It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Magic Reindeer Food is prepared...

Decorations are hauled out of storage...

Advent Calendars are opened...

The Nativity is set up...

Much more too come...

Since our locally based family wasn't able to spend Thanksgiving together, Papa and Jacky hosted a brunch on Sunday. Good food! Yum!

Then it was on to the next project on our Agenda, wreath making. Using things from nature and some beautiful freeze-dried fruit, the kids each put one together. Then they left it to the adults to do the hot-gluing while they went and played with rocks and dirt.

We then headed to the local mall for our 2nd Annual "Feed the Turkey" trip. We started this last year instead of getting all the cousins Christmas gifts (it was getting out of hand!) The kids helped shop for the non-perishables, we talked about the significance of the trip and then we headed over to the Turkey to deposit the food...

We spent some time dancing to the Christmas music and being merry...

before heading over to Santa Claus to make our Christmas wishes and sing a little song...

The trip concluded with lovely hot chocolate courtesy of Jacky and the local bakery. It was a beautiful day from the weather to the wonderful time spent with family.

(Conner likes the foam, Aidan in chocolate heaven and practising his eyebrow dance.)

Their happiest place on earth...

Since the kids had the whole week of Thanksgiving off, we decided to head off on an impromptu trip to Disneyland. We went with some dear friends which was fun for us and the kids. Since our kids are seasoned visitors, it was nice to see the park through their daughter's first time visit.

Conner trying his hardest to look fierce on Pirate Island...


Moseyalong and Sweetpea go for a drive...

Outside the castle...

A quiet walkway that we had never wandered through before...

The Macdonald boys clad in their new gear (coonskin hats and Nightmare before Christmas sweatshirts) courtesy of Daddy...

Mommy doesn't do these kind of rides anymore. Just watching them makes me dizzy...

Some friends...

We braved the crowds and stayed up late on the last night to catch part of the Fanstamic show and to experience the Holiday themed fireworks on Main Street. The fireworks show ended with snow appearing up and down main street. Aidan declared it his "best night ever"...

We keep saying it will be our last trip for awhile but we always end up going back sooner than expected. It's hard to resist the Happiest Place on Earth!

Thanksgiving...

We had a lovely, mellow Thanksgiving evening. Most of the family had other plans so it was Papa and Jacky at our house.

Aidan and Conner decided that they were the butlers for the evening. Here they are waiting patiently for the guests...

The guests arrive and have drinks with the help...
(Charlie LOVES Papa. Or maybe his wine?)

Digging in...

Our own little Henry VIII...

The butlers taking dessert orders...

Papa brought three pies.

3 pies + 6 people= Yum!

Then on to the after dinner entertainment. Last year's play was a lovely telling of the first Thanksgiving meal. This Thanksgiving concentrated more on the hunting....

And the plucking of the Turkey...

Then the evening ended with some storytime from the butlers...

(Well it really ended with Conner slipping off his chair mid-read and hitting his noggin on the bookshelf.)

All and all it was a lovely evening. Easy and stress free and we've already had leftovers for breakfast and lunch!

Delayed Happy Anniversary Photos

I forgot to post these photos from our 10th Anniversary. At the last minute we ditched the kids with Auntie Kim and snuck away for a night in St. Helena. Wine tasting at the Inn, yummy dinner downtown and a relaxing kid free breakfast vineyard side.

The View from our room...

Euan and the vineyards...(They happen to be the vineyards for Whitehall Winery which is were Uncle Dino works!)

A rose from the gorgeous bouquet sent by the husband...

The front of The Harvest Inn all decked out for Halloween (it was Oct. 30th after all)...

Happy Anniversary!

Scenes from the weekend...

The weekend started with a too-brief visit from Gran and Grandpa Howard. Conner did this drawing for them then forgot to show it to them. So here it is...(I hope my mom is not offended but I think it is a pretty good likeness!)

A gun-toting Hansel and the witch (dress-up is still a favorite pastime at our house)...

Conner having a swinging good time at S's birthday party...

Aidan showing his moves...

Sunday was spent playing with the neighborhood kids. Crossing guards, flagmen and workers...(they actually did stop cars but only the people we knew)

Halloween 2009

Wednesday, pumpkin carving time...

Friday, Halloween Parade at school (costume #2 for both)...

Halloween night, Aidan and Z, Conner and S, the dads (costume #3 for Conner)...

Our house. We got a lot of compliments on our haunted house which looked great at night, lit from within...

Halloween is super crazy in our neighborhood. People drive in from all over. Parents get to trick or treat for wine/beer. There was a haunted house. Most people just set up outside or in their garage. At one point, we were just dropping candy in bag after bag after bag...

We closed up shop and ended the evening at our neighbors that live behind us (their daughter is a schoolmate of the kids.) It was fun for the grown-ups and the kids got to jump out their sugar on the trampoline. It was a fun, crazy night but I must say, I'm glad it's over.