A New Place to Play

Thanks to my friend at Polka Dot Daze my kids have a new place to play!  After she put up this picture I was inspired to make one of my own!

I actually finished it about 2 weeks ago.  I really should have ironed it for you so please excuse all the wrinkles...

The first morning the whole family was in there.  The kids play in it eveyday (usually Dad does too).  They love to have picnics in there!

One of my favorite things about it is listening to their conversations.  They say the funniest things!

And in the spirit of Christmas:

Childhood...will never be the same.

You Just Might Need a Pair of These Babies

   I LOVE Christmas lights.  As I was taking this picture Thanksgiving night out of my mom's front window, she ran to grab these little glasses she had bought for the grandkids to all wear on their rides home.

I should warn you, when you put them on you will look silly like these little guys.

But now when you look at this:

You see this:

Or this!

   It is really much cooler when you have them on!  Can you see the snowmen and snowflakes?  Your kids and grandkids will be ooooohing and ahhhhhing all night!  It was a very fun ride home, Thanks Grandma!  Hope you find some where you live!

Find the glasses sold online here :)

An American Thanksgiving In Pictures

   I will try not to talk here & just show you an American Thanksgiving in pictures...but staying quiet is sooooo hard for me.

 

   Every year we visit both sides of the family...one in the country, and one in the city.  It is a crazy day, but we LOVE crazy!

Pheeewwwww!   That was so hard to keep quiet but I don't want to keep you here all day.  Before I go, We were going around the kids' table and they were saying what they were thankful for and my daughter Annie was pausing a little...so I stood looking at her as pictured below, with my neice Sophie pointing like crazy over my head and my hands flashing around my face...

Yes, I know I look ridiculous, but I just thought I would help her think of what she was thankful for.  She looked at us for awhile and then said, "Oh yeah.....Sophie."  There was a lot of laughter today, thank you Lord!

Oh, and of course, when I sat down to eat for 10 minutes...Bo managed to take apart the 1000 piece puzzle completed that day by my nieces and nephews in the next room.  I found the 2 year-olds throwing the pieces in the air over & over again like confetti yelling "Happy Birthday."

The pictures REALLY don't do it justice...but they sure had fun! 

Christmas Cards Past

   With Thanksgiving tommorrow I am officially frantic!  No good pictures of Bo for the Christmas card!  If he sees a camera he will instantly scowl!  Even if he was laughing his head off a second ago.

Here are our cards from years past:

                                Annie 6 mo.

                                           Annie 1

                                          Annie 2

Family Letter Inside:

   This year Annie's favorite daily activity is to play "Mary and Baby Jesus."  She fills our home with joy, and my eyes with tears, as I watch her raid the towel drawer for her headpiece, slip into her Cinderella high heels, and lovingly place baby Jesus in his manger (my big blue roaster).  She sings "Away in the Manger" or her favorite lullaby to Jesus.  I often watch quietly until I am assigned the part of Joseph and commanded to take her to Bethlehem.  She is a beautiful daily reminder to Kelly and me what Christmas is about.

                                                Annie 3, Bo 6 mo.

Family Letter Inside:

   This year we added Bo to our family.  Although we opted not to name him Prince Charming as suggested by Annie, it would fir him well.  He is finally growing into his cheeks but it does look like he will probably be a football player.  I am hoping for a quarterback, but I'd put my money on linebacker.

   As a monther nothing is better than seeing the love in both their eyes as they watch each other.  We are constantly amazed at the blessing of having both a little boy and a little girl.  She is so girly and he is already so boy.  However, as I enjoy daily ballet shows in our livingroom I know it will only be a matter of time until Bo comes down in a pink fluffy pink Tutu or Annie enjoys her first monster truck show.  We can't wait to discover what God has in store for our family in 2008.

                               Annie 4, Bo 1

Family Letter Inside:

   This year Bo was plopped into the "manger" and carried around by Annie, "You be Baby Jesus, Bo!"  Next year Bo will probably be forced to be a shepherd as the new baby will be proclaimed Baby Jesus by our little Mary.  Each year Annie adds more and more elements of the story.  Stuffed animals stand in for the sheep and donkeys in the stable behind the couch.  I will never tire of hearing Mary sing "Away in the Manger" to her baby.

Here is one of my favorite secrets...the picture where Annie looks so sweet and innocent as Mary.  Here is what she REALLY looked like:

(I love hearing those shoes on our hardwood floors!)

  Here is what I went through to get a good Halloween picture:

"Bo, stand next to Annie."

"Annie let go, Bo stand up"

"Annie stop jumping,  Bo look at me."

"Bo do you want some chocolate chips?"  Yes Annie, you can have some chocolate chips for smiling, Annie stop jumping!"

"Annie put your dress down.  Bo, Stand up!  Look at me!"

"Okay, let's try this again.  Look at me, that's good!  Look at me!"

"Oh, good Bo!  Now, open both eyes."

"Bo, come back here!"

"You can do it Bo...look at me, smile, open your eyes...YEAH!!!"

"Yes Annie, you can have your choclate chips now."

So you see...I am not looking for a perfect picture...just a smile from my Bobo.  Wish me luck!!!