Reindeer Trek 2014

On Saturday we met up with my parents, Mike, Jessie, Amelia and Eliza to go visit the reindeer and Santa at the local zoo, Maxine was sick so she & her parents didn't get to come and we missed them.

 All 3 of the kids loved petting and meeting the animals

 Noah loves to be right by Grandpa and do what he is doing

 When Noah saw the reindeer walk away and not fly away he asked me why he wasn't flying. Luckily he was good my they only fly on Christmas Eve answer so I didn't have research that to much.

 No time for posing when you are talking toys with Santa. He was so animated talking with Santa I wish I would have captured it on video. Amelia and Eliza would have nothing to do with the man in the beard, can't blame them really.

 Beside lots of animals you could interact with they had games on the grass area, the kids didn't seem to mind the dropping temperature. Okay it probably got down to like 40 while we were there which lets be honest for December is just warm!

 Not the best picture but it captures Noah and how he is with his cousins, he always tries to take care of them and hold their hands, help them and give hugs...even when they'd prefer not to

 Cookies and hot chocolate to end our visit.

 Guess 2 out of 3 looking at the camera at one time is pretty good.

Our zoo is little but they sure do lots of fun things for the families in the community to enjoy and always without being to expensive.

"I don't know"

Today Mark and Noah came to meet me at my doctors appointment, Noah loves to come here the heart beat of baby sister and my doctor and his staff are great about Noah coming so he can do this, when he walked in I noticed his smile looked different. I asked Mark is he had lost his other bottom tooth to which he replied not that he knew of. I asked Noah to come see me and sure enough his tooth was gone. I asked him if he lost his tooth and he replied  "I don't know". So I said did you pull it somewhere at home? Again he replied  "I don't know". So somehow today Noah lost his tooth and has no idea where or when. Good thing I know the tooth fairy will accept a note. He doesn't even remember eating anything sticky 

Getting ready

We redid Noah's room a few months ago in preparation for sister joining our family, we have added a few more details to the half of his room but I don't have updated pictures. Over the last few weeks the crafting bug hit me a bit and I actually accomplished a few of the pinterest projects I had planned for her half of the room, crafting forces a pregnant woman to sit down also which I needed to do so baby sister didn't come to early or while her daddy was gone.
Yesterday my awesome sister came and put things together since moving much and especially bending/lifting causes contractions and with Mark at work we have been trying to stop them from coming or progressing. That is not an "O" in the frame it is just a ribbon wreath, this baby has no name.

On Tuesday I was 37 weeks, so technically I am full term but Mark was gone until last night he is home for a few days so she either needs to come soon or wait until he gets home again on the weekend. He only has a small amount of leave so we are trying to save it for after she comes and just praying her appearance happens while he is in town and not who knows where with no idea how long it would take for him to get here. Plus if the timing is right he will actually get to spend Christmas with us. My mom and mom-in-law (plus many others) are all ready to help us if it happens with him gone, which I am grateful for. I love them but they aren't Mark and he just has this way of keeping me calm when I want to freak out and lets be honest labor is a moment that freak outs happen. Guess we'll see and remember the Lord had a plan, he knows what Mark & I's life is like so we'll just go with it. 

Thanksgiving

Mark had to work this year over Thanksgiving, actually I think he has worked the last 3 years. My mom cooked a mini Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before the actual holiday and my family gathered at my parents house to enjoy. I failed to take pictures but we are truly grateful for my mom doing this for Mark.
After work on Wednesday Noah and I headed up to my parents house for the weekend.
That evening my mom & Noah made turkeys to put at everyones place during dinner. Noah was very tired but also very focused on doing his part.

It was such a nice weekend Noah got to spend lots of time outside "helping" grandpa. I wish I knew what he was telling him in this picture because their conversation lasted for about 10 minutes.

 Just over 36 weeks at Thanksgiving, getting closer.

 

I had to work for a few hours on Friday and my parents just let Noah hang out while I did that. Noah got to help my dad on the excavator

 His life got even better when grandpa put him in the middle of the yard and let him drive/dig himself. He was so proud of the holes he dug.

Saturday my mom was helping me sew jammies for the baby and Noah needed a project also, he and grandma made a christmas chain. He was so proud he cut most of the strips himself after grandma drew out lines to follow.

That afternoon we ventured to town to get a few things and visit Santa at Kings. Noah was so excited to see Santa, it was very serious experience he had to make sure Santa understood what he was asking for. Always glad when it stays consistent when asked what he wants, throwing Santa a curve ball isn't nice.

 Also got to help grandma decorate her house for Christmas, this is the giant treat stocking that has hung on her front door as long as I can remember. Noah got to fill it, he was very specific about what went where. He might be a little OCD about somethings.

 We stayed and went to church with my parents on Sunday. Noah got new church clothes and a "Christmas"  tie on Saturday during some awesome sales in town, I love sales! He is just growing so fast I don't know how to keep up.

Before Mark left for work over Thanksgiving we decorated our apartment. Noah picked out a stocking for baby sister, 2 aisles of stocking as hobby lobby and he picked the sparkly green elf shoe. His reasoning "girls like glitter". Getting ready for Christmas is so much fun with him around, he loves Christmas. He has to move our countdown, he also really enjoys his advent calendar from Grandpa & Grandma H. 

We hope you are all having a good holiday season and enjoying the magic of it all!

Pumpkin Blow

Backing up a bit, my family did have their annual pumpkin blow on the Saturday after Halloween which just happened to be November 1 this year.

 Noah and the pile, it got bigger before the explosion happened.

 Eliza, I am not sure but she might be a bit nervous about this

 Kristi rocked it and shot the dynamite this year.

Maxine is ready. She didn't even flinch, truly her parents daughter since they are the ones who caused the "boom".

I can't get the video to work so enjoy some still shots

Halloween

We started celebrating a bit early this year as we carved pumpkins on Sunday when Mark was home from work, thanks to not super warm weather they survived until they were blown up today. Noah was really excited to carve his pumpkin until he realized you have to clean them out, he preferred helping us cut the shapes out.

 

 The finished pumpkin, it is a happy witch. There was a doorbell on the back where the princess could go visit the nice witch who lived inside also.

 On Halloween Noah got to have a party at preschool, Grandma Sue takes him to school and sent us these great pictures. He was to excited to be a serious or strong batman. Big thanks to Grandma Lynette for sewing is awesome cape. They had activities and games at school than ended the day trunk or treating to the parents/grandparents.

After Noah finished school and I got off work we met up with Grandma Lynette and Terra to take the kids trick or treating downtown, this is a fun thing we have done the last few years. The business hand out candy and the kids can just run and have fun as it's not dark and the sidewalks are wide.

 Grandma and Eliza

 Noah and Benjamin

 Eliza

 Noah, Amelia, Lucy, Eliza and Benjamin

 Noah informed us when he decided to be batman that I should be wonder woman and his dad should be Robin. Our Robin got stuck at work but we still had a fun Halloween.

Per tradition we went trick or treating with our friends the Bailey's. The kids always have fun and it's the only night each year that it actually works out for us to hang out, weird how adulthood makes it hard to see friends.

The group of kids we went with ready go.  

Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween.