Sunday, November 15, 2009

Nina's Visit

Brandon had Fall Break last week - it ended up being almost the ENTIRE week - (he just had school Monday), and his Mom Tina, affectionately called Nina by the kids, decided to pay us a visit. We are so glad she came!!!

Here's a shot of Jemma ElAtEd because she's going to get Nina from the airport.

Drum roll please... the arrival of Nina!!!

We did a little hangin' out and relaxing - a little movie watching ("Phantom" and "The Wizard of Oz") and Brandon managed to get his mom down to the school to sit as a patient for him. What a good sport!
Jemma didn't like being far from Nina's side, so she went along...hopefully she wasn't too distracting. :)
Nina and the kids.

We also took Brandon's mom to the Tillamook Cheese Factory - it's a self guided tour that can be very short if you don't stop and try out their ice cream...I am personally a big fan of the "Udderly Chocolate" flavor...they had some rather delicious fudge there too!
Here are the kids swinging on the bars you are technically supposed to stay in front of when looking down on the factory workers.
They were pretty infatuated with these cows...Jemma was especially intrigued by the utters...hmmm.

I thought I got a good shot of Jemma and her Nina behind one of those cardboard/plywood cut outs where you can stick your face through the opening...Jemma was the cow and Nina was the farmer...it turns out the picture was blurry and the clear photo was actually a video...maybe I'll post the video later. :)

Thanks again for coming out to see us! We are always so glad to have you and so sad when it's time for you to go! (Jemma stood at the doorway after Brandon and his mom drove away, headed back to the airport, crying. :( She said, several times, "I miss my Nina! She's gonna miss me at her house." It's rough living so far from family, but we have been so blessed to see them as regularly as we do. We LOVE you! Thanks for visiting us!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Fall Photos

I decided that, although we had family pictures taken in the spring, we really need some in the fall too...the leaves were just beckoning for a photo shoot! My good friend, Lisa, was SOOO awesome and took pics for us on two different days. We did some of the kids at another good friend's home (thanks Ashly for the use of your AmAzInG tree!) and then we did some more down on campus...gotta document having been in Forest Grove and Brandon attending Pacific, right? Right. :)


Enjoy!










Betcha couldn't tell how much the kids LOVED being in this tree...I think that's the ONLY time we got smiles out of the little man...


I hadn't planned on being in the photos, so I certainly don't look as cute as the kids...but aren't those leaves GoRgEoUs!!!






Thanks again Lisa! You are FaBuLoUs!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween was probably one of the FuNnEsT Halloweens we've had as a family! (Probably because Jemma is old enough to understand that it's PaRtY TiMe, and Carter is old enough to tote himself around during all the festivities!) Anyway, the pictures are pretty much in order of occurence...we had a party the night before Halloween with a bunch of other Optometry students and their children, then the night of Halloween, we had chili and cornbread and decorated sugar cookies at our good friend's Shannon and Molly Mitchell's house before attending the church "Trunk-or-Treat" and then we finished off the night with some traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating. (The trick-or-treating at houses was a first for us this year...Jemma LOVED it!)
Here are the kids in their costumes, just after getting ready upstairs. I had a lot of fun putting their costumes together this year. Jemma wanted to be Dorothy (or "Dorpy" as she calls the character) and I was a little relieved that it wasn't a princess! So that left Carter with 3 options...tin man, scarecrow or lion...he made a darn cute scarecrow if I do say so myself! :)


The kids out front, set to collecting all their goodies! (Carter was actually saying "cheese" in the pic.)



Jemma and Carter at the party we had with fellow Op students...this was after the donut eating contest...Carter snagged that donut out of the box when no one (except me...:) was looking. Too funny.

This was Carter right after he had settled down on the edge of the stage to devour his loot. :)

Jemma (who says you can't use your hands!?!) chowin' down a donut in the donut-eating contest.
All Done!

Sharing a cupcake from the "cake walk".

Jemma showin' off a cookie she decorated at the Mitchell's.
Carter on his way out the door to the trunk-or-treat. I told you he was a dang cute scarecrow!

The kids with Brandon in towe.

Me, Carter, Jemma and Jemma's friend Kiera handin' out candy at the trunk-or-treat.


Jemma with friends Addi (left) and Kiera (right)...takin' time out for a little sugar on the trunk of our car. :)

Jemma and Carter even met up with a few fellow cast members from The Wizard of Oz...the Wicked Witch of the West and one of her flying monkeys! Pretty sweet! (Thanks Julie and Jace for lettin' us snap a pic with you!)

When we got home that night, Jemma said COUNTLESS times, "Thank you so much for taking me to Halloween! Halloween is my favorite! I loved it. It was so COOL!" Let's just say that Halloween is "so cool" when you have kids that make it SO MUCH FUN!