Busy, Busy, Busy

Kristin's new bed

The birthday girl

Asleep after a long day

Next week is Thanksgiving...it is just unreal how fast this year is flying by. Kristin turned 5 on the 12th. We celebrated last weekend with a family party and on Monday Kristin had a party with her class at school. This weekend she's going to have a small party with a couple of friends. I cannot believe she is 5! I finally got her bed finished and all set up. She is so proud...and thanks to my friend Shawn, I didn't have to buy any bedding, window treatments, pillows, or rugs!

We made it through Halloween. Kristin was Hannah Montanna, although I think she looked more like Julia Roberts at the beginning of Pretty Woman. I didn't know whether to think it was funny or scary! Hopefully next year we will go back to princesses and fairies, but with her, who knows! Here she is all dressed and ready to go!

This month Kristin is taking swimming lessons. She really wants to do swim team next summer, but it will depend on how the lessons go. She was so mad after the first night of lessons because she still couldn't swim. I told her it would take more than one lesson to learn, but she was still mad...if she doesn't catch onto something right away, she gets so mad and frustrated! She has also started going to TeamKid on Wednesday nights at church. This Wednesday was the first night and she just loved it. She wants to start riding the bus to and from the church for TeamKid...that is huge for her. A few months ago, no way would she have ridden in a van with a bunch of kids she didn't know with a strange man driving...she's really having an easier time warming up to people. I'm thankful we have found a church we like and that has a good kids program.

Chris has moved to department manager of infants at Wal-Mart. He is loving his new hours and having weekends off. More than that he's liking just worrying about baby world (that's what he calls it) and not the rest of the store. I can tell he is much less stressed. I'm staying busy with my kids at school. They continue to amaze me on a daily basis. Next Tuesday is our Thanksgiving Feast...yum! Kristin is doing great at school. They have been practicing for the Christmas program and she comes home singing the cutest songs. OAS and her teacher have been such a blessing for us. Although we don't share all the beliefs of the Adventist Church, I'm glad she is in an enviroment where the Bible is the center of learning and everyone shares the same basic Christian beliefs.

I am helping Kristin finish her shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. She chose to fill a shoebox for a little girl and picked some really cute things to go in it. Kristin keeps asking me where the little girl lives, what her phone number is and if she can come to her house! She doesn't quite understand it all, but I hope filling a shoebox is something she looks forward to for many more Christmases.