Visit from Family!

My brother, John, and his wife, Valerie, and their cute kids are here for the holidays.  We got to have Elodie and Andrew here for part of the day while John and Valerie went to a Voice Male performance together.  It was on of the most fun days I've had in a long time ... to give myself a day that wasn't trying to "get things done" ... but just try to be a "fun mom" and a "fun aunt".  I wish I had more picture of what we did, but I think I was too in the thick of a good time to remember that!  :) 

Thanksgiving!

Had the BEST TIME with our Franson family at our place for Thanksgiving!

Music...somewhere I've got to find and post our dance party moment...

 

Football...

Thankful Tree

The Feast

 

 

BB-Gun Shooting

 

Puzzle

Naps

 

Drawing mustaches on faces during naps...

Lightning

 

 

 

 

A little photo shoot with Lexi and Livi and Bethany's awesome camera!  All of these pictures are from Bethany and her camera!!  Thanks for documenting our day!

 

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

 

 

A morning of holiday baking and dancing to princess music with my cuties!  

Aaron's Turns 2!

For Aaron's birthday we went to a big trampoline place and had a great time!

Then the VanShaars were in town for Thanksgiving and came for a visit!  We had such a fun time!
It was Greg's second day with the "Hot Light App", so when we got a notification the Hot Light was on...we all dashed for the door!

 

Couldn't love this sweet boy of mine more!

Decorating with Wreaths

 

Last year we bought several wreaths on an after-Christmas sale, picturing how we'd use them to decorate our Michigan home.  Greg was willing to do the wreath thing if is meant he didn't have to put up Christmas lights.  :)  We had no idea that by this holiday season we'd be decorating a different house.  But, it's turned out to be so fun!  

Bedtime Stories

 

A Little More of Greg's Birthday

 

Because Greg really needed it, it got several new clothing items for his birthday a little early.  I still wanted him to have some things to open on his birthday...and for the kids to get to feel like they got to "gift" their dad.  So the night before while Greg was at mutual, we hit the DI and let each child pick out a gift for Dad. 

Greg's Birthday

 

One of my favorite parts about family birthdays...kids working together to decorate! 
Nathan even let Elizabeth color in his 3-D letters which is a true brotherly sacrifice.

Turn on the "Hot Light"

We've never lived by a Krispy Kreme place, and found out recently that when the "Hot Light" is on in the outside window...they give away a free doughnut to each person.  Of course Greg would never let us miss a deal like that!  He's even found us our new family theme song..."Turn on the Hot Light" by Neil Diamond.  (Yes, it's actually "heart light".)  :) Greg even downloaded a free App that notifies us whenever the Hot Light in town turns on.  So, we turn on the song on Youtube while we dash for our coats and climb in the car.    These pictures are from our first Krispy Kreme adventure.

Joshua Plays Basketball

 

Joshua is playing on a Jr. Jazz team this year!  He's got a scrappy little team that has surprised us by doing really well.  It made us laugh the other day when Joshua came home to report to me their first "loss".  He told me that Nathan thought the other team played unfairly...so the loss doesn't really count.  They're still "undefeated".  :)