Thankful

Thanksgiving is always the perfect time to reflect on our many blessings. This year certainly did not fall short! I am thankful that both of my girls attend schools that bring out the best in them. They are both in loving, nurturing environments where they build friendships and learn how to be good people. I enjoyed volunteering in Lily's classroom during her Thanksgiving feast.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband. Believe it or not, this was our 19th Thanksgiving together as a couple! I am thankful for his love and friendship, the chance to parent our children together, and for how hard he works so that I can be home with our kids. Oh, and he sure makes a good turkey!

I am thankful for the three beautiful children that God has trusted me to raise. In this crazy world we live in, I do not take their health and safety for granted. They help me see things in a different perspective and challenge me to be a better person every day. I loved watching Bennett eat his very first Thanksgiving meal this year.

I am thankful for the many friends and family that we are surrounded by. They offer us so much love and support, and I never feel alone. I am so happy that the Tomars now live in Columbus, and we can spend so much time together. Getting even closer to my sister-in-law has been such a gift! I love that our kids will grow up together.

Castles at COSI with our Cousins

Since both girls had the day off of school, we decided to check out the new Lego Castle exhibit at COSI with the Tomars. Everyone enjoyed looking at the castles, big and small. There were some pretty impressive structures made out of Legos. And we built some of our own masterpieces too!

B's First Haircut

Bennett got his first haircut, just in time for the holidays. The first haircut is always a little scary, but he handled it quite well! Ava stood by to help him stay calm.

 What a handsome guy!

Saints, Sockhops, and Soccer

First grade is keeping Ava very busy this year! She has been able to participate in some pretty cool events. On All Saints Day, her class was in charge of the mass. Each student dressed up as a Saint, and Ava even read a petition! She chose to dress up as St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist's mother and Mary's relative. She was more excited to dress up as a Saint than she was to dress up for Halloween.

Her school also hosted a Sockhop to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The girls represented the 80's with their punk rocker outfits. I decided to don my varsity jacket and big hair to represent the 90's and B was a grunge dude. The girls loved dancing the night away and taking turns in the photo booth.

We also attended our first official sports banquet. Ava received a trophy for her efforts on the soccer team.

Tricks and Treats

Although the weather was not ideal this Halloween, we didn't let it keep us from our usual festivities. After all, we had to show off some of the best costumes the kids have ever donned (thanks to Mimi). Since cousins Baran and Maya are officially living in Columbus, we had to come up with the perfect costume theme for all five kids. So we chose the Wizard of Oz, and Mimi ran with it!
Our first stop was the Dublin Rec Center for Spooktacular. The kids especially enjoyed Trick-or-Trunk. The weather was actually very nice for this event.

Then it was on to Jacquemin Farms to find the perfect pumpkins to carve. We usually hit the Maize, but it was a little too cold to travel that far this year.

 We carved 5 pumpkins this year. My pumpkin was in honor of my Aunt Jane. Ava carved her own face. Bennett's pumpkin is a puppy, his current obsession.

Halloween itself was a VERY busy day. Both girls had parades and parties at their schools.

Then it was on to the main event, trick-or-treating! Ava and Maya only made it to the end of our street, but Lily, Baran, and Bennett toughed it out and walked quite a bit further. It was a cold and rainy night, but they had a blast!

Happy Halloween!