This is getting ridiculous...

I can't believe it, but....we are sick again/still!!! Actually, just the kids are. They have been sick off and on for over a month now. They have snotty noses and are coughing now:( I am SO ready to be over this season of sickness!!
Marty has a pretty stuffy nose and is just not himself these days:( He wouldn't breastfeed at all on Saturday. I tried and tried and he would not have it. He was having trouble breathing and sucking at the same time. Although, he would take a bottle! I have been pumping and then feeding him a bottle and it is SO time consuming!! He sort of just bites the bottle and milk comes out, so I think it is easier for him to breathe that way. I was able to nurse him twice yesterday and once so far today, but it's only when he is half asleep, otherwise he won't do it. I'm not ready for him to be done and I really want to nurse him through the winter/flu season. So, we'll see what happens!
Jeff took the girls to the park one day last week when he got home from work! Isn't he such a great daddy!! It was pretty chilly, so we bundled up the girls and sent them out! They still had a blast.
Helping make brownies for grandma and papa...Last Friday night, Jeff's parents came over for dinner and to watch the kids in the evening, so Jeff and I could do some Christmas shopping! Seriously...all I can stay is we are SO blessed to have our parents in town who watch our kids whenever we need it! We got a few more gifts bought and then we went to Montana's and shared a delicious caramel deep fried cheesecake! Our favorite!!
It was my mom's birthday on Friday, so my parents came over for dinner on Saturday night! Jeff made a raspberry cheesecake specially for my mom. Well...he kind of made her a bet and so he owed her!

Before my parents came over on Saturday, we went for a family walk around our neighborhood. It was cool outside and after about an hour long walk...we were all cold and ready to get home!Speaking of cold...we had our first snowfall last week...I'm totally not ready for this.Just because he's so cute...I have a ladies get together/party on Friday night at my friends house! There are SO many new people at our church and tons of young families and Sunday mornings seem to be so busy and hard to talk to everyone. So, my friend has invited a bunch of ladies and we are just going to hang out and chat. I'm really looking forward to it! We have prayed for so long that God would bring young families to our church and he has totally exceeded our expectations! Last week, Jeff and I taught kids church and we had 23 kids between 2.5 and 5 years old! Last year at this time...we maybe had 5 or 6 kids!! God is good:)

Then, on Saturday night we have Jeff's work Christmas party. It's at a banquet hall at a hotel and it is usually really good food! Oh, and they have awesome door prizes. Last year they gave away a big screen TV, laptop, gift certificates, tools, etc. I'm really hoping we win something good this year!

Fall is here...

I can't believe we are half way through November already!! The weather here has actually been SO nice lately. Today, it's beautiful and sunny outside...I love it!! I think we are going to go for a walk when the little ones get up from their naps:)
I went outside to rake some leaves in the backyard last week and then I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures of the kids in the leaves! I love fall pictures because the colors are so beautiful. Anyways, I didn't rake anymore leaves and then when the kids woke up from their naps I brought them all outside and took some pictures. And once again...it was difficult to get the kids to cooperate!
Megan didn't have ballet today because of the holiday. She was sad to miss it and she was hoping that daddy could come watch today:( I think she will have a recital in December sometime, so hopefully Jeff can come to that. She is still loving ballet and she gets so excited to go every week! Gabby wants to to be in it too, but she's not old enough yet...maybe next year.Some of the girls in Megan's class...they are all so cute!
Meggie went to the dentist last Friday for her first real dentist appointment...cleaning and all! She went about a year ago, just to see the dentist and get her teeth counted and she wasn't too sure about it then. But, this time she was awesome. She sat SO nicely for the hygienist and held her mouth wide open! She was happy to watch the little cartoon while the cleaning was happening. Oh, and she wanted to hold my hand...so cute!!
Sunglasses on to protect her eyes from the bright light...Jeff turns 31 on Sunday and we are having a bunch of friends over for a birthday party for him on Friday night! Jeff loves apple pie and much prefers pie to cake. I'm not good at making pies and they are so time consuming, so I made a deal with my mom and she is going to make some pies for his party:) What a great mom I have!!
I thought we were all over our sickness around here and on Sunday morning, Marty woke up with a runny nose...again! I seriously could not believe it. I think his cold was gone for maybe 2 days and came back again. I have talked to other friends and they said the same thing is happening with their kids:( He's still happy and active and eats like crazy, so I'm not worried about it.
The other day I found all the kids in Marty's crib...This year I have really been on top of Christmas shopping! I'm happy to say that I'm done all my shopping for the kids and some for other family members:) It's usually a little hard to get my Christmas shopping done early because before Christmas we have Jeff's bday, my mom's bday and Jeff's mom's bday!!

Megan and Gabby have been playing SO nicely with each other lately! It makes my heart so happy to see them play together. My prayer is that they will always be great friends and great sisters! We often go down to the playroom and hang out together and we play house, or grocery store, or book store...whatever they come up with!

Gabby is talking more and more everyday! It's so cute the sentences she comes up with. She is such a funny kid and she has so much personality...I love it! And, she eats like a horse!! She is so tiny, but often at dinner she will have 3 or 4 helpings!! I think she eats about what I eat:) I don't know where she puts it!

Okay, I'm off to hang out with my family now!

Halloween Fun

Last Friday night Jeff and I went out to a Halloween Party at our friends house! Jeff's parents came over for dinner and then babysat the kids for us while we went out. It was great to go out without the kids and have adult conversations:) We got to the party about 7:30pm and we got home about 12:30am!!!! I can't remember the last time I stayed up that late...but, I didn't get enough sleep that night and was so tired the next day:(

Of course, it was a costume party...Superman and Lois Lane!
Our wonderful hosts...the king and queen of hearts!Christy, Jeff and Bas singing something...(Christy was the Paperbag Princess!)We had a great time! Lots of good food and friends:)

On Saturday afternoon some friends of ours and their kids came over. We had pizza for dinner and then headed out for some trick or treating with the kiddies! Meggie and Gabby were so excited to be in their costumes and they were stinkin' cute:)

A mouse and a monkey...
Oh, and look who woke up from his nap to join the other animals...a penguin!!Thanks to Jas for giving us this costume for Marty! She bought it last year for him before he was born and it fit him perfectly...I'm just sad it won't fit him next year:(And seriously...the cutest penguin I've ever seen!! He's wearing his sisters black tights because I didn't have black pants for him!!I was such a nice and fairly warm evening for trick or treating! The last 2 years it has poured rain and this was a nice change...
Gabby's bag was about the same size as her!We took all the kids around our cul-de-sac and they had a blast! I think it was extra fun for them this year because they got to go with their friends! They were all so cute:) We let the girls each have one piece of candy and they totally got a sugar high! We kept them up an hour later anyways because of the time change.Ohhhhh, the time change! Can I just say that I'm not a big fan of the time change since having kids!! The kids have been sleeping SO great lately and now the girls are waking up at around 6am and Marty about 7am!! I'm hoping they get back on track soon...I'm not a morning person!

We are pretty much over all the sickness around here and I'm so thankful for that! Oh, and I would like to know everyone's opinion on the H1N1 flu vaccine?? There is so much information and it's hard to know what to believe. At this point, Jeff and I have decided to not get us or the kids vaccinated...but I would like to know what you think??

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!