Family Pictures

Thanksgiving dinner

 Kent took some amazing pictures over Thanksgiving and yes, I admit that I stole them...sorry.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We were blessed with a house full of family this Thanksgiving.  Elizabeth, Kent, Jordan and Sophie all traveled here to spend a couple of days with us.

I found myself extra sentimental this year, as I thought about where I was a year ago.  Last year, I spent Thanksgiving completely miserable and this year I get to look at this beautiful smile.  

I am SO thankful for you Colin William!

The girls snuck in a little pampering and then it was off to lots of cooking in preparation for our feast.

Our meal included: turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberries and zwiebach.  We also had pumpkin, apple and pecan pie.

Alison loves helping set the "fancy" table

After the Thanksgiving dishes were cleaned up and pj's were put on, we set up the Christmas tree.

Eliot is at such a fun age and was in awe of how high the tree was.

I could just eat him up!

With some Christmas music on, Uncle Jordan danced the night away with Alison.

I know she felt just like a princess.

Friday morning we celebrated Christmas.

Alison got a new art easel and Eliot got a whole new train track!

Colin was completely happy with his new stuffed animal.

After we had some tea pastries, it was time to play!

The kids worked on some art:

And we did some crafts:

And all the boys played trains.  

If you look hard enough, even Colin is in there...behind Ben.

And Aunt Sophie made cake pops with Alison.

Alison has become quite confident in the kitchen.  She grabbed that mixer from Sophie and said, "I can do it" while her little body was trying to keep up with it whirling around.

And we took some family pictures.

While Kent was snapping some shots of Jordan and Sophie, a snagged some of just our kids.

I am so thankful for all that God has blessed us with.

5 Months

 

 He's still a little squirt, but he's growing...I promise.  Just look at those long legs!

I was feeling discouraged about these monthly pictures yesterday.  I got the "growing in the laundry basket" idea off Pinterest, but of course it was way cuter online than when I actually tried it.  I wish I could go back and just put him on a blanket.  And I wish I would have just bucked up and bought a couple of packages of white onesies so he could have a consistent outfit.  But, I guess I didn't do that with the other 2 and at least he's getting some decent pictures.

Eliot really wanted to be a part of the pictures.  He was insistent on getting in that basket with Colin.

 And this is how Colin felt about sharing his space.

See, he really does smile.  Oh, he just melts my heart.

November

Catching up.  It's halfway through November...Yikes!  So here's what's been going on.

* Alison's been off school several days this month for teacher work-days and the neighbor kids have    come over for the day.  We played the Wii and had a coloring contest...

* We take rules very seriously in the Shear house.  Can't stay in your chair at dinner?  You get confined to the baby chair (sure hope Ben can follow this rule)...

* Ben often ends up holding Colin after dinner so I can actually eat.  Colin will turn and just stare at him.  It completely melts me.  First, for how much Colin looks exactly like Ben.  Second, for how he will only do it for Ben.  Anyone else tries to hold him like Daddy does, and he screams.  But Ben can just smile at him and he's calm and giggling.

* Grumpiness.  Eliot is the happiest little boy I know, but 2 year old molars coming in have given us some grumpy moments.  This particular morning, he was only happy snuggled up with the Mimi blanket.

 He now adds 'ever' to anything he really doesn't want.  It's hard to keep a straight face when he says, "No want to go to bed ever".

* I went to Alison's school and ate lunch with her one day.  I don't know how kindergarten teachers do it!  Her teacher was there, helping all the kids with their food and talking with them, all while trying to eat something herself.  She was calm and cool...all while I was going crazy listening to "Mrs. Shear, Mrs. Shear!" (with a tapping on my shoulder).  I'm sure the kids were just excited, but it made me appreciate the patience of her teacher so much!

* Colin is a rolling machine!  So much that he's had trouble sleeping because he won't stop rolling in his crib. 

Hope Harvest Day

I was fortunate enough to help plan and organize the Hope Harvest Day again this year.  Last year I was too sick to really enjoy much about the event...so this year I soaked it all up.  We started with a chili cook-off and pie contest.  Ben and I both entered a chili, but neither of us placed.  However, our apple streusel pie won second place!

We also had caramel apples, smore's by a bonfire and decorated pumpkins.

We took a hayride and enjoyed some time just playing with friends.

Trick-or-Treating

Alison: Pop Star Barbie, Colin: Hotdog, Eliot: Giraffe

We waited and waited for hurricane Sandy to hit (school was even cancelled for 2 days!) but all we got was some rain and a tiny itty-bitty bit of flooding in the area.  Halloween was Alison's first day back to school and when she got home we dressed up and headed downtown to trick-or-treat.  I was so proud of Alison; she didn't mind at all bundling up under and over her costume.  I remember hating that as a kid!  Eliot's costume was a hand-me-down...lesson learned: try on costumes before Halloween!  He did not want to dress up, no matter how many times we told him he would get candy.  Ben finally just shoved him in the costume, only to discover it was way too small and could barely get him in it.  He had such a bad wedgie that he couldn't even walk!  Ben carried him around the whole time, but it was worth it.  Once we got there and he saw all the kids dressed up, his face lit up.  He was in awe of all the characters and every time someone put a piece of candy in his bucket he would shout, "I got another one!!!".  I will never forget his little smile that night.