And now it's December?!

It's not so much that time is flying because we are so busy, it's that I'm trying to not be on the computer as much. I'm being more productive and also going to lots of meetings. Also, it is Christmas lights season which means lots of people drive by our house at night, with our poor display of lights, and I feel shame if I am sitting at my computer in the kitchen when that happens. I also don't want people seeing me in lounging clothes or fine, pajamas at 7pm. I'm sorry, but it's cold and dark and I am just tired and done for the day. Perhaps a window shade in the kitchen might be a good idea?

I will need to post again soon with all the stories I am forgetting. I will add photos now instead:

 Sean's childhood home in Leavenworth? Found this on the photo stream. He swung by to see it on his way back from the KC airport. Looks like a Kansas house to me! Sean had to work Thanksgiving week so he just drove with us so he could go to the game on Saturday and then we took him to the Chicago airport on Sunday for his $60 flight home. Wish I had gotten a $60 flight home at the end of the week...

 Enjoying some treats before Elf at the McCain. Sean was working so we brought Amelia instead. I think she enjoyed it more than he would have... just not the same without Will Farrell of course!

 Patrick fuzzy face and a photo bomb by the director of the McCain.

 Tried to get a photo in our seats, notice the fighting arms.

 And pouting. They fought over the arm rest for a long time...

 Emily's family birthday party with a fabulous cream cheese and pumpkin cake that I won at the Pilot Club auction earlier that evening.

 Five already, and so mature. I will do a post full of Emily stories soon.

 The cake was very delicious but the kids didn't enjoy it as much as me, not fans of cream cheese frosting apparently which I find ridiculous. Anyway, I worked really hard to not eat all the cake myself but then xmradio was giving me messages like this: Cake and Eat It. Seriously? Don't mind if I do! I passed out a few pieces to friends to stop the madness...

 Anna at Starbase with her 5th grade class, using a flight simulator. Sean went and spent the whole day with them doing that this week. I have only managed to be a driver on all the other days because I always have Emily with me in the mornings.

 Admire my fancy window box decor. It cost me $1.50 at the Budget Shop. I jazzed it up a little more when I decorated for real a week later.

 Megan making a free throw. That is some mighty fine iPhone camera shot, if I do brag so myself.

 Emily crashed out in the hotel on our way to South Bend. Did not want to wake up and get back in the car for MORE driving. I logged a good 40 hours that week... on bald tires I might add. Each child is getting a brand new tire for Christmas!

 This is in the Hesburgh Library. WTH???? Are you kidding me?! We lived on crappy vending machine food when we studied there. This is what is wrong with colleges these days.... I have a whole rant about college spending these days and frankly, I am tired of donating money to someplace that clearly doesn't need it!! I realize this place here is a separate business, I am referring instead to the obvious pampering of students these days. How about lower tuition and student loan debt and cut out the luxuries they don't need??

 Tile idea for new kitchen? Kidding.

 Our seats for the horrible and cold game against Louisville. Canceling season tickets. Oh but check out Chris Pratt in the cool hat. Looked and sounded so much like him. He was hilarious and made the game much more enjoyable. It is a different crowd though at the end of the season, everyone selling their tickets (or giving them away)... the subway crowd is what they used to be called, a bit rougher than alumni.

 I told Sean that I wanted to stay through halftime at least to see the band. We were down by 11 points then and didn't have warm enough clothes on, so I was done. Never ever left a game early before but after a long exhausting drive, I just couldn't keep sitting there. Sean agreed to leave if we went down by more than 11 points then. Well, never happened, the game got close and then they blew it (again) in the last few minutes, at which point we bolted to the bus back to the parking lot. Such an ordeal. I'm over it. If I can't go and enjoy campus on a nice afternoon, I'm not going. I never did go back and see campus that whole week, too flipping cold. Kids have decided they will not apply to ND and I'm fine with that. Lots of nice southern colleges. Oh wait, maybe there aren't, can't seem to think of any I like down there... we at least have milder winters here in Kansas so that's an option. In state tuition option!

