Giving Thanks

This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house with my family! We hosted in 2009 and I loved having everyone at my house, decorating for the occasion, and cooking. We switch every other year between Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family and Ryan's family.

I have to admit that I don't do all the cooking, my sister, Jennifer, came in the night before to be here to help cook first thing in the morning and my Aunt Danita made her "famous" corn and banana pudding (really just for Ryan).

I didn't take any pictures because I was busy cooking and getting everything ready but my Mom came through with a few.

I have a new addiction to pinterest.com and stole this idea from it. My didn't look exactly like the "professional" done one but the kids enjoyed helping and eating it.

One of three tables! (My personal favorite)

Taylor, Avery, and Kendall enjoying their meal at the kids table

Haley and Taylor

All the food turned out really good! The guys decided to fry a turkey at the last minute and assumed this position right after eating!

Watching football of course

We have a lot to be thankful for this year and it was really nice to spend the day with my amazing family!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

World Cup

This weekend was FILLED with soccer. We started with practice Friday night, then two soccer games on Saturday and another on Sunday!!! I'm tired just typing that.

Team Juve with Coach Craig

Backing up to Saturday, we lost one game and won one in overtime with penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are a killer. I swear the parents get more nervous than the kids, honestly I don't think the kids really know what they mean. We had to have all six players kick but JUVE won!!! Which meant back to the soccer fields the next day for the final World Cup game. Team Juve played a really good game but got out scored.

Taylor kicking her penalty kick

This season was lots of fun but I think it might be Taylor's last :( She loves playing in the games but doesn't like practicing and has made some remarks about not playing again. So we will see come spring. Either way she has made lots of improving over four seasons and had lots of fun.

Taylor with her trophy!

Thanksgiving Lunch

Thursday was the girls Thanksgiving lunch at school. My mom (Grams) surprised the girls by driving up to have lunch with them!

My little Pilgrim

Taylor and Grams

Kendall

(she was disappointed they didn't have pumpkin pie, she loves her some pumpkin pie)

Thanks Grams for making the trip, they were super surprised and happy!

Bowling with Miss A!

A few weeks ago at the girls fall festival I bid on "time with the teacher" for both girls. "Time with the teacher" is where the teacher donates time to go and do something fun with one student outside of school.

The Kinder team and their winners

Well some how I won the bid for both girls!

Taylor had her "time with the teacher" last week. They met after school one day at Main Event to do some bowling. Kendall had gymnastics the same day so I dropped her off and Ryan picked her up. Miss A was sweet enough to send me some pictures of their time bowling.

Taylor and Miss A

Taylor LOVES going to school and LOVES her teacher. We have been really blessed with fabulous teachers this year.

Taylor bowling, she said she won (but I don't really know).

Game Time

Last Saturday was Baylor homecoming so we headed north for the day!

Our first stop was the Bear Pit to visit Joy and Lady.

Not the best picture but you can see one of the bears in the middle.

After grabbing some lunch at Crickett's we headed to the stadium to watch the players come off the bus, the girls peaking in.

Taylor insisted on wearing her cheerleading outfit even though it was cool.

They got to meet and talk to some of the pom squad. The girls were super shy and would hardly talk to them but LOVED to watch them.

We played around in Touchdown Alley.

Jumped on a few bounce houses and they got their face painted!

Got their picture taken with the Bear

and with the cheerleaders!!!

Taylor's favorite

Did a little tailgating (way different style than in college but still lots of fun).

We saw some of our good friends (and my old room mate from college) from here in town.

Group pic

Literally the kids tailgating!! Sic 'em

Miss F, Kendall, Mr D, and Taylor

Finally we were off to watch the game, Ryan and the girls.

Family picture after the Bears beat Missouri!!!

The girls were awesome the WHOLE game.

Kendall really got in to the game, the score and watched (and commented) the entire time. Taylor was more interested in the dancers and cheerleaders but both were troopers and never complained at all. The game wasn't over till around 10 (way pass their bedtime) and were fast asleep not to long after we got on the road. I think we might have some future Bears on our hands and some really expensive college tuition!!!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween from Ariel (Taylor) and The Wizard (Kendall)

The girls had a great time running from house to house collecting candy, seeing a bunch of friends along the way, and checking out all the different coustumes!

After we had made the round in our neighborhood we headed back to the house to sort out candy and to hand out candy to trick or treaters (the girls loved doing this).

Batman and Robin (our neighbors who the girls adore) were some of our customers!

Robin was on the move to the next house

Mimi and Poppy were in town to help celebrate

Mimi and Poppy came in on Sunday and joined us for church and then some super yummy lunch at the County Line!

Mimi and the girls

Poppy took the girls out back to feed the turtles, but they were more interested in sunbathing (it was beautiful day) than eating.

But there was a HUGE fish (not sure what kind) swimming around that was interested in eating!

The girls checking everything out

Our Own Jack o lantern

We now have our own jack o lantern!

Taylor lost her left front tooth not to long ago and then pulled the right front tooth out the other night before going to bed. IT WAS GROSS and I couldn't not watch her. So much for having teeth for family pictures next week :(

Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins

Friday was a busy day for the Gillenwater house. First, it was Pumpkin Math with Dads! This year Ryan was in town so he got in on the fun.

They started by weighing, measuring, estimating, and counting the seeds and then more on to the fun stuff.

Taylor concentrating on drawing her pumpkin out

Taylor with her finished product, yes that is a witch also on the side. What you can't see there is a cat on one side, a ghost on another side, a witch on one side, and a jack o lantern on the other. There is more carved out than actual pumpkin left! Ryan said he let her do what she wanted and that is what she wanted.

Ryan and Ta

Her pumpkin all lit up

While Daddy and Taylor were doing Pumpkin Math Kendall and I were on our way to Sweet Berry Farms with the first grade!

It was cold!

Kendall and I on the hayride

We got to do the maze (which we got lost in), paint pumpkins

have pumpkin wagon races,

and pick and dye corn. The kids had a great time and they kept them busy and active.

Kendall's class