November 2016

November has already come and gone!  It flew by! 

The weather at the beginning of the month was very pleasant, although it has cooled off now...so many of our pictures are of the kids in shorts which seems so odd for November.

All of the kids continue to be so, so, so sweet with Clayton.  When I catch these little moments happening, sometimes I'll grab the camera to snap a quick picture.  These are the moments I love the most.

At the end of October, we visited Dollywood and Nora Kate met The Chicken Lady.  So numerous times this month Nora Kate could be found running around with the banjo just like this strumming it singing songs about chickens.  Then saying the Chicken Lady's signature line "Chicken Blessings!" HAHA!!!

One weekend in November our good friends the Whites drove over from Asheville to spend the weekend at our house.  We had AN AMAZING weekend getting to hang out with them.  I love how can pick right back up where we left off, and they're so fun to be around!  While they were in town we went to the UT Homecoming game.  Until this point I had only ever left Clayton 2 times I think-I mean with anyone-even John.  And the two times I had left him were for quick dentist appointments.  Clayton doesn't really take a bottle, and I honestly just have a hard time leaving our sweet little baby-so I just don't.  I was nervous about leaving him for so long while we were at the football game, but John's parents kept the three big kids and my parents kept Clayton and he did really, really well!  It was not only a fun weekend being around Josh and Cassandra, but also going back to campus!  Unfortunately I some how managed to get exactly ZERO pictures of us with the Whites, but we did get this picture of me and John in front of the fraternity house!

Before the game we made a stop at another tailgate to see a bunch of my Sigma Kappa sisters including my big sis!  SO FUN!

In November was Mamaw's first birthday in heaven, and since Lolly wasn't giving Mamaw any gifts this year she wanted to get something for the kids to enjoy-so she gave us a membership to the Muse!  SO SO SO excited.  So we celebrated and went to the muse one day!  We had a membership a couple of years ago, and we loved it!  So we are really excited to be able to go on a regular basis again for the next year!

They have added so many new and fun things!

In November Dawson completed the 100 Book Challenge for school!  He has now read 100 books since the beginning of school.  He was so, so, so excited.  Here he is with his list!

Clayton's sweet teeth.

Dawson had said all along that when he got 100 books he wanted a party.  Word made it to his Nana who delivered a cake and balloons for this party.

The other request for the 100 book party was to play pie face.  The kids love this game--especially when I get pied!

Nora Kate loves to climb in Clayton's crib and snuggle him when we go in his room in the morning.  Clayton loves it too.

This girl LOVES playing doll house!

While Dawson is an old pro at the mall trampoline jump, Carter and Nora Kate have never done it before.  So one Friday evening we went and let all three kids jump-they loved it!

The next day John took the boys to the Tennessee football game!!  This was Dawson and Carter's first real football game (other than the orange and white game).  They were SO SO SO excited!  Above they're in front of the rock.

Ready for the game to start!

Meanwhile Nora Kate, Clayton, and I headed to the mall for shopping and lunch.  Nora Kate said she wanted to try meat and rice at the mall, so she did.  She said it made her feel grown up.  Sweet girl.

No trip to the mall is complete without stopping by Claire's for "fancies."

In Claire's and in Target shopping during our girls time, there were troll toys everywhere!  Luckily my parents had saved ALL of these trolls from when I was little.  We got home and I got them out for her.  She loves it!

Meanwhile the boys were still loving their first UT Game!

And NK was thrilled because she got to take her first bath with Clayton!

I REACH Family Night at Dawson's school.

On Mamaw's birthday I sewed one of her old shirts into a throw pillow.

Then I used my vinyl machine to trace her handwriting off a birthday card she gave me that I had saved and pressed the vinyl onto the pillow so it has her handwriting on the back.  

November was a really odd month with fires-there were lots of forrest fires in the mountains.  It was smokey for days at a time in our neighborhood.  Lots of days the kids couldn't go out on the playground at school due to the smoke.  Two different nights from our upstairs windows we could see the orange glow of the fires.  This particular picture was when the Walland fire started.  This was taken from our driveway, and although it looks like a cloud it's actually smoke.

Carter and I decorated these fruit cups to look like friendly turkeys for his preschool class.  He was excited-can you tell?!

Sometimes you just want your picture taken because you know you look cute!

Why are these pictures so out of order?!

On Mamaw's birthday, I had let Nora Kate (since Mamaw is her namesake) pick out some flowers she thought were really pretty.  She, of course, picked pink (pictured on the left).  Although I did not explain the whole concept to her, I told her we were putting these here because we loved Mamaw.  She was content with this explanation.  (Also, in this picture you can see the smoke from the fires!)

It was so smokey for numerous days around town due to the fires!

In fact, Dawson was supposed to have his first ever school field trip where they took a bus BUT it was supposed to be to Cades Cove and it got canceled due to the fires and smoke.  John had planned to take a vacation day and go with him. Well, after the fires had gotten a little bit more under control, John took him one weekend to the mountains for some time.  They both enjoyed it!

It cooled off and we had LOTS of fires! The kids love having fires and sitting by them in the living room.  

We had had a crazy, crazy busy day.  I was attempting to get dinner together.  Everyone was playing, and Clayton was rolling everywhere.  I sat him in the kitchen floor so I could get dinner started with ONE, yes just one, saltine.  I turned back around just seconds later to see this giant mess...and giant smile.  He seemed pretty proud of himself!

Thanksgiving shirts I made the kids

Our Thanksgiving Blessings

Thanksgiving 2016

We celebrated with family at Arlene and Wayne's house for lunch and Nana and Grandad's house for dinner.

This year Uncle Logan's birthday fell on Thanksgiving...so we celebrated that too!

Cousin Zoe and Clayton on Thanksgiving.

The day after Thanksgiving we made our annual trip to the Fantasy of Trees.  This is always so much fun!

Then the next day was my birthday! I had the best birthday just playing with the kids and being with family.  What do you want for your birthday when you turn 31?! A treadmill!  I have been running outside since May, but it's been so cold, dark, and dreary after the kids go to bed (my running time) that I haven't been able to run much since October-so I was THRILLED to get a treadmill!

Even though I usually do not like to put our decorations up until December, I guess I was feeling a little soft and we started decorating the next day after church! The kids were thrilled!

Our new ornament for 2016.  

And the kids' fantasy of tree ornaments for 2016...