December

Tonight we had Christmas with Jerod's side.  There were so many presents.  So many.

But the best part was Grandpa's one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells.  The kids loved it.  

There was a moment when we were riding on the sleigh, singing jingle bells, and an owl flew out of a tree by us and into the woods.  It was my favorite part of the whole day...probably the entire month.

Downtown Fun

Kate is 3!

One word sums up Kate these days: Delightful.

She is a delightful 3 year old.  We are very blessed to have her in our family.

November

November was a very full and busy month for us.

LOTS of birthdays to celebrate, Auntie Karen, Grandma Barb, Emma, and later - Kate.  

and the actual birth day of our new favorite baby - baby #4 for my dear friend Sonja.  Kate was smitten.

And lots of life just happened like grocery shopping and naps on the couch.

  

After Party

Maybe the best part of Halloween is the sales on costumes the next day.  We stock up for year-round dress up! This year it had a super-hero theme - these Spiderman and SuperGirl costumes brought hours of immediate entertainment.

Halloween!

 

Sam on a horse

We've seen a few horses come and go over in Grandpa Lee's corral.

Sam finally got on one.

And didn't cry.

I think he's growing up.

Around the house

To say I am thankful for my husband's handyman skills is a huge understatement.  I am amazed by them.  Just like listening to someone speak Chinese - I have no idea how to do it or where I'd even begin.  So I wanted to take a moment to brag about them.

We needed a new mailbox.  Really badly.  Our old one was not going to make it through another winter.  Jerod knocked this out in ONE day. 

OLD mailbox: 

I know Sam was thinking, "This mailbox is really sad."

NEW mailbox:

And then there is my favorite.  My "Pinterest challenge" of the Fall: a headboard for our master bedroom.  We have arrived.  

We have a headboard.  

The weathered wood is from an old deck.  I just cut it, cleaned it, and sealed it.  Jerod did the rest.  

I did learn some things along the way - like how to use a circular saw, a power washer, and the importance of things being level.  Life skills, people.  

Red Bird

Every year, the daycare our kids go to (called "RedBird") hosts a family gathering.  It's really nice to meet all the other parents and spend some time seeing what our kids do all day long at daycare.  We have be so grateful for the phenomenal daycare our kids have had their whole lives.  We know we lucked out with this place that's 1 mile from our house!

These are a few photos of the kids' "performance" where they sing songs about Minnesota and nature.  

Kate and Sam had to concentrate to keep their hats on...

First Day of Kindergarten!

In typical Sam fashion - it took 4 or 5 photos before he finally gave me a normal one...

Kate and Sam at the bus stop...I'd like to imagine he was reassuring her, telling her that she could survive the mornings without him and that he'd always be her best buddy...but I'm sure they are just looking at bugs. 

Walking home from the bus stop, without Sam.

Really though, all in all the transition to school has been fantastic.  Sam LOVES kindergarten (especially the bus riding part) and Kate is enjoying have all the toys and the parks to herself.