Putting up Christmas

My favorite part about Thanksgiving is the day after...when I get to put up Christmas!! We spent all day Friday putting up all the trees, lights (inside and out), and decorations! It was fun!

No, we are not moving...just all the Christmas boxes!

Putting up the "boys" tree in the upstairs hallway

Ben showing off the ornament that he made at family night last week

Chris stringing the lights on the "boys" tree
(we have a deal, I don't get to tell them where to hang things on this tree,
and they don't touch my tree)



"My tree" waiting to get the ornaments and stuff on it

The stairway

THANKSGIVING

Since none of our family thought it would be a good idea to visit us for Thanksgiving (shame on you!), we were invited to our next door neighbor's house to eat (are you feeling guilty now?). We had a great time with them! Their son brought his Wii over, so Chris and Josh were in heaven and Ben had Kara (the little girl I babysit) & her cousin Owen there to play with so he was happy as well. Here's the fun...

Ben, Kara and Owen

Josh's favorite part....dessert!

Chad feeling more at home at the kids table.


We had our neighbors over a couple of weeks ago for dinner and Chris folded all the napkins. She was so impressed that she asked him to fold them all for this table also...
he did a pretty good job!

Chris and Josh in heaven with the Wii!

Padewan Training Camp

I finally got some scrapbooking done today. This is Josh's party. The invitations invited the kids to come to Padewan Training camp. When they got here, they had to do a short quiz and when they were done they got a star wars bracelet letting them into the Jedi Training Camp. They used glow sticks--you know light sabers! to balance balloons on. When they mastered that, they got to make their own lightsaber (because all Jedi's make their own lightsabers!). We used foam pool noodles and duct tape. They loved it. After their lightsabers were built, they got to go outside and have a battle. It was a big success!

I don't know what's up with the colors....I uploaded it 3 times and still bad colors. Frustrating! So here is the non-scrapped picture...

BOBBLE HEAD

Ben was having fun wearing Chris's Darth Vader mask...

we think he looks like a bobble head with it on!

SPIT WAD TRIVIA

Family night can be a little interesting sometimes in a house of all boys. For family night on Monday, we did Spit Wad Trivia. The boys loved it! I think is was one of our more successful family nights. The boys got to shoot spit wads through a straw and try to hit numbers on a board. They then had to answer a question(gospel related) that corresponded with the number. The one that answered the most correct won!

BEN'S BIRTHDAY

Ben celebrated the big 4 last Friday. We had fun with a little tiny party during the day, Applebees that night and then the best part...PRESENTS!!! Here are some of the highlights....

Ben wanted a party like so we invited a few friends over for lunch and cupcakes that day. Here are his friends Kara and Sam

He loved his Star Wars cake!

Geo Trax from Grandma Thomas

Opening the Geo Trax

Cars racetrack from Grandma Rappleye

Castle from Mom & Dad (knights from Chris & Josh)

Playing with all the new toys (notice Chris & Josh can't leave them alone either!)

CARVING PUMPKINS

Amost forgot to put the pumpkin photos up. Here they are...

Ewww! Pumpkin guts! (life with all boys, what can I say!)

Josh did not want to touch it at first...

But then he got into it (literally!)

Busy carving..

That's about as close as Ben would get to his pumpkin all night!

Max checking out the pumpkins

Showing off their pumpkins!

Cool pumpkins!

Ben ended the night with a BANG (literally)...he was jumping on the bed.

Check out the goose egg he got!

HALLOWEEN

Halloween fun! The city here says when Halloween starts and ends, which is kinda nice. It is from 6-8pm (that way there are no teenagers at your door at 10:00 at night wanting candy). So all the kids are out at once. The streets are literally crawling with kids running around trick or treating. It is really fun...even the firetruck stops by to give treats to the kids (sorry no pictures of that, forgot the camera, we were just too excited about the fire truck!)

6:05 and the boys are impatient to get trick-or-treating!

Rappleye house on Halloween

Ben lasted about 45 minutes this year...here he is surveying his loot

while his brothers were out until 8pm sharp!

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Josh got a couple of duplicate gifts at his bday party, so he went to exchange them and picked a crystal growing kit. Chad brought home a lab coat, goggles and gloves for him to complete the look...here they are.....

Mr. Scientist