Yes, Virginia...

We believe! And why wouldn't we...we have our very own elf!! Grandpa and Grandma White went all the way to the north pole and brought him back for us. He's great--he sits on a shelf each day and reports to Santa each night to let him know if we are being naughty or nice, then reappears the next day in a new spot. The girls are having a blast trying to find his hiding spot every day! Isabelle even brought him offerings of chocolate and reading material for while we were at church! (If that doesn't earn her brownie points, I don't know what will!)

Time Out

I sent both girls to the corner a few days ago--I think they're excited for Christmas and this excitement has been exhibiting itself a little too much lately. Their time out turned into a time out for me. I looked around the corner to check on them (it was much too quiet for time out--no crying or weeping or wailing), and was happily met with this scene! Yay for Christmas! Amid it all, the spirit of the season is coming through!

Sleeping Beauty

Need I say more.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

The weather has finally started feeling like winter (for Arizona at any rate), and has been rainy and chilly. I was going up the stairs late one night not too long ago, and saw this out the window by my stairs. I'm not good enough with my camera yet to really capture things, but I tried to get this. It looked like the clouds were leading right to the moon, which looked eerily like a light at the end of a tunnel. Nature has a way a reflecting God's existence all around us. This was one of those for me.

Moosical!

Isabelle played the part of Martina the Moose in her school play! She worked very hard practicing and getting all her lines memorized, and it payed off--she did a great job!

Ava had fun with the camera waiting for the show to begin!

Grandma and Grandpa came to the show and took the 'star' out for ice cream afterward!

In line coming in.

Solo--I Can Fly!

By far the prettiest moose I've ever seen!

Gingerbread Houses!

Okay, more like graham cracker houses! Any way you look at it, it was a lot of fun!





After finishing her house, Ava thought a fashion show was in order. I'm sensing a new fashion trend in the making right here!!

Work it!

The REAL American Idol!!

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL???


Try it without looking at answers – don’t cheat!

1) Pick your Favorite number between 1-9

2) Multiply by 3 then

3) Add 3, then Multiply again by 3 (I'll wait while you get the
calculator....)

4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number..

5) Add the digits together

Now Scroll down ...............

























Now with that number see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below:

1. Einstein

2. Nelson Mandela

3. Jacob Zuma

4. Tom Cruise

5. Bill Gates

6. Gandhi

7. Brad Pitt

8. Mickey Mouse

9. Melanie Hunsaker

10. Barack Obama

I know....I just have that effect on people....one day you too can be
like me.... :-) Believe it!

P.S. Stop picking different numbers. I am your idol, just deal with it!!!!

Santa Claus!

Saturday, we decided to brave the mall to go see Santa! Crazy, perhaps, but we went anyway! Seeing as it was Saturday, we were in line for a long while! We made the most of it though!

Waiting!

I just love the sequence of events that unfold here! (I know, as the mother I should probably have stepped in, but I couldn't--I was laughing too hard!)



Still waiting!

Waiting never tasted so good!

Finally, the Big Guy!!

I don't know why, but for some reason this dinky ride in the food court at the mall is a huge draw for my children. They could sit on it for hours, and not get sick of it- begging for 'one more time.' Alas, the dollars do eventually run out, and they are left to beg for 'next time!' (Somebody hide the change jar!!) :)

Thanksgiving

I fretted and worried about making my first Turkey, but found it really was as easy as everyone said it would be. But, unfortunately, these are the only photos I got to commemorate the day--Turkey Bowl flag football!
Look at 'em go!


Who's that guy! (EQ QB!!)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family! We are soo blessed and have so much to be thankful for!! And now that I know how easy it is to do a Turkey, bring on Christmas!!

Imagination!!

Isabelle was a part of her school's after school drama club--Troupe Imagine Nation! They performed the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. There was singing...there was dancing....and, of course, she was awesome!!


Pre-show warm-ups. Think high school musical--bbrrrr, mah, mah!

Break a leg!

A Little Elfin' Magic. Belle played the part of Garland--a sour, crusty elf. At first I thought she might have been miscast, because anyone who knows Isabelle, knows how far from sour and crusty she is, but...

She got into the role surprisingly well!! Look at the scowl on her face!

Her group also performed the song 'If My Friends Could See Me Now.'

Again, awesome, if I do say so myself!

Big finish!

I know I'm a little biased, but she is goood!

Brad'ette'

Today, Beau's cousin, Brad, came and visited us. He is living in Tempe working on his PhD. He came to church with us to hear Isabelle sing a solo in the primary program, and then came over for dinner. At that point, poor Brad was introduced to the world of little girls!! And Brad'ette' was born! He was such a good sport! My girls are already asking when cousin Brad is going to come visit again!! (Notice in the pics how long he put up with his 'makeover'-you can see daylight in the beginning pics and they progressively get darker, and darker!!) (In case your wondering, for all of those who know Brad, yes that is a sleeping beauty wig he is wearing!)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Last weekend I was determined to make Ava cute! I put curlers in her hair Saturday night, and made her keep them in. The next morning, she took them out in her bed, looked at herself in the mirror, and determined that her hair looked crazy, so turned the sink on and suck her head in!! All that effort down the drain!! We did manage to pull her together with the curling iron though!!

Finally, Halloween night! For trick or treating I borrowed costumes from my sister Megan (who made these amazing costumes!). Belle was a fifties girl in a poodle skirt walking her pet poodle, Ava! Notice the dog leash--if the roles had been reversed, I may have second thought it, but as it stood everything was good! Trick or treating was a lot of fun. It was fun to see all our neighbors out on the street. You know how easy it is to get caught up in your own lives and business, but it was great talking to people along our way!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Bizarre Foods!!!

Our favorite show as of late is Bizarre Foods! It's great, this guy goes all around the world eating the craziest things, and we thought Halloween night would be the perfect time to try our own version of it! Since there was no way my kids were going to eat a real eyeball or beating heart, we came up with our own fare suited to the occasion. We had ghost-tatoes, wherewolf claws, fish eggs, blood cells, and eyeballs! Boy was it good!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Flagstaff Horse Show!!

The fun continued through the week! Last Saturday we went to Flagstaff to visit Beau's aunt Renea. The place where she boards her horse has an annual Halloween horse party!! It was tons of fun.

We took a hayride to a pumpkin patch in the pines!

Who knew pumpkins grew among the pines?!

Ava has her pick!


Isabelle striking a pose!

The whole fam.

They even had face painting. Isabelle didn't want it on her face (it would clash with her costume during the competition!), so she had a dolphin put on her hand.

Ava, of course, had to follow suit!

Seeing as we were at the horse barn, she got a unicorn to keep in theme.

Which went perfectly with her costume!

Lining up to be judged.

First place winner! (Who in their right mind wouldn't pick a baby horse!! (I guess those are called foals!))

Celebrating her victory!

Renae getting EZ ready.


Renae and Isabelle (and EZ) all ready to strut their stuff!

Waiting their turn.

Isabelle was Number One Daughter Chinese princess, Renae was her most humble servant Chop Chop, and EZ was the noble steed!

No, Isabelle didn't get into it at all! NOT! (Do people still say that!?)

And the winner is.....A batman and robin family complete with a joker and batmobile(I think the baby in the robin outfit tipped the scales in their favor)!
But the second prize goes to......you guessed it, EZ, Renae and Isabelle!!!

Isabelle got third place last year, so this was a step in the right direction. Next year.....!!
Isabelle liked the shoes most of all. Can you tell?!