Our family zoo... Free admission

We hosted Thanksgiving this year and we had quite the turnout. We ended up having 30 people come, we actually invited more like 45-50. We held it at the barn and I think it turned out pretty good. I passed out food assignments and had my pies made the day before, that way we could concentrate on the turkey.
Here is our tasty guy.

Ky carving the guest of honor, well one of them!

George and Kami hanging out before the feast, she loved seeing all her uncles.

Most of the group, and Ash's black eye (I didn't mean to get that in there)

Kami enjoyed her food.

We hung out and played games after dinner and planned the shopping strategies for the next day. We had lots of good food and company. Ky says we are covered for ten years before it is our turn to host again! I really didn't mind. I am actually more stressed about London, there is a lot to do before we leave. I am glad the weather cooperated a bit and everyone was able to make it. We had fun staying up all night at the barn. The kids and those from warmer climates (Jason) loved all the snow we got, although it was a bit cold to break out the snowmobiles. However, Jason braved it and took a ride, his first I think. The girls enjoyed all their cousins, we were especially glad Cole and Sydney could come. And this was the last time my family will be together until London. Thanks everyone for coming and pitching in!

Cole and Kami saying goodbye to each other.

What would Thanksgiving be without black-friday! I think Briant is one of the biggest black-friday shoppers EVER! Since most of my shopping is done there wasn't anything worth getting up too early for. However, that being said we still went out and got some great deals. Mar got the cutest dress for the wedding and we both got matching boots. I also got a camera to take with me on the trip (with AA batteries). Here are the pics I found on the memory card that came with our first camera, August 08.

Kami had no hair and Ash hasn't changed a bit!
We looked at the calendar and we have 4 open nights in the next 4 weeks! Our life is just getting crazier and now I am planning two birthday parties and realized I need to do Christmas cards too!
I should also mention that this week also brought us a new nephew, congrats Devin and Julie! And a new ?? (my vote is boy) to come, congrats to that unnamed couple- for now!

We have had another eventful weekend. Friday Marianne came up to stay with the girls while we went to Harry Potter 7. I liked the movie it was definitely different from the book but the overall plot was the same. I did not like the unnecessary nudity they stuck in it. I think that the movie was done well considering all of the material they had to put in it. This said I think part 2 will be tons better. I was a little disappointed just because I have been so excited to see it (and finished the book again last Thursday) and it was so different from the book. And FYI don't take your baby to the movie theater. Those of us who do get a sitter and then pay an outrageous amount of money DO NOT want to hear your child cry through the movie. I say leave them at home or wait to see it on DVD! That is just so inconsiderate.- I am done ranting now.

Saturday we ended up working on Mar's case for a mock trial she is in, she is defense attorney. Then Mar ended up staying all day due to the weather and crappy roads. We got tons more snow and broke out the sleds to pull behind my snowmobile. We had fun playing outside, little did we know the fun was just beginning! As I was in my closet picking out my clothes for stake conference it happened. Me and Mar heard a big crash and went running into the living room. I found Ash on the floor screaming laying inside the art easel and Kaite trying to pull her out. Apparently she was wearing it and walking around the house and fell, they had been using it to make a tent. Anyway, as soon as I saw Ash's face I put ice on it. I can't believe how much it swelled in that short amount of time. I was really worried she broke her zygomatic bone. She looked so awful and the bone looked broken in several places. Ky got home and gave her a blessing. He then had to run into stake conference to play the piano. We had decided to take her to the ER to have it looked at when he got back. By the time he got home it was looking tons better and the swelling had gone down a bit, miracle. We got her in and the ER doc said it isn't broken but could be cracked which they don't do anything for. He also asked her about falling down alot- no. He was referring to her broken collar bone and severe concussion almost four years ago. I have to say that happened in a public place and I swear we are not beating our kids! Fortunately, Mar seems to be here every time something happens- she is my witness! I will say that Ash does look like someone clocked her, poor girl. She is doing real well, no concussion and she doesn't have hardly any pain despite what it looks like. This could have been so much worse. Here are the pics of her. This is the art easel she was walking around in---WHY I still don't know!

Her face last night, I didn't get a pic of it when it looked really bad before the blessing.

Her face today. The bruise still extends down past her cheek but isn't as black as I thought it would be.

