The first Snow of the Season

This was our first snow. The boys were so excited to get out and play. They played on the deck even before the grass was covered. We got a call from Grandpa Barbee telling us it was already snowing there. I think they got more intially but ours still hasn't melted. The wind blew so hard the night before it took out the slide.

Once we had a little more snow the boys did some sled riding.

Andrew has been trying to do standing sledding. He talked Uncle Gabe into trying this past weekend. Gabe survived without major injury. He has a lot further to fall than Andrew.

Well if it doesn't get warm we will have a white christmas.

Simple Craft Idea

I had two boys on a rainy day and they need something new to do and this is the result. I took pipe cleaners and what they call pony beads and had the boys string them. I made a loop at one end so they could be an ornament for the tree but they could become bracelets necklaces etc. I found the pipe cleaner easier for Aaron to thread than traditional string. We then bent them into shapes.

The result entertainment that made Christmas ornaments.

Thanksgiving Part 2

We enjoyed thanksgiving part 2 with the graffius and bond families. We had a little bit of a rough start when Mama ended up with a sore hip and Uncle Joel got called back to Florida. However we went on to a have a good thanksgiving. We enjoyed the fact that David and Kim came up with Anthony and Sophie. We also had a friend named Verne with us. We took sometime to say thanks for the good things God has done for us. Due to Mama's hip we ended up at the yellow house the church uses for fellowship and bible study. It worked out great. Here are the kids playing before hand.

Andrew showing off his thanksgiving hat. He made it in school.

As usual I failed to get a picture of the actual feasting but here is a shot of the clean up. We also got in a hand of cards before we were done.

Barbee Thanksgiving

We had a great visit to North Carolina. I got to check out the new place that I had been hearing about. We also enjoyed seeing the extended family. As usual I forgot to take pictures of the actual event. The boys had a great time with all the space. Aaron found it to be great fun to get in Lucy's cage. As you can see Lucy is not convinced.

Andrew thought that he should give it a try. As you can see it is a little cozier for him. It is hard to believe that in less than two years he has grown 5 inches. I am having fun trying to keep him in pants that fit.

Perry's family was great about giving Perry and I a chance to rest. I also enjoyed doing a little shopping with mom barbee. It was great time and too short as usual.

We eventually had to head north. The boys did well but we wish for a telaporter. 8 hours in a car is a long time for a 3 and 5 year old.

A trip to JB Tree Farm

We occasionally do an outing with the Cove Adoptive Family group. We loved this one. One of the things that I like about Cove adoptive families is that my boys can look around and see families where other kids don't look like their parents. Also it is nice to hear each others story because each is unique and the reasons for each is special. Some families adopt domestically and some internationally and some from the foster family and some from private adoptions each is perfect in its own way. Anyway we went up towards Huntington to this tree farm. It was wonderful and I appreciated the fact that it wasn't haunted...I have a boy who gets scared of cartoons.
The kids got to roll and play with pumpkins while we waited our turn for the hayride.Some were heavier than Aaron could lift but that didn't stop him from trying. He usually decided that rolling was easier.Here is one of the hay wagons in front of us. We drove along the roads between the Christmas trees Here we are riding along in the wagon. Mom came along to help me out and make life easier. Thanks mom.

They also had two reindeer you could pet.What trip to the farm is complete without climbing in the hay. This place had a little tunnel for the kids to crawl through. King of the hay mound...

There is also a giant corn maze but we settled for the kiddie version which Andrew went through several times. All in All a great time with great people.