Christmas Tree Hunting

This year we went to the farm that's just 10 minutes from our house.  The selection wasn't as good, but it was a much shorter trip than usual and we couldn't have asked for a nicer day.  We were all very bundled, but it ended up not being needed. 


Getting ready for the hunt

Brian cutting down the chosen tree

Lacey crying at the end in true Lacey fashion

Benjamin helped Brian carry the tree all the way to the car



Ready to take our treasure home



I'm not very good about letting the kids help decorate the tree.  I am a bit particular about what ornaments to use and where to put them.  I like to have mostly glass, angels and stars, so that means none of the kiddish ornaments get put up.  I've always felt a little bad about it, so this year we bought the kids their own 3 foot tree to decorate all by themselves.  The kids love their tree and it sits in the kitchen window for all to see.  I think we might make it a yearly tradition.

Lacey helping with the lights

She thought they were pretty cool to play with

Stringing lights on the big tree

Benjamin took decorating very seriously

Lacey was able to put up a few by herself

The finished kids tree (Benjamin took the picture)



November

Here is a glimpse at our November.  I think I sat at the computer on 5 seperate occasions to do this blog and am just now getting to it.  Better late than never.  It began with the warmest weather November has ever seen and ended with some very cold weather.  Quite a dramatic temperature swing for one month.  I took advantage of the rare nice weather to get the kids outside and help me rake the leaves.  Lacey raked for a few minutes, but Benjamin was an excellent helper.  He would rake everything into a pile, throw the leaves around, then rake it up again.  We had lots of fun playing in the unusually dry leaves.

We didn't play out in the snow too much since it was 20ish degrees, but the kids loved being out there.  Lacey mostly ate the snow and Benjamin mostly threw it at us.  Great fun for all of 2 minutes.  We tried to sled in the laundry basket, but that was only successful in dumping Benjamin on his face. He was a good sport about it.

I was terrible at taking Thanksgiving photos.  We spent the evening at my parents' WA house with a total of 20 or so people including my grandma from CA.  Benjamin pretty much disappeared the entire time with his cousins, only coming out to eat.  I didn't get a single picture of him.  Heidi got lots of love from all the extended family and was held almost the entire time.  I think she enjoyed herself quite a bit since she doesn't get held all that much at home these days :)  Lacey had lots of fun running around with her cousin Raven.  Below is a picture of them being silly with their dolls tucked down their shirts.  Lacey does this all the time with Sweet Pea and Raven was quick to join in with my mom's cabbage patch doll.  What a couple cuties.

A Busy Day

We had a fun filled Halloween this year.  The morning started out with Heidi being dedicated at church.  We were supported by several of our family members, most of whom had to travel a bit to be there while Heidi was prayed for.  Brian had to speak a little bit and he did a great job.  Benjamin and Lacey enjoyed watching Daddy and Heidi up on the big screen and thankfully none of the kids had a meltdown while we were up there.

Later we dressed the kids up in their costumes.  I'm all about having the kids themed, so this year we decided on a cop, a convict, and a burglar.  I thought a police uniform might be above my seamstress skills, so I only made Lacey's costume this year.  Heidi's was pretty simple and I think most people didn't even realize that she was in costume, but she was in the stroller the whole time anyway.  They looked awfully cute and we got lots of compliments.  We ended up going trick or treating in the neighborhood with our friends who live behind us.  Keira made an adorable lady bug.  The kids had tons of fun getting lots of candy...the girls had so much fun that they even tried to go into some of the houses.  We were very thankful for the pleasant weather and time with family and friends.

Pumpkin Farm

Two weekends ago we headed out to the pumpkin farm, creatively called The Farm, with our friends Jared and Diana. It was a beautiful sunny day. We enjoyed seeing all the animals, hunting for pumpkins, eating hot dogs, roasted corn and pumpkin desserts, and spending time with friends.



Family Shot

Sweet little Heidi.





Brian, Benjamin and Lacey on the hunt.

Benjamin picked this funny one for Heidi.





The line for the hay ride was ridiculous, so the kids got wheelbarrow rides instead.



A very cute kitty kept trying to eat our food. It didn't seem to bother any one but me. Brian -"Jessica, its just a cat." Jessica - "But it could have worms!" Can you tell who didn't grow up with pets?



Lacey and Kellan looking at the animals. (PS, I made Lacey's hat :) )



This sign worked out nicely.

The group (minus Brian) - Lacey, Jessica, Heidi, Diana, Kellan, Jared, Benjamin



Brian's Birthday / Vancouver, BC Trip

It's official. Brian is now 29 and we are the same age, at least for the time being. He won't be able to tease me about being a year older for another 5 or so months. His birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, so we waited until Saturday to celebrate. It was a dreary day, but we packed up the kids in the Camry and took the ferry over to Sequim to visit the Olympic Game Farm.

I'm sure most don't know what this is. The game farm is basically like a drive through zoo where you can feed the animals through your window. There are cows, llamas, zebras, buffalo, bears, elk, and more. The more dangerous animals are behind fences, but many of them are rescued from show business and are somewhat tame. The wandering animals are fearless and will walk straight up to your window looking for food. It can be a little intimidating at times when the animals surround your vehicle, and I did squeal like a little girl once or twice, but we all had a great time. We finished the afternoon with a yummy lunch at The 3 Crabs where we enjoyed local seafood and a grumpy waitress :).

A few weeks ago, Brian and I were able to take a trip up to Vancouver, BC with just Heidi. She is the first of our kids to travel internationally. Benjamin and Lacey enjoyed the weekend staying at Grandma and Grandpa Jorgenson's and visiting the Puyallup Fair. Our time share was in the downtown area, so we were able to have a good Vancouver experience. We walked around a lot, shopped a little, visited a park and conservatory, ate at different places, and relaxed. We didn't really do anything exciting, but we were both content enjoying the peace of only one child. Heidi was a perfect little angel.



As you can tell from his expression, Brian really enjoyed the conservatory



We attempted a trip to the pool, but I should have known better since she hates baths



I even got my first bee sting while there...bummer.