It's beginning to look a lot like...

Does it get any better that this? I think every day in December is packed with SOMETHING fun! This week included baking MORE cookies... Corey and the kids have been VERY busy. We also got the house all ready for Christmas... thanks Nana and Papa for helping out! The Christmas music is on 24/7 and the kids are all singing along.

Noah had a big week... he earned his Bear award in Cub Scouts! Yea!! He also participated in his first wrestling match... I don't think he won, but he sure did try! (it was also my first wrestling match... it was a little crazy!)

We celebrated Christmas with our ward last night with a yummy dinner, ornament making, and a beautiful nativity performed by the children. Noah was the innkeeper, Ellie was an angel and THE star!, and Aidan was the boy Jesus whom the wise man visited. The whole group was SO adorable. I was back stage helping out, so I only saw glimpses from the side, but those glimpses still gave me the chills. The Greatest Story ever told is the true reason for celebration. I am so grateful. I love December...

Grateful

So grateful. A perfect week with friends and family. Thanks, everyone... especially for the pictures, Britt! :)

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Check this out... this week I attended my third 1st grade "feast". One of our favorite teachers puts together this elaborate feast every year for her students, complete with costumes.

I, for some unknown reason, volunteered to cook a turkey for the event. Here's the problem... I've never done this before! (and Corey was out of town!!!) This particular feat was more than a little intimidating for me... I got the turkey in the oven by 6:15, (after a phone call to my mom asking for advice on how to find the giblets!!) and everything seemed to be going smoothly... I took it out a little before 9, let it sit while I finished getting the kids to bed, and then got all set to carve the thing. I broke into it and had serious doubts about it being completely done. (I even made my dad come over!) This is something that completely freaks me out, so back in the oven it went.... when I was STILL carving the turkey at 11:30 p.m. (yes, it was definitely done by then!!!), I was then having serious doubts about my sanity.

HOWEVER, after all that... when I attended the feast the next day, it was all worth it. The cute pilgrims and indians completely won me over. So. adorable.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Congratulations!

The Greenlaw kids were well represented in the first awards assembly for the school year. It was Ellie's first assembly, and she received the "Academic All-Star" award!! She was so happy, and so was I! Noah received a "Character" award as well as "Principal's Honor Roll" for his straight A's... do I sound like I'm bragging? I guess I am...

Noah especially has been ON HIS OWN this year as far as homework goes... 4th grade is a year of increased responsibility and he has handled it very well academically! He pulled this off while also participating in two after school sports- cross country and soccer!! I have been busy helping the other kids with homework... 1st grade is amazingly demanding!! Seriously. And I feel like I am taking pre-algebra yet again!! So, congrats to you guys!!! So proud. Keep it up!

Happy Halloween!

We hope you had a very sweet night!

Happiest Place on Earth

For four years, we have been talking about taking the kids to Disneyland when they were these ages... 12, 9, 6 and 4. No diapers, no naps, tall enough to go on most of the rides, but not too old to complain. Well, we did it and it was SO worth every second. We had more fun than we even imagined. The kids were all in heaven, and so were we. I think we might even do the next trip in 3 years!!! Thank you, Disneyland for a magical time.

Pumpkin Patch

I had to also include a few pictures of Aidan's soccer game this week... He was so cute... He ended being goalie for about 5 minutes, and it was interesting, to say the least. I think he danced the whole time... VERY entertaining. Can't wait for next week to see what he does...




We were able to go to the pumpkin patch yesterday... Everyone is very kind to me... they all wear their Halloween shirts, even Corey... They know that I am REALLY there just for the pictures... (and I guess a pumpkin or too....) We tried another patch out this year... There are so many fun ones to choose from around here. I'm not sure why, but I LOVE going. It's been a tradition for so long that October would not be the same without a trip to a patch.

sports galore...

This fall has been a flurry of activity... Austen's been cheering every Saturday for her favorite football team!! She looks adorable out there, and really doesn't stop when she gets home... the cheers continue all week long.

Noah has been doing cross country as well as soccer practice for the past few weeks... he is working HARD, to say the least... He loves it, though... When he comes home from cross country as red as a tomato, the last thing I expect him to say is, "That was fun!", but he does!!!

Soccer games started yesterday for Ellie and Noah... they both did a great job... they are both new to the sport, but they dove right in and did their best. Every time I caught a glimpse of Ellie's face, she was smiling. I'll take that as a good sign! Aidan actually starts next week... that's when our Saturdays will get very interesting as we juggle four kids and four locations and times. Wish us luck...