life in november

Here's the photo dump from November!!  All the little moments I don't want to forget :)

Costco pizza date with Colby...

Starbucks date with Danielle...

Boating with the fam...

Testing out the new wetsuit...

Driving lessons for Brookie...

Tennis with my boy...

Rocking his birthday hat from Papa...

Nerd Day at school...

Belated birthday gift and boat time with cousins...

Vintage wetsuits on the girls, new one for Colby :)

These kids ALWAYS have a blast together, it really is the greatest!

Kevin finally outgrew his High School wetsuit and found a new one on Amazon :)

As we pulled into the marina, we could see the Prairie Lights, so we went in closer for a sneak peak...

I've never been one to decorate before Thanksgiving, but this year I made an exception.  I'm blaming it on COVID, but I just felt ready for some Christmas cheer in the house :)

Apparently, I always arrange the nativity because when I told Brooke she could do it, she said excitedly, "Are you joking?"  As I unboxed and handed her each piece, she carefully and thoughtfully placed it. I love that all the sheep were huddled around the baby Jesus. 

Having the decorations out early was the best decision! I loved the evenings spent sitting near the fire, reading Christmas books, and chatting as a family.  

A "mini" version of the puzzle challenge...

More boating...

Rainy afternoon project: fix toilets that have been bugging me.  Apparently Brooke was cold because she kept her beanie and jacket on, while Colby changed into a t-shirt and shorts, haha. 

Spent time at Grandma and Papa's house...

When these two came inside after playing a bit of baseball, Colby asked Kevin if they could make some cocoa. As they sipped cocoa together, Kevin grabbed a Nature Valley bar and started dunking it into his cocoa like a piece of Biscotti.  Moments later, Colby hopped up, asked for a bar from the pantry, and settled back into his chair to do exactly what his Daddy was doing.  He kept glancing over at Kevin, making sure he was doing it JUST right. I would be perfectly happy if he imitated his Daddy forever. 

We started the "25 days of Christ" tradition this year and we were all so excited about it.  I planned on leaving the ornaments in their natural wood state, but the kids REALLY wanted to paint them, which was a long process!

And we're officially ready for December!!

thanksgiving

On Wednesday, in preparation for Thanksgiving, I took the kids to Flower Mound to make pies with Grandma. 

They also learned how to shell pecans, which kept them entertained forever!!  Colby was especially focused and filled an entire solo cup full of shelled nuts.  A while later, Brooke accidentally knocked his cup over into the yard and many tears were shed :(  Poor kid is very sensitive when it comes to rocks, sticks, and apparently pecans. 

Brooke made sure she had plenty of Emery snuggles...

The kids played outside together and I adore this picture of the kids on the swing. They literally could play on that swing for hours together.

There was also quite a bit of tree climbing, with Brooke as the ringleader...

On Thanksgiving day, we headed back up to Flower Mound to spend the day together as family.  It was another beautiful fall day in Texas, so lots of time was spent out in the backyard. Kevin found his old baseball bag in the attic, which Colby was naturally thrilled about. He loved that it was a REAL bat, not like the plastic ones we have at home.  

A little down time with Kinley...

Jerry's brother Larry and his wife Annette were also in Texas visiting, so that was a nice addition to the regular crew :)  They came to our house on Friday night to see our house and have dinner with us.  And since we did a lousy job of taking pictures on Thanksgiving, we took a few by the Christmas tree.

Twin brothers, Jerry and Larry.

The guys...

And the girls...

It was a great Thanksgiving with family and it's good to stop and really think about all we have to be thankful for. We have a beautiful little family, a wonderful extended family, a home filled with love, all that we need and so many little luxuries. I am so grateful for Kevin's job and the life it provides for our family.  I especially love that I get to stay home with the kids and take care of them each and every day.  It's not always easy, but they really are the greatest kids and I love watching them learn, grow, and develop into the little people they are becoming. I'm grateful for a Savior, a loving Heavenly Father, knowledge of the gospel, and a testimony that Christ's church has been restored on the earth. 

This year has been really hard on a lot of people, but I feel really grateful for the good that came from it.  More time at home together, a slower pace of life, and more opportunities to learn and grow.  But I am definitely ready to see my parents again, so hopefully we see improvements in the months to come.