Hash in November

Bryce is always such a joy to have around and is definitely his own man. He doesn't let anyone push him around or tell him what to do. He does things HIS way.

Bryce has been learning about all the colors at school. Every Wednesday, they wear a shirt that is the special color of the week. This particular week was all the colors. Rainbow. So I told him to go put a rainbow shirt on. He come up dressed in black. I love it!

There are many things I never thought I'd say to my children. And when I uttered the words, "You may not wear tap shoes to rake leaves," I didn't think I'd be saying them to my 5-year-old son.

Speaking of Hash, look at these cute pictures he drew. And his phonetic spelling. Jraf and Trke.

Hash has also been up to his ninja moves.

Link to : Bryce the Spy, Bryce the Steampunk Ninja
Also, I thought I had posted this video before somewhere but I can't find it. So here it is again.
Bryce the Zombie

Sydney in November

Our first favorite thing about November is SYDNEY!!!!

Happy birthday 15 year old. Now its time to get a driver's permit. Ahhhggg! I'm not ready. But she sure is!

Some good friends took Sydney out to breakfast! Thank goodness for good friends!

Sydney shares her birthday month with another friend, Hannah. They took her out for dinner!

Sydney also finished her first season of Westlake High volleyball on the freshman team. It was a dream come true!

She got a squeeze from her coaches and a Hawaiian lei.

What a great way to end her birthday month!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving morning baking rolls, making salads and dips and preparing games for our family party at G'ma and G'pa's house. 

The party started at 1:00 with a rousing game of Thanksgiving Bingo! We even got Uncle Mike and Uncle Geoff to play.

Next, we played a dice game, adding part of a turkey for each specific number we rolled. Hash enjoyed counting the dots on the dice. 

When they were all put together and feathered up...

... we began the exciting event: TURKEY RACES!

When those games were finished, we bundled up and went outside to check on the turkey Uncle Dallin was deep-frying. It smelled GOOD! And tasted even better when it was finished.

While we were outside, we played one more game: TURKEY TAG. Each player got 5 clothespins to pin on the back of their jacket, each one a different color. On the ready, set, go, everyone scattered and then tried to pluck the feather's off of each other. The last person left with feathers not plucked, won.

While we were outside running around, the inside of the house was preparing for our delicious Thanksgiving feast. 

I love how warm and cozy this picture looks.

I don't have the words to describe how much I love this picture!

Before siblings left to be with in-laws, we took the traditional family picture.

Our next stop, before home, was stopping by the cousins house to play a few games. This is the middle of rousing game of LIAR. The Browns are particularly good players at this game. Hashbrown even played but he wasn't a very liar. He did look pretty 'gangsta' though. 

Speaking of Hash, he sure loves playing with his cousins. Even when it borders on torture.

The next day, we went back to the cousins for dinner and more games. We divided into teams and played a photo scavenger hunt using things we are thankful for. Our team had a lot of fun and the pictures we great!

And not to be forgotten, the legendary Around the World ping-pong game. It came down to Grade, Ster and Syd, which came down to the final two...

Food

Family

Games

Fun

Those of some of the things I am the most grateful for and I was practically swimming in them all weekend long. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Family pics - finally

We finally got new family pictures taken. Last family pictures were in 2011 and looked like this. Look at Hashbrown's face. I LOVE it. Its going to be hard to take that picture off the wall. That was such a sweet moment of life, when my children were these young ages.

And look where we are now. I can't stop looking at this beautiful group of people that are mine!

Families are Forever

Rachel's Baptism

I love that my kids get to have the special experience of their dad baptizing them a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Nov. 7 was Rachel's turn. 

It was a happy day and she smiled big for the camera.

Always a ham, she kept making faces.

Although we didn't get a picture of everyone who attended, we are very grateful for all of their support.

(Thank you G'ma & G'pa, Edna, Grade & fam, DL and Karsten, Court & fam, Tom & fam and other friends, family and teachers!) 

Sunrises

Oct. 21

Oct. 22

Oct. 23

Oct. 25

Oct. 27

Oct. 28

Oct. 31

Nov. 1

Nov. 1

Nov 2