Thanksgiving 2012

For Thanksgiving, we were able to get together with most of Jenna's side of the family. The only ones who couldn't come were the ones who live back east, in Virginia. It was quite the change from the past few years of Thanksgiving when it was just us.

Waiting in line for face painting from Aunt Kaori

Aunt Kaori painting a cousin's face

Some of the cousins at Thanksgiving dinner

Another cousins table

Another cousins table

I think my camera battery died and I wasn't able to get a shot of the adult table.  We had twelve adults and eighteen kids at Thanksgiving dinner this year.  It was good, chaotic fun!

Caleb's Baptism

Caleb was baptized the first weekend of November.  My parents were able to come up from Arizona, as well as Corey's mom from California.  We also had some of my extended family (cousins, aunts & uncles, siblings) who live locally attend.  It was a small service and we were lucky that we had the baptism all to ourselves as we were the only ones from our ward doing a baptism that day.  We had a brunch at the house afterward and it was very nice to chat with relatives. 

Chores

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, we had another snowstorm come through.  Before the coming snow, I sent the kids out to rake leaves and pick up poop.  As you can see, our yard is looking pretty bad.  The sprinklers were not working all summer and the grass died, except for a few patches here and there, which got really long as nobody took care to mow them down.  Anyway, the kids raked all the leaves and bagged them and then the snow came, literally later that morning.  But at least it fell on a clean yard! 

First Snow of the Season

The first snow of the season came a couple of weeks before Halloween, then it warmed up and stayed pretty warm for a while. The kids were very excited to go play in it, although Jonah was a bit hesitant about it all. Once he learned about snowballs, though, snow became all the rage for him.  That boy just loves balls!

Halloween 2012

Halloween this year wasn't as big of a thing as last year when I put together Wizard of Ox costumes for the family.  We encouraged the kids to come up with costumes of things we already had and this is what they came up with:

Caleb was an In-N-Out store manager (note: he was NOT an associate--we did that in 2006--he was the manager.  Store managers wear black pants and a big red apron, associates wear white pants and a half apron with an apron pin in the back); Westley was a spy; Travis was a baseball player; Eliza was Strawberry Shortcake; and Jonah was a frog.

 Our Jack-o-Lantern.  We don't get real creative around here and the kids are lucky that Dad is willing to help carve just one pumpkin (Dad really doesn't like Halloween!) 

At the school parade waiting for the big kids to come around.  Travis' afternoon kindergarten had their own little parade too, later in the day.  It was gorgeous outside, like in the 60's for Halloween, very unusual for Utah.

Caleb marching by

Westley changed his mind last minute to be a ninja.  Here he is helping another student carry part of his costume.

Caleb Turns EIGHT!

Corey was gone on Caleb's birthday to a manager's thing in California.  So we waited to celebrate Caleb's birthday until after he got back.  Caleb had the choice between a birthday party with friends or a fun family activity.  He chose a family activity, which was miniature golfing.  The kids had a great time, although it was a little cold.

I also didn't make him a creative cake like I usually do.  I just didn't have time that day--we had things going on besides doing his birthday activity.  So I bought a cake instead, which was decorated to look like a mummy.  I have to say, it was a nice break from making a cake, but my cakes are much better-tasting!

Toothless

Poor Caleb's permanent teeth have been coming in on top of his baby teeth. His baby teeth have just been refusing to fall out, so he's had to have several teeth pulled in the last few years. This was round three of teeth pulling, and he had four teeth pulled. Two were much more ready to come out, but two were not ready at all. The orthodontist recommends his teeth being pulled so that his permanent teeth can come in straight and hopefully he can avoid braces. He had this done in the morning before school and still went to school that day.