for a game. Here he is scoring a point on his old man!
And here we are again at the Deal or No Deal...I think McKaleigh was unsure of my choice in cases!We were literally here all day...and in addition to all of this fun, they have a pizza and pasta and salad bar that is all you can eat with all kinds of fun desserts. About halfway through the day we stopped gaming for root beer floats. Then we went back into the game rooms and played another family in Laser Tag. This was my first time playing Laser Tag like that, and it was so much fun watching the kiddos, especially Alex run around and try to shoot everyone.

I am so glad for Memories Like this with my family. We really do have a good thing going!

Also...In other news, Alex is playing Indoor Soccer with two of his best friends.

And McKaleigh's YW team made it to regionals in volleyball!

Halloween

Here are my kiddos all dressed up for Halloween. We got alot of mileage out of their costumes this year as they had many opportunities to wear them (school parades, church parties, grandmas, trick or treating and some parties!).
Grandma Deb asked that all the kids dress up for Sunday dinner (it was the Sunday before Halloween). Here is a pic of McKaleigh with Grandma Deb.
After dinner all of the kids (and cousins) trick or treated at Grandma's house. I think this was the first year we got everyone together in their costumes.
Here are my 3 boys getting ready to go out into the neighborhood to trick or treat. The theme for Brett's work this year was "fairy tales"- he was was Hansel, and a very handsome Hansel he is! Alex was Optimus Prime and Colton was Batman. (McKaleigh had a Halloween party at our house so she was still getting ready).

McKaleigh and her friends at the beginning of the night. They sat by the fire, roasted smores, ate and made cocoa and cider. They had a great time just hanging out and chatting!
Later that night I sent them on a neighborhood Halloween scavenger hunt. They did pretty well finding most of the items on the list. Then they settled in to watch "The Village" but not get very far with all of the girl talk....

Uncle Brian and he friend Cody came up and hung out, chatted and sorted candy with Alex and Colton. They boys were very generous and shared some of their loot with them.
It was rare, beautiful weather and we had a great time!