Oh Christmas Tree

As in our usual family tradition, today we went to Home Depot in search for the "perfect" Christmas Tree. The girls were very excited to go "tree shopping" & of course to help us carry it home. The beauty of living only 2 blocks from Home Depot :) As always, we look for the biggest Christmas tree we can find. We did get a little side-tracked when the girls decided to look at the smaller trees..."please can we get this one too!!!" Ultimately we ended up with an 11 foot Frazier Fir. Oh is she a beauty!!! Let the decorating fun begin.

Kitty & Doggy

Sporting their new winter coats & hats. And also enjoying meowing & barking as we walk down the street...oh so fun fun fun!!!

Happy Joes Dance Party!!!

Happy Joes

A fun-filled outing at Happy Joes with the Stephen's boys :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Gobble...Gobble...Gobble!!! Love, Gracie & Josie

Tip Toes

Dancing on her little tip toes...way to go Josie!!!

Josie's Ballet Recital...CindeRELLA

Today Josie danced as one of her favorite princesses in her ballet recital...CindeRELLA. Oh how I still love how she emphasizes her name when she says it :) She was very excited to dance for mommy, daddy & uncle bob. And we were very impressed with her dance moves too. She can sure walk on her tippy toes very well & very fast too!!! She's becoming quite the little dance :)

Thanksgiving Prayer

Thank you god for all that grows
Thank you for the skys rainbows
Thank you for the stars that shine
Thank you for these friends of mine
Thank you for the moon & sun
Thank you god for all you've done

Amen

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Today was Gracie's "Thanksgiving Feast" at school. One family cooked the turkey & other families brought in all the fixings & decorations. The spread was amazing with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, cresent rolls & LOTS & LOTS of desserts. And after practicing a special turkey song & a prayer all week, they performed for us too...all decked out in their turkey headbands!!! It sure was fun to eat lunch with all the little turkey's. We sure are thankful for our "little turkey" :)

Perfect Fall Day

Today was sunny & sixty degrees...a perfect day to head to North Pond to play in the leaves. Oh did we had fun gathering, throwing, jumping & laying in the leaves :) We love fall!!!

Sweet Dreams

Takeda Team Event

This weekend we went to Lake Geneva for Kris's Takeda Team Event. A nice little family get-away with the girls & oh so fun too!!! Friday night was a team-building dinner party...the adults worked together to make a pasta feast while the kiddies made pizzas together. Equipped with aprons & chef hats the girls decided to be really creative & made a CHEESE PIZZA :) It was delicious. Too bad Josie's chef's hat kept falling off :( And for dessert they had an ice cream sundae bar...build your own as well. Needless to say the girls were in heaven :) And they received gold medals for their pizza making skills too...yay!!! What a fun weekend with Kris' second family...Takeda Pharmaceutical:)

Ribbit Ribbit

Today at ballet the girls practiced their "saute" by jumping over frogs...so cute :) Josie decided to add a few froggy sound effects to her solo...Ms. Lynn seemed to enjoy it too!!!

Spirit Day

Today was "Spirit Day" at school. You could wear your favorite sports team jersey or school jersey. Oh what a choice to make...ultimately Gracie chose her new PINK St. Clement football jersey....Rothleutner #5 :) She wore it well!!!

Helping The Homeless

Today Gracie's Kindergarten class helped make lunches for the homeless. Before going to school, she was telling me that there are some people that are poor & that they were going to help make them lunch so that they wouldn't be hungry. "You know that some people don't have food like we do" she said. She was also very excited as they were going to put a pair of socks in each lunch bag "as some people don't have a lot of clothes either, mommy" she went on to tell me. The innocence she expressed as she told me what she learned about poor people at school just melted my heart :) And to make it even better, I was one of the mommy's that got to help them make the lunches. Each child decorated 2 lunch bags & then headed to the assembly line...sandwiches, fruit, chips, hard-boiled eggs, a candy bar, a drink & of course that special pair of socks to help keep warm this winter. It was really neat to see 5 year olds so excited about helping those that are less fortunate. Two lucky people will be receiving the special lunch bags that Gracie so thoughtfully prepared today. It really does feel good to give back :)

Friends Forever

Today Taylor & The Peterson Family moved to a new house. Luckily for the girls (and the mommy's too) it's still in the neighborhood & only a few blocks away. This picture was taken of them at the end of the summer...oh the memories they will have someday looking back at all the fun times they shared growing up together :)

Last Year's Fall Favorite

This pictures always makes me smile :)