Halloween 2008

OOPS! I am getting the Halloween posting out a little late (after the Santa Visit - that's bad!). Anyway, the boys had fun going to Aunt Joyce & Uncle Ken's, Great Grandma Martha's, Uncle Jeff & Aunt Beth's and Uncle Dean and Amy's as well as some normal trick or treating in town.

Here is Yoda with Uncle Dean

Trick or Treating at GG's house.

Darth Vader and Yoda - May the Force be with them!

We stopped in to see Great Uncle Ken and Aunt Joyce

Here is Darrin's Monster he made at the PreSchool Halloween Party

Yep - that's my little brother Yoda!

Darrin learned the "Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet" version somewhere and was not shy to share it with everyone! My Grandma thought it was very funny and so did Ken and Joyce. I now have Joyce on video saying "I'll pull down your underwear!" :)

Santa Visit

We made our annual trip to the Mall of America to visit Santa with the boys today. Darrin was prepared with his "list" which he made by cutting out pictures of toys and glueing them on some paper. Santa was very impressed with the work he did! Ryan did very well - acting "shy" just like his mother... Afterwards we went on some of the new rides at the Mall. Darrin's favorite was the Pineapple Popper - IT WAS SPONGE BOB'S HOUSE! :) You could tell it was a good day by how ready we all were for a nap as we left. Here are some pictures and also some video from the boy's visit with the man in red. Have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Darrin & Ryan with Santa - he has quite the work shop. Fan and ALL! :)

Darrin and Ryan both liked the Flying Balloon ride - my favorite!

Ryan was a little nervous about the loud train whistle. He was pretty excited to get on the train but when the whistle blew, he ran back to the stroller and tried to climb in. It didn't take too much coaxing to get him on there and he really liked it!

Darrin worked very hard on his Christmas list for Santa.

Here is part of Darrin & Ryan's visit with Santa. Ryan was really getting into giving Santa "five" until Santa said "sleep in your own bed". The look he gave him says it all - "sleep in my own bed, yeah right..."

Spilled Spaghetti, Jordan, the Little Turkey & Basketball

Thought I would share a few pictures and updates of the kids...

Katie, well, being 12 (almost 13) she is a little busy... Too busy to catch for a picture most of the time but we have a few of her ! She is keeping busy with school and 4-H and church and friends and just being a 7th grader.

She is a great big sister!

WOW! They all sat nice for a picture!!!

Here is Katie as the mummy at the 4-H Halloween party. Bet she never volunteers before knowing what she is volunteering for again!

I was standing by the cupboards when I heard a "SWOOSH" and looked down to see Ryan looking a little guilty with a whole box of spaghetti noodles on the floor. Funny part was - he was trying to put them back in the box! :) Don't worry - I didn't use them...

Darrin and Jordan continue to be pretty good buddies! Jordan loves cartoon time as it is one of the few times Darrin sits quietly so he can sit on his lap and be pet!

Ryan now moved from the infant room to the toddler room at day care. He is growing up so fast! Now he gets to make crafts with the other toddlers. This is the first one he has brought home. How cute is this! We have always called him a "little turkey". Now the name fits even better! Hey Judy - notice that I finally got the kitchen painted! Amazing what we can get done when the boys are at day care playing with their friends in the morning!

Darrin is still playing basket ball. He has the dribbling skills of his mother. So, in other words, he ends up chasing the ball most of the time when it bounces off his feet! He still likes it though and even makes a few baskets here and there. Watch the video below to see his favorite part... I never knew there was so much sliding in basketball! A shiny gym floor and some good speed is all a boy needs to get some good distance on the slide!

Great Weekend with Family

Well, my parents and Dean and I made the trip through Chicago to Indiana to our cousin Brenda's wedding last weekend. It was a terrific trip, filled with family we had not seen in years and a few special members of the family we just met. Our cousin Lori, who we all met for the first time and her mother Mary Ann came from Pennsylvania and Delaware to meet her crazy relatives from MN and Maryland. It was a great weekend for all of us but especially for Pops as he met is sister's other daughter, whom he had not had the pleasure of meeting before. From the second they met and she gave him a big hug, they got along great. Of course there were tears, but how could there not be! He loves to share stories about his brother and his sister - two people he misses very much. She swears she can turn him into a vegetarian - I told her she has the determination of Diane but I don't know if that is possible! Mary Ann, the wonderful lady who adopted Lori, was there supporting her all the way. What a great woman! And funny! She told Pops that he could come to eat at their house if he wasn't into the vegetarian meals at Lori's when he went to visit them all. Of course there were tears when our cousin Bryan walked his sister Brenda down he aisle and danced with her in honor of their father, my uncle Dennis. We all miss Dennis and Diane very much but they were both definatley with us that evening! One more thing - Bryan is being deployed in a few weeks for 6 months so we are all praying for his safe return. Anyway - here are a few pictures and one cute video of Dean and Bryan's daughter Daryn (named in honor of our brother Darrin). They looked pretty darn cute! We welcome Jeff Parker and his son Felix into the family as well!

We had a great visit with our family in the Chicago area too! We were able to visit with them on the way down to Indiana as well as on the way back. It was great to meet Kate, our cousin Jeff's fiance and her adorable son Payton as well as our newest member of the family - Reese, Jill and Corey's 2nd daughter. She was good for me as I was missing my kids at home and got to hold her while she fell asleep. So cute!

OH YEAH - then on the way home I got a great picture of a pumpkin and Sponge Bob (who actually is not my favorite character, but whatever...)made out of hay bales. SO COOL! Think I will try that instead of the spider next year... Yeah right!

Jeff, Kate & Payton

The biggest pumpking and SpongeBob I have EVER seen!

Bryan and Daryn

Me, Mary Ann and Lori

Pops and his niece Lori

Lori, Ma, Bryan, Me, Dean, Brenda, Dianne, Pops and Brittanie

Dean and Daryn dancing the night away!