Winter has arrived....

I wish I had taken pictures of the snow we had last week - it was crazy for mid-November.  We even had a snow day.  Thankfully we live in the flats, near downtown so I don't have far to drive so we managed to get out and about.  Quinn needed to have her hair cut, a nice trim I thought but she had other plans.  This kid was determined to cut her hair 'like Delaneys'. 

Most things don't get to me, for some reason cutting off her pretty long hair had me in tears.  Poor Felicity had to put up with me and my tears.

 Luckily Delaney is okay with having a twin. 

Same size, same hair.  One is naughty, one is nice.

 We managed to get to McCall the weekend before Thanksgiving with Gene and Dana.  We needed some help tearing out our old oak framed fluorescent lighting in the kitchen.  WOW - what a difference.  Thank you Gene for all the help!  Dana and I kept the kids busy why the boys worked. 

 

Then KK and Papa Jim came down for a quick visit.  It snowed a ton while we were in McCall.  We hit up the normally packed hill downtown McCall on Monday.  No one there!  The kids FLEW down the hill.

 Papa Jim had to keep them from going into the lake.

 Our typically scared of everything Quinn had a great time!

 Peaceful, quiet day in McCall

 First Thanksgiving!

 About 6 more inches fell on Monday night

 Sadly it started to rain on Tuesday so we opted for the ice rink instead of the sledding hill.  Quinn wanted no part of it...

 Love ice skating when we can have wine and hot chocolate and watch the big girls skate

 This trooper skated for 2.5 hours.  Had to drag her off the ice

 We headed home to visit with cousin Zolie!

We always have the best time with Zolie and her parents.

 

ALSO DELANEY LOST HER FIRST TOOTH

November

We've been trying to stay warm here in Boise!  It looks like January outside but I still have pumpkins around the house.  It's really throwing me off!

Just a few random things we have been up to lately.

 

Meredith made the double club at school, one minute hang and all star mile run time.  I really don't know what it means but she tells me its great!

 32# Delaney made the minute hang club. 

Only kindergartner on the board. If only the one minute hang was an NCAA sport, we'd be set!

 Look how excited they are to try hockey!

 Super pumped!

 Hates hockey.

 2 out of 3 kids had fun - not a bad day.

 November 13th - tons of snow.  Still hasn't melted.

 We ventured out to attend a class at the zoo on how the animals get fed and how the zoo hospital works.  It was really interesting.  Especially the nightmare inducing freezer in the zoo kitchen.  Think bags of dead baby mice and chicks.  Scarred for life.

 Seeing how the vets take xrays of the animals.

 We came home to this guy hanging out in our neighbors eves.

 Ruby is going on 13 and slowing down a little.  It's been so cold out that we let her inside now.  I'm trying really really hard to keep my OCD in check and not freak out about the dog hair.  Quinn and Ruby are very good buddies...lots of manhandling.

 Delaney threw a fit the other day which is RARE.  A few minutes later I had a note on my desk.  "I am sarey I yil nivr do dat a gan".

That's a keeper for sure.

Halloween and Stuff

I had to mentally prepare for the week of Halloween.  I knew it was going to be super busy.  School parties, parent/teacher conferences, major trick or treating etc...we survived!

 

Delaney and her friend Andrea at the Kindergarten party.

Sadly I didn't get many pictures of any of our parties because I was busy helping with crafts and snacks and wrangling children.

Results of the Halloween 5K.  So proud of Meredith

 Roosevelt parade on Tuesday before Halloween. Early because the kids had W/Th/F off last week.  Lucky teachers.

 We ventured back to Emmett to pick apples.

Too late for the good varieties but we managed!

The kids had a ball and wore themselves out playing hide and seek.

 Hamiltons/Bryans/Burpees

 Next up with the truck or treat party at Boise Dance Alliance.

The kids had a great time testing out their costumes.

Brave Little Witch

 My only picture from Halloween at the creepy house down the street.

 I know this is a rated G blog but I have to remember this night.

Kate and I won the costume contest at the Hopstads pray for snow party.

Hot tub and Larry Gebert are sure winners!