{November 2015: Thanksgiving, Visit Family, Performances, Family Fun}

November was a lovely month!  We spent our time with family and friends; and feeling thankful for our many blessings, that God has given us.  We spent Thanksgiving day, up in Oregon, visiting Mark's side of the family.  It was Baby D's first Thanksgiving.  Our kids enjoyed spending time with cousins: going to see our friends, star in the play "Annie", making up plays, and making and eating our delicious, Thanksgiving Dinner with them.

 Baby Girl H, smiling for mama, with her fancy clothes and her baby doll.  Daddy {Mark}, showing our fascinated kids, a craw-fish, that he found in our irrigation stream.  We rescued the craw-fish, and took him to a better home, {at the park}, to live in a river.    

 Little Man C, playing in the snow.  Baby Boy D, sitting in his high chair.  Little Miss K, dressing up for 50's day at school {#50days}.  We enjoyed having Thanksgiving early in the month, at our home in Idaho, together with just our kiddos; before heading to celebrate with extended family, later in the month {on Thanksgiving Day}.

 Our Kiddos Love Snuggling with our Sweet Kitties!  We brought them into our breezeway, during the cold winter months.  Our Kitty in the Cat Habitat, with the visitor Kitten {that we later helped to find a home}.  

 Big Brother E, going on a hiking/camping trip with his Daddy.  We enjoyed watching Big Sister R, perform at a Christmas Festival with her Honor Choir {that she is in}, from school.  She {& the Choir}, did a fabulous job!

 Up in Oregon, at our Thanksgiving Festivities, the kids enjoyed playing awesome, fun Games with their Cousins {setup by Auntie Laura}.

 We enjoyed going up into the Mountains, with Mark's side of the family, to practice Shooting targets. It was a lot of fun!

 Our kids {& I} loved going to see our besties, perform in the play "Annie".  Little Man C, enjoyed building a cardboard boat, with his Daddy, and posing with his Grandparents.  On the way back down to Idaho, we were all excited to watch our Big Sister R, perform with her Dance Team, at a Christmas Festival.  {She &} They were amazing! #soproudofthem

  

{Family Visits, Thanksgiving WA, Baby I, Our Kitties: November 2014}

In November, we had a visit from my Sister Angela, her Husband Grant, and their 6 girls.  We always have a blast visiting with them.  Mark and Grant have known each other since they were babies, so they have a special friendship; and are the reason why Mark and I met each other.

 The kids always enjoy playing with their cousins.

We are loving having more room, for our kids to play; in our new house!

 My big sis Angela and I {I'm 6 months pregnant {in these pictures} with our Baby #6}. {Thanks Ang for taking these pics of me!}

I love when my kiddos play together.  So sweet.

The Kids playing in the snow.  Little man C and Baby H sharing an adorable, sweet kiss.

Here is the Story of how we got our 3 Kittens:  When we were driving up to Washington to spend time with my side of the family for Thanksgiving {we had a great time taking my brother Tom up with us, from BYU}, there were 3 Ginger kittens that were abandoned at my in-laws house in Oregon {we stopped there on the way up from Idaho}.  They are the sweetest kittens ever and are so great with our kids.  The kids loved playing with and petting them.

We thought for sure that these adorable kittens would be gone when we came back from Washington, but when we came back they were still at Mark's parent's house!  Mark's Dad is severely allergic to all animals {but especially cats}, so they were going to have to take them to the animal shelter.

I love Cats, and the kids having been asking for Cats for years, and the kittens were So adorable and So Sweet, that we had to rescue them, and take them home with us to our new house.  

When we arrived up in Washington, we got to see my sister Celestia's adorable new baby girl I.  Our Baby H was so excited to see her, and loved her right away.  She even named her baby doll after her, when we got back home to Idaho.

The Kids were all So Excited to meet their new baby cousin I.  She is a beautiful little baby.

The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins.  I love this picture of Baby H, kissing Grandpa {my Dad}.  So precious and sweet.

Little Miss K loved playing with Cousin A, and Little Man C had so much fun with Cousin C.  Mark holding his new niece Baby I.

The kids enjoyed the Delicious Thanksgiving Food, with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunts, Uncles and many cousins.

 Baby H, liked playing with her Cousin S.  Mark and I enjoyed helping make Thanksgiving Dinner and then eating it together.

We had fun celebrating my brother Tommy's birthday together, with our family.

The Kids had fun having Sleepovers with their Cousins.

The Kids loved meeting new sweet Baby Girl Cousin I, and it made them even more excited to meet their new baby brother in a few months.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving up in Washington with Family.  We had a great November.

{Thanksgiving and House Listed: Nov. 2013}

We went up to Oregon {with Mark's side of the Family} for Thanksgiving this year.  The kids had a blast hanging out with their cousins.

 We had a great time spending time with Family.  Mark's sister with her Baby, me and my Baby and Mark's oldest brother's wife and their daughter.

 We ate delicious food together, and our Baby {she started walking at 10 months!} practiced her walking skills.

 We love snuggling our Babies. 

We had an amazing Thanksgiving with our wonderful Family.

 The kids had a Blast with Grandpa, taking them on Four-Wheeler rides with their cousins.

We made pies together.  I love Pumpkin pies.

