The Golden Compass

I feel that I should make a note about the new movie, "The Golden Compass." Mandy was recently invited to a birthday party where the girls were going to spend the afternoon watching this. The movie looks exciting and has some wonderful actors and actresses in it, but I am not fooled. Neither was Mandy. She told me that "she did not want to see a movie that had anything to do with hating God." I was really proud of her. She and I both love movies and I will use any reason to slip off for a few hours of entertainment and popcorn! We even had free passes given to us but we are not interested. Anyway, please research this movie if you do feel compelled to see it. The author of the books hates God and the final book in his trilogy is about children killing the Lord. Chilling, huh?

Thanksgiving in Tennessee

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Franklin, Tennessee with Grandma, Ba and Auntie Amy. We had a great time being silly together while we shopped, ate, geo-cached, swam, took pictures and celebrated Mandy and Katie's birthdays! Whenever we get together I end up laughing so hard that my sides ache!:-) We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at Mere Bulles. Grandma and Ba drove through the night and finally got to sleep around 7:30 am. They are amazing! I'm surprised they could keep a conversation going. Aunt Amy told us about the gas station where they stopped with the hanging doll and animal heads. Road travel is definitely an adventure. I could almost hear the scary music playing in the background...

We got to meet Amy's new boyfriend on the trip because he was spending time with his parents in Nashville. His name is Michael and he seems like a very nice guy. He seems to really care about Amy and that really impressed me. Only the best for my sister!

We celebrated the girls' birthdays at Lillie Belle's Tea House- our favorite! If you ever are in Franklin you MUST stop there! It is the sweetest old house with lots of history and charm. They serve tea and wonderful food with genuine hospitality. We stayed for quite a long time and did not want to leave. Mandy had blueberry tea that smelled heavenly and we also enjoyed Earl Grey and Darjeeling. It was raining and cold but it only added to the charm.

Where will our next adventure be!:-)

Merry Christmas!

Katie is Big 5!

Somehow, time has raced by and Katie is now 5 years old. She is thrilled about this, let me tell you! She tells me that she can do so many things now. On the other hand, she is a bit hesitant to get older. One night while we were snuggling, she told me that she wanted to stay 4 years old because "you can't take baths when you get bigger." I told her that even grown-ups like to take baths, so she needn't worry. Ahh, the worries of a child- so innocent.

Katie celebrated her birthday at Chuck E. Cheese this year. She and her buddies had a blast! It's amazing how much fun kids can have with over 500 tokens! Katie was not thrilled about Chuck E. Cheese, the mouse, showing up, though. In fact, most of her other friends were scared of him, too! I did not anticipate this, so poor Chuck E. had to keep his distance. I guess you never know... Katie and her friend, Ella, loved the simulation roller coaster ride and road it over and over and over. It would have made me ill, so I just took pictures. Everyone has to fight their own battles, I suppose. Giant mice or roller coasters- choose your poison!

Happy Autumn!

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Leaf Family

This is the perfect time of year to read "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert. It is a charming book about shapes that can be seen (men, fish, cats, etc.) in the autumn when the leaves fall. The girls and I collected leaves, acorns, and feathers at the park today so that we could make our own leaf family. Katie made a Mommy leaf, a Baby Leaf and a Big Sister (10 years old) Leaf, as well as a Ladybug Leaf! Mandy made Big Sister and Little Sister Leaves. We also made the Apple Muffin recipe today that was written in the book "Apple Annie"- another fun book! Try to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather and scenery before the cold weather comes!:-)

Felicity and the 50's Girl

After much deliberation, my girls decided to be Felicity (from the American Girls) and a 50's Girl this year. Halloween is so fun, with costumes to be chosen, candy to be eaten and decorations to be displayed. Katie counted down the days all month! We spent Halloween night trick or treating with friends. Mandy and Katie's friends Becca, Melissa, Rachel and Ella came to our house and then the fun really started! What a cute group of girls!

This year I was surprised to find that many of our friends do not share our joy of Halloween. It made me do some soul searching. Was I teaching my girls the wrong things? I have to admit that there are definitely some negative parts. I started to whisper the word "Halloween" and was embarassed to talk about costumes and such. I am always concerned that I will offend someone. But then I decided that I just had to get over that! We are in it for the dressing up fun, the pumpkin carving, and the CANDY!! No problems there.:-)