Anyone who tries to coordinate more than 2 children for a photo can appreciate these best of a thousand (it seems)

My cousin Michelle was married Saturday. My mom bought Jess and Lyd beautiful princess dresses for the occasion.

Karen Mize holds Jessy, then Matthew and Natsumi, Grandma Camilla and Lyddie
Elisa entertains Josh
Jonny, Joe and Sarah
Caleb waits.

I put Josh and Lyd to bed at the same time this night, with me between them. When I sent Caleb to bed after our game of Tripoly with the adults he noticed these little snugglers
Sarah reading to the gang.
Jessy reading to Lyd
Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner

We all became runners for Thanksgiving. This is Natsumi and Matthew after they ran the 5 mile race in Cleveland's Turkey Trot.
Getting ready
So we turned the corner to the Convention Center just as they sounded the start of the race. Matthew, Caleb, Jonny and I ran to catch the end of the throng and run the race. Sarah was close behind me with the stroller and Lyddie and Jess. Joshua's shoe came untied so Elisa and Josh got just far enough behind that by the time they reached the start they couldn't figure out where everyone had gone. So they waited. Matthew and the boys ran the whole mile, and I cut through to meet them at the end and take their picture. To my surprise I found Elisa and Josh. Josh was wondering when it was his turn to race. We backed up from the finish line a bit and he and I "raced" to the finish line where he got a ribbon. He said we tied. I am glad he's young enough that it did not crush him that he missed it.
Here's Caleb and Matt and Jonny finishing the 1 mile race.

Jessy and Lyddie building a house

Josh and Jessy coloring
Caleb and Jonny play Pokemon with Elisa while the younger kids are off to bed.

Elisa's not used to the chilly weather. Not the best day for a playground, but this one was amazing - and very close to Sarah's new house.

The fun begins. Lots of story reading
Grandpa Terry's Birthday
A cold day at the playground at Jonny's school

Traveling to Cleveland for Thanksgiving. The trip there was not so bad. I had planned to pick the kids up from School Friday and head out, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. So I packed the car before they got home and planned a relaxed evening before heading out first thing Saturday morning.
Kids do the weirdest things to entertain themselves.
Nice headrest. On our way out of Sherburne we watched a bald eagle fly overhead. It is significant because during Sarah's little trip the week before she saw an eagle as well. They are on the move, I guess, just like us.

Lyd and Ben on the farm for Grandma's Birthday.

A lovely Autumn sunset

Library Day. Wearing a Suburban hat like Daddy for our walk.

Practicing with scissors. She usually ends up ripping it the rest of the way.

Do I look pregnant? Between 3-4 months I am feeling more fat than pregnant. It's enough, though, that people are brave enough to ask. If I'm this big now, I can only imagine what the next 5 months will bring! AAAHHHH!

The shed is done. Scott tilled the sod between the drive and the shed and Caleb and I smoothed it with a rake. I painted the shed floor in preparation for driving the snowblower in. Scott built ramps to get the lawn tractor in and out. The project is done until Spring!

These boys aren't afraid of climbing up to the roof to help Daddy by ripping the plastic strips off the shingles as Daddy lays them down.

There is a logging project going on at the farm. These pictures are mostly for the benefit of Scott's siblings who want to stay current. But it's fun to look at these big machines at work, anyway.