tree decorating 2014

Right away when we returned from tree hunting, we started decorating. Terry had bought a new star and a few strands of lights from Menards on Black Friday and thankfully they all turned out fine. Noah helped me by following me around the tree while I wound each large branch with lights. It's a Kveene thing. We use tons of lights.

This was Evie when we got started. She was totally riveted and excited.

He's a good helper. 

Almost done.

The kids get to put on all the unbreakable ornaments and I hang the fragile ones high up. I just don't see the point of a designer tree or changing it's theme every year. I like our old fashioned ornaments that are full of memories.

Good looking boy. 

Evie is showing off this ornament that a Gburg family gave her when she was a baby.  

This is one of Terry's favorites that he brought back from China - Bruce Lee.  

When Terry came in after hanging the outdoor lights the room was beautifully complete. 

Terry made Samuel the engineer of the train, which he loved. Unfortunately, now Ezra has broken all three trains.

Go Samuel go! 

When Ezra got up from his nap he was mesmerized by the tree. His cute little smiles were so precious.  

Of course, since then, I've had to move a lot of the ornaments out of his reach. But somehow he's still be able to get the candy canes down and gnaw on them through the plastic even though they are like half way up the tree. Little stinker. 

tree hunting 2014

We were on the ball this year for tree hunting. We bought our tag early and headed out the very next day after Thanksgiving. The weather was gorgeous and we had a new plan for where to hunt - up Nemo Road, which is actually extremely close to our house. I had specific directions but since we were worried we had passed the turn we stopped when we happened to see a bunch of spruce trees next to a creek and a bridge. 

Poor kids. The sun was blinding them.

On our way over to begin hunting I was temporarily spellbound by the view from the bridge. Untouched beauty.

After crossing the bridge we trudged east through the snow next to the road's shoulder scoping out the trees down the hill. 

Ezra was wiggly and wanted to walk too - it was probably easier last year to haul him around in his little car seat bucket. Because when I did put him down to walk, he fell over, got snow on his hands and cried. Next year will be simpler.  

 Having seen all the trees to the east we turned around and searched west of the bridge.

This was a potential but we passed it up. Perhaps my brother got it though since they came here too a few days later.  

Samuel liked the saw. 

We walked back to where we started and decided on this little tree. It was just right. Not too tall or wide and pretty full for a spruce.  

Evie's face cracks me up.

It sure wasn't very heavy...er, I mean my husband is one strong lumberjack. :) 

Victory march. 

"Wait! Stop for a picture!" 

While Terry got the tree tied down the rest of us admired the stream. And the kids tried to throw ice chunks down and break that thick ice over the stream, which of course didn't work.

I managed to get one good shot of all of them. Not in birth order like I wanted, but good enough. 

We were just having Noah take our photo in front of the car like we usually do when Terry unexpectedly grabbed me and did this. Noah said it was "disgusting" and Terry replied, "Just wait until you get a wife. It's awesome." 

the cutest lost Evie photos

While I was making my yearly photo and photo book order online earlier this month, I was searching through old albums and found these forgotten Evie pictures that my sister took! Little Evie was just a little toddler with the very best baby cheeks of all four of my kids. We must have been visiting home, probably for Shari and Jesse's wedding. 

Unfortunately these are downloaded from facebook because I don't know if Steph still has the originals...

Look at her face! She was just so incredibly cute. Of course she still is, but she was my only girl baby and that's special.

I miss her as a baby.

Contemplative Evie 

And here's the money shot. I wish these weren't grainy but you get the idea. She's adorable.

Under my parents cherry tree. 

Walking around in the grass. 

Big blue eyes, big chubby cheeks and lots of messy hair. 

Rocks are fun when you're a baby. 

Thanksgiving 2014

We had another delicious feast at my folks house for Thanksgiving this year. Ezra got to sit at the table this time instead of rolling around the floor, but didn't want to eat much. And Theo was busy fighting a nap so he wasn't at the table either. I forgot to take a picture of him and am sad about that. Steph and Steve couldn't come again so that was the only bummer :( The food was amazing!

We had to take the annual turkey leg photo before we dug in. I couldn't believe this was the third year we've done that - time flies. Here's last year and then two years ago. 

Also, I've forgotten to mention that his was Terry's first time participating in No-Save-November. I really like him with facial hair!

While the grown ups were busy cleaning up, the kids were busy making an even bigger mess with the toys. Ezra was showing off his impressive block stacking skills.  

He'd only stack a few blocks high before whacking them down in all directions and laughing about it. I haven't said here before that we call him the Attack Baby. He attacks everything, especially using his head.

I made this chocolate caramel pecan pie for dessert, which was super good. Still though, I prefer plain old corn syrup pecan pie.

Noah's mini mixels

Noah and Evie's last allowance purchase were a pair of Lego Mixels. Mixels are just small, inexpensive, funny looking Lego creatures that Noah saw in his Lego magazine. We bought one for Samuel too. 

Noah likes to make "creations" and was inspired by the Mixels to make something new. He calls them Mini-Mixels. I think they're awesome. I took this photo to send in to the Lego magazine. Perhaps they'll publish it on their Cool Creations page!

Here's a closer view. The one on the right is my favorite. It looks like a bird when it's laying down like I should have had it. Since then he's built like twice this many. 

Evie like creating stuff too, just not as much as Noah. Here is her Lego Friends House photo that we'll submit as well. 

another gaga ball pit

Not long before Thanksgiving, Terry was approached by a family in our church to built them a gaga ball pit like what he built our Youth Group last year. Gaga ball is a game that can include a whole lot of people and the students love it. I, however, am afraid of it. The object is to hit someone in the legs with a ball and get them out. Then they have to leave the pit. The last one left in the pit wins. "I fell in the pit. We all fell in the pit." HA! Oh, Andy.

This photo is from this year's Fall Retreat.

This family is quite large so they are able to fully utilize the pit. Plus, Terry made it a little less heavy duty so it'll be easier for them to move. He made all the cuts at home and then he, David (a YG leader), Parker (a YG student), Noah, Evie and a few of the family's kids screwed all the pieces together. 

do you want to build a snowman?

About a week and a half after our first cold snap when it warmed up enough to melt the snow a little, Terry and the kids spent a good part of the afternoon of his day off out back making snowmen. Here's their first one. Samuel looks like he's about to get a branch to the eye...

 This may have been Ezra's first time in the snow on his own two legs. Go Ezra! He had so much fun.

And here's their second snowman.  Samuel is apparently drawn to their arms.

When they were done with the snowmen, Noah started burying people. He started small.

And ended with the bigger two. I think daddy was able to escape.

They were all so incredibly wet. 

Good times.