Thanksgiving 2009

Our Thanksgiving day started off with a Turkeybowl at a park. Smed went early and after breakfast, putting the turkey in the oven and a little cleaning I took the kids to the park. It was an ideal set-up with this great playground right next to the fields where the games were played. It goes without saying, but the weather was beautiful and it was a fun time for the kids to play and for me to hang out with a couple other wives who were watching. Here are the kids playing. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Smedly playing.

We came home and got baths and started the food.

We got to celebrate with three friends from church and it was a sweet time of fellowship.


There are so many things we are thankful for but the gospel tops our list. We are so thankful for a restored relationship with our Creator because of what Jesus did on the cross: transferring his perfect righteousness to us and at the same time taking our sin on himself and paying for it so that we don't have to. Praise God for his kindness and mercy to us. We are so thankful for the family (immediate and extended) that God has given to us as well as the sweet body of believer that we get to live with here in Arizona. The list goes on and on because God has been so kind to us!

Emet's Haircut

Emet got another haircut and I'd say this was more official than the last one. There were inches cut off this time. According to Evi his hair was getting "too puffy." He didn't want Smed to cut it and I'm not sure why because when they actually started the process he did great. Here's a view from the top.

I was downstairs while he was getting it cut in our bathroom. I heard Smedly say, "OK, go show Mommy." He came to the top of the stairs and just grinned from ear to ear like he knew he was so cute. It cracked me up. I think my first words were, "Oh my goodness he looks just like my dad's little kid pictures." (Look at those brown daddy/son eyes!--that's not an Anderson gene)
This is a fun little posed shot after the event.

Emet's Room

I think my "nesting" instinct has surrendered to my desire for sleep but Smedly has been busy finishing up the finishing touches in Emet's room that I didn't really know how to do anyway. Thanks to our friends, Emet has this cool sled and 1970's pair of snow skis to decorate with.

We have plans for the wall space to the left of the skis but we need a trip to the mountains and a camera and a good photo op before it gets filled.
The deer from Cheemo and the bear skin rug from Costco finish off the cabin look.
The ski from Goodwill is holding all the bears and we FINALLY (after about 3 years) got to put up the horse-shoe door knocker that a friend in Nashville gave us for Emet before he was born.
Not only do I think it's fun but Emet really likes it. Smed got him up yesterday morning and Emet told him about all the things on the walls. He called the snow skis surf boards. Too cute! He also really likes the big "E" that is on his wall above the light switch (I didn't take a picture of it) and talks about it a lot. In fact he saw these pictures from the blog and asked where his "E" was. I'm so thankful for Smed's hard work and so thankful that we have this house.

Downstairs Bathroom

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The Girls' Room

We have a room to show you... Here is a "before" picture.

One more "before."
Evi and Zoe's room is finished (for the most part). I'm not sure we'll ever be able to say we are completely finished with a room. There still is trim to do, curtains to put up, pictures to hang and a reading nook to paint but other than that... Here is the "after" picture. They have an awesome closet but there were no closet doors so I used the same idea as Gracie's crib skirt (ribbon-trimmed tulle layered over another piece of fabric) to improvise. Evi picked out the glittery pink flowers that hold back the curtains (not knowing what they were for). And that is indeed a turquoise awning outside the window (on our list, don't worry).
Another view of the closet. The reading nook is up on top of the closet.
View of the other side of the room.
And another view, toward the door. The girls have not been allowed up in their room because I wanted to get it all set up and ready for them to sort of surprise them. They had seen me painting pink but had not seen it set up with the bling and flowers.
Here are the "diamonds." I bought some rhinestones at Michael's and put them on this stripe.
Here's a closer view. The girls have been really into flowers lately. Both of them say they want to be florists when they grow up (along with a lot of other things). Whenever we go to a store and they see fake flowers they really want to buy them. So I wanted to make the room very girly with diamonds and flowers.
Here is Zoe pointing out her favorite part of the room. She said the closet curtains and the flowers.
Evi couldn't decide what her favorite is, but she posed by the two bouquets on their bedside table. Notice the intercom system behind her. Nice.
They were excited to play with the doll house again since it had been in the garage for so long.
I'm so thankful to cross some things off my very long list!!

Halloween 2009

We had a very fun Halloween. We had our singles' monthly dinner/bible study that night. Before we went to the singles' reformation party we went trick-or-treating with our friends the Johnsons, Maxwells and Fillemans. Here are most of the kids before trick-or-treating.

Emet was a sailor. My mom made this costume for my brother one Halloween. If only he had a hat he would have looked like the boy on the Cracker Jack box. Zoe was a cute little cheerleader and Evi was Belle this year.
Any guesses on Smedly? If you guessed Shai Linne, you're right.
I was a pregnant lady from the 60's. This is a dress of my mom's that I found in a trunk and her boots.

Halloween Cookies

It was down to the wire but we fit in our tradition of making and decorating Halloween cookies. Here are the kids ready to rock and roll with the frosting and sprinkles. I couldn't find all my food coloring so we had sort of strange colors....no orange but no one seemed to mind.

Two down; about seven more to go.
Look at that concentration. The creative juices were flowing.
Caught in the act!


Happy Halloween!!!