The Leftovers are gone...

Last night we finished the very last of the beans, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes.  Thanksgiving is over, but I still have so much for which to be grateful!  Especially my family, dear friends and knowing Christ is with me.  Christmas season brings wonderful opportunities to share that with others and the children.

We went to Dollywood on the evening before Thanksgiving.  It was so fun to see the lights, ride the fun and to see a Christmas show!

Then we started cooking...

All of us in the kitchen.  Caleb says, "Upere" meaning "Up Here" when he wants on the counter.

Actually my first pumpkin pie - we've always been with others who made it!  I also did my fave - French Silk!

Mike 'carved' the turkey breast and stole some bites!

Jake doesn't eat olives, but fed them to Faith - they were half gone before we prayed!

Caleb was serious about his food.

We finished our simple, but yummy meal quickly.

This year my candy corn thankfulness were for family love and for Christ, who is with me through all.

Adventuring!

Kansas Papa came to visit and we enjoyed lots of tourist events....

We toured the Mayfield Dairy and had to put on hair nets for that - aren't we attractive?

The favorite part was ice cream in the courtyard afterward...this photo of Caleb was shortly before he fell and skinned his chin - poor baby!

Then we headed to The Lost Sea where we toured caves, saw civil war campsites, Indian carving and rode a boat on an underground lake!  It was quite exciting!

Pap didn't join us on the underground hike and that stroller got heavy on the steep hills and uneven ground!

We managed to return with three children and no lost treasures.

We're so glad Kansas Papa got to visit!

Halloween!

Faith was Corinne - the Three Musketeer Barbie, complete with cape and sword (borrowed from Jake). The outfit was just HUGE on her, and at first she kept tripping...so I put safety pins all around the waist, the shoulders and back. Then she felt so itchy that we had to take it all off and put on an undershirt.

It was worth it, don't you think? Jake was Buzz Lightyear. We want to go see Toy Story in 3D. I couldn't get the "to infinity and beyond" pose.
Caleb was Buzz's sidekick, Woody (Toy Story fans know this). Those are his silkies in his bucket - the best treat ever! For those who don't know, Caleb carries his silkies everywhere...and asks for them, if missing. He needs one in each hand for sleeping.
Our first trick-or-treating house.

Evening at the Park

Daddy had to work extra late, so we went to the park.
Caleb was especially LOVING the swings.

All three, ready to slide.

Sweet Faith.

Big Boy - Jake!

Whee!

Mark, Set, GO!

We just love our park.

A Little Bit of Fall

My paltry photo efforts do not convey how gorgeous is our fall!

The children love to get out in the mountains.

Jake walking a log.

Faith on a tree stump.

Caleb fending off a bear - okay, we can pretend, right?

We collected leaves and made a nature collage with many colored leaves, acorns, sticks and even some moss. It was a cool, fun afternoon and hopefully we'll have another weekend of great color!

Maple Lane Farms

We visited Maple Lane Farms this year and everyone loved being in the great outdoors. The favorite activity was the hayride, especially through the cow pasture. Then we hopped off to wander through the pumpkin patch...it was getting dark quickly so we boarded the tractor wagon and rode back to the barns to pick out pumpkins and have kettle corn & fried Oreos (these taste like chocolate funnel cakes to me). We also did the kids corn maze and had a very fun evening.

Seriously, could there be a cuter toddler?

Faith dressed up for "Big Orange" night at Awanas...Go Vols!

What a Blast!

It doesn't happen often, but when we get together, we have such a great time...even more now than when we were in college together!

Anita, Lacy, Missy & Leslie

We've always enjoyed shopping, but now we do it with strollers & cell phones.

Lacy made reservations at 'The Tea House." So fun!

And we even got to worship together at Lacy's church.

(I didn't realize my hair was quite that big - YIKES!)

We discussed everything including husbands, children, working, playing, family, food, God and even proposed a Liberty Girls Cookbook! I love these girls and the one who couldn't make it.