WiNtEr WoNdErLaNd!

Outside our dining room window.

Massachusetts takes their snow plowing VERY seriously!

"Look, we made Frosty!!"

Only December 9th & we've had 2 or 3 measurable snowfalls.

It's gonna be a long winter.

The view on our drive thru Sturbridge on our way to church.

Happy Turkey Day!

~ We are thankful for family!!! ~

This year we had dinner at Jared's grandparents, Grammy & Grampa Williams' place. YUM!

Back row: Jared, Alli, Auntie Pam, cousin Mindy, Paul & Michelle

Front row: Grampa Pooh, Merrik, Grammy & Jonah

So cute... Merrik was play Rock-Paper-Scissors with Uncle Kenny, who left before our group photo.
OK, now question: Anyone call it "Roe-Sham-Boe"? Jared made fun of me for saying that! LOL.

Merrik at our table with his turkey centerpiece, which he made at library class.
It was the hit of the evening! :)

Merrik (3&2/3) with Daddy (Jared).

Side Note: Jared recently recovered a photo from his childhood from when he was the same age as Merrik and they look EXACTLY the same! Same hair and everything. It is one of Jared's newest treasures. It's so adorable.

My Boys! Merrik, Jared & Jonah (5&3/4).

Our family snapshot!

I try to take a family pic. each year at Thanksgiving.

Don't know why this one turned out so fuzzy, but nevertheless, it's US!

Gingerbread House Demolition

From this ...
... to this ...

... then this.

Oh well. It was a nice gingerbread house while it lasted.

This is the first year it's actually been attacked and eaten!! :)

Guess we know what to expect for the future of holiday gingerbread creations.

Gingerbread House Construction

It begins!

When I realized Jonah was the only one working on the house, I looked around for Merrik & found him happily camped out under the table, eating the gingerbread man & tree. LOL! :)

Jonah is very particular. And has great focus. :) He stuck with it to the very end, whereas Merrik lost interest when he realized he could be eating it instead.

TA-DA!!

The boys & their creation! So proud!

I have to mention here that, for the first time, I let them decorate it all by themselves! (I was the icing master, however.) In past years, I've been way too concerned w/ it looking just like the perfectly decorated house on the box. (so sad, I know) ...with the candies placed just so and evenly dispersed, and all that. But I just let them do it all & it turned out so cute! :)

My Little Loves...

Another afternoon just killin' time and protecting the homefront!.

Jonah & Merrik ... light-sabers and camo pants! (which Merrik calls them "camel" pants)

(the sun was setting right in front of the house - a little bright in the eyes!)

My Babies!!! (not so much, anymore)

Jonah, Alli & Merrik! (again with the setting sun right in our eyes...)

"Twick-ah-Tweet!!"

The Transformer's Bumblebee (Jonah) & Vampire Merrik!

Merrik looked so cool - compliments of Jared's artwork.

Usually the boys are deadset on being the favored super hero of the day. But we'd borrowed a halloween book from the library with all sorts of how-to's for cool face-painted costumes. Merrik got his heart set on being a vampire & it turned out awesome!

And actually, Jonah wanted to be a skeleton but after the trial run (Jared painted his face a couple

weeks ago to practice) I don't think Jonah liked all the scrubbing involved in cleaning off

the face paint. SO he quickly changed his mind the night of trick-or-treating

and decided to be Bumblebee - an outfit we already had on hand.

Getting ready to head out...

Notice Merrik's very cool slicked back hair. Several days before, after getting out of the bath,

we combed M's hair back like this to get the effect. M loved it! And when he woke up

the next morning, he asked me, "Do I still have my vampire hair?" :)

Merrik, Daddy (the artist) and Jonah!

"Building our Eternal Families"

Sunday, October 25th was our annual Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentation.

The main church meeting is presented by the Primary children -ages 3 thru 11 -

when then share with the congregation all that they've been learning in the past year.

(By the time this photo was taken, the younger classes -Jonah's first in front on left-

had headbands on from their Sunday School lessons that read "I Can Have Faith".)

The amazing cake made by Robin (primary president & an amazing chef!).

The building blocks reading "I Can Build" was part of the

yearly "Building our Eternal Familes" theme. So cool! (she's SO talented!!)

Visitors from N. Carolina!! YAY!

Dan (on left), Kathryn (my sister-in-law) & Ben.

My 14-month-old nephews. CUTE! (you too, Kat!)

THANK YOU for visiting us!

An Uncle Jared sandwich!

(I'm going to go out on a limb here & say that's Ben on the left, Dan on the right)

...correct me if I'm wrong, Kat! :)

Dan as Batman & Ben as Superman - so much for secret identity!

Cousin Time!!
Merrik (3&1/2), Dan & Ben (14 months) and Jonah (5&1/2)
(Tyler was not interested in joining the photo opp.)

"Ben's in blue!"
(that's how I remembered most of the time! LOL. Good system, Kat!)

Here's Tyler! "WOOF!"

Jonah & Dan (above) and with Ben (below).

Jonah LOVED to play with his cousins. He was always with them! So cute!

Riding a Stagecoach!!

Merrik, Jonah & Alli - all smiles on the OSV stagecoach!
Another one of our weekly trips to Old Sturbridge Village.
I'm telling you - I don't know what we would do for fun here in Sturbridge if it weren't for OSV!

Merrik (above) & Jonah (below) in the stagecoach.

This stagecoach is so great. It is a replica of those used back in the 1800's.

We talked about how it would take all day to ride what now takes an hour in the car.

And what a bumpy ride! But of course that was the fun part for the boys.

Go Galaxies!!

In honor of Jonah having completed his 1st soccer season, here are some action photos.
The little girl here in Orange is Sami, Jonah's friend from preschool (obviously on the other team). One time while throwing the ball in, she threw it right to Jonah. So cute!
("OK, here ya go, my preschool friend!")

Picture day. Say "cheese"!

Jonah's team. (Jonah is 3rd from left - in back)

Surprisingly, he is not the tallest one.

(however, the boy who is - on the right- is in the 1st grade so we'll give him that)

It was SO, SO fun to go & cheer Jonah on at his games.

And a special shout out & THANK YOU to Mom & Dad and Kathryn (& Ty, Ben & Dan)

for logging the miles and coming to visit us and attending a game, too.

We were so happy to have you in our cheering section!!!

It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's the Re/Max balloon!

Our realtor (yes, Re/Max!) told us about this cool event.
Merrik & Jonah got a front row seat watching them set up & fill the balloon.

Going up!

Ta Da!

There she goes!