Merry Christmas!!

Here is our Christmas card.  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas.  We are heading home for Christmas to spend the holidays with our families.  We are excited to talk to my brother Jonathan, who is in Brazil, on Christmas day and hear how things are going.

Our New Favorite White Elephant Gift

Claire's Holiday Show

Jason, Drew, Brent, Nile, Claire, and Scott raking leaves at Grandma's

Aunt Sue with the Turkey

Grandma, Grandpa, and Claire after her dance performance

Brent and Claire with Santa

Claire posing in front of the Christmas tree

Claire had her dance holiday show this weekend.   She did a great job.  She knew her routine.  Scott's parents came in town for the weekend to see the show.  Santa made an appearance at the end.  

For Thanksgiving this year we went to my Aunt Sue's house.   Over the weekend, we went and raked leaves at my grandparents house.  The kids had a blast raking leaves and jumping in the piles.

Claire gets her Ears Pierced!

Its official. Claire is growing up too fast. We got her ears pierced last week. She wanted them done for her winter dance show coming up next weekend. Her friends Abby and Katie Tourtillot were there for moral support. 

Happy Birthday Brent!

Brent with his robot

Scott, Carolyn, and B 

The Spiderman Cake

Brent holding up 3 fingers for turning 3

My B

Today was Brent's 3rd birthday.  I can't believe my baby is 3.  We went to Chuck E. Cheese's with our neighbors.  He had a great time playing.  He was little scared of Chuck E.  Cheese.  He hid under the table when he tried to come over and say happy birthday.  Scott made him a spiderman birthday cake.

Happy Birthday Nile!!

Jason and Claire ice skating, she actually took off by herself this time

Craig, Marc, Kevin, Nile, Jason, and Grandpa

Nile with his birthday cake, Scott decorated it

Nile turns the big 9 today.  Yesterday, he had an ice skating party with some of his friends.  Emily and Jason came in town and so did Scott's dad and brothers.  We had the ice skating party from noon-2pm and then we all watched Nile play hockey later that afternoon.  It was a great game to watch.  The game ended 5-5.  We had so many shots on goal, it was crazy.  The most classic moment was when the other team went to do a line shift and they all fell out on each other, it was like a domino effect and then we went down and scored.  Kevin said it was more exciting than a few of the Blues games he had been to.  Nile loved having family come out to his party and his hockey game.  

Halloween Pictures

Claire as the Pink Power Ranger, Nile as James Bond, and B as  Spiderman

Claire with her bag of candy

Brent and his friend Landon

Scott with the kids in front of  our house

Here are some pictures of Halloween night.  We had some friends over for dinner and then Scott handed out candy while I went trick or treating with the kids.   It was a beautiful night.  It was the warmest Halloween I can ever remember.  Nile didn't feel so well after about 1 hour, so I went home with him and Brent.   Claire ended up trick or treating with Nile's friends and their parents.  They said she was going faster than boys and wanted to keep on going.  She came home with a huge bag of candy.  It was a fun night.

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER

Scott got dressed up this morning in his Batman costume at 5:30am to go to the movie theatre by our house.  He took Brent with him as Robin.  They were celebrating the grand opening of new AMC Fork & Screen.  The first 100 people in line with costume won one year's worth of movie passes.  Scott was lucky number 47.  We have free date nights for the year.

Trunk or Treat

Claire, me, and Brent at the campfire

Scott and Nile after he received his award

Scott, Spiderman, James Bond, and the Bride

Spiderman in his web

Our ward trunk or treat was last weekend.  Scott decided to dress up as Dwight from "The Office."  Nile was James Bond.  Claire was a bride.  Brent was Spiderman.  We had a fun time.  The kids came home with lots of candy.  Last week, at Nile's pack meeting for cub scouts he received his religious square knot.  The pack meeting is one of our favorites of the year.  They have a big bonfire and we roast marshmallows and have smores.

Pumpkin Patch

Nile showing his game face for Flag Football

My scarecrows Claire, Brent, and Nile

B picking up a pumpkin

Nile, Brent, and Claire at the Pumpkin Patch

This weekend was quite busy for us.  It started Friday night with Nile's hockey practice.  Then Saturday morning, Nile had two flag football games.   He had fun playing at those.  He enjoys playing defense and he got an interception.  Then we went to the KC Pumpkin Patch with the kids to pick out pumpkins.  They had fun going through the haunted barn, riding tricycles, racing rubber ducks, zipping on the zipline, and looking at the farm animals.  Then we came home to drop off the pumpkins and pick up Nile's hockey gear.  He had his first game of the season.  He did a great job and his team won. 

Jonathan's Weekend

Jonathan

Scott with his parents
Jonathan, Grandma, and Aunt Gloria

Scott, Becca, and Ben, Uncle Tom, Leslie, Aunt Karen, and Jason, and Gramps
Jonathan, Brent, Jason, and Nile playing a little hall hockey
Drew and Claire crashed Saturday night after the dinner party

My brother Jonathan left on Tuesday to fly down to Brazil to go on his mission for our church.  We went to St. Louis last weekend to say goodbye.  On Saturday, we met Scott's parents on the way into town to celebrate Scott's birthday with lunch at Red Robin's.  That night we had a family dinner with Jonathan.  My kids had a busy day and enjoyed playing with their cousins Drew and Sophia.  Brent and Drew are quite the pair when they get together.  On Sunday, Jonny bore his testimony and did a great job.  We are really going to miss him for the next two years but know that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing.  When Nile said goodbye, he said Jonny I will see you in 2 years 2 days because he was leaving 2 days after we left to come back to Kansas City.  

