Perspective

So thankful that these ten hands give perspective to every day and everything (even laundry).

 

 

      

 

   

Friends-giving

Dad and his Kamado Joe grill are becoming VERY good friends.

Dad’s 1st smoked turkey…best turkey ever. 

Pie for breakfast with friends…Our Gramma Rose makes the best pies! 

Gramma confessed that her and Bumpa had leftover pie for breakfast too…Great friends think alike :)

Chinese for ten friends…hardly a noodle was left at the end of the meal, and we darn near have the Chinese Zodiac, from Dragon to Ox, covered with these friends.

 

Bowling with friends (only three pictures before Mom’s phone died)…not captured was the owner of the Red River Lanes helping Gramma and Mom with their crew of friends throughout the game, Gramma June getting back into her bowling mojo, and Brody having the top kid score and ALMOST beating Gramma and Mom (who were trying their best)!

 

Friends put on their warm clothes (which took 20 minutes minimum) to play outside together for 3 minutes tops. 

It almost appears the friends were locked out of the house together :/

Best Friends

  

Six year old friends celebrating their birthdays together.

The girls did this pose all on their own and on the other side of the island a friend was doing the same pose!

Christmas cookie prep…the job is always more fun with friends…one helper is as silly as her Daddy

  

A week of celebrations…so thankful for food, family, fun and FRIENDS.

Best Year Ever?

November has been FREEZING…temperatures that we normally see in January are here in November.

Lighting up Fargo is an annual tradition.

When Mom asked the kids if we had to light up Fargo on such a cold year, their responses were PURE SHOCK.  Of course we have to Light Up Fargo!

And…it was the best year ever!

Winds down, temps pleasantly chilly vs absolutely freezing, moods merry!

This crew Lit Up Fargo with enthusiasm, and we have the bags upon bags of candy (all sorted by kind) to prove it!

 

Can’t wait to Light Up Fargo in 2015!

“Your Crew Inspires Me”

Most of our crew continues to love our annual tradition of ringing the Salvation Army bell.

Jayne did “extreme bell ringing” while darn near standing on her head.

Brynn did “bum leg” as she walked around the bell.

Mark could not keep his hands off of the bell.

Caleb and Luke did not look completely miserable (getting too cool for lots of things).

And then a giver said to us, “Your crew inspires me.”

 

May our children grow in gratitude!

From Head to Toe

When one turns six, they should be treated like a princess from head to toe and from the start of the day to the end of the day.

To start Brynn’s six year old birthday, Daddy ran to Hornbachers to get the requested birthday donuts for breakfast and the requested birthday meal of Ramen noodles. 

Mom never tries to talk someone out of the birthday meal of their choosing, but when Brynn chose Ramen noodles, Mom had to intervene with a compromise of Ramen for lunch and spaghetti for supper!

The kids were in charge of Brynn’s birthday whiteboard.

So many nice things to write…

and so many nice things to point out…

Resulting in a fabulous collection of our favorite things about the birthday girl.

After breakfast, the birthday girl was ready to be pampered with a spa birthday party!

The set up:

  

      

The events:

Flip Flop Ribbon Craft

   

Pedicures

   

Manicures and Hair

  

Cake, presents and the results of the pampering…happy princesses!

All resulting in a fabulous birthday bash from

Head

to

 

Toe

Oh Brynn, we have been smitten with you since the first moment we laid eyes on you.  We are all WEAK for our baby.  It may have been pointed out to Dad during Kindergarten conferences that cute will only get you so far in the world, but we beg to differ. 

To get Brynn to stop climbing into Mom and Dad’s bed about 5 every morning, Mom said when tucking Brynn into bed one night, “I won’t curl your hair for school tomorrow if you don’t stay in your own bed until morning.”  And with that threat, Mom and Dad’s 5 am guest quit appearing until one Saturday night at bedtime when Brynn announced, “I don’t want my hair curled tomorrow morning, so I am going to be climbing into your bed tonight.”

Oh the places you will go because you are infectious joy from head to toe six year old!