Festival of Lights Parade 2009

Ready for the fun to begin!
Success!!! Spots are saved!!

Our crew waiting for the parade to begin

Fiona with her Daddy

Grandma Story and Michael

Aunt Christine, Emmy, and Ella

Fiona, Derek, Michael and Grandpa Story

Grandpa and Grandma Story

Michael and Grandpa Story

Grandma Choo Choo and Patrick

Me, Christine, and Emmy

Peris with Uncle Tim

Still waiting

And waiting

Anita, Avery, and Addison

"Cheese"

TROUBLE!!!!

Tim, Tom and Derek

Aunt Christine, Emmy, Uncle Tim, and Ella

Ella and the Polar Bear float

Michael and the Batmobile float

Me in front of the Old Woman who lived in a shoe float....we both have so many children that we don't know what to do

Emmy and Rudolph-Santa was soon to follow!!

Awesome weather made for an awesome night at the Festival of Lights parade this year!!! It was a big crowd and that made for big fun!!!!! Grandma Choo Choo, Pat, Grandma and Grandpa Story, Uncle Tim, Aunt Christine, Uncle Tom, Aunt Anita, Addison, Avery, and our family were ALL in attendance!!!!!!! The parade never fails to give me that final push into the holiday season!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!

The best day of the year (15 years to be exact!)

15 years ago Derek took me to this little tree farm so that we could cut down our very own Christmas tree and 15 years ago I was hooked!!! Each year brings the same routine: the search for the PERFECT Christmas tree...which in my humble opinion is both tall and very fat. Each year we walk around the tree farm (yes we did this even when the kids were tiny) REGARDLESS of the weather (and friends we have done this in all types of weather..from warm to freezing rain) on the day after Thanksgiving, and each year we do find the most perfect tree on the farm!! Our ventures have changed over the years. With kids brought new challenges (i.e. trying to push a double stroller in sandy soil over tractor ruts) but we have never lost the joy in this most special day. My favorite thing? This is a tradition that our kids love just as much as we do!!! From the tractor ride out into the back part of the farm to the roaming around for hours it is good memories in the making (well except for that year of freezing rain where Michael screamed the entire time...oh and last year when Emmy stuck a thorn in her finger and screamed too).

Enjoy the pictures below

Grandparent's Day (Michael) 2009

Grandma and Grandpa Story visit
Doing an activity with Mr. A

Last week was Grandparent Day at Michael's school. This year he invited Grandma and Grandpa Story to come and hang out. Michael was so excited about them coming that he couldn't remember exactly what they all did, but I can tell by the big smiles in the photo's above that it wasn't about the activities....it was about being together.

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Story!!

Happy Thanksgiving

T - Treats, Thanksgiving, Tales, and Toys

H - Honey Sweet and Halloween

A - Sweet Apples, Animals, Amphibians, and August

N - Nick

K - Kittens, Kettles, and Kangaroos

S - Snakes, Science, Spells, Summer, and Shopping



Thanks Acrostic Poem by Fiona Vivienne Story (First Grade)


Happy Thanksgiving!!

Generosity

That's me
The coat collection crew for first hour

Donations kept pouring in!!

Ladies cutting off tags and sorting sizes

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2Corinthians 1:3-4

Sunday Derek and I were blessed to volunteer for the Imagine coat collection at our church. It was amazing to see the generosity of our church family!! I was filled with gratitude and joy as I stood at the table and watched families bring their coats in for donation.

At the end of the first hour, Imagine collected 1,412 coats and I can't wait to find out if second hour beat that number!!

Remember last week-the toy collection? Well as of yesterday, 2,200 toys have been collected and will ALL be distributed on December 12th.

It is a good thing when we come together to serve others in need. It could be any of us at any time.

Still wanting to serve but unsure of an opportunity? Donations of toys and coats (size 0-3t are desperately needed) can be dropped off at the Eastview Church office.

I can guarantee one thing-if you serve you WILL be blessed!!

Touch someones life this holiday season!!