Happy Thanksgiving

Evidence of a great Thanksgiving Day:

The smell of food baking in the oven for days on end (pies, sweet potatos, & mashed potatos were our contribution this year).

Muddy clothes from a fun turkey bowl-that is a football game for men in our church that they do every thanksgiving.

Dave getting a day off to do nothing but putter around his office. Organizing things from one pile to another-something he really loves! While Christmas music plays from the computer...


Thanksgiving crafts with the kids-see the pilgrim & Indian hats the girls made. Isabella insisted that "girl pilgrims that believe in Jesus have blue hats not white hats. If they wear white hats, that means they don't believe in Jesus" I know, funny right??

I am so thankful for my faith in the Lord, and my family, especially my children and husband, they are my treasures!

Windy City Wonderland

Dave invited me to go with him to a conference in Chicago last weekend. I was so excited, it has been a long time since we have been on a trip so we packed our things, and the baby and headed off to the windy city for a relaxing weekend. We stayed in a beautiful hotel right downtown and while he was busy teaching classes Benjers and I walked around and enjoyed the Christmas spirit, the freezing temperatures and the beautiful architecture. So fun!!

Ben after his first airplane ride, he did so good!!

Dave hooking us up with a shuttle to the hotel

Right around the corner from our hotel was this famous landmark...

Benjers is all bundled up for the cold, the temps were between 7 & 35 degrees depending on the time of day or night....so much colder than the mild Northwest!

A few blocks further on were these architectural gems

So beautiful!

After the conference we went to the Sears Tower to see the view. It is the 3rd tallest building in the world, and it swayed at the top because of the wind!!

Enjoying the city lights

The below building, the old water tower, was the only one left standing when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked it over and started the great Chicago fire!!

10 randoms on Tuesday

1. Isn't my girl a cutie in her new glasses. Savannah failed her school eye exam this year. She has always passed before and has had one every year while we were in the Army at her well child visit. But this year she failed & sure enough she has an astigmatism that needed to be addressed with glasses. We convinced her that they were a beautiful accessory to match her beautiful face. I've even been wearing my glasses around (a little bit) so she can see that they really do make you look cute (in a marion the librarian sort of way).

2.David sang a solo at the primary sacrament meeting program and did so well. He sang the 2nd verse of called to serve, all by himself and the children came in on the chorus and it sounded so wonderful. It really made my heart swell to see him sing that beautiful hymn and imagine the missionary he will be someday. He was so brave and did something that even I have a very difficult time doing as an adult.

3. I am staring at 4 loads of laundry that need to be put away and 4 more in the dryer...I really hate laundry but want to get it all done because Dave & I are headed (with baby) to Chicago on Friday. He has a conference and invited me to tag along (YEAH!) I've never been to Chicago and am so excited, plus this will settle this bug inside me that thinks I need to go on a trip every month and has been grossly neglected since we moved home from Germany.

4. Last week my mom invited all her daughters over for a fancy dinner & craft night. She is such a sweetheart, set the dining room table beautifully for us, with China & Silver and prepared a super fun craft for us to do. We laughed and visited and had fun away from the kids & husbands which is a must for all sisters to do every now and again.

5. Sometimes when you are crafting, you say things, that if taken out of context can sound really bad. It was like a bad version of that wedding shower game where everything you say as you are opening your gifts will be what you say on your wedding night...it started with "oh crap I forgot to wipe" and pretty much spiraled downard. To say that we were laughing is pretty much an understatement. But oh the loads of fun we had.

6. Dave is almost done with his 6th class for his MBA (out of 11). I know, you are all thinking "overachiever". He just loves to learn and be in school. But really this program has gotten a bit tedious and I think part of him is regretting doing it. But he is over 1/2 way so no turning back. When he is finished he will be Dave Keller, DDS, MAGD, ABGD, MBA...all he needs is an MD, MS & JD...just kidding...I think I would retire from supportive wifedom if he tried to pull any of those off!

7. At pre-school Isabella heard a story about a turkey who gets scared and runs away before thanksgiving. So she has taken the few turkeys I have for decoration and hid them...behind pictures, under blankets. It is so funny. She says they are hiding so we won't eat them.

