GIVE THANKS

We started our Thanksgiving day off with some good old exercise.  My family has been going to the Mesa Turkey Trot for a very long time.  My first one was in 1995. (I'm even wearing my shirt I got way back then.)  The girls and I, along with their cousins did the 1 mile family fun walk.  They ran/walked and Jolie and I walked.

Morgan's brother and his wife ran the 10K and did awesome.

My dad always runs the 10K.  He is great.  He came in 3 in his age group and got a metal.  My brother Dallas did awesome and beat the turkey. (that means he ran faster than someone who raced in a turkey suit.)

Morgan ran the 2 mile run and did great.

The whole fam.

After a long day hangin' out out home (nap), we finally had our annual Thanksgiving feast at my aunt and uncles house.  There was quite a big croud.  I think it was about 80, kids included.  

The girls with their cousin swinging.

One of my cousins even proposed to his girlfriend before we ate.  It was fun to be a part of that.

After the Woolf family dinner, we went to the Browns for dessert.  I brought my famous Hershey Bar pie.  It was gone in about 5 minutes. 

 I guess I need to make two next year. 

 (The Woolfs knew better and we had 5 chocolate pies.)

MORGAN HAS A BIRTHDAY

I have been a real slacker at this blog for a little bit.  

We celebrated Morgan's birthday last week. It was on Sunday, so we did the normal Sunday things.  And then we has a nice dinner with his family at his sister's house.  

I think it was a good birthday for him.

He got a bunch of gift certificates for dinner places and for the movies.  

His family know him so well. 

OOO. . .  Cheesecake.

Happy birthday sweety. Love you tons.

JOLIES BIRTHDAY

Good morning to the birthday girl!. 

I love to take my kids pictures first thing in the morning on their birthdays.  

Here's Jolie walking out of her room in the morning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Three girls ready for the party.

For Jolie's birthday party, which we combined with her cousin Grady, cause he was born the day before her, we had all the family to Freestone park.  We had grass sleds and bikes and parks and frisbees and yummy food and some super cute cakes.  Jolie's favorites were the slides at the park.   She just loves the slides.

Look at this cute Elmo cake.  My sister in law Jayme made it.  Jolie loved it. 

She was so cute opening all her presents.  She made he "Oh" face at everything.  She got lots of books, toys and clothes.

I can't believe she is already two. It went by so fast. Too fast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLIE

WAAA!!! My baby isn't a baby anymore. 

I'm kind of sad about it. 

 I'll blog more about all her birthday happenings later.

But she had a great birthday.

Here she is trying to show me "two" on her fingers.

 I love my little Jolie.

BRAIDS = CURLS

My mom use to do this to me and my sisters hair when we were younger.  

My girls wanted curly hair.  So I sat on the couch and braided, braided, braided.  Then the next morning for church, their hair was nice and curly.  They loved it.

Two curly tops.

Jolie loves getting her picture taken.  She wanted in on the photo shoot too.

Man I got some cute girls.

HALLOWEEN IS FUN

Halloween was super fun this year.  My kids got to dress up 4 times (Jolie did 5).  First for our neighborhood party, then my moms street party, then for our wards trunk-or-treat, and lastly for Halloween.  They never get sick of dressing up.  I'm sick of it after the first time.  

I'm just glad we got to be in Mesa with all our family and this wonderful weather and do it all.

Avery went as the bride of Dracula and Lainey was the devil.

The happy devil.  

She called me and artist after I got done drawing the flames on her face.  She loved them soo much.

This costume was Avery's I think when she was 5 years old.  I just was able to squeeze it on.  

My little RagityAnne.  Everyone just oowed and awed over how cute she was.  She kept the hat on pretty good when the trick-or-treating started. 

 She couldn't say trick-or-treat. So she just stuck out her hand and said "candy,  thank you".  It was soo cute.

We got to go to Morgan's brothers neighborhood dinner.  It was soo yummy.  After that we went trick-or-treating on my parents street.  It is so cool. The whole neighborhood comes with their candy and chairs and give out candy on this one culdasack.  So you basically get a whole neighborhood of candy in just a few minutes.  

We ate and ate, well at least I did, cause it was so good.  

We has some delicious chili and Indian fry bread.

Me and my sister in law Jayme.  

She had on 2 inch long fake lashes.  They would have driven me crazy.

Cute cousins.

MY OLDEST IS 9

How does it go by so fast.  

I can't believe Avery is 9.  We got to do the Sunday things for her birthday.  We got to sing to her in Primary on her actual birthday, which she liked.  Then we had a nice dinner with my parents and family.  I knew what food Avery would request when my mom asked what she should make.  I told her Avery always asks for crepes.  My mom wanted me to ask her any way.  So I did.  And Avery didn't even stop to think before she said crepes.  So that is what we had.  I also made some super yummy quiche.  

I feel like I'm in a different group of mothers now.  Now I have a child over that big birthday of 8.  And that not all my kids are little anymore.  Avery even has started to get zits.  (Weird)  I'm not real excited about having a house full of teenage girls yet, but it is nice to have one old enough, if I had to, leave home alone for just a bit.  Is that bad?  

Avery has been such a wonderful daughter since we brought her home to our little town house 9 years ago.  She is so smart and talented.  She can sing so good and has ever since she could talk.  She is so caring and loves playing with her sisters.  She loves spending time with me and Morgan.  She also loves anything girly.  Makeup, pretty clothes, dancing, jewelry, and having her hair done just right.  When I have to threaten her to do something, all I have to do is say Im not going to do her hair in the morning and it gets done.  

I love her so much and I'm so glad she chose me to be her mother.

CRAZY HAIR DAY

On Friday at the girls school, instead of allowing costumes, it was CRAZY HAIR DAY.  

Jolie wanted in on the fun crazy hair.

I braided wire in the girls hair.  So crazy!!!

BOUNCE U BIRTHDAY PARTY

We combined Lainey and Avery's birthday party this year (probably for the last time).  

We went to a very fun place called Bounce U.  They have two huge rooms filled with the giant bouncy things.  They let everyone run around and have an absolute blast playing on everything.

Here is Lainey going down the big blow up slide.

They both got to invite some of their very best friends.  We had all our cousins, friends from school and church.

This is my one year old nephew going down the slide all by himself.

This is a big climbing thing.  The girls LOVED this thing.

Jolie and Morgan LOVEN IT.  Jolie really did love the slides.  But the look on her face you wouldn't think so.  Morgan and I had to keep taking turns taking her down.

Even the adults had tons of fun.

My sister in law is an awesome cake decorator.  It is also delicious as well as beautiful.

They both had the best time and were so so happy the whole time.  They came home and played even more with all their presents.