Over NIght in Missouri

 Joel and I celebrated our 18th anniversary after Thanksgiving.  The kiddos are getting older, so we decided to try a quick overnight away.  We sent BB to be with his grandparents to make it a bit easier, and then headed an hour away to a really cute VRBO in the country.  It was all decorated for the holidays and it was adorable. 

We woke up to the first snowfall of the season.  It was beautiful and oh so cold!

The whole experience was lovely, but we came how to a permanently etched in game of tic tac toe on our side table.  Our youngest was bored and unsupervised long enough to destroy furniture.  I guess that answers the question whether they're ready to be alone or not.  Sigh.

As soon as we got back the boys headed straight outside to play in the snow.  They were so excited!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a quiet Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Thompson.  It was lovely.  Joel smoked the turkey and the stuffing and both were delicious.  The boys enjoyed some Thanksgiving crafts as well.

Little Guy did a Macy's Thanksgiving parade project in school, so we watched part of the parade as well.  The boys loved it.

Goodbye Ash Trees

When they announced all of the Ash trees would be getting cut down this past August, it felt like a personal loss. I know it’s silly and they’re only trees, but I was so grateful when they started on the opposite side of the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is lined with these trees, so they had to cut down over four hundred trees. As they cut down the trees in front of my house, I felt grateful that I got one last Fall with them.  It took them a while to get to us even though they started in August. They didn't get cut down until mid-October.  People decorated them and put lanterns on for Halloween. 

The week of Thanksgiving they came around and ground down the tree stumps.  Little Guy felt some dramatic poses were needed.  Today they filled the hole and put down grass seed.  I don't think we're going to get much grass since it's supposed to snow this week.  

I'm still sad about the trees, but it is what it is.  They are supposed to be planting new trees in the Spring.

November Dates

This month the little boys wanted to play pickleball with us at Chicken n Pickle for part of their date.  It was a lot of fun.  

We split up for the second half of the date.  Little Guy wanted dessert from I Am while watching Finding Dory with Dad, and BB wanted to get a mini pie from Crumbl with me.

1/2 Birthday

Little Man chose a frozen oreo cake for his half birthday to share.  It was made of ice cream sandwiches with layers of oreo cream in between.  He gave the other half of his cake to Hudson. 

 

Perfect Gift

 Little Guy received a personal waffle-maker from his friend for his birthday.  It has become his favorite thing.  He makes waffles for himself and his siblings all the time.  He is the happiest when he's making waffles.

Middle School Play

 It was Little Lady's last play in middle school and BB's first time doing backstage crew.

They put the play together in a whirlwind 4 weeks to try to get it done before the theater teacher was due to have her baby.  Little Lady did an awesome job with her speed talking for her "reason."

Happy Birthday, Little Guy

 We've been celebrating Little Guy's birthday piecemeal for several days now.  Since he had to share his birthday with the middle school play's opening night we did his birthday dinner on Sunday (mac and cheese and broccoli).  Little Man negotiated having the waffles and buttermilk syrup on a morning he would be home, so that was Tuesday morning.  He also had his birthday lunch with me at school on Tuesday since I had to take the cats to the vet during his actual birthday lunch hour.  He was so excited to get his favorite: Costa Vida.  He also went out to Chicken and Pickle with friends to celebrate some more. 

After the play, on his real birthday, we had cake and ice cream together.  He requested an Oreo poke cake with cookies and cream ice cream.  He definitely knows how to bring the personality. 

A Light in Darkness

 There was a huge storm that blew through the city this afternoon.  The wind was crazy, but as we were driving to pick up the kids from their dress rehearsal at school Little Guy and I saw a beautiful rainbow.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was so lovely peaking through a double set of clouds.  It brought a smile to my face and reminded me there's always beauty for us to see if we are looking for it.  

Sometimes it just takes a little bit of light to dis-spell the darkness.

Chamber Festival

 Little Man participated in a festival of chamber choirs in the area. 

The winner of the evening was a madrigal version of a Spice Girls song.  That was by far everyone's favorite song - so cool!  Who knew you could make the Spice Girls sound like that?!