We went and finished a few more things, to spruce-up our home, which we listed in November.  Here is what {our listing} says,
"Don't miss this beautiful, custom 3 bedroom, 2 bath home located in an Island City newer, scenic neighborhood.  Built in 2008, this home features an open kitchen with stainless steel appliances and custom cabinetry.  It also has spacious closets and rooms, 9 foot ceilings throughout, a large master bedroom, double car attached garage and mature landscaping."  We are patiently awaiting our home, to sell in Oregon, so that we can build, here in Idaho.

November: Visits, Haircut, Thanksgiving, Mission Call, Twilight

This is a walk that we took, while we were up visiting my Grandma, Aunt Luetta and my Mom (who was there visiting and helping).  We had a very nice visit with them on a 5-day weekend.  We got to visit with some of my other relatives while we were there (because there are a lot of them), including my Aunt Patty and Uncle Rob.  On the walk, we found a sweet neighborhood kitten, that let all of us hold and pet it.  Very kid friendly.

The top pictures are of Mark giving Collin his very First Haircut.  I had a really hard time letting Mark cut his hair for the first time; because he had all of these bright red curls.  So adorable.  Mark cut it pretty short.  Little Miss R and Little Man E performed together in the school-wide Veteran's Day Assembly.  It was full of patriotic songs, that were very moving.  We were so proud of them!  It was nice to be able to have Mark's mom come and watch the kids perform also.

We had Thanksgiving at our home, the weekend before Thanksgiving week.  We like to establish our own traditions with our little family (even though we very much enjoy having the festivities with our extended family as well).  I gave the kids Thanksgiving Coloring and activity sheets, we read Thanksgiving books, watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, passed around a 5 kernel burlap sack, and each of us told 5 things that we are thankful for, and we talked about the 1st Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful.  Then we went up to Washington {we picked up my mom, on the way up and she rode there with us} and celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family, because it was our year to do that.  We had a fabulous time celebrating with them also.  We had all of my 6 siblings (except Tommy who is on his mission) and their families there for at least part of the celebration; although my sister's (Celestia) hubby wasn't able to come (because he's recovering from a recent surgery) and so she brought him home some food.  Afterwards, my sister Angela and I went to the Black Friday Event, and scored some fabulous deals for our kiddos.  But let me tell you, doing that while nearly 8 months pregnant, was not the best choice on my part.  My feet were SO swollen when we got home {which they usually are at this point in my pregnancy}.

The top 6 pictures are of the kiddos spending time with their cousins, while we were up visiting my side of the family in Washington.  They always love spending time with their cousins.  They built forts, had sleepovers (we watched the "Grinch" and made Chocolate chip cookies), helped Grandma decorate her Christmas tree, ate Thanksgiving at the "kids tables" and had all kinds of fun on our 5-day weekend up there for Thanksgiving.  Bottom 2 pictures, are of spending time with Mark's sister Kristy's family when they visited, and when we had Mark's parents over for dinner.

I was so thrilled when my little brother Joseph got his mission call in the mail while I was up there!  Usually with living away from the area (and everyone else in my family still is around there), I am the only one who doesn't get to be there (in person) for my brother's to read their mission calls (I usually have to listen on the phone).  But Joe got his while I was up there.  It was so exciting for us to be there when he opened and read his call to the RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA MISSION (English Speaking).  It was extra exciting, because our brother Thomas (pictured above left), is on his mission in the SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA MISSION (Lao and Mein Chinese Speaking).  They will be overlapping on their missions, for about a year (Missions are 2-years long).  Apparently, Joe might even be able to go be Tommy's mission companion for a couple of days, on the way down to the MTC, in Provo.  Which would be so neat for them.  The kids (and Mark and I) are so proud of Joe and Tommy for serving the Lord; and also of Mark's parents who recently returned from a mission in the DES MOINES, IOWA MISSION (English Speaking).

Well, Twilight Breaking Dawn 2 came out, and I had to go Opening night, with my Sister-in-law Summer.  It was awesome!  We loved it.  I was surprised that my Bella/Edward t-shirt still fit me, while I am super prego (I've worn it to all of the other showings of the Twilight saga).  Then while we were up in Washington, Mark and I went with Angela and Grant, and it was super fun too.  Last picture is of Little Miss R showing off her prizes, from when she went to the ER to get one staple in her head from getting an owie.  We have had the worst luck with owies with our kiddos lately.  I hope that it goes back to normal soon, which is no more owies.  But I guess with active kiddos, it's bound to happen occasionally.  It's just hard to watch them go through it.  Our Poor baby.

 Some of Little Miss R's {6 year} pictures from her Session.  To see more, view my Photo Blog.

Some of Little Miss K's {4 year} pictures from her Session.  To see more, view my Photo Blog.

 Some of Little Man C's {2 year} pictures from his Session.  To see more, view my Photo Blog.

Thanksgiving and Baby Blessing

 

We had Thanksgiving with Mark's side of the family, and we also had it with just us and the kids, at our home, a week earlier (trying to maintain our traditions at home as well, as with extended family).  We also made homemade apple cider on a cider press (yummy!) and we went to Mark's little sister Kristy, and husband Troy's new baby A's (our nephew and cousin) blessing.  We had a wonderful November.