Thankful and Grateful and all that Good Stuff

Ending this last day of November with our Thanksgiving week photos.  We talked a lot this month at home about what we are thankful for, and family and friends always seemed to top the list.  We are blessed to have so many of both so close by.

Thankful that the kids have this one year together in preschool and I get to be there for all the special events, like their Thanksgiving feast...

Thankful for time at home, just the four of us, to do what we love...

She is riding on only 1 training wheel!

Fixin' stuff in his tie-dye shirt.  Now, that's a great day for Ross!

Thankful for holidays at home.  We hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the very first time.  I was so nervous about my first ever turkey, but Todd and I pulled it off and loved having everyone at our house this year!

My early birds on Thanksgiving morning

Photo by Bridget!

Thankful for some pre-turkey games and Skyping with the out of town family...

Two days later we had a full house again as we welcomed our great friends, The Baileys, back into town for the weekend.  The kids played and got dirty in the backyard and ate cookies all night while the grown-ups got to catch up. 

It was a long weekend that nobody wanted to end, but we have spent the week getting ready for all the Christmas magic that is to come!

Halloween

I figure I better get these Halloween pictures on here before the Christmas ones start rolling in!

Let's just start with this.  Our Halloween card.  I really wasn't going to do a Halloween card, but then I got this picture that was just TOO cute not to something with...

The kids had several occasions and to wear their costumes this year and they were such a hit!  (They are Melissa and Doug dress-up clothes that they got last Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa-everyone asked where we got them!)

We finally were able to participate in their preschool's Trunk or Treat night this year.  The kids won a prize for having the "Awesomest" costume that night!  Here is Bridget looking a little terrified about being asked to tell her name into the microphone...

After dinner and the costume contest, the kids went from trunk to trunk collecting candy.  They loved seeing their friends and teachers...and, of course, eating the candy!

On Halloween day the kids had classroom parties at school.  Luckily, there were at different times so I could be at both.  It's so obvious that the kids are at a wonderful school with such caring people, but getting to be there during the day and watch it firsthand is so rewarding.  The kids are in such great hands even when they're not with me and I love that!

And just a few more pictures form Halloween night at our house.  The kids didn't do much sitting still for pictures!  We had friends over for chili and then we hit the road for candy.  It was beautiful and rare chilly night.  Such a treat to be wearing sweaters and jeans on Halloween night!

I love this picture.  Times have changed so much over the years and raising kids seems so different that what it used to be, but this picture seems timeless.  Kids on Halloween night running door to door for candy...a classic tradition!

I am hosting Thanksgiving for the very first time next week...wish me luck!