Thanksgiving Day!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my mom and dad's this year. My grandparents, Great Aunt Shirley, and Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark joined my parents, their kids (3), and grandkids (8) making a total of 21. So many blessings to be thankful for! The meal was wonderful, the table was beautiful, and the company surpassed them both. Around 4pm we headed over to Wade's parents' place (a grueling 5 minute drive) and had more yummy food and fun with all of his family.

Dad "carving the bird"-






Mom's holiday tables are always festive





















Katie's plate "before"...






...and "after"...unlike Madison who doesn't like her food to "touch" and often asks for a clean plate for seconds, Katie does THIS with her Thanksgiving dinner!




Dad, Mark, Julie, Grandpa, Shirley, Grandma, and Mom at the "grownup" table...Wade and I usually sit together but we somehow ended up at different tables this time. He told me I would be invited to the "40 AND OVER" table next year...GREAT. I enjoyed sitting with the kids and my "little" sister and "little" brother even more when he put it THAT WAY.









Ellie and Samuel












Dad, all pooped out...

















Samuel and Katie









Clinton and Daniel




















Sydney helping to set the kids' table

























Emma loves to play "hide and seek" in the curtains at her house. Grandma's blinds aren't quite as effective but she thinks if she can't see you you can't see her!






Mike and Carmen

Emma and Carmen

Mark and Wade

Shirley and Grandpa

Julie, Grandma and Shirley

Kim, Mom, and Me

Thanksgiving Week- Wednesday

We headed back to West Fargo where my grandparents had arrived to my mom and dad's the night before. It is always such a treat to see them! They have spent their winters in Arizona for years and years (and years!) and are staying home this year. I know everyone back home will really enjoy having them around alot more. Wade and I did some shopping for my mom and made dinner (old family standby....tater tot hotdish :) followed by our new family favorite dessert....symphony brownies) for everyone who congregated at the house. This photo shows Daniel, Sydney and Wade checking on the brownies.

Thanksgiving Week- Tuesday

Just goofing around at grandma and grandpa's house...Madison, Tia, Ellie, Bryton and Katie

After spending Monday night at Wade's parents' house we headed to Tracy (his sister) and Bryant's farm about 40 minutes away. Roger and Linda (Wade's mom and dad) and Leah came out for the day and and we stayed overnight. One thing I love about spending time with Wade's family is that they laugh and laugh and laugh! The kids always love getting together with with their "big kid cousins" Bryce (15), Tia (13) and Bryton (10) and the time always flies by. By the time I thought to get my camera out the day was gone!!! Linda, Katie and Tia helped me with Ellie and Madison's costumes (no, I didn't get them done before I left!) and we had some great food...the kids had fun making their own personal pizzas for dinner. At this rate I'm not sure how we're going to have room for Thanksgiving dinner!

Thanksgiving Week- Monday

Ellie, Madison, Emma, Samuel, Katie, Sydney and Zechariah with Daniel, the birthday boy

Leah with Samuel

Wade and Sydney are buddies

Lots and lots to be thankful for around here!! We made it to North Dakota on Monday afternoon and are having a truly terrific time celebrating Thanksgiving weekend with our family. Although there is no snow to play in there are lots and lots of COUSINS...and grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles and dogs... My mom and dad picked us up at the airport (the flight was a bear for Katie and I-we were SO congested!) and took us to their house for pizza. My brother Mike and sister Kim were there with their families and Wade's mom and sister Leah stopped by, too. We had birthday cake to celebrate my nephew, Daniel's, 4th birthday.

Sick and Tired

Yikes, do I have a cold. This is day....two and a half. Don't feel like doing anything but since we are leaving tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving with family I had better just get over it and get moving:

1. Make Biblical costumes for Ellie and Madison for the Christmas play they are in. We're talking simple here.

2. Clean my house -yes, I know it's Sunday and time for some R&R, but I tried to do this yesterday and just didn't get very far. Don't all moms hate coming home to a messy house? Especially so when they want to come home and get right to Christmas decorating! Unfortunately I may have to settle for coming home to a messy house this time. Then again I have an army of 5 clean the house...hmmm...just need a little motivation...

3. Finish the laundry and pack...can't wait to get on that plane~~!

'Tis the Week for Recitals!!

Wednesday night Katie had an "informal" clarinet recital. She played a solo, a duet and three quartet pieces. Lots of fun to listen to. Here is her solo. Katie is planning to go to high school next year...it will be her first time in school since kindergarten and we're pretty sure she will do great and really enjoy it. Unfortunately, it looks like she will have to choose between soccer and band, both of which she loves. It seems that high school isn't what it used to be when Wade and I were in school and you could participate lots of different activities. BTW in case you are curious about her "weird" outfit she is dressed to go straight to a very cold soccer match!

Whatever Works...

I was just looking for Madison and wondering if she was doing her math like she was supposed to. Guess where I found her...in the bathroom with the light off working by the light of a candle and a flashlight. And that is some of the fun of homeschooling!

