November in a Nutshell

I feel like I say this all the time on here, but this past month flew by!  So, in typical Brooke fashion, you're going to get a glimpse of our November in one post.

Wrapping up soccer:

The soccer season ended the first weekend of November.  Can't say I'm going to miss those 6 practices each week, especially since it was getting cold and dark earlier!  But we will miss the teams, especially Taylor's.

After their last game (Sydney)

Team party

After Parker's last game

Taylor's team party

This was a great group of girls and coaches!

Taylor and her "BFF" Abby

Lili's birthday party:

Sydney, Lili and Finley

Ellijay:

Taylor and Stephen went to a GT game:

Sutter's birthday party:

Thanksgiving program (Parker):

No tears this year (like he has in every other stage performance he's tried!)

Pie Day: (Taylor)

The kids had to choose a pie to make, write a persuasive essay on why theirs is the best, and then they got to celebrate the day before Thanksgiving by testing them all out!

Koolaid pie

Hiking with Christina and David:
Dear friends of mine from our old town wanted to meet in the middle to go hiking.  It was a beautiful view!

Thanksgiving:
We ventured down to south GA and Jacksonville, FL for Thanksgiving break (we came back a day before Thanksgiving, as we were supposed to take care of our neighbor's pets).  Didn't take too many pics but we had a great time seeing family, playing outside (kickball, baseball, basketball, sidewalk chalk), going shopping at the mall, going to see The Grinch at the movies, etc).

At the mall in Jacksonville.  They wanted this $1000 (?!) teddy bear. 

Back at home...

Notice all the GTs (minus my "G").  I have failed as a mother.

We hosted our neighbors for actual Thanksgiving day dinner! 

School stuff:

STEAM night:

Parker's "disguise a turkey" activity:

Working on his math skills:

Our elf is back!

Random stuff:

 Movie night!

It's so rough to wake up in the morning... esp when you cram 3 kiddos in a double bed!

Taylor wrote out lyrics to her favorite song:

Basketball has begun for the girls!  Parker writing down his sports' scores...

Fort building:

My little dunce:

Grandmom's church holiday bazaar:

Dave & Buster's on Black Friday:

I swear, the light pole jumped out in front of me.  And it won: 😬😭

Santa Visit

SANTA!  I know him!  ;). We got to see Santa at an event our church had this past Saturday.   It was a free event, but they asked for gift card donations to go towards helping foster families.  We weren't sure if we'd be able to make it between basketball games or not, but we got to squeeze it in.

They got to decorate cookies...

Take pictures by the tree...

Pretend that they were an elf...

Write letters to Santa...

And see the big guy himself!

Taylor is 8!

My sweet Taylor is EIGHT!  It seems really hard to believe that 8 years have gone by since she was born.    Her birthday was on Saturday, but she had a full weekend of celebrations.

Friday evening, we opened her presents:

Oh, the excitement!  I love it!

Going to see her new bike.

She didn't waste much time!

Friday night, she had a Brownie event.  I brought cookies and they all got to sing to her.

Saturday morning, she had her first basketball game bright and early... the team celebrated with more cookies after their game.

She's officially 8!

Sunday, at church, they celebrated her...

Sunday afternoon, she had her birthday party!  It was at Stars & Strikes, and they got to do laser tag, bumper cars, and play in the arcade.

Waiting for the bumper cars.

Laser tag!

Team 1

Team 2.  I'm a little scared.

The ticket booth!

Parker hit the jackpot and won 1000 tickets!

We could hardly see out the back on the ride home ;)

That night, we met up with my parents and sister/BIL/nieces/friend Allen for dinner!

Two peas in a pod, with 5 years between them.

Parker and his "BFF" Allen!  He wouldn't leave his side all night.

It was a great weekend to get to celebrate Taylor.  This sweet natured girl (with about 25% sass) is such a blessing.