Happy Birthday Brittany!

Happy Birthday to Aunt Brittany today!

We hope you have a fantastic day-

you can look forward to some singing from your nieces and nephew later!

(and Paul gave your present to Spencer)

Don't work too hard and have some extra cake for us!

We love you!

Is it too early?

I love, love, love the Christmas season.

I am excited for decorating, baking, partying, hostessing, and gift-giving.

Santa is all ready for our house.

I'm even 90% done with my shopping.

I have my countdown started.

Mostly because I am in charge of some crafts for Relief Society, and this was one of them.

I made it way back in September and just didn't want to put it away.

I don't normally hang my Christmas wreath out yet,

but I just made this one and I can't find my Thanksgiving wreath.

I hate to shortchange Thanksgiving, because I love that holiday too.

But I really can't contain my Christmas excitement!

Come on out...

Our guest room is finally done!

I painted it all by myself and Paul told me it passed muster!

I really love having house guests.

This is the first Christmas we will be staying in Illinois.

Luckily for me, we have lots of guests coming!

Ryan, Ruth Ann and their kids will be here for the week leading up to Christmas.

My mom and dad will come on the 26th!

I am so excited--I think this will be my best Christmas ever!

(forgive my mess--I'm also organizing Christmas presents and doing some wrapping-

if you come to stay, I will make sure to clean it up!)

New Niece

Our new niece arrived late last night in New York...

Ryan and Ruth Ann welcomed Emily into their family!

I always like to be the first to know "the news"

Ryan and Ruth Ann kindly kept me in the "loop" by leaving a message at 11:45 last night!

Halle's 3 Year Pictures!

Halle's 3rd Year pictures were her best yet!

No crying, no attempts to get away, no frowning

She had one request...she wanted to sit in a chair for one of her pictures!

When did she get so big?

Our latest "Halle moment" happened at Joann's Fabrics.

I was choosing material for some curtains with Nana

while Courtney kept an eye on  Halle.

As Nana and I were walking to the front check-out, a nice stranger stopped us to tell us all about the adorable little girl in the craft aisle--this little girl had decked herself out in the boas and other crafty dress-up items.  The stranger said, "You have to stop by and see her--she is so cute!"

I asked, "Does she have red hair?"

The woman answered positively.

I said, "Yep, she's mine!"

Life is never dull with this charming 3 year old around!

Nora's Pictures

We finally had Nora's picture taken

(her last official portrait session was in the hospital)

She did a great job, even though she was tired...

The photographer really wanted a big, toothless grin.

I said, "That's not her personality--she rarely gives grins like that!"

She is calm, not easily disturbed, and generally content

These photos show that gentle disposition perfectly!

Fall Leaves

We love our big trees-

The kids have discovered how many leaves these trees drop!

Every day after school, they shovel them into a pile

and then jump and play all afternoon!

Matt loves to shovel them together (we don't have a rake--we had no big trees at our old house)

Afton likes to lay in the leaves

Halle likes to throw them

Autumn is such a fun season!

Halloween!

We had so much fun trick-or-treating last night!

We have some friendly, fun neighbors who organized a great night for our families to get together!

First, the kids gathered to go trick-or-treating.

This is the first year Halle has really understood what that means and she was raring to go!

Afton loves having friends so close--they play every day after school!

I think this is the way to trick-or-treat--a heated golf cart!

The parent would load the kids in the seat up front and also onto the back and away they go!

You can cover a lot of ground that way.

I love the kids running from house to house--they were so excited

and it was so fun to go with a big group of neighborhood friends!

Scoring the loot and off to the next house!

We absolutely love our new neighborhood and friends

we gathered afterward for dinner and chatting

while some of the bigger kids went to more of the neighborhood,

but my kids were candied out!

(thank heaven--it was cold and I haven't yet gotten my golf cart!)