Deck the Halls

 We decided to go to a Christmas Tree Farm this year and cut down our own tree.

This is a first for us and we were all very excited!

We were blessed with a beautiful day for the adventure.

 We took our map and saw and rode out on a wagon to the rows and rows of trees.

One was too small, one was too big, one was lopsided, but finally we found just the tree we wanted.

 Andy had the honors of cutting down the tree while Bennett and Marie supervised.

While we were getting our tree loaded and paid for, the kids enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies inside the little shop as well as a warm-up by the fire.

The tree looks beautiful in our living room and it was a great experience. 

Who knows, maybe this tradition will continue on...

Mueting Thanksgiving

On Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Mueting side of the family.

The kids were very excited to see their Aunts and Uncles for some serious play time. 

As soon as we entered the house they were off!

 

Bennett and Uncle Nathan were inseparable. When I asked Bennett why he was always with Uncle Nathan he said, "I'm always with Uncle Nathan because I love him!"

 Marie loves the undivided attention from her Aunts. 

 After dinner we participated in the annual turkey bowling tradition. Both kids were in on the action this year.

 

 Marie was still upset the next day that she didn't take home the coveted medal.

On Friday morning the boys enjoyed a successful hunt followed by the Nebraska/Iowa football game.

We came home Friday night and we all slept in on Saturday morning. 

It was a great Thanksgiving week to see all our family!

Pirates and Princesses

We surprised the kids with a night out to the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City for the Disney Junior Pirates and Princesses Show. 

Marie was very excited for the start of the show and remembered being there for other shows in the past 2 years. 

This was Bennett's first show at the Orpheum.

He was very quiet taking it all in and not saying much about the experience. 

Finally, during a fight scene in the Pirate show where Hook is being chased by Peter Pan, Bennett jumped off his seat and screamed, "Get 'em, Get em!!!!"

Following the show we went out to eat at one of our favorite places.

It was a great night out as a family!

Thanksgiving #1

On Saturday after Marie's final t-ball game, we packed up and drove to Sheldon for the Van Beek Thanksgiving.

The kids were so anxious to see everyone and play, play, play!

The meal was delicious, the house was loud and full of people, the games were rowdy, tummies were stuffed, and the kids were exhausted. 

Due to above fun NO pictures were taken!!! I felt terrible at the end of the night but honestly I was just having too much fun to stop and take a photo. Plus, we tend to not see our kids at the Van Beek gatherings because all the grand-kids are playing so hard together down in the basement...they usually come upstairs all sweaty and looking for more snacks and drinks before running back down.

 

Due to Andy's need for more hunting early Sunday morning, we randomly decided to stay overnight in Sheldon even though we were not prepared. 

The kids were so happy they got to stay overnight instead of drive back to Sioux City after the celebration. 

In the morning, we stayed in our jammies while helping Grandma Nel start her Christmas decorating. 

The night before we had taken down all her decorations from the attic while enjoying a trip down memory lane.  My mom saved a lot from our childhood and it is really fun to look through at favorite toys, books, and even diaries.

While Andy was up in the attic he found the Lincoln Logs.  He enjoyed helping the kids set a few cabins up before bed Thanksgiving night. 

Before leaving for home on Sunday, we enjoyed Thanksgiving meal leftovers (the best part) for lunch. 

We had a wonderful first Thanksgiving celebration and look forward to more later this week!

Welcoming a Long Winter

 On Saturday we welcomed our first big snowfall!

So our pumpkins outside are frozen and covered in the white stuff.  It doesn't exactly look like fall so I guess we are in for a loooong winter.

 It's a good thing this family likes snow. I have to admit I loved watching it fall down while I was inside listening to Christmas music and sipping my hot cocoa. 

Andy was of course out hunting while the kids were watching Frosty the Snowman.

We all took turns shoveling and even though I was advised against it, I did too. I love shoveling the first snow and I wasn't going to let being pregnant get in my way this time!

 Because of the road conditions our babysitter fell through for Saturday evening. So we decided to stay at home until we felt stir crazy at night. The boys went to a dinner/get-together for the residency while the girls went to a movie. 

Meanwhile, the dogs stayed warm at home!

Sometimes you just have to lick the plate...

 The past 2 weeks have been busy to say the least. Usually when Andy is on night float (2 more nights!!!) we try to keep our schedule pretty clear. However, sometimes real life just takes over!

On one of their hunting trips Gus came home with a sore paw. After a night he was limping and needed to go to the vet for medicine. Feeling sorry for himself, he refused to get out of the kennel so Marie decided to keep him company. 

This girl loves her dogs. 

Bennett has been transitioning to the toddler bed for a few weeks. 

He is doing pretty well with a few exceptions. 

1. He needs/wants us to lay next to him until he falls asleep.

2. He wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to sleep in the hallway.

3. He wakes up very early (like 5:15 early) ready for the day.

4. His naps are not very long leaving him quite tired (see number 3) and not very easy-going. 

It is improving and I am glad we are going through this now before I am waking up to feed the baby in the middle of the night.

 Maya girl also had a sore paw (same sore that Gus had) and she had her spay surgery this week.

We thought it would take her awhile to bounce back but less than 24 hours later she was crazy and ready to play with Gus. We are supposed to keep her quiet and calm for 2 weeks...not going to happen. 4 vet appointments later I think they are both on the mend...for now. 

Even though things have seemed out of our control lately, we have had little gifts of time as well. 

We enjoyed a surprise overnight stay from Grandma Nel complete with our favorite pizza and our favorite brunch. The kids enjoyed the chocolate fountain as you can see. 

 At my 31 week appointment, my blood pressure was lower than it has ever been while pregnant! 

This was such a relief to me. The baby is strong, healthy, and hopefully staying put until at least 38 weeks.

After a very tiring day, Andy decided to hang out at home until he was paged. Normally this happens at 6:01 p.m. as his shift starts at 6:00 p.m. 

However, he was able to stay home and play with kids, give them a bath, put them to bed, and put me to bed.

The kids didn't want him out of their sight all night...they love playing with their Dad.

Andy was able to bring Marie to school for the first time this year. It may seem like a small thing but I know it meant a lot to her.

Bennett was able to spend some time along with Mom and Dad as we had an appointment. Since he was such a good boy we took him out for a doughnut afterwards.  

So at the end of the past 2 weeks, we are tired, have a few scars, and are ready for life to be back to "normal;" however, we have made some pretty good memories along the way.

Like the chocolate fountain, life is messy; but we are never too busy to lick the plate.

A Busy Halloween Weekend

After a full night of trick-or-treating throughout the neighborhood with some friends, the kids were exhausted and so were Mom & Dad.

But, we had to wake up bright and early in the morning for Marie's T-Ball game and pictures. 

Andy is coaching Marie's team every Saturday morning through the end of November. 

It's been a good experience so far and a great way for the two of them to spend some time together. 

 After T-Ball we packed up into the van for a trip to Spirit Lake. 

We are moving forward with a house there and had some business to do in town. 

We enjoyed a trip to our favorite cookie store as well as Horseshoe Bend. 

The kids and dogs ran around and around climbing trees and discovering the paths.

It was definitely chilly but a good way to use up some energy from the long drive.

We were able to spend some time at Grammy & Papa's house too. 

The kids got to stay and play with them while we worked on more housing business on Sunday. 

It was a busy, full, and productive weekend for us!

Andy begins night float again this week - it's our final 2 weeks of night float...ever!

We are all more than happy this stage of residency will be over!