Christmas Palooza 2012

I think that 5 months off is enough. And now back to posting...

Christmas Palooza is our day over Thanksgiving weekend where we celebrate the start of the Christmas season. I love this time of year and all that comes with it.

We started the day heading to the tree farm mid-morning. I love walking up to the Christmas music playing, hot cocoa and marshmallows, a fire down the hill, the sound of the machines binding the cut trees, the truck and wagon making loops around the property...It's all part of the tradition. The farm is owned by extended family members and we love having that be part of our day

It's just a tiny one this year

Wagon ride with cousins

We usually spend the afternoon decorating. As we are still living at my moms, It didn't take much to decorate. A very small tree, one strand of lights and I managed to find a small box of ornaments in the storage unit. 

Borrowing my mom's old fabric Angel that we used as I was growing up. 

We end the night with Christmas PJ's, books and watching a Christmas movie. Just like Eleanor to not hold her own book. She loves anything plush and found this old bear in my moms basement...

The past few years my cousin Kate has created her own version of Christmas Palooza for her family in Colorado. I always look forward to her posting and sometimes to even get new ideas. I love they started the day with a special breakfast and opened their Jammies in the morning. I'll definitely do that next year. We've always just woken up and had an unofficial start to the day whenever we left for the tree farm. 

first grade...done!

How did I get so old that my baby has finished first grade? He's almost seven! Okay, it's not about me...

Jack a such a great year that I'm not sure we can top it. We have been so blessed this year by his school, teacher, friends, etc... Even Josh and I have made a couple new friends through school :) These are just a few pictures of Jacks year end field trip and last day with friends.

Party!

Ellie's end of the year party was a good old fashion carnival including a giant slip n slide for 60 kids...madness! We have had such a good experience at that school, being there for the last 3 years. We will really miss the kids teachers. Now onward and upward to Kindergarten and praises for only driving to ONE school next year :)

 

Eleanor and her best bud Parker

Wild Animals and the Dairy Farm

In the last month, Eleanor's preschool has crammed in 2 field trips and a giant End of the Year party! It's been so much fun and a great way to spend her last days of preschool...

Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park is a new park south of GR. It seems much smaller than a traditional zoo, but the kids seemed to have a much better time than at our zoo...Tons of unique animals, many native to Australia and Africa and also featuring Rick 'The Reptile Guy', nicknamed from the Crocodile Hunter himself (Steve Irwin). In addition to our snapping turtle pet at home, Ellie has a love for holding and handling animals (that poor turtle!)

Dairy Discovery...A very cool educational program at a local dairy farm 

teeny tiny kittens

April Instagram

This is Eleanor on her bike...less than a month later she is now riding with no training wheels! Sibling motivation does wonders.

Max just trying to keep up

just loved these colors :)

exploring sea shells Yinzy brought home from Florida

cool whip and cream cheese

Pikes Peak from 13,000 ft. 

rainy day afternoon milk shakes

Ellie absolutely adored holding these kittens on her field trip to the dairy farm

birds nest in the hanging basket

our new 'wild' pet

when do snapping turtles start snapping?

a pre-season get-away to the lake

These two

You can't see from the picture, but the mantel is lined with about 6 giant coloring pages that I am "not allowed" to take down. Eleanor has had so much of late coloring and displaying her work.

 And then there's these two...great little buddies. Ellie generally does a little more mothering than I like, but I'm powerless before these faces.

Deal of the Day

I truly enjoy after Holiday shopping and all the great deals and discounts. 

Halloween 2012...I couldn't resist. For $5 my Max will be Max!

Vader, a cat and a cowboy

Of course, lots of fun 'trick or treating' on Monday.

Eleanor brought along one of her friends from school this year.

This girl loves her brother soooo much! If I had a nickel for everytime I said "leave your brother alone" or "Ellie, put him down"... She just can't get enough of him and is always trying to grap and wrestle or pull him on top of her...you name it! It really is sweet how she loves him. I love it, but sometimes it drives me crazy :)