 Went to the hotel pool one evening. It was freezing, I cannot believe any kids got in. They are finicky about getting in our pool when it's below 83 degrees. I bet this was 75 degrees. Patrick and Anna refused after sticking feet in but for some reason Emily ended up joining her cousins until she got in the deep end without her life jacket and freaked out. I also freaked out because I did NOT want to jump in and save her.

 But she is smiling here, so crazy. Julia and Charlie were super troopers and jumped and swam a lot.

 Ellie got in too but not for long.

 Out to lunch or dinner or something with Grandma. Lots of good meals out that week at least.

 And now Megan and Grandma.

 Andrea, Ellie and Emily. Now I can't remember when this was that we had them but not Charlie and Julia. Tuesday afternoon maybe? I think they were still at school and Andrea took a half day off so we could shop and start painting. I would like to say that Ellie is much cuter in person, I have gotten a lot of unflattering shots of her, sorry.

 Megan even wanted to help paint and she did a great job on this. I had hoped to knock out painting at least two rooms but we got the thinnest paint ever and it required at least two if not three coats. I lost my enthusiasm after that, sorry Andrea. Home Depot Behr one coat paint and primer in one is AWESOME, wish we had gone and gotten that. Menards paint was a big mistake.

 Somehow tricked Ryan into helping too. I hear he is also working on the bathroom remodel and I want to see those photos. And photos of the bedrooms completed with the new bedding. What fun to move into a new house and settle in!

 The cats enjoyed the mattress in the hall while we were painting. The kids were obsessed with the cats and their begging to get one (or two) of their own only increased. We forgot to have them practice cleaning out the litter box. I think that would have shut the begging down. Anna has lowered her expectations and is instead preparing a power point presentation on why she wants a parakeet (actually two of them). I am somewhat considering it as I like birds and have taken care of them before. Just need to think about where to keep them (and their scattering of bird seed hulls and little feathers). Maybe the laundry room...

 Okay, on Wednesday the Sens family arrived from NY. Mark has the latest pink iPhone here?

 Megan with the grandparents before they headed south for the winter. This was Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one. We haven't all been together for Thanksgiving in at least 15 years. We usually just celebrate on our own but I'm glad we made the trip for the whole week and got to see everyone (and the new house!).

 Andrea and Ryan, the two most patient and good humored parents in the history of the world. They weren't even phased by the bathroom flooding and pouring into the kitchen below. This also happened to them on a previous Thanksgiving in their old house. A tradition! I think maybe we shouldn't make them host ever again.

 Sorry, not the cutest photo of Erin but a funny one of our ham Emily.

 Cuter shot with Grandma. Megan couldn't believe she just turned two, such a good talker.

 Anna spent a lot of time making houses for the cats. She was thrilled when the snow started and she thought we might have to stay a few more days. This might go down as her favorite vacation ever thanks to the cats.

 Lane and Ellie, 4 and almost 4.

 Megan was a very good helper with all the cousins. It is hard to be the oldest cousin according to Sean, no one your own age to play with.

 Finally a shot with Julia. She is fast and hard to capture!

 The little ones more than happy to watch Charlie play his game.

 Christmas presents starting... Stephanie is a very doting aunt!

 It was 5pm in London when I decided to finish off the bottle of wine on Thanksgiving. It may have been a crazy time in the house with all those kids and a team of cooks.

 Present opening can't wait.

 Baby dolls for the youngest girls.

 Despite the chaos, the food actually turned out great. Not that the kids ate it but you know...

 Fashion plates with Aunt Steph!

 Erin playing with the cat food and water. Better than the litter box...

 We left the blizzard in South Bend and drove 12 hours home and collapsed. Then woke up to sunny and 60 degrees so I decorated for Christmas! This is the year I will buy more lights on after Christmas clearance, for real this time. So next year, we are going to really bring it. Did I vow this last year? Shut up. At least I got the $2 wreaths up on the windows...

 I also got new greenery for the pots this year, won't die like the real stuff did last year.

 Christmas styled the window boxes a little more.

Patrick got a snowman from Grandpa on their shopping trip (I think). He sleeps with it every single night, so cute.

Okay, that is it for now. I am going to try and think of real stories for another post soon, instead of my lazy style of posting every photo that isn't super blurry and then explaining what was going on.