The best Thanksgiving EVER!

So...This has been my favorite Thanksgiving EVER, hands down! The first pic is of our second annual Thanksgiving eve tradition - Since we have been married Adam has never had a Thanksgiving off so we have started to celebrate it the night before with Adam. I made an entire Thanksgiving meal (not even close to as good as my parents but it is only my second attempt:) and we invited over our neighbors...we had a great time and Adam got a real homecooked Thanksgiving (he got jail food on thanksgiving - poor guy!)

For Thanksgiving the boys and I went to my parents house and had a delicious meal with all my siblings and their families, my grandparents, my parents, and my uncle Mike and aunt Penny. We had such a great time eating and playing some fun games my mom planned. Here are the boys with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins Katie and Erica (whose family surprised everyone and drove up from Colorado just in time) - This is the first year all the Bartholomew kids have had Thanksgiving together for like 8 years! What a great GREAT surprise.

Kent eating candy:)

This is Gabe with his Best friend and cousin Nina - they just happened to have matching jammies (we didn't plan it) and they were super excited! Me and my sis camie spent the night at my mom and dad's with our kids and got up at 3:15 in the morning to hit the sales with our mom (My mom is the ultimate deal finder!)- SOOOO fun, I am now done Christmas shopping except a few odds and ends!



Me, my sisters, Erica, and mom dipping chocolates - we used to do this every year growing up and it was so fun to do together again!

My SORRY Attempts at being crafty:)

So...lately I have been feeling super guilty because when Kent takes a nap - I tell Gabe it is quiet time (which basically means watch cartoons and leave me alone for a minute). So I have decided to make Kent's nap time a time when Gabe and I can do something that Kent would try to eat or otherwise destroy with his curiosity if he were awake:) So here is our first attempt yesterday...this is super easy just crush up leaves (the ones we used weren't all the way crispy so I actually microwaved them for 30 sec) and draw a design on paper with glue and then sprinkle leaves and tada! I found the idea at http://www.makeandtakes.com/weekend-make-and-takes-leaves

Here is Gabe sprinkling the leaves

This is my EXTREMELY sorry attempt at a sweater purse....it is super easy but my skills are a bit lacking (sorry pics are sideways - I am not smart enough to figure out how to flip). This is were I found directions http://perchedonawhim.com/?p=81

Okay this is just ridiculous but since I made the purse I had some scraps left over and thought 'lets make snakes for our nap craft' - Gabe had fun but he is a sweetie....they turned out a bit ...oh how should I put it - weird! Oh well Gabe had fun stuffing them and then when Kent woke up they had fun chasing and hitting each other with them:)

Notice the fine craftsmanship of the snakes (ie the huge white stitch marks from where I accidentally cut through the snake while cutting some threads)....I think my crafting day are over - Gabe will probably be relieved he can just watch cartoons and not have to put up with his mother's amazing crafting skills!

wheeler farm and snow

Gabe and I built a mini snowman today - Kent had to stay in with daddy because he has another ear infection - poor kid! Notice Gabe's bright orange snow pants I made the mistake of letting him choose which ones he wanted:)

Gabe and Kent feeding the goats leaves at Wheeler Farm - hours of entertainment:)

Adam and the boys with a HUGH hog - Adam is such a great daddy and husband and just happened to turn 33 today-HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He is officially an old man - but we love him!

This is at the little corn maze at wheeler farm and I just loved this picture of Gabe! I tried to take pictures of Kent but he really doesn't hold still so they were all blurry:)

A day at the park!

The weather has been so stinking nice the past week so we have literally gone to the park everyday - the boys are in heaven!
The other day Kent was taking a nap so Gabe and I decided to go on a special hike just the two of us while Adam stayed home with Kent....When we got there Gabe was so worried about where Kent was the entire time and asked if Kent could please come with us next time...He is truly the best big brother in the whole world - he is such a sweet kid! I didn't get pics on the hike but Gabe had a great time throwing rocks in the water his ALL time favorite activity!

Kent LOVES to push Gabe in the stroller....he thinks he is hilarious and will just laugh at himself the whole time!

Gabe feeding the geese and ducks being rather cautious
but always making sure all the ducks get some bread.

I didn't get a good picture of Kent but he was VERY determined to ride a goose every time I set him down he would chase them and try to crawl on their back - me and Gabe were laughing so hard...Kent is our little 'turtle muffin' (this is what Gabe always calls Kent when he is being mischievous)