Tuesday, November 11, 2014

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

The Powell family LOVES this time of year.  We.  Love.  It.  It's cooler outside, the leaves are changing colors, there's Christmas music on the radio, there's the promise of a lot of time spent at home with family, and our Christmas decorations start going up.

We are happy.

Last night, we decorated the DISNEY TREE!
I did the best I could to document this momentous occasion, but it was slightly chaotic.  Not sure why..... perhaps the THREE YEAR OLD?  Dunno.  But I did get a few shots......

But first, let me go ahead and answer some of your questions:

1.  No, Mary's clothes do NOT match.  This was her THIRD outfit in the TWO hours we'd been home and I've stopped looking at what she's wearing.
2.  Yes, Mary's hair is a bit crooked.  She's fresh off a front-porch haircut (a.k.a. Mama did it) and she never sits still.... so cutting her hair ain't easy.  But it saved me $20, so there.
3.  Yes, Max always makes those weird faces in pictures.  He thinks it's funny.  His mother does not.
4.  No, Mary is not gentle when she puts the ornaments on.  Bert from Mary Poppins lost his head, Buzz Lightyear now has only one hand, the Mad Hatter lost his hat, and Mrs. Incredible is missing a foot.  But hey.  Memories, people.  Memories.  (and LOTS of super glue.)

Okay.  Pictures!!!

She might have fallen off that ladder a few times.


The boys still have their favorite ornaments that they must do themselves.
I love that so very, very, very much.

She couldn't reach much, so the bottom of the tree is quite loaded.


The brothers did help with the high places.
Max, QUIT making those faces.



Thanks for the lift, Jacker.

Oops.  Dropped one.  AGAIN.


Smile, Jack!

If I could just reach those ornaments that they've put in the middle of the table.  Not sure why they put them way over there where I can't get to them.  Don't they know I'm good at helping?

I love this place.
I want to go there again.


And she hangs the castle.
Every time.



QUIT.

You wouldn't think Jack would need a ladder.... but he is AWESOME at the tall places.

These ornaments got tangled up.  Maybe if I pull real hard that would help.  
They probably won't BREAK.



Are you all mushy cause you think this is a sweet picture?
Well, stop.
Cause Max said, "Hey, Mary, pull my finger."
Do you know what happens when a 7th grade boy tells his baby sister to pull his finger?
I do.
QUIT.

But they do love each other.


This hat FINALLY made it to the top of the Christmas tree, but it had to be modeled first.




Getting a decent picture IS NOT EASY.


This is what happens when you tell her to say CHEESE!

This is what happens when you tell her to just sit there and be sweet.


Yes!  I think I got a good one!





Merry Christmas, folks!
Even if you're one of those "I can't put my tree up until I've had my turkey" people.  
We love you, too.
We just firmly believe that Thanksgiving decorations should look an awful lot like Christmas decorations!

Let the holidays BEGIN!




I think I forgot to mention Halloween.

Although we still aren't HUGE Halloween people over here, this year, we did have a grand time!
Here are a few snippets of what things looked like around here:

And just so you know, the boys hosted an "all nighter" in the basement on Halloween night, so there aren't any pictures of them...... or the very tired other people that were in our basement all night..... but we hear they had FUN.


Smile little LADYBUG!


























FALL FESTIVAL AT CHURCH WAS FUN!!!



Ring toss!



Duck pond!





Hey!  Ariel is here!

Cornhole!



Putt putt!





Basketball!


Hey!  Found my Jacker!

Jack and Max both helped out.  Awesome youths there.







Pony rides!







Picts with friends!

Cotton candy!


Popcorn!

Bowling!


Found Max!


Rides with Daddy!



Kinda fast rides.....

Hey... REALLY fast rides..... not sure about this, Dad.





M & Ms.... yeyyow......

bue......

onge.....

geeeennnn.....

Max took the ladybug to a few things.....



A brother who holds your pumpkin is a good brother.
Unless he's taking candy out of it.....








NEIGHBORHOOD HALLOWEEN PARADE.
Yes, PARADE.







First trick or treating house EVER.
Cause we were sickie last year and boycotted all the Halloween.



Score!



Now we just dig in ourselves.....








Whoppers!


She'll ring the doorbell......

...... and if you don't come fast enough, she'll peek in your windows to see what's taking you so long!



KitKat!

We love it when they just leave the whole bowl out on the porch!


REALLY fun Halloween!  
We might like it again now.