8. Who else is excited for Thanksgiving? Besides all the delicious foods & pies (Cran-Apple, Pumpkin, Berry & Merenge) I get to meet a *maybe* future sister-in-law. Scott is bringing home his girlfriend Clarissa. And even though they are pretty secrative about *future plans* it is still exciting for us and I hope she isn't too nervous to meet our big loud family. We'll try not to scare her away! Unless of course we decide to vote her off the island-JUST KIDDING!

9. The kids are almost home from school-my favorite time of the day, chaotic with trying to do homework, cook dinner & practice piano but still wonderful to have them back home with me where they belong!

10. We raked leaves up in our yard on Saturday-only 1 bag instead of the 83 (NO LIE) that we had to rake up last fall & spring in Virginia, that's what I am thankful for today!

Picture Time:

The dining room all cleaned up from dinner

The kitchen in throes of good crafting

Always efficient, mom is putting away silver while we paint

Ben is tuckered out...

Some of the girls, minus Kelly who wasn't feeling good so went home early

Do you LOVE Rebecca's hats, she makes them and is setting up an etsy shop...I can't wait to get mine!

A pic from a few weeks ago, LaurieAnn & Benj tuckered out & sleeping on the couch

Shockingly Good Parenting

Ever stuck your finger in a light socket? Me neither....but both of my sons now have. David when he was 3 stuck a fork in a light socket to see what would happen (lights shorted out in the whole house), and last night Ben stuck his finger in a light socket.

Now, to show you that I am not a horrible horrible parent, I will explain that I DO have light socket protectors on the main floor where Ben plays, but since I don't let him roam free upstairs due to the landing and stairs being pretty steep I never put socket covers up there. Last night, Dave was consoling me. I had gotten my feelings hurt on Thursday and we have both been so busy I had hardly had time to talk to him. So when he got home at 6:30, I had been stewing all day so I needed some good talking time with him. We were still talking and letting Ben play around on the landing while we sat on the stairs and of course he crawled to the light socket - where we have a night light since our kids are afraid of the dark- and stuck his fingers right in. Poor baby just howled and howled and hugged his daddy.

So now that he is feeling better, my general question is...how do you get over hurt feelings without confronting the person and causing major confrontation and drama. (two things I HATE)

And since I can't post without pictures and I haven't loaded any from my camera, here are some old pictures I've been getting ready to scrapbook:

Our very first walk at our new house 2004 I've been missing these beucolic scenes as I walk through neighborhood subdivisions recently:

home again home again jiggity jig

A delicious 10 on Tuesday

Enjoying the big couches...
the fall weather...

and the fire...

in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

All the delicious things we've been doing today!!

1. Dave has Tuesdays off so he got up & made French Toast for the kids & I. So yummy with fresh marionberry syrup from Bi-Zi farms. Delish

2. It is raining off & on today, leaves blowing everywhere. I LOVE the Pacific Northwest and the rain. It makes me want to snuggle under a warm blanket & read a good book, with a warm cup of chocolate or cider. Delish

3. The kids & I cleaned the toyroom today. I love having a toyroom because I don't have to obsess about how messy the family room with with all their toys, but I also like to have it clean. We moved shelves around from the closet we had put them in, to out in the open so they will have to put things away instead of just throwing them into the closet & closing the door. Don't clean rooms just smell better...especially when you throw away a week's worth of fruit snack & string cheese wrappers, and put all the dirty socks in the laundry basket. I think I am going to buy a few yankee car jars to put in that room tomorrow. Then it will smell delicious.

4. Lasagne cooking in the oven for dinner-delicious.

5. Red & Yellow leaves blanketing our front yard, so deliciously pretty.

6. I am making Christmas stockings for Benjamin & Isabella and have been finishing them up today. We moved to Deutschland when Bella was 1 month old and I (stupidly) put my sewing machine in Army storage so just got it out last fall when we moved back. Bella had been using an old (not so cute) one that I had made a long time ago. So now they have little matching stockings, I just have to sew the bells on so they jingle prettily while the kids are relishing their treasures on Christmas morn. Jingley bells sound delicious!

7. The sound of the kids playing, girls in the toyroom playing "mall" and the boys playing x-box 350. Happy kids are delicious sounds to a mothers ears.

