Christmas Tree Shopping...

So, we found a beautiful grand fir that's around 6' tall. Kairis enjoyed romping around the tree farm, and stopped at EVERY SINGLE tree stump she could find....she'd bend over and get a very concerned look on her face, and try and pull the stump out of the ground. She couldn't figure out where the rest of the tree was, and what had happened to it. Looks like she's already starting to become a tree conservationist. :)

Oh, I forgot to mention that we actually put our tree up two days after Thanksgiving. That's a first for the Thomas household. Usually, we wait at least another week, but I couldn't resist this year...having a little one in the home has made Christmas all the more special for me, and I just had to enjoy this holiday for as long as possible this year.

Oh....and this last picture is of our sweetie playing the piano! We recently moved my grandparents piano to our home and are enjoying it immensely!

Thankfulness

adj.
1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful.
2. Expressive of gratitude.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34


I want to take a moment to just express my gratitude for God's bountiful gifts. I am aware and appreciative of many things.

1) God's grace and redemption.
2) My kind, gentle, beautiful, loving bride Heidi of 6+ years and my best friend.
3) My sweet, loving, cute, silly and joyous daughter Kairis.
4) A job that provides for our needs, maybe not all of our wants, but our needs.
5) Family both in and out of state.
6) Good friends and genuine community.
7) The Oregon rain.
8) This computer so I can stay in touch with people, do homework etc.
9) Music.
10) Being so close to the beach, mountains, and everything out-doorsy.

I have so much more than I can realistically list here, but I am very thankful and today of all days I will give thanks!

Photos of more to be thankful for...

Applesauce

Slings

Hats

Naps

Pumpkins

Cats

Pigs, crazy hair and baths

Dancing snowmen

Baskets

Little Ballerinas

Little Girls

My girls

My Family!

Pumpkin Patch!

We went to the pumpkin patch this year, and honestly, though we enjoyed our family outing, the actual pumpkin patch was lame. We thought everything was way overpriced and just over marketed. That's alright though, we had a great time despite! Kairis wouldn't stand still for a picture; not one little second....she was off as fast as her little legs would take her, and climbed, jumped, stumbled, walked and ran through the maze of pumpkins. She enjoyed herself immensely! We loved watching her. :)



I *love* this expression of K...this is one of many!



Kairis loved the wheelbarrow rides from daddy....





Kairis is signing "more" here....she loved the pumpkin maze!


Kairis was more interested in the horse's water bucket than the horse itself! Maybe she'll be like mommy and not like horses....hmm..:)

our *only* family picture taken all day...

Halloween and other spooky stuff...

I had no idea how much we'd enjoy Halloween until we had a little one to celebrate with! Growing up, I wasn't allowed to "celebrate" halloween, really....I mean, we'd do the occasional "trick-or-treat" with our next door neighbors, and we'd get candy from my grandparents and dress up for fun, but all in all, it was a holiday not worth celebrating. Boo! That's what I say to all of that! Tim and I have enjoyed Halloween on a grander scale since becoming parents, and I can honestly say I had been anticipating Halloween for at least a year now.....evil, I know. ;)

So, without further ado, we introduce the cutest *almost* 15 month old ballerina ever.....









Yeah, now you know why I was excited about Halloween this year. Just wait til next when we actually can *legitimately* go door to door asking for free candy!

So, our Halloween festivities started a week early....we dressed up for story time at library, played with other costumed children at play parks, baked and decorated halloween cookies with Lani, enjoyed trick-or-treating in historic downtown Gresham, visited my grandparents and picked two pumpkins from their garden, and ended the evening with handing out candy to other cute, costumed children at Joel and Lani's home.







I think the coolest thing about Halloween this year though, happened the day AFTER Halloween, on All Saints Day. We bundled Kairis up and went around our immediate neighborhood handing out our home-made cookies to our neighbors (most of which we'd never met) and introduced ourselves. After all, it had been exactly 3 years since owning our home, (on Halloween, of all times!) and it is a bit ridiculous not knowing our neighbors and all....



We reconnected with a neighbor up the street and spent a couple hours helping her with her laundry list of "mr. fix-it" home repairs. She's not been blessed with a "mr. fix-it" like I am, so I was honored to lend my husband for a time and watch her eyes glisten with tears as Tim fixed two electrical problems in her bathroom and bedroom.




So, I just realized I haven't "delivered", per my title of "other spooky stuff"....we'll save that for another post!