Slacking

Wow...I just realized I hadn't read blogs--unless I caught it on FB in over 2 months.  That is sad.  I think i got 90% caught up--at least with the Cliff's Notes.  I have been terrible about posting pics b/c it isn't convenient on here like the ol FB or instagram.

So here's a few random photos and a quick recap of last 2 months.  The end of May was a blur--C got to spend time with his cousins and my parents in Memphis. Then June was full of camps for Mr. C to keep him occupied during those hard moments of the first 3 months of little Miss E.  We got to see the Lauers.  Huge excitement.  Then onto July we got to see the Cobbs--again tons of excitement.  Both visits were just too short.  July has been crazy. We did a combined 4th of July celebration/C's 5th bday since we were headed to Spain 2 days later, missing C's actual bday.  I will do a separate post on both birthday and Spain.  Now July has been a super fuzzy blur after returning from Spain.  I feel like I have accomplished nothing, and now summer is over.

At some point this little boy became a big boy!  Sniff

this little one rolled past 3 months

an early bday present the morning of the 4th

getting ready for fireworks--doesn't she look like a sailor?

the grossest/funniest firework: Dookie Dog

Me with E and G (sweet cousin of E's)

Showing off his firework collection

So tired from the party

Ready for the fireworks and enjoying a snack while we wait for the festivities in Chesterfield

A couple of xmas photos

this was the jingle bell parade for the kids at our church family xmas party.  it was a lot of fun.  we sang fun xmas songs together, we ate potluck, and there were some skits/games.  

Our gingerbread house

Another from the church party

meeting Santa that the firemen brought to our neighborhood.  it was so cool.  

Red Envelopes 5-9

We have been having some fun keeping up with our activities.


Dec 5-- C got to hang out with grandma and grandpa while I went out with some friends for one The Polar Express, but he got scared.

Dec 6-- We went shopping as a family to Toys R Us to pick out a gift for a 4 year old girl we'd chosen from our church's angel tree.  She is a little girl who has one or more parents in prison.  We weren't given any suggestions, just a price range, so it was interesting trying to decide on something. 

Dec 7--Scott's parents came over for dinner, and then we went to a live production of the City of Bethlehem the day after Jesus's birth. You walked through and various "shopkeepers" and "guards" and "pharisees" and "shepherds" spoke about the rumors or interactions with the family/birth.  It was pretty cool.  At the very end you saw the live nativity.  It was about a 10-15 walk through and C seemed to really like it.  Then we piled in the car with our popcorn and coffee (water for C) and drove around looking at lights. 

Dec 8--we were going to go to St. Charles for their Xmas festivities, but it wasn't very nice weather, and I'd forgotten I had a cookie exchange, when I'd settled on that activity---oops. I wasn't feeling very well, so Scott and C ended up having a pretty fun boys day.  They shopped for me (I think) and went to dinner together for pizza.  C scored his first ever soccer goal in his scrimmage at the end of practice.  He actually chased the ball down, dribbled it to the net, and kicked it in.  It was great.

Dec 9--we are going to take C to see the Santa at Plaza Frontenac (rumor has it he's the best in town), and then we are going to our church's family Xmas gathering.  Scott is really busy prepping for 2 surveys Tues/Wed, so he's pretty busy.

Sorry I haven't taken any photos.  I will try to do better this week. 

Red envelopes 1-4

Here are a couple of the Nativities we saw on the Hill Saturday night.

 

I was a bit disappointed in how few businesses had them up, but we probably saw close to 10.  Then we went to dinner at this pizzeria/bar that was really delicious. 

 

Day 2 was watching the new Grinch, but we still haven't done that. We got really busy putting up our tree.

 

Day 3 was watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

 

Day 4, tonight is making a donation to Bethany Adoption Services in honor of Stella.

 

Just for good measure, a couple of photos I just recently "found."

 

 These are from July

this one is Thanksgiving Day at my aunt's house

 

 

Outdoor decor

My favorite thing about living in Chesterfield is how many people decorate for Christmas.  It is so cheery going out at night and seeing all the lights.  There are LOTS of them.  We by no means have a lot of lights or decor going on outside, but we have a little bit. 

