Last year we went to the All Soul's Procession at the beginning of November and were hooked. We decided to make attending the procession a family tradition. This year we had another enjoyable evening dressing up, tailgating, and watching the procession.
We start gearing up for the procession by coloring sugar skulls, making Pan de Muerto, reading books about Dia de los Muertos, and watching movies like Book of Life and Coco. Lillian and Freya enjoy the festivities and as they grow older I hope the tradition helps them learn the importance of remembering those we love.
Next on our list of fun was the Pecan Festival. Our neighborhood is surrounded by the largest irrigated pecan orchard in the world and every fall the owners put on the Pecan Festival. There is free homemade ice cream, tractor races, roping, harvesting demonstrations, and more. It makes for a fun Saturday.
A very long exhausting soccer season came to an end mid month. Lillian and Freya both did well and had fun but were burned out! Practice four nights a week = going to bed an hour late four nights a week = lots of tears ALL DAY LONG. We needed more than a few nights of sleep to recuperate.
Freya did a lot of walking over the course of the season but she had moments where she shone. She is so tiny I think she gets discouraged when she can't run as fast as the other kids. In the picture below you can see just how big some of the other kids are!
During one of our last games Josh came to visit the kids in his fire truck. It made for a great distraction during a break between games.
The kids finished the season with a pizza party at Peter Piper Pizza where they were awarded their pirate trophies. Both girls learned a lot. I hope the experience taught them they can accomplish a great deal with hard work.
Ever since my mom, sister, and step-dad moved north I dread the holiday season. I miss my family terribly all the time but even this time of year. This year Josh had to work on Thanksgiving so I decided to go on a quick trip to visit them. We usually drive up, which takes 14 hours, so my girls were thrilled to fly this time around. Herding two little kids, carrying two car seats, wheeling two suitcases, and keeping track of three backpacks is the equivalent of running a marathon, I swear. The girls were fantastic and Lillian was a big help. We made it safely and were happy to be with people we love.
Our days there flew by! Every second was filled with worm hunting,
crafts,
guinea pig carrying (do you see Miss Poppins in that purse?),
playing with cousins,
reading with Nona,
and of course, the main event, Thanksgiving dinner. Lillian added her own twist to the meal by making us chocolate covered strawberries.
All three of us were sad to go. My heart always breaks when we leave, not only for myself but for my girls. Lillian cries like the world is ending when we have to say goodbye. I tell her, and myself, that we can always come back. It isn't goodbye forever.
Right when we got home from Utah we started jazzing up the house and yard in anticipation of Christmas! Since it doesn't get very cold here we really have to work hard to get in the spirit of Christmas. That may seem strange but Christmas doesn't really feel like Christmas when you are wearing flip flops and sweating, you know?
Sandwiched in between all the big events in November we had other fun moments and memories. Lillian won an award for knowing all her quarter one sight words and all the letter sounds in the alphabet. This was a proud moment for her. All day kindergarten has been a real struggle for her, for all of us really, and this gave her an incentive to keep going.
Freya is also working hard at "school". She likes to do little projects and worksheets during the day so she has something to show Lillian when Lillian gets home. They like to compare work while we eat dinner.
Lillian brought home a project before Thanksgiving that was REALLY fun. We enjoyed working together as a family to be creative. She had to disguise this turkey so he wouldn't get eaten on Thanksgiving. I love how it turned out. She definitely had the best turkey!
Our boy Oliver turned one on November 17th. He is a hoot! He loves to be outside sniffing or laying in a patch of sunlight. He can run the legs off of other dogs and enjoys playing fetch. He is a snuggle bug, always wanting to be right next to you or on you. He burrows under the covers at night and is the perfect foot warmer. I hope he is with us for many more years.
He loves his girls
and they love him.
We always laugh at his big bat ears. Lillian's depiction of him here made me laugh out loud!
Like Lillian, I too am thankful for pets and family. They bring my life joy and remind me what my purpose is here on earth.
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