Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

We went over to Auntie Steph, Uncle Rob and Paige's house for Christmas Eve.  The kids had fun playing and opening up presents.  

Paige's other cousins, Lila and Allie came too.  Getting a picture of all the kids is not very easy.  There were a lot of distractions.  This was the best we could do.  

Lukey looking like he wants me to stop taking his picture and Anna double-picking her nose.  She just saw this picture as I was writing this and said, "Mommy, my finger is in my nose."

Christmas morning!  The kids were excited to open their presents from Santa.  But the kids favorite gifts were their gifts to each other-Anna gave Lukey a Robin with cycle and Lukey gave Anna a Marie stuffed animal (a cat from Aristocats).  They wrapped them for each other just before they went to bed the night before so they wouldn't have a chance to know what they were getting for each other and ruin the surprise.  

In the afternoon we went to Aunt Roselyn's and Uncle Dennis's for the 25th Annual Christmas party at their house.  We all had a lot of fun.  The kids played with some new toys and their cousins and Mommy and Da did beer tasting with the adults.  It's a great annual tradition.

Of course we needed to have the annual family picture.  We look pretty sharp!

It's almost impossible to get everyone smiling.  This is pretty close.

Beards.  Tim didn't get to make it in this picture because I, with Lukey and Anna's help convinced him to shave it the day before.  

Christmas Party with Leah and Juliet

Yesterday we had our annual Christmas get-together with Leah and Juliet's family and our parents.  The kids did a puzzle exchange and had a lot of fun playing together while the adults drank wine.  Anna and Lukey had fun this morning putting together their new puzzles!

Anna and Juliet were happy to pose together for pictures.  Anna plopped right down on Juliet's lap and "smiled" for pictures.  

Fall Leaves/Thanksgiving

Lukey got new glasses last week just in time for Thanksgiving.  He had an eye appointment the week before and has astigmatism.  He looks pretty handsome in his new glasses and has been very good about wearing them. Anna wanted some too so we got her a pair of fashion glasses from Target.

Another great picture of the cousins.  Lukey isn't looking, Anna's picking her nose.  And I couldn't get Maeve's red eye out and she's holding a doll butt up in the air.  Kent looks nice.

The girls watching Frozen together.  

Anna got to watch Frozen again this weekend at Steph's baby sprinkle.  Then she came home and asked when we could watch it again.  She loves Frozen more than ever lately.

Carving pumpkins and Halloween

Lukey is always good at getting the gunk out of the pumpkins.  

This year, Anna helped too!

The pumpkins turned out great!  Uncle Ben made the Hello Kitty one for Anna (which got many compliments from kids and adults on Halloween), I carved the Cookie Monster that Lukey painted before his birthday party, Lukey drew the face on the scary pumpkin and helped carve it a little.  And then there is the annual white sheep pumpkin.

We got more compliments than ever this year!  

Lukey and Anna wanted to wear the same costumes they wore last year.  Why not?  Luckily, they still sort of fit.  

We made it out in the rain and cold and wind for Halloween.  Anna didn't last too long because her belly hurt and Lukey got cold.  But, we did it for a little while at least.  

The morning after Halloween saying "Optimus Prime" for the camera.

Sleepover in Fennville

In the evening, after Maeve's party, we went to a cottage in Fennville right across from Lake Michigan.  It was really nice.  The kids had fun playing charades.  It was their first time playing it.  Anna was a cat every time.  Lukey did the same thing every time that he would lay down and make noises like he was transforming and we were supposed to guess which Rescue Bot he was.  It might be their new favorite game.

It was the perfect setting for some nice fall pictures but the kids did not cooperate this this idea at all.  There are a few funny ones though.

After I cropped Lukey and Anna out of this picture because they weren't really looking at the camera, I think it turned out to be a pretty good one of Kent and Maeve.

This might be the best leaf picture.  They're not all looking at the camera but at least they're all happy.

Walking to the beach.

There was also a park across the street with one of these dangerous things.

This area was almost completely in the shade in the morning. Otherwise it would have been perfect for some pictures!

Pa Bob photo-bombed this picture.  

Nana insisted on a picture by this rock thing. We discovered that it was some kind of women in war memorial so we took this picture seriously.  At least I did.