GoBBle, gObbLE ~ November Highlights!!!

November is always such a colorful month! These smiles can't help but add extra warmth and richness to the season!Quite the pair these two.
Where his underwear should be (top drawer), we have rocks. Only a few dozen have gone through a cycle of wash. Boys will be boys. Oh, and yes, believe me, I do eat him up all day. Can hardly stand it, he's just yummy!
Hosted Thanksgiving at my home with John's Family. First Turkey ever! Stuffed with veggies and seasoned with a rosemary/thyme rub that my mother-in-law helped me with. A very moist bird! Purchased organic and fresh from Costco. A winner! Whew. I was so nervous.
Kitchen Table
Formal table with my china that I finally unpacked from my wedding(?!#*!)
Thanksgiving agreed with Liza Lu. Feasting on good food is just her "thang".
Sheldon...can't help but love him!
The girls...all "growed up". They were 7-yr. old flower girls at my wedding! Now they're big time college girls on scholarship at the U. Yikes.
The newlyweds, Matt and Jamie
Janice
The boys of the house.
Kathy, Sue and Ben
Like the first Thanksgiving feast...(Ben and Isaac)
Thanksgiving coming soon...
Project month...refinishing my front door was definitely a biggie. Got it done a few hours before a major snow storm.
Good thing I've got a little helper!
Bring on the snow!
Cousins, Gunnar and Garrett ~ Fun sleepover weekend!
Yippee for snow!
Our little hill is perfect for sledding!
My favorite part of this picture is the binki poking out...Liza's kind of attached to the thing. Any ideas for getting rid of the "bink" please share!!!

"Let's get this potty started"...with Christmas somewhere in between!

After several false starts, we decided to throw in the "pull-up" and say goodbye forever. Haven't looked back. Friends showed up to show their support and yes, even show off their cool undies. They really helped Isaac get excited about his new "gear." We frosted a few Christmas sugar cookies for fun. The potty party was a success. We're proud to report that we are pull-up free! Hooray!
First gingerbread house by Isaac. Tempting not to just eat the darn thing.
Just a few "choice" gifts from our adult Allen Christmas Party. We fought tooth and nail for this one and in the end were victorious. The Obama Chia pet will fit in nicely with our living room decor.
Choice pictures to display...
And a little Christmas fashion to help keep the season fresh! This was our contribution to the gift pool thanks to some help from our neighbor:) I think Angie wears it well. (Disclaimer: Really, we are not predjudiced...just for fun.)
Grandma Allen spoils Isaac w/presents before Christmas!
Preschool program with friends, Xander and Addy
Hudson and Isaac, the reindeer
Pajama Party at Grandma and Grandpa's on the 23rd this year.
LIVE Nativity our stake organizes and presents...just outside the holy city and stable.
Complete with real camels!!! Did you know that this is the most costly part of the Stake Nativity budget...big moolah to rent and transport these amazing creatures.

Squish
New addition to Nativity collection! Fell in love with colors and simplicity of design.
Began a new tradition...hopefully it will stick. Temple Square on Christmas Eve was very festive. Started early so we could squeeze in a quick dinner at Nauvoo Cafe.
What's this gal so excited about???
Check out the moon in this picture. You can almost see Santa and crew in moonlight.
We'll just call those tears of JOY!
All the better that Grammy was able to share the night with us!
A good teaching opportunity...Isaac listened intently to the narration as we gazed upon the nativity. The real meaning of Christmas maybe forming some grassroots.
Ahh, we'll see if we can duplicate this picture next year. Glad they're good friends.

MERRY KISSMAS!

October in Review!

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE-CREAM!!!
Gearing up for the 2010/11 Jazz season. A tough job, but someone's gotta do it!!!
Sleepovers with cousins rock!
The Ward boyz...Gunnar, Isaac and Garrett.
One last slip-n-slide venture...80 degrees. Not too shabby for an October afternoon.
Adyson and Isaac chillin' out with chocolate pudding. How do girls stay so clean, Isaac wonders as he scratches his beard..or is that a chin???
Garrett, our adorable cousin that literally spent 2 hours on the slip-n-slide. That kid was a maniac on the hill! Gotta love him!
Ran a 10K race with my neighbor, Summer. So much fun! It's been at least 5 years since running a race. Felt good to be "in the groove" again. We've been working consistently since June to build our mileage. Now that it's dark and cold, we've retreated indoors. Interval and strength training is now our focus! Summer introduced me to Kempo (a form of martial arts similar to karate) and it's starting to grow on me. We workout to some great DVDs that target all the muscle groups. Jab, upper cut, sword...a whole new vernacular and oh, the moves! Don't pick a fight with me or Summer!
Never a dull moment @ our annual Thriller event ~ Kingsbury Hall. Did I mention it was "thrilling?" Good times with friends from my neighborhood!
Thanksgiving Point in October is simply the best! Couldn't believe how much there was to do at Corn Belly's this year!
Always more fun with friends. They were behind us on the hay ride...yahoo!!!
This ride made Dad's back ache, Isaac jump, Eliza laugh, and mommy...not sure...I think she was too busy snapping pictures.
Who shrunk mommy and Liza?
Purchased our pumpkins here. Isaac picked his own "punkin" as well as a mini for his sis. Always on the look-out for her like a true big brother!
Liza's first bike! Took it while we vacationed in St. George. She maneuvers like nobody's business. Don't get in her way, she's a biker machine!!!
Cruised through Zions Nat'l Park in a rainstorm. Waterfalls like this spilling down the rock were abundant. We kept pulling over to the side of the road to take pictures like everyone else. A very picturesque day in the canyon!!!
The vivid Fall colors made for a spectacular scenic drive!
These two lit up the canyon as much as the fall foilage!
This one makes my heart sing!
We worked hard carving these pumpkins. Of course, our favorite is the white one...a cyclops of sorts. Hard to tell, but he only has one eye. We thought we were very clever :-)
A true golfer is never bothered by a little snow on the ground.
The cutest lady bug this side of the Mississippi!
A fireman or a witch...hmmm...you decide!