OK so, I promised some friends I would update before I skipped town and another month passed with those silly Halloween pictures. So, I guess Thanksgiving happened. We spent Thanksgiving in the Keys. We camped at Bahia Honda State Park and can I tell you how much I LOVED it! We love a non-traditional Thanksgiving, we love exploring and doing new things and we love putting a big fat check on our Florida to-do list! It was perfect. Seriously, we camped on the beach got up early Thanksgiving morning and watched a sunrise then spent the day playing on the beach and just for Brooke, Kade and I built a "snow"man. As we were driving down to Key West we saw a sign warning us to watch out for key deer. Mike insisted on finding one, and we drove around until we did (didn't take very long, the place is tiny). So just in case you were wondering if they really exist like Mike did, they do and they are tiny! ...How did they get there? Really though, a bunch of deer on an island 100 miles or so off the coast of florida..Hmmm, I'm stumped. Later that evening our Thanksgiving feast was compliments of Cracker Barrel and I would do it again for sure! So delicious!
A few Thanksgiving pictures in case you don't look at the smilebox.

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Pretty much after Thanksgiving hit I locked myself up in the house and have been working like crazy on projects for Christmas. We had our annual Santa Bingo Party which was a ton of fun but I'm kinda a sucker for Bingo.
The weather here is cooling down and for a few days it was downright cold! It was probably only in the low 50's but it seems that I'm a true Floridian now. I remember the Rexburg days when the sun would come out and it would warm up to 50 and we'd wear short sleeve shirts and no coat! My roommates and I would get so excited that it was getting warmer. Ha ha!
Other than that, we visited Santa and Bree wasn't too fond of him, Kade just wanted a candy cane. We spotted a manatee, a mom and her baby, from our window. Our entire family is SO fascinated by them! Everyday Kade goes to the window hoping they will be back and I check a few times a day too. (: We went and stood on our dock and they swam right under us. They are HUGE. Maybe that's why they're called the elephant of the sea.


So one Saturday morning Mike left to play basketball and I was playing with the kids in their room. I was reading books to Kade and Bree kept crawling away. Kade ran to the door and then came back and told me he locked it so Bree couldn't get out. I didn't think much of it until about 20 minutes later when I went to leave! Yep, he locked all of us in! I wasn't too panicked, I tried a few things to no avail and just gave up knowing Mike would be home soon. After Mike came home and let us out we walked back into their room and he's laughing at the fact I was locking in there for an hour. Just as Mike was telling me we shouldn't let Kade think it's funny cause he'll probably do it again... -Locked! So now the entire family is locked in. Long story short, I'm laughing really hard and Mike is banging away at the hinges with Kade's Handy Manny screwdriver and hammer! I thought it was the funniest thing ever. Thank goodness we had tools in the room, right? (:
Anyway, we leave Saturday for California. Mike's brother is coming home from his mission and then we'll be spending Christmas with the Andersen family. We are so excited to take a break! I have to make it through the next couple of days and then it's party time!!
JOY, it's the most wonderful time of the year and for a great reason! I miss all of you who are far far away, I think about you all the time. This time of year sparks lots of fond memories and it reminds me how lucky I am to have such great friends and family. I've got some really great friends here who really are my family away from home. I can't believe this is my last Christmas here. I love you all. Merry Christmas and Happy new year! (That seems a little premature but lets face it, I won't be on here again until next year)
A few pictures for your enjoyment (: Somewhere in the mess of pictures, visiting Santa, my attempt at the kids in their Christmas outfit knitted by "Aunt" Carol. She's amazing!! Kade the professional mess maker, playing at the park (with our hats and long sleeves cause it's cold here), our outside view (Everyone else has been posting pictures of their outside view and the snow, I got nothin' but it looks sorta chilly, right?)

