Christmas # 3, 4, 5 and 6

Christmas #3 was spent with Aunt Jane and Uncle Ron during the afternoon on Christmas Eve. We had a nice time visiting and eating a light lunch. The kids got to each open a few gifts. Later that evening we traveled to Holmdel, NJ to visit Uncle Tom and Aunt Kathy for Christmas #4. Millie and Josie enjoyed making a gumdrop tree and decorating a Gingerbread house before opening some gifts. Millie's favorite gift was a ladybug that lights up her whole room with the moon and stars. She uses it every night and loves it. On actual Christmas Day we celebrated #5 with Millie's Gram Crackers, Pop, Uncle Jim, Aunt Sheryl, cousins Jimmy and Josie, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matt. We opened gifts for a while and then had breakfast. A few hours later we finished opening gifts and played with the kids and their toys and had a nice Christmas dinner. It was nice to stay home all day and relax. Millie got a doll Kaitlyn. She had asked Santa for her and he delivered! Christmas #6 was two days later up in Connecticut with the Dunwoody family. Millie loved playing with Annalise and Josie and singing Karaoke into a real microphone with Josie.

Trying to get a cute picture of Millie and Josie
the night we arrived. Pop jumped into the photo!

The second attempt. Just lots of silliness.

The stocking we all hung with lots of care. Mom got to
see all of her hard work in one spot!
All the stockings together for the first time.
Now she just needs to make one for herself and Dad.

All dressed up on Christmas Eve.

Millie and Josie holding hands again. They held hand almost the entire trip.

Opening a gift from Aunt Sarah.

Mama got a new coat!

Dad singing Karaoke. I was shocked and had to get a picture!

Millie with Annalise and Josie.

Singing Karaoke at Dunwoody Christmas.

Christmas # 1 and #2

We began our Christmas celebration this year with Millie's grandfather Pon Pon down in Byesville, Ohio. We had some family photos taken of everyone, exchanged gifts and Becky prepared a fantastic meal. It was really nice to all be together. Our second Christmas celebration was later that day in Barnesville, Ohio with all of the Carpenter family. Millie enjoyed playing with all the cousins big and small. She loved the dress up clothes she got as a gift. Millie was not afraid to join in on the wrestling and played with some magnet dress up dolls with Abby and Cali. She really enjoyed herself and we enjoyed getting to catch up with everyone.

Swim Lessons

Millie took swim lessons again in October and November for six weeks. She really enjoyed it and this was the last time that Mama would have to get in the water with Millie for her lessons. Millie graduated from the parent assisted class to the beginner independent class. This makes Mama very happy! Millie can float on her back with assistance for a long time now and also she can go underwater and bob up and down without holding her nose. She loves to swim underwater and the instructors try to keep Millie on top of the water instead of completely under water. She sometimes jumps into the water from the edge of the pool. Occasionally she is too scared to do it. Here are some photos of our little fishy.

Wearing her goggles.

Taking a break.

Getting in the water.

Halloween

This year Millie had a blast at Halloween. Millie was two different fairies. For school she dressed up in a Tinkerbell fairy costume that she has had for a while. She looked really cute. I went to the party at school. She got to parade around the school and watch all the other kids K-4 march in the parade. After that she got to play games, do a craft and have a special snack. In the evening I took her to the next town north Hudson. She got to go trick-or-treat at the local businesses. It was a little crazy with LOTS of people, but she enjoyed herself immensely. She was the only kid to stop and talk with each person that gave her a treat. She was very interested in talking to each of them. The next day we took a trip to visit Uncle Jim, Aunt Sheryl and cousins Jimmy and Josie in Chicago. We carved pumpkins and did trick-or-treat the next day on actual Halloween day. Aunt Sheryl made Millie a beautiful Rosetta fairy costume and her cousin Josie had a matching Tinkerbell costume. Aunt Sheryl was "mother nature" and Millie LOVED it. She had a blast. We all had to wear coats outside. It was pretty chilly, but we all had a great time.

Dussel Farm

In October we went down to Brimfield to Dussel Farm for some pumpkin picking. They had a lot for little kids to do there. Millie especially enjoyed the kid's "corn" maze. It was not made of corn though, but she really enjoyed all the blow up characters and trying to find her way out. They also had a full size bus filled with all sort of very scary Halloween ghosts and goblins. It didn't seem to phase Millie. I don't think she understood that they were supposed to be scary. We went on and off quickly because I don't like any of the "scary" of Halloween and just enjoy the harvest of the fall. We will skip the bus next year. We bought some local honey in addition to the pumpkin we let Millie choose. She really enjoyed it.

Fun at Maize Valley

Also in the middle of October we went to the Church Family Retreat followed by some fun at Maize Vally Farm. At the retreat Millie and I got to take a paddle boat ride and watch some friends do the climbing wall and zip line. I had to convince Millie that she should wait until next year to try the climbing wall. So, at Maize Valley there were lots of activities for her to enjoy. Here are just a couple of pictures of some fun things we did. Millie loved climbing on the super huge towers of hay, taking a kids tractor ride, racing ducks, watching pumpkins being shot out of a cannon, pig races and a hay ride. We followed up this fun with a meal at the Hartville Kitchen with some friends.