8. Benj is napping in my arms right now (yes I can hold a baby and still type 100 wpm), kissing his skin is (you know it) delightfully delicious (again and again).

9. I just finished folding 5 loads of laundry. I LOVE knowing that I don't HAVE to do laundry for at least another day. Warm feelings in my heart because that is truly my most tedious chore. (because it never ends) Delish.

10. Waiting for Dave to get home and give me a kiss-which he always does right when he walks in the door before he heads to the fridge for a little snackaroo. Doubley Delicious

PS. A Happy Veterans Day & big thank you to all those who have and are currently serving & their wonderful families. We Kellers love & appreciate all of you.

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I know, Twilight is such a mormon mommy fad, but I really am a fan & often get giddy inside when reading, like I am a teenager again. Yummy! But, alas, Dave & I will be in Chicago when the movie comes out so no going to the midnight showing with my sisters/mom/girlie-friends (And by girlie-friends, I also mean my two brothers who have read the books to please their wives). I told Dave he had to take me since if he didn't I would be the ONLY ONE who hadn't seen it and I would just DIE OF EMBARASSMENT if I had to go by myself after the fact and I would be SO out of the loop with all the inside jokes and giddie-ness when we got back. (Do you like how I added the teenager-ish drama to that last sentence-I thought it was particularly appropriate). After a few sighs of acknowledgement and grunts of manliness to make sure I knew this was a sacrifice on his part, he agreed that if I absolutely had to see the movie he would take me whilst we are in Chicago. YEAH!

I spoke too soon...

Germany, what a beautiful sight...alas those houses which are so quaint & cute have NO GARBAGE DISPOSALS...

Today my garbage disposal broke...what you hear is the sound of me silently sobbing...

And I have no landlord to call for a repair, only an uber busy husband who won't have free time until Sunday. Can you repair things on Sundays???

In other Keller news, David aka the pickiest eater on the planet actually ate his whole dinner tonight...

without complaint...

complimenting me on how good it was...

I know, I am freaking out too!

While the girls who usually are not as picky couldn't stomach even a few bites of the delicious spinach quiche. But that is probably because they were snacking on guacamole, chips & peaches while I baked, while David played x-box.

Sick babies & old happenings...

Ben has an ear infection...it started with him not wanting to eat at all on Wednesday. That is totally unusual for my kid who just can't get enough of regular food or nursing. But he didn't want to eat at all & was really fussy so I knew something was wrong. Sure enough, the dr confirmed my layman diagnosis of Ear infection. This is my first child who has ever had one of those-I know, I know, I am so lucky. A few doses of antibiotics and he is feeling so much better.

Here are a few pictures of events from our crazy week last week:

David in the 3,4&5th graders concert at school-it was all about our government & very cute!

Isabella's halloween pre-school concert. They sang 3 halloween songs with actions.

One of her pre-school friends moved over the weekend & she has been very sad.

More Doses of the Daily...Delightful Afternoons

Tongue Twisters for Titles are Teriffic!! Today we are back to chronicling our daily doings. I am just loving the alliterations right now. If you don't know what those are, it is when you use 2 or 3 words in a sentence that start with the same letter. Elder Maxwell was famous for them in his talks. Anyhoo, in trying to be a faithful journal writer/blogger I am back to chronicling the sometimes boring, often tedious goings on with our family. Today we are talking about AFTERNOONS...

You know that time between lunch & dinner...when you want to curl up and take a nap (oh wait that's just me)...

Some afternoons I am cleaning, and since cleaning outfits are definitely not cute day attire here at the Keller house due to my unfortunate tendency to spill things like bleach on my new cute day blouses, I am not going to post cleaning pictures. But you should definitely get inspired by Kjrsten on how to do things like clean and garden in your cute day clothes by going here.

Monday, Wednesday & Friday Afternoons are for Pre-school at Ms. Caroline's

And spending time at Grandma's (today was a 1/2 day so Savannah got to play with us...

Benners explores all the drawers full of fun at Grandma's

Mom finishes crafting her latest project with Grandma...

Or runs errands with just the Benners...

We hurry to pick up our littlest student from Recess

And race home to beat the bigger students before they get home off the bus...

Homework time (which I don't have pictures of because it isn't always a fun experience for us) and then our delightful afternoon is over...tune in tomorrow for terriffice evenings!