Fall Fun

The three pictures above are from the park down the street. It is a very pretty park. Katie loves to walk on the trails through the trees.




Every Saturday Mike still goes and plays football with friends from our old ward. We like to tag along when it's not freezing. This particular day, the kids had fun drawing with chalk and Ethan had fun with the football.




Katie on one of our Mother-Daughter night jogs/walks. And pictures of the views.





I love our new area. There are so many hills and wonderful views. I've been taking advantage of the hills and either running or pushing the kids in the double stroller up & down, up & down the hills. The kids have fun. Katie had been asking for a while how to get to the mountain. On one of my running excursions I found a way. I took her the next day and she was so excited.


Katie playing at the park while Daddy plays football.

Christmas Time

SANTA! Katie was so excited to see Santa. Below, Katie and Ethan are in line waiting to sit on Santa's lap. Katie is being very protective and loving over her very nervous little brother. When the time came to sit on Santa's lap, Katie did but Ethan didn't. He ran for Daddy as soon as it was their turn. Mike tried to get Ethan to do it but Ethan wouldn't let go of his Daddy.

CHRISTMAS TREE! The kids had a blast decorating our Christmas Tree. We haven't had a tree for the past 2 years because we've been out of town. It was so nice to see how happy the kids were to have a tree. Both kids put the ornaments on and Katie helped Daddy put on the lights. Ethan was so cute trying to put on the ornaments. Daddy would hand him one and by the time he'd get to the tree the hook would be missing. It didn't stop Ethan, he'd take the ornament and set it onto the tree.

Fun in the Snow

We've had some crazy weather here. I never thought I'd live somewhere with a temperature of negative something. It's been freezing, freezing, freezing and then had a whole lot of snow! It's been great because Ethan is old enough this year to go out and play. Many thanks to my wonderful husband for shoveling the driveway many times so I could get my car out. We've been able to play in the front yard and go sledding at a field down the street. This was Katie's first time sledding and maybe mine too. She loved it. Her least favorite part, carrying the sled back up the hill. Ethan enjoyed it too until we got near the bottom. Every time he'd start to cry.

Birthdays!

Katie's Birthday Crown

Super late about blogging Katie's birthday! Her 4th birthday was October 13th, the day of our move. Kinda nervous about moving on her birthday but she was very excited to sleep in the "new" house on her special day. The night before her birthday I made her a birthday crown, pink with many stickers. When she woke up the next morning she ran out and was so happy it was her birthday. We were sitting down on the couch talking about her day and she said "I want a birthday crown." What luck...I pulled out her birthday crown and her face light up. What the perfect way to start the day. After the move, my mom & sister arrived just in time for cake and ice cream. It was a huge surprise that Grandma Bigelow and Aunt Brooke were coming. I had Katie answer the door and to her excitement there stood Grandma & Aunt Brooke. What a great Birthday!

Michael's birthday was November 23. He turned the 27. Ethan had so much fun eating Daddy's cupcakes.

Halloween!

The kids had a blast on Halloween. Ethan was a dinosaur and Katie was a scary witch. Both costumes were my idea but Mike helped carry them out. Mike said I have to make sure he gets credit for Ethan's costume so...Mike made Ethan's tail and hat :) It was so cute! I told him what I wanted and he created something even better! Ethan didn't want to wear his hat. He kept taking it off until it got cold outside. I made Katie's costume and Mike did her scary make up. She was so excited to be "scary!"

Does Ethan look guilty to you? He just took a sponge off his tail. He definitely looks like he's asking "um..am I going to get into trouble for that?"

Trunk or treating at church









Ethan kept chasing his tail. It was hilarious!

The kids next to their pumpkins

Communication

Ethan is the cutest. Last night Mike was sitting at the computer and Ethan went to his new favorite place to play...the computer desk drawer and cupboard. Of course since Mike doesn't change diapers, he mentions to me he thinks Ethan is poopy. By this time, Ethan had already found a new place to play...a large box he likes to sit on top of. I asked Ethan "Are you poopy?" He nods his head yes. Then I ask "Do you need your diaper changed?" Once again, Ethan nods his head yes. Lastly I say "okay, lets go up stairs." And Ethan immediately runs over to the stairs and tries to open the gate to head up. Smart kid :)

Ethan is a great communicator. He nods his head for yes or shakes his head for no. He signs when he is hungry and signs & then leads us directly to the refrigerator when he is thirsty. It's great!

Pumpkin Time

In past years we haven't been able to get together as a family to carve pumpkins so I've had Katie color on the outside of them with markers. She has always had a blast doing that so this year when we went to buy our pumpkins she started talking about how she was going to color on them with lots of colors, etc. I told her this year, we're going to carve them. She had no idea what I was talking about. She figured it out quickly when we started. Her response "it's nasty inside!" Not sure where she's heard the word "nasty" but she definitely got her point across. It was hilarious. We all had fun!







Katie's pumpkin is the nice one. She drew the face herself!

Daddy made Ethan's pumpkin a mean face!