Thursday, October 21, 2021

Christmas Cookies

Thanks to covid, I think for the first time ever, we made Christmas cookies for only our family. No plates to give out this year. :( Although, it was a lot less stressful, that's for sure!


The girls had fun helping - with the making AND eating!


Except apparently Halle???



Leaves Everywhere!

Sometimes we rake leaves, even in December. And the weather must have been nice, because note how many people are wearing shorts!


Boyd supervised: 




Eve was very brave to do this - can you imagine how many bugs are in that pile???


Seth was a big helper! 




Whew! That was exhausting!



Eve Turns 10!

Eve turned 10 on a Tuesday this year and since we were still under covid quarantine, got to celebrate at home all day, between doing her online class work.


She wanted cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast!


She choose an angel food cake and even helped me make it! 


Then we went outside for a photo shoot. She had lots of ideas for locations (all around our yard). 


I cannot believe this beautiful girl is 10! Double digits! 



Here are her birthday questions/answers:

1. Who is your favorite person in the whole world? Mom, Grandma and Grandpa Larsen, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and Uncle Dennis.
2. What is your favorite color? Orange and green, but in the gel pen colors. 
3. What’s your favorite television show? Dragon’s Race to the Edge
4. What’s your favorite outfit? The new basketball shorts that I got and my new black shirt that has pink on the collar in the back.
5. What sport do you like best? Soccer
6. What song do you love? Song 25 (Taylor Swift “Christmas Must be Something More” because it’s disc 2 song 5 in the van’s cd player right now)
7. What’s your favorite cereal? Oh’s
8. Who is your best friend? Friends….Naomi, Grace, and Jenna
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Myself
10. What is your favorite book? Books…Harry Potter, Wings of Fire, and Out of My Mind
11. What are you really good at? Tip toe walking, annoying Mom, and….(Me: “Say something serious!”)….reading, school work, I don’t know, what do you think? (Me: helping!)
12. Where do you wish you could go on a vacation? New York City?
13. What is your best memory? I had a dream that in our backyard, well, you sent me into our backyard so we could collect….we had a berry bush and so I went outside and I went to collect the berries so we could make a cherry pie. And when I went outside, I walked to the bush and behind the bush there was a ton of peppermints and they were very big. And then (this is the bad part) I was taking them back inside to show everybody and then my alarm clock rang….and I didn’t even get to eat the peppermints! 
14. What would you buy if you had $1,000? Lots of candy like caramels, Heath bars (because there’re the yummiest candy bar there is), Milky Ways, Three Musketeers, sixlets, and robins eggs.
15. What vegetable do you hate the most? All of them.
16. If you could have a wish, what would it be? To make my stuffed animals come to life so I could ride Pinkalicious (Cora’s giant stuffed alicorn) and punch Firetail in the face. 
17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Cookie Two Step, English Toffee, and Milk and Cookies.
18. Who is your biggest hero? Mom 
19. What do you like to do best with your friends? Eat oreo milkshakes and watch Harry Potter with Mom and Dad
20. What do you hope you’ll get to do before your next birthday? Go to New York City with Aunt Kelly, Mom, Reagan, and Grandma Larsen. And me. And fly in an airplane. 




We had Taco Tuesday for her birthday dinner - she always chooses the beef soft tacos when we get Rosas. 


Balloons destroyed to access her birthday present clues!


She was not amused with the present I hid inside the pack n play. 



Her expression when she read the certificate for her 10th birthday trip to New York! (This was before I asked her her birthday questions - see #20.) Unfortunately, the trip wasn't until the summer, but anticipation is half the fun, right???



I don't think it's possible for this girl to be more beautiful - inside and out!



She got to choose her ice cream flavors! 


And sporting her new coat for her birthday well check :). 


Happy birthday, Eve!

Smith Kids Christmas Picture

We took this picture to send out to grandparents with our Christmas cards! It only took about 30 tries.... :)


Love these Christmas kiddos!


Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Everything Else in November

 Our biggest events in November were definitely the birthday/baptism/blessing weekend and Thanksgiving, but we did do a few other things throughout the month.


Sleeping in the car: 




General playing and fun: 





(Trying out his cowboy boots.)


Eve managed to make Halle's birthday balloons stick to the ceiling! Halle wasn't impressed, but the others were! Gotta love static.


The field at the girls' school has a LOT of stickers in it. 


Tea party picnics in the girls' room.


School at home for the last week and a half-




Creative creations: 

It's been so long, I cannot remember who made this cookie or where....



Neck and leg extensions for the magnetic dinos courtesy of Seth's cars.






A new table:


Grandpa Larsen decided we were outgrowing our table and offered to switch us for the larger oak table they'd been storing for us/using since we lived in Dallas. So when they were here, he made the switch. It was sad to say goodbye to the table we've been using for about 9 years, but he was right, the bigger table is awesome and much needed! 




Abigail's notes:


(A t-shirt?)




Setting up Christmas:


Up to the attic for decorations!





And more of Seth:

(Doesn't he look cute in a mask at the doctor?)


One drink cup at a time is just not enough....



Going to sleep in his big bed (no crib!) for the first time - still in his own room. 



And there you go, that's our month. That, plus: