A new tradition

We have started a new tradition here at our home...Elf on the Shelf & let me tell you it is a keeper!!! An Elf comes to your house & you have to give him a name right away (ours is Pickle) & then he proceeds to watch over you all day & flies back to the North Pole at night to tell Santa how you did for that day. When he returns, he is always in a new spot & the kids have to look for the new place each day!!! Lilee & Samuel are in LOVE with Pickle the Elf!! To hear their laughter at the different spots each day has been worth it! The tricky part is making sure he remembers to change spots each day...if you know what I mean!!!


Here he is the first day he came to our house...do you see him?? Lilee did right away & her first question...."Mom, is that thing real?" It was priceless!!



Here is a closeup of Pickle



Here they are with the book Pickle brought to read to them about the rules & what he does!!


He will go away after Christmas only to return the following year! It has been so fun!

A special visitor

Well....it looks like Santa does check up on you from time to time!!!

Thanksgiving

Well, we had a great Thanksgiving. We hosted it at our house this year & it was a full house! We loved every minute of it!! The kids were especially excited because they got to sleep in the basement with their cousins! I think they were shocked I actually let them! They didn't go to sleep at night till 10:30 or 11pm each night, which they are used to 7:30!!! I didn't take that many pictures, but I hope you enjoy the ones I did take!!

Getting ready for bed









Cute cookies I found at the store....I just had to take a picture...



Getting ready to eat...




This is Lilee's perfect Thanksgiving dinner....Mac & Cheese!!! Why make her suffer thru eating things she can't stand!!!!



Uncle Chuck with Sarah's foster daughter...






Samuel's first Thanksgiving meal...oh how awesome!!!



Time for dessert



Ready for some football!!!

Oh yes we did!!!

We have gone & done it......we have all 6 of our Christmas trees up & decorated!!! The kids could not be more thrilled & Samuel hasn't a clue what to think =D He is in such awe of the trees & he LOVES looking at all the ornaments & finding new ones! Lilee loves showing him the ones that move or talk, she is showing him the ropes! The only thing with him is he wants to play with the ornaments, so we have to keep telling him they stay on the trees!!!


Samuel's tree before it is decorated



The very first ornament...he chose Mickey & Goofy








Tada!!! All finished



Now on to Lilee



She chose a penquin ornament that sings & spins






Tada!!!!




Chuck trying to get out of putting the beads on....didn't work!!!



My silly monkey's







I just love these two beyond words!!!

Halloween

We had a great time this Halloween season. This year we participated in Trunk or Treat at Church and the kids had a good time with their friends. Then of course we went trick or treating with Lilee's BFF (her words) Emma! They had so much fun, Samuel had a hard time keeping up, by the end of the night he was done!!!

Here they are modeling their costumes....









At Trunk or Treat...




Getting ready to go...










This was a common site...the girls running ahead & Samuel falling behind...oh those sweet babies...






The Loot!!!

Happy Halloween!

We just wanted to stop in & say Happy Halloween...more pictures to come!!!

Pumpkin Painting!!!

The Monkey's had a big painting day today!! Lilee has been asking since her field trip to the Orchard when we were going to paint pumpkins...well, today was the day! After church & lunch, I quickly read the paper so we could lay the pumpkins on them, then they were ready to go!!!