Giving Thanks!

I know I'm totally way behind but I just wanted to take a moment and remember this year Thanksgiving and what I am thankful for.

I am so very thankful for God's patience with me, my wonderful husband who makes me feel so very loved, our 3 adventure filled boys, our extended family, and all of our health (all things considered we are mostly healthy...or at least we're alive ;)  I am thankful for our jobs, and all the little things that make our life a little bit easier. I am truly grateful for friends and family....and the family that are friends!

We traveled to Wallace this year for a Thanksgiving at the Red Light Garage! My mom and her husband Jamie bought this gas station a few years ago and turned it into a curiosity shop/dinner. The kids had fun playing in the space ship and it was so nice to have everyone together...at least on this side..(my parents are divorced so I sort of have two sets of families).

The trip there wasn't too bad but we stopped in Spokane and stayed the night. It was the 10hr trip home 3 days later that got to us!

Anyway here are some pics to help me remember. I actually took a bunch of pics with my sisters camera and only a few with mine.

Here's my mom...she never lets you take a picture so you have to steal one! 

My sister Parrish...isnt' she cute! 
SiL Jennifer over from Seattle area and my other sister Lacy came with her 2 kids.
Shannon tending the fire...he's married to my oldest sister Amber who I don't have a picture of on this camera.
Cousins! most of them are older than my kids.

Track Break

So this is our first year being a part of a year round school and this November was our first track break...I think I like it.  It's  a nice break 3 weeks to hang out w/friends, take a trip to see family, and just enjoy some time off as a family. I think it's especially nice for us since David's days off are in the middle of the week so it gave us some good family time.

We had a "special theme day" inspired by my friend Kelly.  

The first time we had Dinosaur Day and it was a blast. We actually did this one on a 4 day weekend.  We woke up to eat dinosaur oatmeal, played with ALL their dinosaurs, colored a dino felt picture, went on a dino hunt for their dino sandwhiches, did those dino-H2O-grow things, and watched Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs @ the $1 theater. 

This time it was Race Car Day!  Unfortunately, the couple weeks prior the boys had been playing tons with ALL their race car stuff and unbenounced to me David ordered Speed Racer which inspired all this so once Race Car Day came along they were bored with the free stuff we already had and were constantly asking for the next prize....which drove me a little crazy!  None the less I think they had fun and here's what we did.

We ate O's (race car tires) and I picked up afew things at the $1 store...like these giant pencils with race cars on them. And they drew race cars and tracks.

Then I had them go play with their millions of cars....

Then they played on David's ol' Dukes of Hazard board game, that's right Dukes of Hazard! Remember that show...it's Rosco Pico train!

I gave them a few $1 things throughout the day...like this sun catcher craft. Which btw I don't recommend buying @ the $1 store the paint was all dried up!
I also gave them a Cars themed jump rope since we don't own one and they practiced jumping rope...this idea was inspired by Amanda!
Then we watched HERBIE! and had a race eating our popcorn balls!


Finally Daddy took them to the indoor kart races to race RC cars... but they didn't have them anymore! So they just watched the big boys race!


They also had a Day at the Discovery Center! We had a free pass and had never been before and boy was it fun!


I would say it's been a pretty great first track break!

From Fall to Winter in the blink of an eye!

From beautiful fall leaves to bundling up, playing in the snow, and drinking hot cocoa!

Thank you Veterans

Take time to say thank you to all the veterans you may know!

Watch this

My FIL, Father, brother, uncles, many friends, and husband have all served in the military.  Beacause of our time working with the military we have many friends who sacrificially serve as well, to all of you THANK YOU & WE LOVE YOU!

I can't get these videos posted on here so just click and go to the link, sorry!

Oh and here's our Halloween pics!

Our boys were storm troopers this year No scratch that Clone troopers!  They loved it

The Sky was awesome!  We stopped and Grandma and Grandpas and Kristian decided to stay...so we let him. He loves those guys.

Here we are trying to carve pumpkins....does anyone else wonder why we do this..it's gross and not really a kid friendly activity here take a sharp knife and cut in this pumpkin?

So we got them all prepped and the great pumpkin carver came while the boys were asleep!

Boys Playing!

Here's a few pictures of our boys playing!  We built some lincoln log structures and then the boys kept bringing cars to "the party" they said...I hope this isn't foreshadowing!

We took the boys to Wahooz for the first time the other day...some time in October to ride go karts!  We were actually going to go for a hike but I think they were all hiked out b/c they kept whining so we surprised them with  this....I think we may go again for track break...maybe RACECAR day!!! Yes I shamelessly copy my friend Kelly who has theme days for her kids (she's full of great ideas).  I've only actually done it once but it's a blast for everyone!
Poor Kristian had to ride w/ Spiderman

Hawkin was soooo serious, really focused on the task at hand.
Here he is receiving instructions

Here he is running to tell us all about it.

And here he is trying to keep from smiling...can you tell he had fun?

Soren got to go on the bigger track with Daddy which was fun but he can't wait to drive his own!
Here are the boys playing with their backugons' from McDonalds! They loved it...until one broke :( Go figure!
And that's what we did in October!

SERENA!

Serena! Looks like you've won you and your family a day at the West YMCA!  We can go together and play or you can pick a day that works for your family and I'll get you signed in! 

I recommend swimming or reserving a raquet ball court and just going wild w/ balls, or you can even rock climb!