It's Christmas All Over Again

 A tree was picked out at the very classy Home Depot.

The kids pretty much decorated the whole tree. Except the lights and the tinsel. They really wanted to help and it was a small tree, I could always fix it later. Which I did.

Millie helped undecorate it. 

Millie also realized that the tree would make an awesome hang out spot for her Muno and Brobee dolls.
That girl, you never know what to expect, she keeps us on our toes.

The next day while the kids were at school I did some fixes and some rescues because most of the bulbs were barely hanging on, like this one. It did make me smile though. They love to help with the holidays.

The outside looking in, all Christmas'd out. 

Thanksgiving Twenty-Fifteen

The Hill's drove all the way from California to spend a little Thanksgiving time with us. We of course surprised our kids and they were in heaven. 

 Sam was very insistent on getting one of the turkey legs. Millie's not quite sure what to think of it.

The cousins enjoying their meals. Even though I think none of them really ate their meals.

 We went to Liberty Jail and Independence and got some church history.

The Money Museum was a hit, especially at the end when they got their own little bag of shredded money. Sam said he was going to glue it all back together and be rich. Just foolin the system...

 And what visit to Kansas City would be complete without a stop at the Hallmark Museum?

What was not captured was the hours of just hanging out and playing at the house. 

We loved having them and we miss them.

These Three

When it's bad, it's bad. But when it is good, it is so good. 

Nothing makes me happier than when I see my kids having fun with each other. This Mom thing is really hard and I feel like I am just making it up as I go, but when I'm looking through my photos and see a picture like this, it makes me happy. For a moment, I think maybe everything is going to be OK.

Halloween Twenty-Fifteen

Halloween started out cold and rainy and with a cancelled soccer game. But later in the day it start to clear up and was actually quite nice outside. Last year in Illinois it was so cold that is started snowing. So this year we were good with the weather. We took the kids to an out side shopping center close to our house and went trick or treating and then we went through some neighborhoods as well. I guess there is a baseball team out here that was playing in some championship and it seemed like no one was out, so it was a super mellow night. 

The crew.

The kitty cat sister.

The box of M & M's.

The flapper.

Who was not coached on her pose. This is 100% Kate.

When Grandma Krystyne was in town she made this shirt for Sam so that when he had to take off his costume in school, he would still have a part of his costume on. He called himself the last M & M in the box. The M & M's was all Sam's idea. He wanted to be something that involved a box, whether it was a robot or a box of candy, a box was going to be apart of it somehow.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

Grandma and Grandpa Visit KC

 We went to the children's farm.

 Got to see a class room from the old days.

 Grandpa gave us a demonstration of the dunce cap.

 Sam fed those greedy goats.

 Got to take a grown up picture with the help of Kate.

Stuff was getting fixed all over the place.

 Went to the Hallmark museum.

Showed them how you can drive on State Line Road and one side is Kansas and the other is Missouri. Never in all my life...

 Went to our ward's Trunk or Treat.

Showed them our school and that we aren't so far apart.

Took a picture because we thought we were going to eat here and then went in to find they were short staffed and the wait would be long so we went somewhere else. But I bet it would have been cool.

They brought treats from the other Grandparents in California, which made their day.

It was so much fun having the grandparents come out and visit. I am especially glad that they could come and look at the house and give us advice, they made me feel not so overwhelmed about house things. We love you guys and can't wait for you to come and visit again.

Apple Picking

So about apple picking, I have had friends that go apple picking or any other kind of fruit picking and I've always wanted to take the kids and partake in this photo op activity. We went and had fun but I came home with apples that just got old in the fridge. I kind of had plans to make some new apple dessert but that didn't happen. We did go later in the year, I guess prime apple time in Kansas is at the beginning of September and that's when all of the mosquitos and huge hairy spiders are out and I am not going to deal with that. The apples that were left were the ones that no one wanted, so it was like picking the best out of the leftovers. We still had a good time, the kids each got a turn at using the apple picker thing, it was a nice Fall day with no bugs and no spiders dropping down to say Hi, and we got our apples for half price. I say it was a win and something I'd do again but with a better game plan and with Ryan so that he can deal with the spiders. Here are some pictures documenting the day.