October...November...Time To Catch Up 2011!

I'm back...after taking a "break" for several weeks! What with one thing and another I can hardly believe it is the last day of November!! So here I am catching up on the last of October and some fun times in November. Are you ready?

Above is a picture of Matthew at a flag football game. He is the one with blue underarmour under his shirt. Cute, huh!?

The latter part of October I was part of a 12-member team (Brent was on it!) that participated in the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay Race. It was my first and it was quite an experience. We each ran three legs of various distances that comprised 188 miles around Lake Mead and Henderson...and took from 1100 on Friday till after 6 p.m. on Saturday! Brent finished the last leg. Wow, with only 2 1/2 hours sleep and little food except for Gatorade and Clif Bars I was tired and hungry. Our team filled up our bellies at Outback...yummy! Above is the finisher medal I got and our number.

The following weekend my sisters, Jennifer and Maureen, and my Mom and I got together for a girl's night out for my birthday. Above...Jennifer making the Nachos Supreme. Of course we got into our jammies before the meal and chic flick..."Persuasion". The next morning we had breakfast and watched "Sense And Sensibility" (a new BBC remake).

It's birthday party time! Grandma even made a cake for the occasion.

Happy Birthday to me!! Make a really good wish!

Maureen made me this really awesome "book" with paper for a shopping list or other notes and an envelope for coupons, etc. Thanks again, Deeny Bug!

At home on the 30th...my birthday cake! Just right!

Our porch on Halloween! We stayed home this year and treated the neighborhood trick or treaters!

O tne 3rd of November I flew out to Cheryl's to spend nearly 3 weeks! The next day I went to Grandparents Day at Abi's school...and what fun I had being with Abi! We are making a paper plate turkey. Abi made me a bookmark with her picture on it! Cute. Thanks Abi! I had so much fun going to school and be with her!

Abi in the purple coat...waiting to cross the street...after arriving home from school!

Maddy and Abi on Matty's birthday...playng with new Minne Mouse stuff.

Playing "Pin the Tail on Kitty!

Abi ready to get on the school bus!

Saturday, the 19th, The Elves visited the Van Wagenen home! Wow...what is in the padkage!?!

Introducing all the fun stuff that came in the package is Elf Eggnog and his sister, Peppermint Sprinkles! We had a really fun breakfast with all the goodies the box had! (See the picture below!)

Have you ever tried to decorate your Christmas Tree sideways? Cheryl, Maddy, and Abi did! (Hee-hee)

And isn't it fun to have Candy Canes after!? Maddy's first one...and she loved it...and made quite a sticky mess! But you gotta have fun, right?!

Abi trying to go to sleep after the tree decorating...and isn't the tree pretty? My pillow is next to hers. I "slept" till she went to sleep and then went upstairs as I had to finish packing for my early flight home the next morning! What a fun trip!!

Matthew, a friend, Alex, and me playing a rousing game of "Mormon Poker" on Thanksgiving

Day after a delicious dinner at Brent's and Karen's!

And then delicious Apple Pie enjoyed by scary - looking me!

Relaxing after the consumption of too many delicious calories!! And enjoying some football, too!

On our way home from Brent's we stopped at Stephanie's to wish Courtney a very Happy Birthday! ...And present her with something from American Girl!

I've slowly been trying to get Christmas decorations up and last night was Tree decorating night! We have it done and I am just tying the finishing touches...bows.

Our new ornament for this year...Frosty the Snowman! I saw an ornament while out at Cheryl's at Hallmark that I wanted but it cost $40.00. I thought it might be at the Exchange for a lot less when I got home but they didn't even have it...so Frosty was the next best thing!

The finished product! Tonight I may set up the train and tomorrow start on the villages! Oh...isn't Christmas time "the most wonderful time of the year"!!!