Nicholas Sparks Book Signing

Carolyn and Nicholas Sparks

      Me, Shannon, and Kim

My friend Kim talked me in to going to the Nicholas Sparks book signing for his new book "The Lucky One."  I haven't had time to start it yet.  It was a fun night.  We got there in time to get our picture taken with Nicholas and then he talked for awhile about himself and his life and then we got our book signed.  We went out to the Cheesecake Factory afterwards and enjoyed a bite of cheesecake.  It was a sad night because it was our last girl's night out with Kim.  She has moved on to Texas. I am sad because she has been my running partner, friend, and babysitter(we would switch off babysitting during the day).  I will really miss her but we can still keep in touch with the phone.  

Happy Early Birthday to Scott!

Scott went ahead and ordered his birthday present today. (We will be in St. Louis on his birthday this weekend saying goodbye to my brother Jonathan, he leaves on his mission to Brazil next Tuesday.)  He has been talking about this bike every since he saw it in Hilton Head on our family vacation in July.  He is so excited!!  He had to special order it because it is the new 2009 model. (www.feltracing.com)  

Before he went to order his bicycle, he went to try and renew his drivers license.  He had told me a couple of weeks ago that his license expired on his birthday.  After waiting in line in not only once but twice (he went to the license plate center instead of the drivers license center first), the lady with the hairy lip informed him that his license expired October 11, 2009.  I guess when your old your 8's and 9's start to look alike.  

Boys Weekend

Nile up close and personal with Fredbird

Brent, Scott, and Nile on the way to St. Louis

Brent and Nile at the Cardinals Game

Craig, Marc, and Kevin at the game

This past weekend, Scott took Brent and Nile to St. Louis to go to the Cardinals game Saturday night.  They had a fun and busy time.  There was the Kids Club party at Busch Stadium and then the game that night.  The kids had fun with Fredbird and got his autograph.  Brent watched from a distance.  The Cardinals had a good game and fireworks went off a few times for home runs.  They went to the game with Craig, Kevin, Marc, and Jason.  The boys had fun with their uncles and dad.  They went to Ted Drewes after the game to enjoy some ice cream.   It was a rushed weekend because they had to leave early Sunday morning to make it back for the Primary program in church.  Nile sang "Called to Serve" in Portuguese.  Both Claire and Nile had their parts memorized and did a great job singing.  It feels good to have the program over.  

Time Out

Kim, me, and my mom

Claire with her new haircut

My parents waiting in line for Gladys Knight

I went to St. Louis for Time Out for Women this past weekend with my friend Kim and my mom.  Our favorite speaker was Jason Wright.  I am excited to read his book Wednesay Letters. We were also able to go to see Gladys Knight perform with the Saints United Choir.  It was a great experience.  I wish we could have some Sunday meetings with her music.  It was fun to clap and dance with the audience.  There were people in the audience who would talk to the choir by saying, "You tell it sister" and "Amen" and lots of hand raising.  I had a nice break from my children.  I think I can be a better mom when I get little breaks every now and then.  Scott did a great job with the kids.  Nile had hockey try-outs this weekend for his new season.  Scott did that with all three of the kids.  He even took the kids to church by himself, which I think was a first with all three kids.  He said that they did good.  They made me signs on the door for when I came home Sunday night.  Here is a picture of Claire's new haircut.  I took her in to have it all evened out.  

SCOTT'S SHAMELESS PLUG FOR PROFILE WASHER AND DRYER

Scott is so excited about this new washer and dryer that he asked if he could post something on it. New Profile Front Load washer and dryer is out now, washer and dryer talk to each other and the washer programs the dryer based on what its done. The washer has Smart Dispense, which can hold up to six months worth of detergent and pumps in just the right amount for each load. They come in Vermilion Red, Champagne Gold and White.  GE is doing an online drawing through 9/8/08 if you want to try and win a set. 

Visit www.washingmyjeans.com to enter.

Labor Day Weekend

Brent holding a lock of Claire's hair while Claire points to where he cut.

Nile winning at Monopoly.  He has hotels on all of his properties.

This past Labor Day weekend, Scott and I decided to stay in town and get caught up at home.  On Friday night, Scott took Nile and his friend Ed to the skate party at the ice rink so Nile could break in his new ice skates.   They had a fun time.  On Saturday, we cleaned house a little bit and then we went to the pool for the whole afternoon.  It was so nice, we had the pool to ourselves for a couple of hours.   Sunday morning, I ran the nike plus human race 10K in an hour, which was a good time for me.   On Sunday evening, we played monopoly with the kids.  Nile was the big winner.  He had hotels on all of his properties and owned almost the whole board.  He picked us off one at a time.  He was quite the bargainer.  On Monday, we went on a family walk and took the kids to the playground.  Scott and I decided we need to clean out our closet so we were working on that and the kids were playing in the basement.  Half through cleaning, Claire comes up with a big chunk of hair and says Brent cut my hair.  I thought she was joking for a minute until I saw that he had really cut her hair.  We decided to put the cleaning on hold and eat lunch and head to the pool.  The kids needed to let out some energy.  It was quite the weekend.

First Day of School

Claire started her first day of kindergarten on Friday.  She had a great day.  She is making new friends enjoying being in kindergarten.

Nile had his first day of third grade on Thursday.  He had a great day.  He has lots of friends in his class and his teacher is nice.  So for the kids first day of school, I thought I would make them a special cake.  So I started making the cake and I was using some pumpkin to make the cake healthier and I sliced my thumb on the can.  Blood was gushing every where.  I was a little freaked out.  My friend Kim came over and took Brent to her house and I drove myself over to the Urgent Care center where I received three stitches.  I was in out of the Urgent Care center in record time, 45 minutes.  I drove home and picked up the kids from Kim's house and then finished making the cake.