Tree Hunt 2008

Every year, since Beth and Josh moved here we venture out the day after Thanksgiving to hunt down our tree...Beth likes to seriously get the Christmas spirit started! So we all stayed at Grandmere and Grandpere's woke up made breakfast and headed out...We had planned a little ebelskiever making, but that blasted new kitchen I designed for Grandmere has a fancy new induction cooktop! And apparently its too fancy for our poor ebelskiever skillet:( Bummer!

Love the Tree Farm Rapid Transit stop! when you arrive you are taken up to the hunt area in the back of a 1950's Willys Jeep...quite fun! Grandmere and Grandpere set out to find the absolute largest tree that would fit in their two story great room...he enjoyed measuring the enormous trees...


The Quintessential start of the hunt shot...




Can you see Tom and Holden in the trees?



Holden also enjoyed measuring the trees, although his sights were set MUCH lower :-)




"Mom, this sprout looks like a good size..."


The place also had the world's largest (?) Teeter Totter...The kids really enjoyed it...no really MJ is always serious...




MJ was NOT into the whole family picture thing...so this is what we got...
The grounds were beautiful, it was cold down in the "town" area and warm for the hunt so a perfect day:-) We got our trees and the kids had fun, what more could you ask for?

Holden has something to say...

This is how we told our families:-) A baby due, right about Holden's 3rd birthday, what fun! We are super excited!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holden and MJ want to remind you to Thank God for the beautiful trees He provides us with!

In all seriousness, our family has so much to be thankful for...We are so blessed, and thank God for all the gifts He has given us, and everything He has taught us over this past year...even when those lessons have been tough or we didn't understand them...

We hope you and your families have a Happy Thanksgiving...

PS we did NOT make them do this...I know you all are thinking Beth and I have an agenda...they have become tree huggers all on their own!

Fantastic Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

L Family

Our friends asked me if I would take family photos...they had seen my work on this site and liked my style...of course I said yes! After I reminded them I am not a professional! haha...
This family is so fun...the boys have so much personality, and little Miss M just wasn't giving me anything...I have since gotten a smile:-) but I was without camera of course! She is so cute in all her seriousness...



The boys...they only smiled when they looked at Miss M...or were told to say they loved her! Such good big brothers! She will be well taken care of...





This is why I enjoy capturing families together...the dynamic each family has is unique...and this family likes to be rambunctious and have fun! So thank you L family for the fun day...I laughed a lot and I think we got some great shots! You are a beautiful family...



Oh yeah and the parents were great too!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Seriously I have nothing to write...but proof that even a bad photo has merit when cute faces are involved:-)

Heard Recently - 03

Today...well today I should have napped when Holden napped but I didn't...so about 4pm I layed down in his room and told him I needed a nap could he tuck me in...he brought me a pillow, blanket, and a "friend"(his baby doll buddy) Then he set up another bed and put Corduroy, and a monkey to bed...saying, "oh, its time for sleep...oh your not tired, well its time to nap so go to sleep"
then he comes to me and says, "we better pay (pray)..."
Me: "Do you want to or should I?"
H: "you"
Me: "No you are putting me to sleep so you should pray"
H after a brief pause: "heaveny father, Amen!"
:-)

For some reason Holden likes to sleep with gloves on now that its gotten colder...I don't know people really...it started up covering everything he said was cold and one night his hands were cold...and since then gloves...
So tonight, we forgot them...and after I left Holden's room I heard him talking...so I venture to his door, just to listen:-) I hear him say, "loves, loves"
Then I hear him rustling around...Minutes later he's crying...
Tom goes in there and he is trying to put the gloves on himself and can't get his fingers situated...When Tom helps him he says,
"These are tricky!"
Tom leaves and he falls asleep...crazy kid!

Got Leaves?

We Do!

Giveaways

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a bunch of Christmas giveaways! Check it out:-)

Signs you need to turn off talk radio when your kid is in the car...

Today, I had talk radio on in the car...there was an ad for a dog trainer...the man chatted about a dog leaving a "present" when it wasn't even his birthday...
H: What present? Whose birthday? Where's my present?

Again, the host said to a caller, " Are you kidding me?"
H: Why did she say , "kidding me?"

Now I wasn't listening to anything offensive or even not appropriate...BUT I was reminded that I REALLY need to be aware of what I am listening to...

And why is it that I feel like I need to turn the TV off during the commercials they play while watching basketball? I mean, the games are on between 5 and 8? YIKES!

See Trunk or Treat post here, and Halloween here

Wordless Wednesday

Heard Recently - 02

Holden loves music...so often he wants it turned up when in the car...today was no exception...we were listening to worship music...
H: Is this worshiping God?
Daddy: yes Holden this is worship music to God
H: I wanna practice worship to God like Daddy does...
Daddy smiling (I wish I knew what he was thinking :-)): Yes Holden we should do that...that would be good...

And it was good...

Not in our car or today:
while listening to Daddy play guitar, Holden walked closer, and because daddy lets him he strummed the guitar...and sang, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." In no particular tune...but it was sweet none the less...

God is so close, especially through our children's eyes...

The Spider and the Ladybug...

Well Holden was a homemade spider for Halloween... a tradition continued although I remember the costumes my mom made me were A LOT more elaborate! Holden costume was almost all stuff we had:-) just modified a little...but he rocked the spider!



MJ was a pretty little ladybug! She got this play outfit for her b-day and has worn it for many a dance session...she was flittering away in the wind this Halloween:-)



As is tradition I invited Beth and MJ over for some photo ops and invited the fam over for dinner...See I am not into trick or treating...we did the trunk or treat thing last weekend...and that was enough for me:-) And I don't really like handing out candy...I think my introvert comes out and I get all shy...wierd...BUT luckily Beth is willing to pass out candy for a dinner:-) It's good our family likes each other!




So we had fun...and then MJ illustrated her Very Grouchy Ladybug impression:-)



They are too cute!