Aren't the walls pretty? I went to a women's retreat with my friend Kelley last Friday and Saturday. That is a whole other story...the entire retreat was themed around CHOCOLATE! Anyway, while I was away my sweet husband painted the bathroom for me! He sprang this on me about half an hour before I left wondering if I had a color picked out...well I sorta kinda did and I absolutely couldn't pass up an opportunity like this so I scoured the house looking for something of the color I had in mind. I found a scarf and a dried leaf I had brought back from the Smoky Mountains a few years back. The walls turned out a little darker than I expected but I still love it. BIG improvement over the flat, uncleanable builder beige paint that was there before.

"Rip Roarin' Rag"

Madison had a piano recital tonight. She did a super fabulous job - here she is playing "Rip Roarin' Rag". (click on the arrow to play video)

PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE MIKE!

From the Mouths of Babes

Me: Girls, I'd like you to make a Christmas list soon. Daddy and I aren't planning to spend alot on Christmas this year and we want to make sure we know what you want the very most.

Madison: Mom, did Obama ALREADY raise our taxes?

Just-plane-fun

One of the great perks of Wade's job is that we get to fly free or almost free. We took advantage of this "perk" this week and abandoned school (and music lessons and a soccer match) for a couple of days when we were presented with a perfect opportunity to go see lots of friends. If you've been reading my blog for long you know that we've been to see our friends in San Antonio a few times this past year. This week Dan, Jennifer, Mason and Griffin http://driventoeducate.com/ pulled their RV into San Antonio to visit the same friends and see the sights. Both of these families are very dear to us and we got a double whammy this spring when they both left town within about a month of each other. Needless to say we all miss them very much! It was Mason's birthday Wednesday and when an invitation was extended to crash the party we couldn't resist hopping on a plane for a whirlwind 25 hour stay in San Antonio.

The trip almost didn't happen because what was a wide open flight the day before was overbooked by the morning we were leaving. I had planned to pack a bag and take the girls on a mysterious trip to the airport (the last time we did this was Disneyworld in 2003 but trust me they would have been just as excited) but in the face of likely disappointment I changed my mind and woke them up early to tell them the situation and let them take a vote on whether or not to make a try for it. The next flight was also overbooked and a commitment I had the the next evening made it prohibitive to leave any later. I was pretty sure I knew what the girls would choose and it took them about 1 second to decide (despite the fact that they were half asleep after being summoned from their beds for a 6am family meeting). Turns out there were some no shows and we got the last four seats on the plane. Mason was so surprised to see us (that made the trip worth it insantly) and we had a blast partying at the pool at the RV park, followed by an evening at Incredible Pizza and a "Biggest Loser" viewing- both of the other families are hooked on this show! I just wish Wade could have come, too.

Happy Veteran's Day

We love our veteran!! The above pictures from 2004 show Wade standing in front of the tent he lived in during his year long deployment to Iraq and on the steps of a ziggurat in Ur (temple in ancient Mesopotamia). The last picture always makes me smile. We were actively involved with the unit's Family Readiness Group (FRG) during Wade's deployment. I had seen yellow ribbon magnets for the first time at Ft. Campbell (before they were everywhere you looked!) and had some customized to heighten awareness and sell as a fundraiser for the unit's eventual homecoming celebration. When the box came, I was surprised to walk into the kitchen to find the girls had opened it and plastered the refrigerator with as many magnets as would fit. I guess they missed their Daddy!

Fun with Old Friends

We recently had the opportunity to visit some old friends during one of Katie's out of town tournaments. It was so much fun to see Wayne, Addison, Ashlynne, Lynn and Austin (not pictured-Madison in the middle). Madison and Ellie spent alot of time with Ashlynne and Addison as very little girls and we have really missed their sweet family since they moved away. The weekend was unusual because Ellie stayed in town to help celebrate her friend, Kayla's birthday. Madison spent most of the weekend with Ashlynne and Addison and it was just Wade, Katie and I at the hotel with the team. I think Katie kinda enjoyed having the entire hotel bed to herself! The tourney was tough. The girls lost all three games but played top teams from three states and learned alot. Kayla is moving soon, too. After being the "movers" in the past we are realizing we have seen alot of dear friends come and go in the past seven (yes, seven!) years. We are starting to really feel like permanent residents of the mid-south...ya'll!

Madison and Katie with Ashlynne and Addison after their soccer match. They played great!

Seems like just yesterday...

I can't believe this picture was taken three years ago. Madison (rock star), Katie (princess...in my hs prom dress), and Ellie (Princess Leia) are at a "Trunk or Treat" at our church. This year my "grown up" girls decided they wanted to see High School Musical 3 on Halloween night. I must admit it was a pretty good movie...according to Ellie it was better than HSM1, HSM2 and Camp Rock all put together!

Go Team!!

I'm a bit behind on the news around here but it's time to get up to speed now that our new computer is up and running. We have had a couple of exciting weekends! Ellie's soccer team had a great showing at a recent tournament and took first place! Ellie scored the only goal in the second match for a 1-0 victory. Way to go Ellie!! After the tournament many of the girls went to our church's "Fallapalooza" party (big fun) dressed as....you guessed it...a soccer team!

Red and Blue

Last night was a big night around here. The girls have caught on to our interest in politics and during the last two presidential elections have colored in each state on a map of the US as it is called for it's respective "red or blue" candidate by the news media. Unfortunately, our candidates did not win last night but it was still very exciting to see history in the making. I think we are all glad the election is finally over and pray for wisdom for President-elect Obama and his team of advisors for the coming years in the White House.