Here We Are

I know many of you are thinking that I am a very dilinquent blogger. We have had so many exciting things happening around here and of course our computer froze and is in need of more help than we are able to offer it. Therefore, it is at a specialist, in great hopes that it will be repaired soon! So I am wrinting this blog, with no pictures, from in the camp office!

These are things that have been going on for us over the past few weeks.

My grandparents and dad came and visited us over Kaden's birthday. Their stay was short, but we had a very wonderful time showing them Lancaster County. I think the highlight of their trip was seeing the boys. Kaden still talks about their time here.

Of course December has been filled with shopping, decorating and watching of the great Hallmark Movies that come on. I don't know how many times I have bawled over one of those cheesy, yet amazingly good shows!

December also marks a huge birthday month for family.

Happy birthday to Kaden whose in the previous blog.

Happy birthday to my mom on the 13th.

Happy Birthday to Sister-in-Law Melanie on the 17th, which also happens to be my birthday.

Anyone who has a birthday so close to Christmas and other family members has expereinced the 'joined celebration'. A lot of my birthdays growing up were shared with my mom or brother (his birthday is on the 27th). It wasn't a big deal but I did look forward to the day when I wouldn't have to celebrate with anyone else. Little did I know that I one day I would share the exact birthday with my sister-in-law! Oh well, it makes for good times. It's always fun to see who will wish the other happy birthday first. Come to think of it, I called Melanie first on our birthday, but before I had a chance to say anything she blurted out Happy Birthday. Technically I still win cause I made the call. Nice try Melanie!!!!

So we will continue to chug along as we approach Christmas. Wishing you all a calm week before Christmas.

Birthday's are so fun it's true!

Happy 3rd Birthday Kaden!!!!!

We love you very much!!

This past thursday we celebrated Kaden's birthday! Where do three years go? We were very fortunate to have many family and friends celebrate with us, including my dad, grandma and grandpa from Canada! I will have more pictures to come!

How Lovely Are Your Branches

I have gone in search of the perfect Christmas tree in snow up to my knee's in 30 below weather, on four wheeler & by sled. I have also strolled through a Walmart parking lot by foot in search for a cheap tree.

Today was a new first...pouring down rain, pushing a stroller through a corn field through the mud and muck!


It definetly would have been better to have some snow to put us in the Christmas spirit, but we still had a great time on the 'search'.

Normally, it would take me a lot longer to find a perfectly uniformed tree, BUT when you have two young children in the pouring rain you learn to do it the fast way. So here it is, the tree that will adorn our living room over the next thirty days!

As you can see, Kaden is completly soaked. I think the people at the tree farm thought we were nuts to want to go and cut down our own tree.
At this point all Kaden wanted was some hot chocolate...so did we all!
It was a fun day. Home we go!

Another Thanksgiving Gone By

We had a wonderful thanksgiving over at Brian's mom and dad's house! Here is our place settings a few minutes before we sat down and devoured everything in sight! I always find it funny how it takes so long to prepare a meal and a fraction of that to eat it!!

Brian and Daryl carving the turkeys. One was cooked the traditional way in the oven; the other we tried in the deep fryer pot outside.

Here is the deep fried bird. Tasty, but not real good for you! (kind of like most things at thanksgiving!)

Among many other delicious desserts, here are some cupcake turkeys I made. ( I don't usually take pictures of food, but I thought I'd do it for my sister-in-laws sake!)

The boys having a pre-meal snack.

Kaden playing with cousin Olivia.
Ethan being thrown up in the air by Brad.

To top it all off...Kaden requested roasting marchmallow's in the fire. Thanks to Brad who went and bought some for us.

Fun times with Grama!

Clark Griswold & Chuck E Cheese

We have been keeping busy around here, trying to bear the colder weather. Brian got out his staple gun this past weekend and starting putting up our Christmas lights....Christmas Vacation style! The kids sat and watched in amazment!

We also headed off for the first time to Chuck E Cheese's. The kids loved it, and I had never been there before. What a great place to go and let the kids burn some energy. We got some pizza, played some games and watched the show. Fun.

Kaden got this salamander from his winnings. He made a bed for it that night to sleep in and then in the morning insisted that the salamander needed fruit loops too!
He has been carrying that thing around the house for days. Ethan also HAD one, but on our walk across the parking lot he lost it!??? We have no idea where it went. Good thing he didn't care!

7 Years of Wedded Bliss

This past monday was the celebration of 7 years to my best friend! We had a great time. The boys stayed with Grama and Pops while we headed off for a childless getaway. It was great.
We went to Scranton....visited some friends Pam, Jim, Micheal and Dwight. We toured the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, did some shopping, and then visited Shrute Beet Farms. Very Intriguing!
It was also very interesting to us that Scranton is called the "Electric City" and yet endless amounts of business signs had burnt out bulbs. I think a person could make a living replacing those bulbs!
It was a great getaway!

Fall Fun

Here is an update from the past few weeks.......

The boys with their pumpkins and the spiders that they made in the background.


Kaden climbing on a tree that fell in a windstorm. He enjoyed playing on that more than the treehouse we built him. If I would have known that, we would have dragged a dead tree into our yard instead!!

Ethan trying to be like his big brother.

Two not so happy ducks for Halloween. I can tell that their going to love this picture when they get older!
Melanie and Hannah came for a visit this past weekend...actually for a work weekend, but we still had a great time seeing them.

Here the kids are raking leaves....while I take pictures?!

~Fun times at Summit Grove~