Thanksgiving 2008

We are thankful... for our healthy family, good friends, our home, our automobile to get us to and fro, my job to provide the things we need and our camera to capture sweet unforgettable moments like this:
We had a nice day... J&S with Grandma for lunch
Then off to Alisha's dad's to share Thanksgiving with my oldest, his wife and our families. We missed Zac but he had a very busy day too with his family.
Tyler begging Alisha to let his son out so he can finally see him! Tuesday, December 2nd is the big day! She is scheduled to be induced, unless Ethan decides to come out sooner! Yes, I have the day off and the next day too... I can't wait!

Here are some shots from Alisha's dad's house of our Thanksgiving with most of the kids.
Poor girl... I'm surprised she can reach the counter!After a lifetime of having the camera pop into his line of vision... you'd think this man would be used to it. At this point yesterday, he had enough of my antics.

Catherine got to hold Baby Devan (2 months old) and was so happy about it! She rubbed his chubby cheeks and smoothed his hair and talked very sweetly to him. Let's hope she is as in love with Baby Ethan when he arrives! Somehow, I think she will be.1 little boy + 1 car = heaven

Hope you all had a very Thankful Thanksgiving. As for my family,... we're going to try to scare up a Christmas tree today!

All day

So this is what we did all day today. I took out a couple of shelves in the little kids' closet and swaped them so that we could put in 2 storage bins with drawers for organization. Anyone that knows me and Catherine... understands how important organization and labels are to us. Sad but true. It's what makes our world go round.

The drawers are labeled with these little labels... Catherine can already recognize the words on hers and Sam's. It might help that she can see right through the fronts... but either way... she's very proud of herself.

This is Catherine's side of their shared room. They have matching quilts with their names on them hanging above their beds and now they have shelves above each of their beds for all of the Webkinz they have. She also has a canopy doll bed at the end of her bed for the extra "assorted" animals... and to tuck her babies in at night.

This is Samuel's side of their room... complete with Spiderman blanket and all his sports pillows he picked out. His favorite animals are snakes, turtles and dogs... and picks at least one to sleep with every night. Usually it's the Webkinz snake... wrapped around his neck. The picture below is what I found in my living room... all the barbies are holding their own babies... that's how little girls think and play.

Tyler and Alisha's Baby Shower

Saturday we had Alisha and Tyler's baby shower at Alisha's dad Marks house in Forest Oaks hosted by Shelba, Beth and I. They outdid themselves with the house being so beautiful, the food was delicious and the decorations adorable. All I was in charge of was the games.

Alisha's Dad Mark taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. I think. We're responsible grandparents... the camera is always in our hands!
Beth and I, proud paternal grandmothers!

Tyler's Dad Derek and his wife Beth. Derek gave up a beautiful day of golfing... now THAT is a sacrifice for this proud grandpa! (He did manage to get in a few holes after the shower... well he WAS already in Forest Oaks)

Caroline AKA the VERY proud Aunt... took lots of the photos for me.

It was the perfect day for being outside with friends. Here... Carol (Alisha's mother), Tyler, Grandmomma Yvonne (Tyler's grandmother) and Justin, friend of the couple.

Alisha and her girls...
The baby-bottle-beer-drinking game. We knew we'd have some men... and Lauren but we didn't figure on the girls outnumbering the boys! Lauren, Tyler, Zac, Brianna and Jessica.

My 2 boys... drinking beer from a bottle.

Tyler was beaten by a girl!

The crowd cheering them on... that's my mother explaining to Tyler to loosen the top of the baby bottle to let the suction out to make it easier to drink... ???

We also played "My Water Broke" game where there were these little babies frozen inside an icecube... whoever noticed their baby melted out of the ice cube and yelled..."My water broke!" first won.

Everyone at the shower brought a picture of themselves when they were a baby. Tyler would have won but didn't guess one right. It was his wife as a baby!

Zac, Derek and Lauren at the baby pictures...

Alisha getting a coke... the game table is in front of her with the cute little frog prince candles and baby feet suckers. Here are just a few of the gifts...



Handmade baby quilt Mariner's Compass for Baby Ethan's room, made by Great-Grandmomma Amico.










Zac guessed the closest size with the baby belly game.

Activities from Halloween

On Thursday afternoon we carved all 3 pumpkins. The weather was a little crisp but we got them finished. The girls were more into scooping out the guts than Sam was which was surprising to me.
Evidently there was an issue with splattering of the pumpkin guts... Madison's face is priceless.

All 3 of the little Halloween lovers... Sam, Catherine and Madison.
Caroline carved her own pumpkin this year... she was a bit scary with the knife.

Caroline's pumpkin's grin is a bit crooked... but it just gives him more character.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Our 3 little trick or treaters... Sam is Spiderman (of course since it's all he wears), Catherine is Glenda the Good Witch from Wizard of Oz, and Madison is the cutest little Bumblebee ever.

Gizzy was the Grinch... which she was not at all happy about. I don't know why not... she was adorable and received more comments on her costume than the 3 little ones.

We trick or treated around Tyler and Alisha's new neighborhood, only to fine one house with lights on... evidently there are not a lot of little children who live there... so we went on to Mom's church for their fall festival which attracts about 1000 people from the community. The little kids have gone every year since Catherine was 1. She has never trick or treated at people's doors until this year... and then we only hit one house.

At the church there is always a petting zoo with ferrets, goats, bunnies, guinea pigs and this year a turtle that Sam was so happy to hold. He held it like it was a newborn kitten...
The kids all played games for candy, the volunteers were so patient and nice. No matter what candy was in the prize bucket... Sam always went for the lollipops.


Alisha and Gizzy

By the end of the night Gizzy was cold and exhausted so she hitched a ride in Tyler's jacket.