Now she is trying to come up with a "cool" story to tell the kids at school. I think she should tell them a boy kissed her and she got cooties! Mar said she should tell them she fell off the roller coaster at Lagoon! Regardless, I am glad she is doing so well, but she looks so much worse in person.

I have decided that I need to wrap the kids in bubble wrap. Kami tried to fall down the stairs again last week but Ky caught her. Then last Sunday I caught all three of them trying to head down the stairs with a blanket over their heads! I can't figure out where they come up with these things. I remember James and George jumping on my get in shape girl mat and flying down our wooden stairs. Sometimes I can't figure how kids survive childhood!

This past weekend we spent some time finishing up some things around here. First thing we got all our wood cut, split, and stacked. We figure there is about ten or eleven cord out there. Me and the girls went out on Friday and started stacking what we could, this didn't go over too well. After about an hour and half everyone was crying, it was cold out. But Saturday we really hit it hard and spent all day out there, well me and Ky did anyway. We managed to finish up just before seven and it was snowing for the majority of it, but it is done!!! Chad came over and helped split in the morning, he sure was a big help!

Here is a picture of the girls running the splitter.

Last night we finally took the trampoline down. We were going to do this weeks ago but it was so nice the girls were still using it. So last night they all got one more jump in.

For FHE we played monopoly deal and had popcorn. This picture is what happens when Kaite plays, too bad Ky didn't get the rest of the table. Kaite annihilates us! Every time she plays she wins and wins big, we all end up with nothing left. I don't know how she does it, but she sure loves to win. (This was a mild hand for her)

We have all been enjoying the snow, the girls go out and play in it every afternoon. Yesterday they built a fort with a slide. I am glad the roads haven't been too bad.
Last week we had parent-teacher conferences and everything was good, as always. Their teachers can't say enough nice things about them, they love having them in their classes. I was a little surprised to learn that there are only two other kids in Kaite's class that can read. Kaite's teacher is going to start letting her take the AR reading tests, they don't usually do this until first grade. She is really loving school and doing great.
This morning I heard Ash up an hour early, when I finally got up I found out why. She has started reading the Harry Potter series and can't put the books down. She was up reading to her hearts content! Her teacher told me that one day when they had reading time Ash got so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice when class started back up, her teacher finally told her to go over to the couch and finish her book!
Life around here has slowed down a bit and this weekend we have big plans to go see HP7- well me and Ky anyway. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping and I have passed out food assignments for Thanksgiving. I am right on schedule, so far. The count down is on for London!

Yesterday we had our first really fun snow. We made snowmen, had snowball fights, and even broke out my sled. We had fun! We figured out that we got about 8 inches by this morning.

We also had hot cocoa with marshmallows, of course!

Kami has a new found love for puzzles. She loves to do them by herself.

Last Saturday Ky and Chris went to get our last load of wood. Ky thought it would be fun to take Ash and Kaite. They were suppose to haul this log to the truck but Ky found them doing this instead!

He said they were good helpers and had fun.
I am close to being done with my Christmas shopping! But until yesterday it didn't really feel like Christmas shopping. As much as I don't like driving in the snow I was ready for it and now I am more in the Christmas spirit!

Our Halloween fun started Friday night. We headed over to the school carnival and the girls had tons of fun. Ash quickly ditched us for her friends.

Ash and Cali, Cali was able to come back up for the carnival. They have sure missed each other tons!

Ash and Lily

Face painting

Ash really wanted to be Trixie the Halloween fairy from the Fairy books she reads. I was surprised at how easy it was to find orange wings, I never thought it would happen. I think she turned out pretty cute!

All three of them

Kaite had a hard time deciding what to be until we found Bumblebee, then it was a no brainer!

Kami was the cutest little bunny, who never holds still for photos!

Saturday we headed up to the trunk or treat. Kami got the idea down very quickly. She eventually started just walking to the front of the crowd and holding out her bag and saying trick or treat.

Marianne took the girls to a few houses later that evening, then they just answered the door all night at my families house, since we don't get trick or treaters.
Today was crazy hair/hat day. We had fun spiking Kaite's short hair.

Ash wore Mar's hat from Cali

Kami had to try it on too.

This last pic is just one Ky took one night when he went to check on the girls. Kaite fell asleep reading her book! They sure love to read.

We had a good weekend the girls where so excited especially Kaite she had to try on her costume at least once a day! Kami hopped around the house telling all of us she was a bunny. They are now planning costumes for next year!