New Christmas Pictures

I loved having Christmasy pictures of my kids coming down the stairs during the holiday season. It was my favorite part of our holiday decorating. So I decided to take new ones for this year. Here is the first go -- we'll see what we do from here.

Our Costumes

It always feels like a feat to me to get all of the kids out the door in their costumes for the first time. The kids looked great this year and most importantly they loved how they looked!




Joanna loved watching all of Halloween! She didn't really 'get it' but she loved it. She never complained about wearing a costume -- even the hat! She just got in it like everyone else and wore it until we were done.

Michael and I started reading Harry Potter about the beginning of the school year. He has since taken off on his own reading it. He loves it! It is still a stretch for his reading level, but he has great motivation to keep working at it. We had worked out to borrow a Harry Potter costume from a friend whose son was Harry Potter a couple of years ago -- when he was Michael's age or a little younger. I didn't factor in that Michael is quite a bit smaller than her son was. When I finally got around to picking up the costume the day before we needed it we were a little surprized to discover that it was too big for him in every direction by at least 6 inches! So I quickly sewed up new set of robes for him from fabric I had bought before I had realized we could borrow some. I made up the pattern except the hood piece that I got from a cape pattern. It turned out quite well and we love how the borrowed tie works so well with it even without planning. I guess we all know Gryffindor colors when we see them! In the end Michael has loved it and has worn it almost non-stop since! Even this morning he is in his pajamas and his Harry Potter robe!

Katherine wanted to be the Cat in the Hat this year. It turned out to be a great costume for her and quite easy to make! She looks cute and enjoyed it as well. Her hair is getting so long! It's almost long enough to donate and still have enough left :)

Matthew was a little apprehensive about dressing up. Fortunately we took him to the school for the kids' costume parade and the party I threw for Sarah's Kindergarten class. After that, he was much more excited to dress up. We thought he was going to be a pirate until he told his school teacher that he was going to be a green alligator. By the time the holiday was over he has been an alligator, a dinosaur, and a dragon -- whatever works!

Sarah wanted to be someTHING this year instead of someONE. So we went searching on our favorite Family Fun website looking for a good idea. As soon as Sarah saw this costume she knew what she wanted to be and never wavered. It was a hit! She even won the Funniest Costume award at our Ward Halloween Party. Unfortunately, it was a real pain to Trick-or-Treat in. She left a trail of "bubbles" wherever she went.

Family Halloween Party

We had a great family Halloween party. We carved pumpkins, had a donut eating contest, and drank apple cider. It was great fun! We did get frustrated carving our pumpins and broke several of the orange handled pumpkin knives while working on our masterpieces. Next year, we think maybe we'll just go to the movies instead!

They turned out pretty cool, though!
Eating donuts without our hands!

Snow Storm

We had just under 20 inches of snow this week! School was canceled for two days, and we just hunkered down. The sickness that had been going through the family finally caught me, so I spent most of the snow storm running a fever and not feeling well. It was nice to have everything canceled, but it would have been nice to enjoy a few hours without kids.

Fortunately, now we have all been sick, and we are all healthy -- or at least mostly! Joanna is still on antibiotics for Strep Throat and James' ear is still bothering him and other little complaints, but we're so much better than we were. Yeah!

Sarah's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Sarah! Sarah turned 6 on October 28th. We had so much snow on her birthday that school was canceled and we all got to stay home and celebrate all day! We love having Sarah in our family. She adds a lot of fun and a lot of spice. Her friend party will follow, but we had a fun time celebrating as a family.

First Impressions

This year Michael and his friend Mark auditioned for the choir that Katherine has been singing with. They didn't make it into the same choir as Katherine, but the did make it into a First Impressions choir that rehearses for a month and helps them prepare for the next year. It was perfect for Michael. He loved it! I was actually kind of surprised because it is a serious choir with strict directors, but he always looked forward to going and always came home happy! At the end of their month they did a concert for the parents.

Soccer

Last weekend Michael finished up Fall Soccer. He had a great season. They didn't have as many wins as they would have liked, but they had a great team, great fun, and great growth. It is amazing how far they've come since Michael and his friends started soccer. They now have positions, pass the ball to each other, and 'get it' way better.

Soccer is Michael's favorite sport hands down. He loves it and is great at it!

It's all about the game -- and the fun!