Family photos

Always a debacle, always crazy, always entertaining

Even Rapunzel takes piano lessons

Unfrozen

Colonial Woods Children's Christmas Musical

 During both Sunday morning services, the 1st - 5th graders sang a few songs in Venue and the Main Sanctuary

 Getting ready! It's Sunday evening and the children's Christmas program is about to begin!

 First up on the performance schedule was the Preschool and Kindergarten peanuts.

 

 Good job Kohkee!

 

 So glad to have all the grandparents there with us too! It was a heart-warming show put on by some talented children singing and performing their hearts out! A great start to the Christmas season!

School picture

AHHHHH! First-ever school picture! I love it; it is so sweet.

We practiced "smiling nicely" the morning of pictures, but of course our silly little girl only wanted to give us goofy smiles and faces. I thought, Well if this is how it goes down, then that's cool too because that will show her true personality. Plus, I will definitely show it at her Senior Open House and at her wedding.

Our self-assured, energetic, comedic, huggable beauty! You can't go wrong with this precious smile!

Happy Halloween!

We happily welcomed the arrival of Halloween on Friday! What we did not happily welcome was the 30mph winds and freezing rain that accompanied it. This was the worst Halloween weather in the history of ever, or at least in my lifetime. Just three days prior it was 60 and sunny! Even just the day before was calm and sunny! The best quote of the night was when we were heading to house #3 and Kayla yells (through the wind and rain), "I think it's SNOWING!" Really, we had to have that weather? Well, the snow didn't last but the rain did. Even Khloe couldn't hold up against the wind and rain and after house #3, while running back to our house, she kept yelling, "I.....can't.....keep......up!" and really she couldn't. Our cupcake almost blew away and by the time she got back home, our cupcake was frozen. Needless to say, inside the foyer was a much safer and warm environment with an endless supply of candy, which is exactly where she stayed the rest of the night.

What were we to do? Not cancel trick-or-treating or getting dressed up that's for sure. A little cocktail for the adults, some candy for the kids, and the misery of the weather seemed to disappear. In fact, we did MORE houses this year than ever before! We hit the whole neighborhood! Each year the girls get faster, stronger and more endurance. Way to go Kayla and Addie! We had a BLAST!!! At least we know now the weather can't possibly get ANY worse than it was this year; hopefully it can only get better.

 After wanting to be a werewolf for the last few months and searching for the perfect costume online, Kayla finally decided on a black kitty. Amen, thank you! This was an EASY and inexpensive costume to put together! Just had to purchase the headband and tail, borrowed the black furry leg warmers, sewed the black furry sweater coat the night before, and voila! A cute black kitty that purrrrrrred her trick-or-treat greeting at each door.

And of course our yummy delicious cupcake!

Thanks to the freezing rain and howling winds, these are the only photos I got of the girls on Halloween night.

 Of course, continuing our seven year tradition, Missy, Addison (errr, Elsa) and Aunt Kristy (not our Aunt Kristi, boo.) joined us for the evening. We've got this Halloween rain thing down! The girls pile into the very back of Missy's SUV while Missy and I drive to points in the neighborhood; we all pile out, run around to a bunch of houses, pile back in and move down the road. The system works! This year there were many, many vehicles doing the same exact thing.

Trick-or-treating (and coming in out of the elements) with the neighborhood girls

Kristi and I planned our coordinated outfit months in advance, but sadly she could not make it home. This threw off everyone in the house because they all kept asking over and over, "When's Kristi coming home?" The answer was "Sadly, she's not this year". You better make it home next year Kridi!

So, I went as a solo Indian Spirit, even wearing Aaron's authentic 1980's Indian Spirit bow. Indigenous peoples are not afraid of a little wind and rain.

 

Post trick-or-treating-warm-up-dry-off dance party at the neighbors and costume change #2. 

It was a super fun night!

Halloween parties

Today was a great day with two back-to-back school Halloween parties packed in! First it was Khloe's preschool trunk-or-treat party and then it was off to Kayla's fall fun fair at Michigamme. Let the festivities begin!

 Kayla off to the fall fun fair at school

 Pretending like she is "scared" of the spider webs

 My little cupcake off to her preschool Halloween party

 Spending time with a group of three year old's in costumes will NEVER get old. Seriously, there is nothing cuter. In fact it is so cute I could cry. I will miss this when Khloe graduates preschool next year! There were lots of Elsa's and Avenger superhero's running around this year.

(Check out the kid in the homemade Optimus Prime costume! It was the best costume ever, and it transformed too!)

Ms Karen - we love you!

 After trunk-or-treating we moved indoors for treats, a parade, and story time

"Oh mom, I love this story, It is so funny."

"See? Wasn't it so funny?"

 Khloe's party wrapped up just in time for me to head over to Michigamme for the fall festival. The school does a great job organizing a fun carnival-like day for all the grades. The kids play carnival games, win plenty of candy and prizes, get faces painted (I did!) and make frosted sugar cookies. 

Thanks Grandma for the kitty costume Halloween shirt to match her black cat costume - she thought that was the greatest!

And I got to join Kayla for lunch too! 

 What happens to a three year old after a HUGE candy high early in the morning? A HUGE candy crash before lunch. That is a picture of ultimate relaxation! I'm with ya Khloe!