Our Halloween was wonderful! I'm not sure why but I love Halloween! I'm not into the whole trick or treating thing. I find it to be rather pointless. Growing up we'd have women come to the door holding their baby and in broken english point and say- "for da bebe." Are you serious? Your baby doesn't even eat food, what the heck? I remember feeling so confused about the whole thing? Aren't you too old? Your baby too young? Yeah, well if you need the candy that bad, take it. What child needs more candy anyway? At what age do you tell your child to knock on a door and beg for candy? But really you are the one saying trick or treat and thank you. It seems like by the time you reach the age your body can "deal" with the overload of candy- you're too old to be going anyway. Ha ha. I have nothing against trick or treating, that's just what runs through my head when I consider it (: I'm still hiding Kade's candy from the trunk or treat and I only let him hit up a few cars. I want to throw it away for his sake but I can't for mine! When he's not looking I sneak all the good stuff.

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Jake is currently at BYU Jerusalem, apparently they've blocked smilebox so he asked for some pictures of Bree. If you saw the smilebox then they look familiar otherwise, Bree's birthday & such. Here they are... I love and miss you Jake! A few pictures for you (:

I was released from my calling and for sure thought that I'd have so much time to do whatever I pleased. After I got over the 'what am I going to do, this is all I've known for two years,' I was okay and a little excited about having all this free time to enjoy Florida for our last few months (sorta, we leave in June and will be back the next January). And I'm not going to lie, I might have gotten a HUGE grin on my face when someone came to me with a problem and I got to point them in the other direction..."Sorry, you'll have to talk to her..." (: (: (:

I'm so far behind at this point I figure I better just get this up so I have it on record. Way back in August Mike & I went home for a little vacation. The cabin, Panguitch Lake Utah, and Kansas. We stopped in Colorado and stayed with friends, we love being back in that area! We love being home with family. Every time I'm home I remember all the things I love about being home. We flew out of Kansas City and spent half a day at World's of Fun, we played for about an hour then got stuck in a huge storm! We wouldn't leave cause we were convinced we could wait it out and then be the only ones at the park. We were the last ones out of the park and never got on a single ride the rest of the night. We played games and watched the storm under a big canopy until closing time. I miss the storms. I miss the big open space, no city, no traffic slow country life-style. Cattle everywhere, picking corn and getting allergies like crazy from all the rag weed and who knows what else in the air! It's all good. I do love being away from home exploring and doing something new! Not that I love being away from family but I do think it makes Mike & I stronger and more appreciative of what we've got. Anyway, here it is... (Take note of my HUGE fish..Oh Yeah! The only time I have ever out fished Mike size & quantity and most likely the last)

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That's right, our little man is 3! I can't believe how quickly that flew by. He's done so much in his 3 short years. His only request was an airplane birthday cake so I attempted. He woke up from his nap, came into the kitchen, gasped and stood there for a little bit with his mouth hanging open then said, "Wow, that is so beautiful." I don't care how ugly and disgusting it may have been, he was happy!
My Mom should be happy to know that I'm well on my way to "having 10 just like me." No I'm not having 10 children! But yes, Kade is the start of what my mom always wished upon me. The best part is that I'd always say, "I hope I do to, I really like myself!" I'm eating ALL my words. Funny how parenthood makes you do that.
Kade is a climber and always wants to be in the middle of everything. I don't think he's afraid of anything! He is always getting encouragement from his Uncles to do tricks on his motorcycle and he just loves to show off. The combination of the two would scare me but I have 5 crazy brothers and a Dad who survived the whole fearless motorcycle thing. I love it! His dirty fingerprints are everywhere. Around 18 months he transformed into a slug and since then you always know where he is or where he's been by the little trail he leaves behind. The phase of always wanting to be clean, sadly, didn't last long enough. He's always been very serious and always thinking or contemplating something. He remembers everything and catches on quickly. He's one of a kind! He's so dramatic, sometimes quiet, very loving and very playful. We love having him around, he's a sweet brother and at times my little "gopher." Happy Birthday Kade!