Snow Filled Weekend

We had an amazingly fun weekend.  We started off on Friday taking a Santa Train.  The little ones loved it!  We boarded the train in the early afternoon and were dropped off in Snoqualmie for an hour to take pictures with Santa and eat cookies and hot cocoa.  It was too cold.

 Waiting for the train to arrive!

Autumn requested a pogo stick and Levi wanted a "really big present".

On Saturday we drove to the pass so we could go sledding.  There hasn't been enough snow for the sled hill to be open, but lots of people were sledding in the snowshoe/cross-country skiing paths.

Levi would not sled and screamed when we put him on the first two times.  Once we finally left, he screamed for at least twenty min because he wanted to sled some more.

  

Everyone crashed a lot!  Ashley tried to fit onto Autumn's sled but fell right away.

We ended the night with some Froyo.  Autumn is showing off that she gets both her ice cream and Ashley's leftovers.  Levi and I were sharing when he decided it was way too good to share with his mom.  He's covering his cup up with his hand so I can't sneak my spoon in.

After this weekend, we determined that we need to buy either an AWD or a 4x4 for the family.  We drove Ashley's car and we're not quite sure whether the suburban could have done it.  So on Sunday we looked at cars and determined that no other vehicle can fit our dog kennel except our current one.  I was sort of hoping to downsize a bit.  

Mid-December

Autumn lost her first tooth!  A few weeks ago she fell at school and damaged it (so it was loose) and then Levi fell on her head while wrestling.  She looks happy now, but she was distraught when it happened. Levi wouldn't let her take a picture by herself.

Autumn's gymnastics class put on a Christmas show.  They dressed up as elves and did a gymnastics routine to some Christmas songs. 

Autumn's preschool put on a Christmas show also.  The big girls were angels and they sang numerous Christmas Carols.

 

 Levi waiting patiently for Autumn's show to begin.  David and Ashley came separate so Ashley could practice driving.  We go most places separately now so Ashley can practice as much as possible.

Autumn eating icing while decorating cookies.  Ashley's cookies were by far the prettiest and Levi's were thick with sprinkles.  Levi discovered that he could unscrew the lid of sprinkles and dump all of it on at once.  It took a long time to clean up his mess - sprinkles don't vacuum or sweep up well.  These cookies were delivered to Autumn's classmates and friends.  We also made oatmeal cookies and christmas cookie mix to hand out. 

 We went to a Christmas Parade in Bellevue.  Levi's face below showed how happy he was.  He was giggling and having an awesome time.  Especially when Rudolph came by - He kept shouting "Rudolph over here" repeatedly.  Ashley turned us down and went out with her friends instead.  She has become a true teenager since we moved here.  So sad but we knew it would happen eventually.

 First snow - Kids staring out of our bedroom window

 Autumn making snow angels while Levi is eating the snow.  

Ashley played with us a bit but left to go play in the snow with a friend in our neighborhood.  The ground was snow covered but we had an extended snowball fight that used up most of our available snow.

December - First Week

Autumn made a gingerbread house for the first time.  We put it up high so Levi wouldn't get it, but he found a way and ate off some gumdrops and the snowman's eye and buttons.

 The girls and I went to watch The Christmas Carol in Seattle.  It was Autumn's first play and Ashley turned down a birthday party to come because she was so excited.  People dress much more casually for plays here than they do in Dallas.

Thanksgiving week

We went to a Christmas Tree Farm before Ashley flew back to Texas for Thanksgiving so we could pick out a tree as a family.

Autumn insisted this was the perfect tree for her and that Ashley should pose next to the perfect tree for Ashley.  Levi wouldn't cooperate and pick out a tree to take a picture next to.

The little ones loved having a tree on top of our suburban.  We were so busy singing Christmas Carols that we tried to drive into our garage with it tied on top.  Thankfully there was only minimal tree damage.   

Thanksgiving day - Levi waited patiently at the table for food.  All of the other kids were playing but he was hungry and ready to eat.  

Ashley's birthday

On Ashley's birthday, she celebrated by going to church with her friends and taking them cupcakes.  She wanted to wait and go to the Cheesecake Factory with us on Friday.  After dinner on Friday, Ashley and I went to watch the 2nd Hunger Games. It was opening night so I was one of 5 people in the theatre who were over the age of 21.  It was actually a really good movie and we had fun.

Autumn saw this sweater in the store and insisted that she buy it for Ashley's birthday.  

David had been searching for an all wheel drive vehicle for Ashley and he finally found one.  She loves it and it drives very well for an old car.  David is having fun driving it until Ashley has her license.  He hasn't driven our car for a while now.  We needed to get her a vehicle before she has her license so she can practice on something smaller than a suburban with an automatic transmission.  It would be hard to teach a new driver how to drive a standard on these hills. 

Our life

We have moved and I should have appreciated our apartment rooftops for its flat space.  I cannot let Levi ride his bike in our neighborhood because the hills are too big.  He rides his bike in our home right now and that's about it.

A picture of Autumn's room after the movers left with Autumn playing with her friend Sophie.  Every room looks like this and it is extremely overwhelming.  The movers unpack the boxes and just leave the contents where they can.  I might prefer everything to be kept in boxes.

We don't have a playroom right now so I put a bunch of toys in the the storage under the stairs.  

 We rented ski equipment for Autumn for the winter season since she is taking weekly lessons starting in January.  Levi insists they are his ski boots and screamed when Autumn put them on for the picture.

Picture at our neighborhood park.  

The kids play in the extra boxes all day long.  

They were not happy when the movers came back to pick up the extras.

Pumpkin Patch

Autumn's class had a field trip to a pumpkin patch in Issaquah.  David was able to take off and come hang out with us.  It's wonderful to have David's office so close to home.

Horseback riding - Autumn and Levi both loved the horse rides.  Autumn's teacher speculated that we must feel at home with the horses since we're from Texas.  I wanted to explain that Texans don't ride horses everywhere, but she knows David hunts and has a large tractor so I'm pretty sure its pointless.

Train ride - They wouldn't go on it without me

There were goats, chickens, and rabbits to feed and pet.  

We accidentally let a goat escape and had to chase it down.

 

 Rope swing

The coolest playhouses.  There were 3 complete playhouses with slides.  We should have had this in our backyard in Sunnyvale.  It wouldn't fit in our current backyard.

 Autumn's classmates posing on pumpkins for pictures.  Levi was very jealous that he wasn't included so he insisted on a picture of himself.