All I want for Christmas...

 Kelly told me last week that all he wanted for Christmas was for his kids to get haircuts- It's been since September for Addison, since last year at this time for Laynie...and believe it or not, Hailey has never had a haircut...well, her bangs, but that doesn't really count.

So, I called my friend Shannon and asked if she wanted to have a play-date...with her hair-cutting scissors...BEST PLAY-DATE EVER!!!

 Both of the girlies decided to get a shoulder length cut- they look SO good!!

See what I mean??!!  We are especially swooning over Hailey's new doo- is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen??!

Happy Brithday Laynie!!

 Laynie turned 6 last week!!-  We celebrated by eating Christmas Tree waffles for breakfast,

 opening presents,

and having an after-school party for her best friends!

We LOVE you Laynie!! You are an amazing girl and such a great sister! We can't believe how fast you're growing up!!

Merry Christmas!!

Oh Christmas Tree!!

 This year, for the first time in my life, we went in to the wild woods (with a permit of course) and cut down our very own little Christmas tree! Here is Kelly so proud with the fine specimen...okay who are we kidding, it's totally Charlie Brown, but I love it.

 Hailey was a big helper (no she didn't use the saw!)

 And Maren LOVED it!...a perfect way to celebrate her 6-month-old birthday!!  She is the delight of the family...she has 2 little teeth poking through her gums and can roll both ways now. (though she hardly gets a chance because she is held so much!) She is almost always smiling- especially at her brother and sisters! and talks and talks- WE LOVE HER!!

The Whole clan and trees! Thanks for a fun day Dittos!!

We Are THANKFUL!

Thanksgiving was with the Picketts this year...and it was a smashing good time!  We decorated cookies, went to the zoo, jumped at Sky High, ate ridiculously good food, and enjoyed each other's company A LOT!

I only posted this picture because the look on Maren's face in the background is PRICELESS- clearly her excitement over cookie making (eating) comes from her mother!...although Kelly enjoys the eating part too...

So many fun things in a day = one tired Hailey!  Thanks for being her pillow aunt Mimi!!

This may have been Kelly's favorite part of our trip (or maybe a close second to snowboarding!!) Yes folks, Kelly is driving the backhoe!  Jake (the landscape Architect in the family) had a plan for my parents' yard that required some real muscle...good thing Kelly as there :)

Images from Sky High...

A basement with wall-to-wall trampolines would Perfect for Addison!!  So much energy dispensed!!

And now to the photo shoot pictures... Thanksgiving morning we all dressed up for family pics- but Papa tested his backdrop on the kids first.

And good little testers they were!

I guess some were better than others...

So sweet

Handsome!!

Here's our best family shot!

And the happy couple...

Pickett Palooza!

And now to the important part of the holiday- deliciousness! Casey deep fried a turkey this year (check out pic at the end of the post!) and it was SO YUMMY!

Who doesn't love "the trick?"  Maren and Owen do!!

It rained almost everyday, but didn't dampen our spirits!!  We had a GREAT time! thanks family!! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

                            The Latest...

                        Family Pics 

Our Friend Misty did a service project and gave everyone a 5 minute photo session for 2 cans of food per person...all the food went to 2nd Harvest!  Thanks Misty for the service opp AND the great pics!!

My Blender Issues...

I did it.  I bought a blendtec from the very nice Costco demonstrator-man...and I feel like I need to justify myself!  For years I have been making smoothies for the fam for breakfast! years people.  I have burned up...I don't know exactly the number...a lot of blenders.   In fact, the week before I bought the blendtec, my previous blender was smoking- SMOKING! So, even thought the blendtec is meg moola- it has a 7 year warranty and 4 horse power baby!!

Lately I have been making 2 smoothies a day- one for breakfast, and a "yummy" green smoothie for my lunch- this has worked wonders on the baby-weight-loss-effort! I took this picture this morning of the delish breakfast smoothie! p.s. my kids have NO IDEA that I put spinach in there!! :)

Lest you think I am a total health-nut, let me help you banish those fears- My mother-in-law hosted the 2nd annual Cupcake Wars this weekend- Here are my entries...

The Peanut butter-cup cupcake with peanut butter frosting were...I don't really know a word to describe them- they undid everything I had done for that previously mentioned weight-loss-effort.

THIS IS THE RECIPE

 See what I mean!!??

And this picture really has nothing to do with this post, except that it's ADORABLE!!  I LOVE my girlies!

TRICK-OR-TREAT!!

Hailey the Lady-bug (if this costume looks familiar, it's because Laynie wore it last year...after she danced at her dance recital in it...recycling is so great.

Laynie wanted to be a "girl pirate"...perfect, we had TONS of pirate stuff, and I found black "piratey boots" at the $.25 sale!!

Addison is the transformer...a buy that happened THE DAY OF Halloween, but also a good deal...$2.75!!

THE LOOT!

Addison reported that his shoulders hurt from carrying his bag around...yeah, he got a lot...

Hailey was a champion trick-or-treater, and SO happy with the result!

Now for the star of the night...is this the cutest little duck you've ever seen??!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Addison carved his pumpkin TOTALLY unassisted this year!  (When you see the finished product you'll know that Mom had nothing to do with it!)

Kelly and Hailey working on her "happy pumpkin"

Pumpkin slime was a little too much for Laynie, Mom ended up doing most of the scooping-out part for her...

TWO happy faces!!

See what I mean about no mother influence here??!!  He's such a boy!

Photo Shoot!

 Nana and Papa were here a few weeks ago to hang out, and wherever there's a Papa, there's lots of pictures!!  here are a few of the kiddos all together!

 Addison wearing Papa's hat...

And thanks to Nana for helping Hailey make a SUPER CUTE preschool treat!!  WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!  THANKS FOR COMING!