Faces of Thanksgiving

Silly Faces

A Hungry Face

An Eating Face

Lots of Thankful Faces =)

I was tempted to set-up Christmas before Thanksgiving this year because Thanksgiving fell so late, but I hated to cut Thanksgiving short. It's such a great holiday to kick off the season as we celebrate all that we have been given. Recently, a thought that I heard in church really stuck with me: When you think that you do not have enough to serve/share with others (time, energy, money, talent, creativity etc) that is a form of ingratitude because of course we have been given SO MUCH in all of these areas that we should have plenty to share and should do so to show our gratitude! I know that I often fall into this trap of feeling like I don't have enough of "X" to share, but hopefully thinking of this as ingratitude will help.

The Score

Day 1

Accidents: 4
Successes: 4
Poops in potty: 1

So, We're potty training around here today. After 2 accidents in a row and no success, I definitely was about ready to throw the towel in. Ashlee's only 2 1/2, but I was tired of her telling me that we had to change her diaper EVERY time she was wet! She seems to know how to go when I put her on the toilet and she has even told me a couple of times that she had to go, but then out of no where she will have an accident after she just went pee pee (excuse the lingo) 5-10 minutes ago. So, I'm calling for help! What's your best potty training advise. (We are doing the small treat after she successfully goes in the potty, but is it worth it to have a bigger incentive for no accidents for X amount of time? She seems young for that) Send any great tips my way!

The BIG -3-0-!

Well, it happened, I turned the big -3-0-. Wow, what happened to the last tens years, I swear I'm still 20. My mom always said growing up that she's 29 and celebrating her 10th, 20th etc anniversary. Hard to believe that I will now be past what was her "ideal" age. I had an amazing birthday thanks to Justin, my kids, my family and my great friends!!

Since I'm a twin, I still feel weird not sharing a birthday party with Randy. It feels like WAY too much attention, but this year it was fun getting a little extra.

This was my awesome day: (Celebrations actually started last week when I got a new computer with a 21 inch wide screen and 3 gb of RAM- yahoo!)

~sleep in
~wake to an amazing breakfast and cards from my kids
~time to go grab some lunch and go shopping by myself!
~professional pregnancy massage (LOVED IT!)
~dinner at my favorite restaurant (The Mandarin) with some close friends
~cake and ice cream at my house later!

Thanks everyone! It was a great day-- I really felt loved! I would have to say, so far life is really good at 30.

BOY or GIRL?

Halloween Extravaganza!

In my family I guess we're big into traditions, if we've done something once and we like it, it's an instant tradition (I guess I can't blame Ashlee for her obsessions with bedtime routines, wearing her swim suit EVERYDAY, having to have all 3 of her purses with her at nearly all times, etc-- these are all of her "traditions") So, with Halloween it's no different. Each year during Halloween week we have the cousin party that my mom goes ALL out for in decorating, crafts for the kids, fun "spooky" foods, homemade donuts.... the list goes on and on. It's amazing!

The punch was a real hit this year. She put small scoops of ice cream in cranberry juice with dry ice. The ice cream was suppose to be eye balls in blood!


Here are all of the cousins in their costumes


My Princess has returned! (No more beard!)


Here's Andrew-- giving his toughest look. He's such a tender-hearted sweety, I don't think he could ever scare a fly!

Then we have the 'pre-Halloween' dinner at my sisters. We always have Chili, breadsticks, apple cider and donuts for dessert. This year I braved it and made Chili for the 1st time.


This year we added a new yummy tradition, gourmet caramel apples.

Okay, so the kids' apples don't look so gourmet, but still yummy. I've made lots of combinations, but my favorite is a layer of caramel, then white chocolate on top of that with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top of that. Sounds simple, but really good.

And of course-- trick-or-treating. Flying has been REALLY slow for Justin, but of course he had to work Halloween night. I wasn't very excited taking on trick-or-treating on my own (and the putting to bed my overly tired, sugar high children), but they did great. Ashlee was just in awe that everyone was just handing out cany (her dream come true. She asks for "cany" about 10 times a day.)


I've noticed the list of traditions are quickly growing as my kids get older. I personally think that Halloween is a bizarre holiday, but the kids absolutely love looking forward to these fun things, so I'm a fan.

Some pre-Halloween "dressing-up"

So, apparently Ashlee changed her mind and wanted to be a pirate instead of a princess this year for Halloween. While I was at work and Dad was ...? Ashlee had a great time doing a pretty darn good job making a mustache and beard on her face with my eye liner. Oh, this little angel.... I know if I haven't seen for for more than a minute or two she is up to something!! In the last week or two alone she has managed to squirt Purell in her eyes and mouth, bite open a glow bracelet that we were handing out for Halloween (I would have called poison control on that one, but I have been there and done that with Andrew when he was this age-- despite how it looks, that glowing stuff is non toxic), she dumped an entire bottle of frog food into the small fish bowl and an entire bottle of fish food into the large fish tank. (She also drank some insect repellent while we were in Hawaii a few weeks ago, did call poison control on that one and again- no worries!) Hopefully she and Mommy survive this "phase"!

Check out my Precious Prints photocard site to see what my sister and I have been up to. As my sister put it "we've been busy little elves". Hard to believe that Christmas is really just around the corner!