Cousins' Cookie and Cocoa Party

 This past Saturday we kicked off the Christmas Season with a new tradition, the Cousins' Cookie and Cocoa Party.  We invited all of our cousins from both sides of the family, and miraculously, everyone was able to be there (which is no small feat during the holiday season)!

 We kicked the party off with some impromptu dancing to Christmas music (LOVE Naomi and Kate's faces in this one)

 The spread: two different types of cookies and hot cocoa and not-so-hot cocoa along with an assortment of toppings.  The kids had a blast adding their own toppings to the cocoa (especially Cori, who tried a little of everything)

 The kids each painted their own ornaments in red and lime green and finished them off with plenty of white glitter.  This project was a big success since the kids had fun and no one ruined their clothes!

 Ryan and Kate thoroughly enjoyed their first glasses of the not-so-hot chocolate (aka chocolate milk)

These Turkeys are 2!

 Oh my, my!  On Thanksgiving Day, my beautiful babies turned 2 years old!  How is this possible???  We started our day with a Happy Birthday Breakfast - sprinkle pancakes with candles!

 Opening Birthday gifts from Mama and Daddy

 Ryan got a Little People Zoo

 Katie got a baby cradle that Mama painted and decorated for her (she is IN LOVE with it, by the way, and has been asking for it every morning when she wakes up since she got it)

 "Happy Birthday to You" in 3-part harmony by the Braly Family Choir

We ended the day celebrating my precious grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary.  WOW!  What an accomplishment and inspiration they are to our entire family.  I love them so!  And we have so much to be thankful for - the Lord has blessed our family so richly.  This Thanksgiving/birthday was certainly one to remember.

howlin' good birthday celebration!

 In case you may have forgotten, 2 little sweet hearts are about to turn 2 years old this Thanksgiving Day!  Instead of a party this year, Matt and I decided to take them on a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas.  This was our second trip to Great Wolf, and it was even more fun than last year.  We invited Grammie and Papa along, and they had a great time too!

 We won some tickets at the arcade (basketball, of course)

 We went to story time in our pj's (and my big kids are still singing their own version of the story time theme song)

 On our way home, we swung by Nana and Poppy's to celebrate with an early b-day bash (since we will be with my fam on their b-day).  We are really into Elmo, so the theme was just perfect.

 This little guy is IN LOVE with his basketball goal.  He even tried to convince us to let him sleep with the ball the first night we brought it home...so sweet!

Watch out Black Friday...here we come!

we ♥ Halloween

 Halloween round 2: trick-or-treating Halloween night

 Ryan, Kate, and Cori had so much fun running door to door.  The babies even had down their own version of "tick-a-teet"  They had so much fun in fact, that Ryan is still saying "tick-a-teet, mell my fee" (which he learned from Grammie) and Kate is telling us "tick-a-teet fun!"

About half way through the evening, Kate decided she'd better just start eating what she already had instead of running around asking for more.  I guess she figured there was a good chance she might have to share it with bubba when she got home, so she ought to eat what she could right then.  Aaaah, the life of a twin!