November Round Up

iPods and massage chairs while getting oil changed!

WAY TOO MUCH candy from the Halloween stash!

Family Game Night... obviously! LOL!

Right before I beat her at checkers;)

Let the Hallmark movie marathon watching begin!

M and I had a date night downtown and stopped to check

out the ice skating rink after dinner!

Mmmm!!  Einstein Bros has the best bagels!

Basketball practice started

I had to get my glasses adjusted and this kid went to town

building with the baby blocks!  Haha!

Every year a guy in our neighborhood sends cards to sailors 

at sea in the Navy and has us all help out by making cards!

This was C's!  Not sure if it's offensive or cute!?!

The two of them managed to cram themselves in this box and

stayed there for about an hour!  It was the craziest thing I've seen

in a while!

Heart-shaped pancakes were on the menu!  

Boy loves him some iPod!

Christmas Tree!

The past few years we've been going up to NC and chopping down our Christmas trees.  This year, however, the thought of getting back in the car and driving after returning from Raleigh was more than I could handle - I'm not feeling 100% from a cold that I've been fighting for over 2 weeks - so yesterday we went to a local lot and chose one!  The kids were thrilled because they are cheaper than they are when you chop them down and we were able to get one that was quite a bit larger than usual!  We got it set up last night, but were not able to get to the decorating part until today!  I take the role of handing out the ornaments and telling where each one came from and the kids, and M, hang them on the tree!

After decorating the tree I also got most of the rest of the house decorated!  It looks like Christmas now!

We were cooking dinner tonight and commenting on how festive the house looked, when in slow motion, the tree came crashing down, killing a few of my ornaments!  It was so sad!  Apparently, when we got the bigger tree, we also should have gotten a bigger stand!  So, now all the ornaments are back OFF the tree and the tree is tethered to the door with some rope!  It's real classy!

Super excited about the tree they chose!

Finished tree before it fell!

Thanksgiving! Gobble, Gobble!!

We made it back from Raleigh tonight after a few days spent with family!  Unfortunately, Grandpa got the stomach bug on Tuesday and didn't feel well enough to make the trip this year.  Sad to miss him!

Wednesday we started the drive around 1pm.  We took back roads up to I40 this year and it ended up being a beautiful drive.  We arrived in Raleigh and stopped at Bass Pro Shop as we tend to always do and then grabbed dinner at a new chicken and waffles place right next door that was really good!  We finally made it to the hotel where Gigi and Granny, Shannon and JG and, of course, Bo and Jack were and the none of us missed a beat catching up and having fun!

Bass Pro always has fun games to play!

Sleep is always rough the first night, but we manage and wake up to lots of coffee(for me!) and a huge breakfast(for M!)!  Then, finally, it's off to Chaney's house to see the rest of the family!  Oh how I LOVE Thanksgiving and being with family!  We stuff our bellies, played lots of fun games(thanks to Jason Hicks!) and then relaxed by the fire while the kids were, well honestly we were never sure exactly where the kids were HA!  We went to bed excited to do it all over again on Friday!

Kate, S, Lucy, Libby, Mary Mac, Rosalie

The gang:)

Kylie, Lucy, Mary Charles and me - it was the year of the color plum and black!

Uncle Bobby and S

Related;)

Friday I think is the kids' favorite day when we get to go out to the fish camp!  We eat, fish, play games, sit around the fire pit and the boys play football!  What a great, great, great time!!!  Our crew left around 4pm to start the drive back home.  We stopped for dinner at The Palms restaurant that Grandpa introduced us to a couple years ago and sent him a picture and wished him well!  We got home and couldn't get in our beds fast enough!!

Football - ages 13 and under:)

S, Kate and Lucy

Dave, Kylie, me and Gigi

MVE Color Run

The kids' school held their annual color run!  We had planned to do the 5k this year since the kids had done so well with the mile run last year.  But... my neck had been bothering me and M is still recovering from his concussion so we stuck with just doing the mile.  Both kids ran off with friends and eventually made their way back to the front of the school and the finish line!  We had a blast and maybe next year will be the year we finally attempt the 5k!

Dance Observation Day

Today was observation day at dance for S!  I probably say it every time, but I am continually impressed with how much these kids learn from year to year! 

Mother-Son Game Night

Tonight was the school's Mother-Son night.  There were Minute-to-Win it games to win(C and I were chosen to go on stage and make fools of ourselves, but we won!!), Bingo, basketball and corn hole!  We ate and hung our with a couple of boys and their moms from his class so that was nice!  It is rare that C and I get to do something fun with just the two of us, so it was a nice change of pace for us!

Since I'm on PTA and I had to be there early before M got off
work, S came and helped us set up before M picked her up!

Does it get any better for a 7-year-old boy!?!?

C and his friend, Gaven!