Christmas preparation - a couple new traditions

I decided this year we should make it a tradition to go get our Christmas tree the weekend following Thanksgiving. Then we can enjoy it the whole month of December.
We got the biggest tree that we have ever gotten and I think the strongest smelling. Andy loves real trees because of how they smell, so he definitely picked out a good one. He was joking about how he put an air freshener in the tree so it would smell really strong.

We also made an advent calendar this year. I remember my best friend growing up having one similar to this that they put stickers on every day leading up to Christmas. I always thought that it was really fun. So we made our own version. The little "presents" are filled with stickers for Hannah to put on the tree every year. It turned out pretty good for our first attempt.

We could not have asked for better "helpers" to help us put up all of the Christmas decorations.

November 2010

Isn't Chloe so cute with her big flower?
Andy did not like the big flower at all and thinks that we will look back at this pictures and say to ourselves, "What was I thinking?".



Hannah and Mommy had so much fun one day building a giant tent in the living room. It fell down quite a few times because you can't really convince a two year old that you should not try to walk on it, but we enjoyed it.



We had the opportunity to host our very first Thanksgiving. Andy's parents and Grandma joined in on the celebration. We could not have done it without Andy's mom's expertise in the kitchen.



Hannah and Chloe on Thanksgiving Day. They are wearing the dresses from their Grandma Klendworth. I really wish that we could get a cute one of them both smiling. It is quite the challenge.

Chloe was much more smiley, but . . .

we got Hannah to smile and Chloe was done.

Then they were both tired. I can capture them both yawning together just not smiling :)

The girls with their Grandma Kumpel

The girls with their Great Grandma Kumpel.

Halloween

Chloe was an adorable skunk. She stayed with Mommy to hand out candy while Daddy and Hannah went Trick or Treating on our street. Hannah did a great job saying "Trick or Treak" and "Thank you". I think that she enjoyed handing out the candy when she got back and seeing all the kids just as much. She is quite the social little girl.

The cutest little giraffe you have ever seen. Hannah picked her costume out this year. We went to a bunch of different zoos this summer and the giraffe was always her favorite animal.



"Trick or Treat"

The weekend of Halloween we got to spend some good quality time with our small group at the Elizabeth Lodge. We got back just in time to get the girls all ready for trick or treating.

Cassie's 30th Birthday

Andy did a fabulous job this year planning my 30th birthday. I knew that we were having a party, but did not know anything else. He even drove me around Rochester blindfolded before the party so that I would not know where we were going. The party was held at the Rochester Athletic Club in the Neighborhood with a Mexican theme.

Jessica Halverson and myself.

The cake had a picture of Andy and I on a donkey wearing sombreros from our trip to Mexico.

They gave me the world's largest knife to cut the cake.

Then came the pinata. The kids each got a few swings at it. This is Noah Duenser.

Then Calie Dockter

Then her sister Ashley gave it a whirl.

Then Hannah tried. She poked at it. I guess we need to work with her on how to swing a bat :)

Then I got to swing at it. Of course Andy added a little challenge by moving it.

I was quite determined and after a couple of swings it went flying.

All the kids ran after the candy, except . . .

Hannah. She was completely devastated and kept saying that I broke it and I needed to put it back together. She wanted me to clean up the mess :) Hannah is quite the clean and orderly little girl.

She finally joined in after a little while.

We had lots of fun at the batting cages.

A big family day

On October 17th, we had quite a big family day. It started out with Chloe being dedicated at Autumn Ridge Church by Pastor John Steer.



In the afternoon we had the honor of being a part of Beth and Matt Anderson's wedding. Andy officiated the wedding. Cassie was the Matron of Honor and Hannah was the Flower girl. The wedding was held at Autumn Ridge and the reception was at the Plummer House.



The bride with the two flower girls

What a "cute" bride.

Attempt at a few more fall pictures

We went and took pictures for some friends of ours at Silver Lake a few weeks back. We had them take a few of our family while we were there. Unfortunately we did not have any real good ones. It was fun to try to get some good fall pictures. I can only imagine what some people are thinking that our four month old is lying on the ground. I think that she will be just fine. She holds her head up well :)



Hannah had fun throwing the leaves on Chloe

The one family picture that I kind of liked. Well, Andy and I look pretty good. The girls were ready to go eat.