November +

I've been meaning to write about November for awhile now, it just seems like there is always something else, some excuse to not sit down and just write it all out. Part of the problem began with Keith leaving for a week to Minneapolis the first week of December when my intentions were strong, taking the laptop with all the uploaded pictures on it with him. So, hopefully my pregnant brain can come up with what maybe happened in November. :)

We decided to do something 'touristy'and go to the Mark Twain Caves--they were really interesting and VAST. They had so many crevices and pathways. There is a story about Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher being lost in there for days when their candle blew out. It was a possible hideout for Jesse James (at least his signature is in there, authenticated and all), and other crooks. At one point a doctor bought it to do some experiments like putting his daughter's (recently deceased in a tragic death) body down there believing the conditions to be perfect for preservation--turned out he was right, after a long time (maybe years) they made him take her body out. It was examined and determined that she had been deceased for only a few days.

 Large shelves of rock that you could climb on--the only place you could do that in the caves, but afterwards Savanna really wanted to continue to climb all over them.

 This was  a hole that you could "pay to send your child/parent" down for $1-3. After that announcement (a joke of course) Alex asked me for three dollars so he could put me in the hole.

Keith ran his first non-zombie themed 5K for the local Veterans Day celebration. He arrived too late to register and also too late to start with the group, but he ran it and passed up some people to boot. Not having run since his zombie 5K in late October and not having had anything to drink beyond the milk in his cereal--we were glad to see him standing at the end. The kids and I headed down after he left, but took a couple detours to see firetrucks that were getting ready for the parade that would follow the 5K. We also didn't know anything about the route except where it started and that it was through downtown on flat streets. So when I saw a runner who had obviously finished I asked him where the finish line was and he directed us back the way we had come, plus a few blocks further. Keith had finished not long before we arrived. Way to go us on moral support! :) But we headed off to watch the parade, which was small but still stocked up the kids' pockets with junk candy and made them much more excited than being pulled through downtown looking for Keith. 

Cooking breakfast with Daddy!

 Savanna found Keith's bump cap that he accidentally brought in one day. She was very excited to wear his hat.

 I had to take a picture of Alex's pumpkin before I threw it out--he 'carved' it with a spoon, using a stabbing/hacking motion.

 Alex REALLY loves the leaves!

 After Halloween sale at Walmart--werewolf  baby anyone?

 Picked roses from our bushes that I've been keeping trimmed up--they smelled SO good! And they were beautiful. They lasted longer than I expected too.

 Mid-November we headed out of town for a little vacation--we packed up the kids and took advantage of a groupon deal that took us to French Lick, Indiana. We decided if we were going that far for a night we might as well find something close to do and make the trip a little longer, so we also went to Louisville, Kentucky where we visited the Louisville Slugger museum and factory.

 Huge baseball bat--at least the top of it from the upper level parking garage.

 Sculpture that the kids had a lot of fun climbing all over.

 At the end of the factory tour they have souvenir baseball bats they give you. Savanna knew just what to do--she found a ball on a timeline and started trying to hit it.

 Alex was also very excited to get his bat!

 We took it over to the batting cages and let him hit some balls. He was just using the tee until a little boy about his age came in with his dad. The dad was pretty intense and the little boy looked like he was semi-pro...he'd tap the ground, give a little wiggle and get ready. He had the step and swing down. His dad kept getting after him about following through on his swing and made him do several practice swings when he wasn't doing it right. I laughed inside a little at it all, but then Alex wanted me to pitch to him too. He did impressively well.

 Once we got to our hotel we decided to take advantage of the 'extra's that came with the groupon which included a visit to Santa Claus in this old mansion. The kids got to decorate ornaments...

 put some candy on a HUGE gingerbread house (Savanna kept going back in to try and eat the candy back off of it)...

 and a ride on a very bumpy barrel train. Savanna was crying by the end since it went way beyond the area where she could see us and back. Plus being in the very back I think she got a bit more of the bumps than some.

