Thanksgiving Week

  The week of Thanksgiving was action packed.  Daryl took most of the week off, so Wednesday when the kids get out of school early we took them to the bowling alley.  They loved it.  For our Thanksgiving meal we went to the Thanksgiving buffet at the Hilton. The food was delicious, and I didn't have to make anything.  The day after Thanksgiving we went with Christie, Ben, and Zander to a light maze called Enchant at Safeco field. Everyone enjoyed the lights but the girls really loved getting their faces painted there. It was my birthday on Sunday, so Saturday we had a birthday lunch with my parents before Daryl surprised me with karaoke with our family and friends.  It was a private room, and we found out that Emery enjoys singing into a microphone a lot.  

Luke loved bowling

Luke, Emery, and Harper

At the building that houses the bowling alley.  Avery, Harper, Emery, and Luke

There was a dipping station at Thanksgiving dinner, so all the kids had a lot of chocolate that day

Emery gave Thanksgiving dinner two thumbs up

Nothing like Thanksgiving pizza and chicken tenders

Avery wanted her picture taken like this

Harper, Emery, Luke, and Avery at Thanksgiving dinner

Luke and I went on a walk after Thanksgiving dinner when it was pouring rain.  Luke loved jumping in puddles.

Daryl and Avery snuggling with Sisko while watching a movie

Zander and Luke at Enchant

Harper and Emery

Harper, Emery, and Avery.  This was the best picture I got.

Avery with unicorn face paint

Harper with a cat face paint

Emery with her unicorn face paint

At my birthday lunch

Avery and Grandma at karaoke

Benny stuffing himself full of sweet potato fries at karaoke

The first three decorative papers are Emery's.  The black pumpkin and Autumn poem are Harper's.

A close up of Harper's Autumn poem.

Harper's turkey

Our Christmas tree came in the mail on Wednesday

Daryl helped the kids convert a box into a rocket

The rocket has been a source of fun for days now

Avery loved bowling so much she constructed her own alley in her bedroom

Luke playing with Sisko

Luke being Luke

Dax likes when the living room fireplace is on

Harper and Emery with my birthday cookie

Double Digits!

  On Monday Avery turned ten.  As it happened there was no school that day, so I took Avery and her best friend Nico bowling.  After bowling I let them go crazy in the arcade where Avery won a crazy amount of tickets, so they were both able to pick out some great stuff.  Avery ended up using a pumpkin pie as a birthday cake because we had already done cupcakes twice for her already, and I had a pumpkin pie sitting around that hadn't gotten eaten already.  She didn't mind.  Avery loves pumpkin pie, and more importantly she got new LOL dolls for her birthday.  After the LOL dolls got opened a lot of things were forgotten.  

I couldn't resist adding in this baby picture from when she was a month old.  I feel like I still see this look on her face.

Avery and Nico bowling.

Playing arcade games is intense work.

Avery and her birthday pie.

Although he had already blown out candles twice, Luke wanted to help Avery blow out candles again.

When my Mom made him stop blowing out the candles he cried.

Then she shot whip cream in his mouth.

All was forgotten.

Avery digging into her presents with an eager Emery and Harper looking on.

Harper crying because it wasn't her birthday and she wanted LOL dolls too.

Busy Weekend

   Last Friday the girls' school had their Veteran's Day assembly.  All of the grades sing a song, and the choir which Avery is apart of performs several songs.  Daryl and I went and were not disappointed.  Emery was an especially enthusiastic performer.  Her little song that she sang with the rest of the Kindergartners and first graders had motions.  She was no slouch.  It was a pleasure to see that she was really enjoying herself.  Saturday we went swimming at my parent's place along with my brother and his family.  Emery enjoyed slamming into Adam's stomach while Logan wrapped his arms around his neck from behind. Then Sunday Aimee, Karl, Tyler, Ashley, Thomas, and Ayva came over to have an early Thanksgiving celebration and to acknowledge the slew of November birthdays and the one late October birthday in the family.   

Luke insisted that he help do the mopping

Luke playing with his birthday presents

Luke lined up a number of his cars in his bedroom and then declared there was traffic

Avery is on the second row on the end of the riser

Emery is in the second row on the end with her pink and purple coat on

Baby Benny is up and walking all over.  He walked up to Avery and put his hands on her shoulders.

Avery then wanted to pose with Benny

Logan and Emery having fun with Adam

Logan and Luke spent a lot of time looking at pictures of themselves on the digital picture frame

Tyler was letting everyone dog pile on him

Tyler with Harper and Luke on top, and a helpful Emery caressing his head

Luke was slaying Thomas with his new sword

Ayva was pleased to draw with her birthday markers.

Ayva let out an excited gasp as she opened the pull ups we gave her for birthday and immediately thanked us

Not everyone with a cupcake had a birthday, but they all felt the need to join in the birthday celebration

Ayva with her birthday cupcake

Ayva grabbed Luke and led him up the stairs to play together