December is almost here

We had a great Thanksgiving - we were actually lucky enough to have 2 turkey dinners. Tony's mom had a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving last Sunday and then we had the traditional celebration with my family on Thursday. It was so nice not to have to scarf down our food and rush around like crazy people. Thank you Peggy!

Unfortunately I didn't remember to take any Thanksgiving pictures (and nothing else really exciting has happened recently), so I don't have any new snapshots to post. Christmas activities will start soon enough though, so you can count on lots of Kodak moments there. In fact, Tony put up our outdoor lights yesterday and they look great (as always, if I do say so myself). So, maybe we'll get the inside of the house decorated by the end of the weekend. And St. Nick comes next week, so Christmas time is officially here! Bring on the crowded shopping malls, the bundled up babies, the mountains of presents to be wrapped and most of all, the abundance of 'family time.'

OH and . . . Congratulations and Happy 28th Anniversary to my Mom & Dad (aka Nana & Papa) !!

Sorry that was kind of a boring post - not every update can be spine tingling :)

Let's Raise a Toast

Here's to my husband . . .

Tony's been out of town for the last four days and it has been a powerful reminder of how much I depend on him.
Let's be honest here - I like to think I'm a pretty 'together' mom, that I can 'handle things.' But clearly that is not the whole truth. God, in His wisdom, gave me a helpmate to be the peanut butter to my jelly; to be the gasoline in my tank; and the last couple of days have helped me see what a blessing Tony truly is.
So, even though I get frustrated that he often watches 'This Old House' while he's playing in the family room with the kids and even though he sends every single one of his shirts down to the laundry inside out, I truly could not do this without him. I know I am very blessed to have found the sort of man who faithfuly and lovingly takes care of me and our children. I love you.

my knight in shining khakis and a polo shirt!

A Hodge-Podge

Here's a brief review of our fun family trip to Columbus two weeks ago:
Saturday - visited the Columbus zoo & aquarium for their Boo-at-the-Zoo event and then went to a local mall and visited the Disney Store (aka the Princess Store). The zoo was lots of fun, but because it was so cold, most of the animals were hibernating or something; but our kids looked cute in their costumes, so it was worth it. The Disney Store was like a dream come true for our little Princess (I thought her head was going to explode she was so excited). We spent quite awhile testing all the toys but managed to walk out with less than $20 worth of merchandise.

Sunday - spent the first part of the day at COSI Children's Museum. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! There's a whole wing for preschool aged kids and Grace - and even Lincoln - had a great time. As their souvenir, they both came home with colds :). That night we spent at the hotel pool.

Monday - we visited a Graeter's Ice Cream factory and got a guided tour of the Anthony Thomas Candy Company. They were both very yummy experiences.

We had a great time - Tony did an EXCELLENT job of planning our little get away. Here are just a few pictures.

And, just because I know that wasn't enough cuteness for you all; here are some Halloween pictures. (They are from Mimi's super fun Halloween party and from Trick-or-Treating). For those of you who don't already know, Daddy was the Prince, Grace was Cinderella, Mommy was the Fairy Godmother and Linc was the Pumpkin (that turns into Cinderella's carriage).