 

At dusk

 

Our "white and silver" tree in our living room.  This is our fake tree.

 

Our real tree.  C and I just bought a new topper today.  I let him pick it out, so it's not really my "style," but he wanted an angel. 



Christmas Decor

We don't have our main family tree up yet, so those pics will have to come later, but we did already get out the rest of our decor.  I didn't photograph every little detail--that seems a bit overkill, but just the overall look.

 

Repurposing a garland I had made for our kitchen in Normal for our bannister.

 

Our sleigh holding our Xmas books

 

Buffet display. 

You can't quite make out my Merry Xmas garland across my mirror, but it's there.  You can see our Jesse Tree waiting patiently to be decorated through Advent.

 



 

My cousin's wife sent me this activity last year when I was stuck at home so much, but we didn't get around to it, so this year we are giving it a try.  Each day we read about a different "character" that impacts the Xmas story and hang an ornament that corresponds with that one.  You can see the Noah ornament--the ark and the God ornament just peeking out--Earth. 

The mantel.  Have you ever noticed one stocking always refuses to behave, or is it just me?

 

 



 

Entry table--you can just see part of my Willow Tree Nativity.  C says he loves seeing it every time he walks by.  He generally slightly adjusts an animal in passing. 

 

Atop the toy area.

 

I need to snap some outdoor photos in day and night as well.  We have some lit garland up on our upper porch and lights on our shrubs.

 

Now to get seriously busy about Xmas cards!

Giving Thanks

I found this project/board on Pinterest that I fell in love with.  Really it was 2 ideas.  The one was a board with all 30 days of November with a pocket to hold a blank card to write on each day something you are thankful for.  I felt this was too advanced for C to come up with 30 things or to write.  I loved the concept though.  Then I found this sewn project with a similar idea, but it provided ideas in each day of things kids could be thankful for and an accompanying activity.  I melded the two ideas together, and here is what I came up with.

 

I plan to make my activities more uniform in size for next year b/c they keep slipping into the pockets, but other than that I'm really happy with this.  I also had to handwrite a couple b/c I only found 22 stock activities, so I added a few.  We are having so much fun each day remembering to be thankful and doing something fun or kind.  

 

Here are the links to the ideas I used. 

 

http://jellybeanjunkyard.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/tuesday-tutorial-give-thanks-gratitude-board/ 

this is what I followed for the exterior. I used a canvas instead of plywood b/c I was too lazy to go to Lowe's.  I decorated mine slightly different, and I couldn't find very large letter or # stickers, but oh well.

 

http://angbrimwil.blogspot.com/2007/11/thankful-activities-for-calendar.html 

these are really good with quite a variety.  i added a few activities that added some things i wanted to do.  it would be so easy to adapt these activities to different ages. Some are simple, some require an act of service, and some are just plain fun. I feel like these are definitely geared to 8 and under. 

Thanksgiving decorations

We love Thanksgiving at our house, so I like to decorate for it just like Halloween. I leave up all my generic fall stuff, but switch out the holiday-specifics.

 

 

Had a hard time finding a place for my sign, but settled on the dining room window

 

I found this vintage-inspired turkey votive holder.  I bought 2...love.

 

my entry way

mantel

 

funky stick turkey

 

outside shot--to the right is a little give thanks sign

Halloween

At school ready to party.  He left his mask on for 5 minutes or less

 

Ready for trick or treating with lots of clothes on underneath.  It was chilly.  He only went to maybe 10 houses b/c he was cold and tired. 

April picture dump: Easter

It's been so long since I've posted photos it's crazy.  Here we go though.

This face is hilarious.  Doesn't everyone show a little chest w/their apron?

on the quest for an "ugly" egg.  it was the coolest-looking one, of course!

Ready for the Easter egg hunt

Alas, C is to the age where he has definite opinions on what he wants to wear--as evidenced by this outfit.  No blog world I do not like to dress my child for special outings in faded, hand-me-down super hero shirts and rain boots.  Oh well.

The Dankels went to a lot of trouble to coordinate our outfits for Easter church.  We all wore Navy, white, and khaki of some combo.  We looked good, but alas forgot to get someone to photograph it. Epic Fail.