So, in April, we signed the tons of paperwork to start building a house. In August, they started digging a hole. And eventually a house came along.
Here's how it went....
December 14, 2011
Parker Carriage Parade
The last parade of the marching band season was right here in Parker. The Carriage Parade is a Parker Christmas tradition and it is so much fun to watch. Folks dress up their horses and ponies and dogs and march along Main Street. Of course, that does make it tricky for the bands... lots of little piles of *stuff* to avoid!
The highlight was the Legend Titan Marching Band. They certainly have a fabulous tuba section!
Turkey Day 2011
We had a simple Thanksgiving with just the four of us. And it was awesome!
Mike and I started the day with a 5k walk organized by our town. A ton of people turned out and almost everyone but us brought their dogs. This state loves pets!
Then we were home and it was time to get cooking. Mike took the lead on the turkey - thank goodness! After he finally found all the innards and gravy pack and instructions, he was so happy he did a little dance....
Jillian and Marisa both helped out with cooking. Marisa did the rolls and Jillian did bunches of everything else. She'll be ready to do her own feast by the time she's out on her own!
Later, Mike carved up his dancing partner and the feasting began. And it was a great meal!
And then later that night, we introduced the girls to the beginning of the 2011 Black Friday frenzy. They were pretty much dumbfounded and eager to go home!
December 11, 2011
Deer in the Yard!
Marisa and I came home from school one day to discover a couple deer enjoying the crabapple tree in the yard. We love our wildlife sightings!
Halloween 2011
Marisa came up with a unique costume idea this year - a Christmas tree! It was a real hit at school and while trick or treating.
Jillian held down the fort at home while Marisa went out with Daddy and I fetched Tutu from work. She went with a simple hobo look and Cassie became a ladybug. Cassie wanted to do her own trick or treating inside.
Jillian turns 14!
Jillian celebrated her 14th birthday with Karina, Pam and Makenna. After performing with the band at a football game, they had a sleepover and then went ice skating the next day. Good times!
Beautiful, Talented Teens
Jillian, Karina and Pam after the fall 8th grade band concert. They are so beautiful! And they make wonderful music....
Bridging from Brownie to Junior Girl Scout
Marisa is part of a great girl scout troop and this year all the girls "bridged" from Brownies to Juniors. Moving from one group to the other is a big deal and requires a ceremony, of course. Our troop leader made it super special by staging it on a bridge in our neighborhood. Here's our little Brownie...
Now she's bridging to Junior....
And now she's towering over her friends for the first Junior friendship circle...
Marisa's Limo to Lunch
Like every school in the country, our school relies on fundraising at the hands of our cute little kids. Much to my dismay, our school fundraiser is selling frozen cookie dough. It tastes terrible and is a big pain in the neck to store and transport. Such is the state of education in America!
But... Marisa managed to sell enough to earn the prize of riding a limo to lunch - thanks, Dad! The kids get super excited and can't wait for the big day to arrive.
I happened to be working that day and at the last minute we realized we were short one chaperon, so I ended up going along for the ride. It was every bit as loud and chaotic as I expected! But I got pictures, so it was pretty cool.
The lunch was at Pizza Hut and I was amazed at how many pizzas a group of 4th and 5th graders can throw down. Me, another mom and the principal were super busy making sure that all of them got their fill of pizza!
Race for the Cure
Even before breast cancer hit our family, we were big supporters of the Komen Race for the Cure. This year, we all signed up to participate in honor of my mom who kicked cancer's butt two years ago. Jillian had to skip out at the last minute because she was up past midnight the night before with band, but the other three of us made it. Marisa was really excited for the first few hundred feet, but then she was eager to get to the end. Five kilometers is soooo long!