The hotel was neat--it had an indoor water park attached to it that we played in the day we left. Instead of room keys we all got wrist bands that got us into our hotel rooms, into the water park, and breakfast in the morning. It was also a system to track down parents of lost children as they could scan the band and get your room info from it.

 We decided that despite a couple of invitations to join some friends for Thanksgiving that we would do it ourselves. The kids, as always, enjoyed playing in the flour from the rolls--it kept them busy for quite awhile.

 Our oven's bottom element busted sometime during the turkey baking--though luckily after it was done cooking. The rest of the food we cooked with a little creativity--between the microwave, the griddle, and the broiler we got it all cooked. It was delicious and we were very glad to have leftovers to ourselves! :) We did go to the neighbors for pie that night.

 Enjoying thighs together.

 Alex got a wing--and doesn't that face just make you laugh? It makes me laugh every time I see it! I don't remember what was so funny--but we caught him mid laugh! When we first had the turkey on the table, he really wanted Keith to "stab the ELEPHANT". Ha ha ha.

 Following my family's tradition we set up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Alex was SO excited and kept calling out, "Happy Christmas Dad!" "Happy Christmas Mom!" with enthusiasm the whole time!

 Our stockings are hung o'er the couch with care...

 And we were very glad to have extra space away from little hands to put all our nativities up.

 The first week of December Keith headed up to Minneapolis for some Corporate training--they call it HR University. It is not only for learning but also for networking and getting a chance to meet with various department members to try and get an idea of what direction you'd like to head in the company. Since they do individual development plans in January it makes pretty good timing. We missed Keith, but were glad for technology like Skype that allowed us to be able to see and talk to him--he even got to be with us for dinner one night. Savanna kept going to the computer throughout the day wanting to talk to Daddy. Luckily we also were kept very busy with activities in the branch that were going on that week. We had something almost every night that he was gone, and most days too. It made the time go more quickly for us all. We were sure glad to have him back though!

 Last Monday we decided to decorate gingerbread houses with the kids. I bought a kit that had a village so that we could all have our own little one to do. It worked out pretty well--Alex surprised us by very carefully covering his house with candy--not eating much along the way.

 Savanna couldn't wait to put the candy right into her mouth--and didn't mind the extra frosting to help wash it down.

 They didn't last more than five or ten minutes after they were decorated, but it was still fun. We went afterwards and delivered some caramel popcorn to some friends. It was a fun night.

Keith's work HR department Christmas party was last night--his co-worker who was in charge of it decided that she wanted to have a snowman cake to go along with the night. Apparently they see the home cooked leftovers that Keith brings into work and decided that I was a chef, so they asked if I would make a 3D snowman cake. Here is the result. I think it turned out pretty cute!  He did eventually get his pretzel arms put in and on the right you can kind of see his broom. I didn't want them to droop before the party and this was the day before.

So that's about all that comes to mind or that's been drudged up in memory for me by the pictures we took of the past month and a half.

I'm feeling a lot better these days and looking more and more pregnant. I'll be halfway through by the first of the year and we're looking forward to the ultrasound and seeing our little baby.
Keith is excited to have some time off for Christmas and to see what the new year brings at the plant.
The kids are growing so fast and are keeping us so entertained. Savanna has started growling the cutest growl. She cracks us up and she gets such a kick out of making us laugh. Alex has a fun sense of humor too--he will occasionally answer my telling him to do something with, "Yes, sir, Mommy, sir!" I don't know where he got that from but it cracks me up. Savanna has started the past couple of days wanting to play going potty in the toilet. She actually has gone a couple of times, mostly she likes stripping down naked and running in and out of the bathroom sitting for 1.2 seconds and coming out again. She is starting to tell me when she needs to poop or when she is poopy--it sounds like pook. Yucky pook. Bum. And when I change her she says, "Bye bye yucky poop".
Keith's parents sent a couple of packages recently and Alex found a box today full of packing peanuts. He opened the box and got really excited. With eyes lit up he declared, "we can play with these ALL OVER THE HOUSE!!!" and then proceeded to throw them up and over his head. He said it was a monster--he was right! He did happily help us clean them up. Those just might disappear tonight while he's sleeping! :)