It Wasn't That Big in the Forest!

So we knew we had picked a very tall tree and that we would have to trim it to get it to fit with our 11ft ceiling, but in the forest it didn't look 8ft wide! Brycen says it is the first perfect tree there has ever been, it is growing on me, of course it has also grown on , or taken over, the entire family room.

Brycen wants this to be our Christmas tree in about 10 years.

Zac made some new friends while we searched for our tree.

I am so happy to have our home all decked out for Christmas. I just love this time of year. It makes me even feel extra hopeful about adoption. What a gift it would be to find out we have been matched with a birth family.

We also had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We found this bunch of monkeys up in the tree--we think they are all cousins!

Uncle Jason looks like swinging Scottie is hard work, but Scott thought it was great fun. After dinner we started a movie and the kids all jumped up on Auntie Ali. She pretended to complain, as we all streached out on the couch, but we know she loves it. And all the kids are just crazy about their Auntie Ali.

Monterey Bay

We took Bycen and Zac to Monterey Bay for the weekend. Scottie stayed home with my parents because he would not have been able to go on the whale watching boat and he doesn't like being in the car for long periods of time, plus he loves being spoiled by Nana and Pappa. We went to the aquaruim, played at a wonderful park, swam at the hotels indoor pool, went whale watching, and splashed in the waves at the beach. I absolutely love the ocean and I am thrilled to be able to share it with my children. The boys just loved being on the boat, feeling the wind on their faces and the ocean spray. The whales were really cool too, I kept telling them they were seeing things that most people never get to see--including two huge blue whales. It was so much fun--I think we might have to add Monterey to our list of annual trips. All and all I think this was one of our best trips, we crammed a lot into two days, but it was still relaxing and we always love exposing the kids to the incredible and beautiful aspects of the world.

Trick-or-Treat

Halloween was a blast! I was able to be with each of the boys for their school halloween parties. On Halloween night we had three other families over for pizza before we headed out trick-or-treating. The kids all got tons of candy. A lot of people in our neighborhood give out full size candy bars--the kids were all thrilled.

Lance won first place at work for his Indiana Jones costume

My little California Surfer boys.

All Aboard the Brycen train.