Currently Investigating

I have spent this morning trying to figure out if we had an ice storm last night, or, Santa came in too hot during a practice run at the new house. What do you think?

Unfortunately, the tree did go through the roof the garage, so I get to spend my Christmas Eve day deciding if I want to get on the snowy, icy roof attempting a patch, or calling in the professionals. Currently leaning towards the professionals.

I guess if I figure out that it was Santa, I can have him patch it up on the way through the neighborhood tonight.

Snowy Night

Over the past 5 days or so, we have gotten between 6 and 8 inches of snow and it is beautiful! We have been busy getting ready for Christmas and really have not taken advantage of the snow until last night. Matt was heading outside to snow blow the driveway and Ethan was just dying to go with him. While he didn't quite understand the preparations involved in getting ready to play in the snow, I think the boots, pants, coat, hat and gloves were well worth it!

"Mom, hurry up....I am ready to go outside!"Not too sure about all this white stuff.
Mmmm, this stuff tastes pretty good!

Helping dad shovel!

I think overall, Ethan really enjoyed being outside in the snow. Well, until he got "thrown out" of the sled by his mom and landed face first in the snow. It only took a few seconds to recover and he was ready to go again! I am looking forward to a little fun outside this weekend because if it is going to be cold, bring on the snow!

My Buddy and Me

We are so far behind on posts, it is not even funny! I am hoping to be caught up by the time Christmas gets here on Thursday and do a better job in the New Year! We will pick up where we left off when we returned from the farm....
The weekend before Thanksgiving, the Berndt's stopped by for lunch on their way to a party in Plainfield. It was an unseasonable warm November day so we took Alex and Ethan outside to burn off some extra energy before nap time.
The boys had a great time on the swings and the slide and loved chasing each other around the yard. By the end, they had both figured out how to climb up the steps and use the slide by themselves. After lunch and running around, the boys were exhausted and ready for a nap. This gave us adults some time to watch football, have a few beers, and catch up! It was so good to see Jaime, Mike and Alex. We can't wait to meet their newest addition in just a few short weeks! Thanks for making the trip out to Glen Ellyn!

The Farm

A bit late on the post, but in mid-November the fam headed up and over to Deckerville for the opening of deer season. We met my mom and dad along the way then were joined by Uncle Mike that night for the local fish fry. One of the highlights of the trip was the cornucopia of beers we enjoyed at the bar on Friday night. PBR, Schlitz and Blatz. All $1. I had never had Blatz but was told it was a staple at Michigan State in the 70's and 80's. Maybe it was the $1 price or the seven hour drive, but all three were delicious.

Deer season opened on Sunday this year so Saturday was spent doing some things around the farm. Ethan was in heaven. Not only was it about 60 degrees so he could be outside all day, but there were tractors everywhere. Ethan got on the old Massey Ferguson pedal tractor:

The bigger Massey:

And the Case IH:

Heck, he even rode a horse:

I know that you really want to know who got a deer, so Uncle Mike took a doe on Monday morning. We all took shots, but he was the only one who hit something other than dirt. At least there will be a little meat on the table this winter.

We went to visit Pappy in the nursing home on Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening. I am pleased to report that he was in probably the best spirits that I have seen him in for a few years. Of course we forgot to take a camera both times, but Pappy loved hanging out with Ethan.

I took some pictures on Saturday, some from one of my favorite spots - on top of one of the grain bins:

The rest of the photos can be found HERE.

If you want to find the farm CLICK HERE. Just north of the intersection of Mills and Hunt Roads (seriously.)

Family Photos

On Sunday we had some family photographs taken by an amazing photographer, Carley Slater. Even though the weather was a bit chilly, we decided to brave the cold and head outside for some shots. I stressed all week about what we were going to wear and where we were going to take pictures, but finally came up with a plan the morning of the shoot. After Carley arrived, we decided to take a different, less matchy-matchy approach and I could not be more thrilled with how the pictures turned out. I am having a hard time deciding which ones I like the best because they are are beautiful!

Carley posted the pictures below on her blog, along with a few others, but you can see them all on her website. I will post all the information below the pictures. If you are ever looking for a great photographer, I highly recommend Carley. She was really enthusiastic and did a great job of working with Ethan and capturing some amazing photos!

To view our additional photographs, go to Carley Kay Photography by clicking here.

Click "Enter Site"

Then "Clients" in the upper left

Password: hunt1206

Give A Little Bit

A couple of weeks ago, Us Weekly featured a gift guide for various individuals you might have to buy gifts for this holiday season. The initial key chain caught my eye initially and lead me to the the Urban Outfitters website. From there, I stumbled upon a few other pretties that would make fabulous gifts either for yourself or a friend, sister, mom, co-worker, etc. Top row from left to right:
Weathered Wood Jewelry Cabinet
Multi Initial Key Ring
Assorted Initial Pendant

Bottom row from left to right
Delicate Initial Necklace
Lace Pedestal Jewelry Stand
Scalloped Wall Jewelry Rack

Snowy

It looks like the first snow of the season has fallen. I woke up this morning to a dusting of pretty white snow.

Halloween

I can't believe it has been a month since Halloween has come and gone. Yes, this post is long over due (along with a few others) and I don't really have an excuse other than just being busy the past couple of weeks. More on that later, but first, Halloween!
We had grand plans of heading to downtown Glen Ellyn to do some trick or treating at the local shops, but due to nap and eating schedules, it just did not work out. Instead, we hung around around the house with Katie and Jack and Meredith and Collin. Collin, Ethan, and Jack had a great time playing together and getting into trouble as you can see from the picture above. The "what did we do?" look on their faces is priceless! In reality, they were just raiding the animal cracker bucket!We headed outside around 4, when trick or treating began, in hopes of getting the boys to a few houses. The boys were more interested in running around and playing than getting candy. Regardless, Jack and Ethan looked adorable in their cowboy and fireman costumes.

Our neighbors next door always do a bon fire on the drive way and hand out candy. We took advantage of the warmth from the fire and set up shop right next to them. It works out pretty well since we share a driveway! The weather this year was a lot more brisk than last Halloween which was perfect for our chili dinner tradition. This year we added White Chicken Chili to the mix and it was a perfect addition! After several hours running around outside, it was time to hit the hay! I couldn't resist a picture of the two boys in their Halloween jammies!

The first Halloween in our new house was a lot of fun with visits from good friends and family, but I will have to say I was a little disappointed in the lack of trick or treaters that visited our house. I was expecting tons of trick or treaters and had prepared myself with 3 huge bags of candy from Costco. Much to my dismay, I only went through about a bag and a quarter (which left us with a TON of leftover candy...not good). I don't know if Halloween being on a Saturday actually put a damper on the number of kids out or if it was just the chilly weather. Regardless, I loved seeing all the kids dressed up, especially the little ones. Most popular costume this year....Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz....go figure! See more pictures from Halloween here.