Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a very busy Thanksgiving weekend. It felt like so long ago! We went to Aunt Rochelle's house for a very yummy Turkey dinner. We played with all the cousins!

Jade & James cracking up at something!

Jake, Michael, Jade, & James

Michael & Jake

James loved Uncle Vince today...he wouldn't leave him alone!

The next day we celebrated with Craig's family. I love that we do it one day with my family and one with his. It is so much easier and you don't need to run around all over with kids missing naps and being so cranky. I also love it because Brianna goes to her Dad's house on Thanksgiving and it gives us both a day to have Thanksgiving with her!
We tried to get a group picture of the boys because it has been so long but this was the best one we got!

We tried

and tried

and tried

again!

A good one of Mitch & James

On Saturday James went over to Nonni's house to help her make some dessert for a Birthday party she was having on Sunday. James LOVES my Mom's lemon ricotta muffins and he loves to help her bake! So we bought him a new Lightning McQueen apron! What don't they make...seriously!

Zesting lemons with Nonni


Sunday we went to my Mom's house for a triple B-day dinner! Brianna, and two of my nieces, Alex & Sabrina. We had yummy manicotti and the delicious lemon muffins James made!

Girls

and Sammy

Be The Match Run

Last Saturday was the Be The Match Run for the National Donor Marrow program. I signed up to do the 5k with Nonna. It was so cute they had a 25 yard Tot Trot for kids 3-5 years old so I signed James up!

Here he is with his number on!

The Tot Trot was after the 5k. At first Jams did not want to run it. He was being shy and did not want me to put him down. But after a lot of talking to and once they started counting down to go time he got down and was excited. Here we are about to go!

We ran the whole time! I didn't think it was going to be so long!

At the finish line all the people were lined up and cheering. James loved crossing the finish line! He got a little medal and was so proud!
James, Mommy, & Nonna

Don't Worry Be Happy Shirts were there.
James & I representing DWBHshirts.org

Happy Halloween!

On Halloween we went over to my cousin Vince and Lisa's house for the second year in a row. It is nice since the kids are all around the same age! I brought cupcakes and I thought they came out so cute!

Of course James wanted to be a Lightning McQueen race car driver. And so that is what Jake was as well, since it was an easy costume. Jake wouldn't wear anything on his head so this was perfect for him!
James was SO excited to wear his costume! There was a second part to James' costume. A plush Lightning McQueen car that you wear! He was also SO excited when I showed it to him online. I bid on it on ebay about 5 times and finally won. Once it came he could hardly stand it he was so excited, then he put it on. It was so heavy he only wore it for about a minute! On Halloween I asked him if he was going to wear his car and he said, " No, I want it to stay in the closet." :(

James LOVED handing out candy. I think he would have been happy doing that all night! They have SO many trick-or-treaters the door never shuts!! He was so funny talking to all the kids saying Happy Halloween. Looking at all their costumes and commenting. telling kids "good job" and "good costume"!

Cousins
Ian, Jade, James, Jake, and Michael

James and two of our CARS pumpkins

At first Jake did not want to get down, he was quite nervous.

But soon enough he was walking up all by himself saying trick-or-treat. Although he thought he was supposed to go into everyone's house!! Isn't that what you do when you walk up to someone's door??

Daddy & boys trick-or-treating

Robyn & Ian

Michael

Jade & Vince

If you are wondering where Brianna is in these pictures, she still goes out trick-or-treating. She just goes with her friends now!
Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!!

Bounce House Pumpkin Patch

I love when they put a huge pumpkin patch with so many fun things to do in the middle of town and every time we go anywhere we pass it! Thanks pumpkin patch people, I love hearing my child ask EVERY day if we can go to the bounce houses. So finally we decided to go...they leered us in because we don't want to hear our child asking anymore!

This was only Jake's second experience with bounce houses and he was pretty nervous. What I do love about this pumpkin patch is they have a toddler bounce house. The sides are low and I could lean over to hold on to Jake while he jumped. So I bounced Jake up and down and until he finally felt comfortable and he was off and running!

James decided he wanted to go up the 30 foot slide! I was shocked because he is a timid kid. So he started up the stairs and going so slow all the kids were passing him up and trampling over him. Once the girl told us to take his socks off he was up in no time!

He loved it, went up and down so much it definitely tired him out!

Loved riding the John Deer!

I am definitely not a petting zoo person. Not going to lie, the animals totally freak me out! They are so sketchy, they had ducks and a goose in there! Aren't geese mean creatures...and ducks in a petting zoo? Really?? Maybe baby ducks, but full grown ducks? If Craig wasn't there with me there would be no way I was taking my kids in there! Thank goodness my kids aren't freaked out. James loved bunny. He told me he needs to get a bunny as a pet! No thank you!

Jake loved the bunny too!

James was trying to pet these chickens that ran away from him. Thank goodness!

Baby animals...so cute! Notice the goat hiding under the house because James was chasing him!

Baby goat!

The kids had a blast and we were lucky we went on a Tuesday because we could buy an unlimited pass, for much cheaper. After all this Craig took James back after dinner to go up and down the slide some more! When they got home he was asking to go to bed! :)

Tanaka Farms

On Saturday I decided that I wanted to take the boys to Tanaka Farms. It was the first weekend day in a long time that we had nothing to do. I had heard that you could pick your own pumpkin and I thought it would be fun and something different to do. We all loved it!

Mommy and her boys

James showing me a very bumpy pumpkin!

Jake picking his pumpkin!

James & the scarecrow!

Looking at all the veggies.

Running through the corn maze!

When we got to the center this is what was there. Mommy and Daddy were a little disappointed, for all the walking you just see these little stick figure veggies!

The only half way decent picture I got of the boys!

In the wheel-barrel!

James went on the ATV course and loved it. We were a little nervous having him drive through this course but he did great!


Jake just sat on this little one while he waited patiently for James.

They had tractor hay rides and this was our tractor that pulled us. The boys loved this and we enjoyed it too as it took us through the whole farm and we got to see all the veggies they grow and the cannon where they shoot pumpkins!



We will definitely come back here!!

Homecoming-Sophmore Year

Last night Brianna had coming, yes last night...it was on a Sunday! I know weird but they didn't have school today. This year homecoming was much easier...she didn't have a date! YAY! A bunch of people went in a large group of 45 kids. Some had dates some did not have dates. Brianna was glad she didn't have a date so she could dance all night long and not have to worry about ignoring her date! Nice huh? SO she had a great time and wants to go stag every year!! Fine by me! :)
She wouldn't let me take a picture of her by herself so this is what I got!

Brianna & her BFF Brooke :)

Brianna and her cousin Chelsea

All the kids she went to grammar school with

Hopefully every dance she goes to will be stag!! I am glad she had such a fun night!!