Daniel's 5th Birthday Party

On December 12th Daniel turned 5! This year we decided to do a friends birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo (a huge warehouse with bouncy houses).

Ashley brought donuts to Daniel's morning preschool for his birthday. Here his class is singing Happy Birthday to him.

Daniel at Kangaroo Zoo. It's an awesome place with about 20 huge bouncy houses. The kids just run around and go crazy!

Nathan and Daniel's friend Jason

Elizabeth 7 months

Daniel with his best friend Jonny.

After an hour of jumping the kids were worn out!

Ashley's brother Stephan came with his boys.

After jumping, we took the kids home to our house for pizza, cake and opening presents.

Thanksgiving 2008

On Thanksgiving Morning we woke up and made a gingerbread house while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We made quite the beautiful gingerbread house

Nathan was more interested in eating the gingerbread house than putting it together.

We were lucky enough to have two Thanksgiving dinners this year. We started off at Ashley's parents house and then finished at Dave's sister Linda's house that evening.

Ashley's Mom

Ashley's brother Stephan

Carina, Stephan's wife

Daniel having fun at Mimi's

Stephan holding his new 3 week old baby Siena

Elizabeth

Barrett admiring his new baby sister

Dave's sister Linda with Elizabeth

Uncle Brad with the neices and nephews

Enjoying Thanksgiving dinner

On Black Friday Ashley took the boys to the University Mall in Orem to see Santa arrive from a helicopter in the sky.

There was a lot of waiting around for Santa to arrive, but it was very exciting for the boys.

Fall

Things have been a little bit crazy in our lives lately, between Ashley's Young Womens group having Evening of Excellence night, Nathan's starting Joy School and Dave's busy work schedule. In his free time, Dave's been tiling and painting our bathrooms that are all torn up inside our house.

Daniel just LOVES his baby sister

Having fun on the floor

Elizabeth 6 months

The new facade of our house after putting on a new roof and new windows.

Nathan is such a little dare devil on this bike!

Halloween

The boys were very excited to go trick-o-treating! They could hardly stand to wait until the evening to go. Of course, as we were getting ready, Daniel couldn't find his penguin pants. So, we were frantically searching to house to find them! Thankfully we did.

Ashley had to get Elizabeth a feminine Halloween costume. It is so much fun having a girl.

Ashley got these costumes from Gymboree. She originally let Daniel choose the penguin costume and bought Nathan a monster costume. But, when she got home, Nathan was afraid of his and would scream whenever he saw it. So, she took him back to the store and he chose a penguin costume too. They had fun being matchies. "Cute Penguins" as Nathan says.

Our family, getting ready to head our trick-o-treating.

Pumpkinland!

Last Saturday, we visited one of our favorite places: Pumpkinland! The kids love running through the little corn maze that is designed for young children. They actually changed it this year, so it took us awhile to find out way out! We brought Daniel's friend Mady along for the day.

They loved all the colors and shapes of the ghords and dried corn on the cob.

Nathan was really into the fun this year. He loved it all!

Trip to the Visit Grandma

Last weekend, Daniel and Ashley took a special trip to the East Coast to visit Ashley's brother Dane and her Grandma Lil. Daniel was VERY excited to go on an airplane and stay in a hotel.

Dane is currently working on a project for Bank of America in Providence, RI. So, we got to stay in his amazing hotel for a night. It was so much fun. Daniel loved the indoor pool.

Dane was such a great host to us-- driving us around in his car, treating us to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, letting us stay in his hotel. We had a great time with him.

On Saturday we spent the day in New York City and went to the top of the Empire State Building.

Here we are on the lookout of the 86th floor.

Daniel got a little tired from walking from the Empire State building to FAO Schwartz (by Central Park). So, Dane tried to put him on his shoulders, but Daniel freaked out. (Dane is pretty tall)

On Saturday night we went to see Grandma Lil and Uncle Ted in New Jersey. Aunt Thelma is also pictured. Ashley's Grandma is 89 and not doing that well.

Uncle Ted and Kathy

The house Ashley grew up in New Canaan, CT

Ashley was a few weeks early to truly see all the New England fall Colors. But, some of the trees were starting to change here and there...

Waveny Castle

Daniel and Dane went for a run around Waveny. We had a long drive from New Jersey to Rhode Island, so it was nice to stretch

Daniel loved Dane's new Subaru car keys. The remote had buttons that were different colors, which were a big deal to him. Daniel is still semi-obsessed with keys.

Which is how he got a tour of the cockpit of our airplane. He asked the pilot if he used keys to fly the airplane (he said no) and invited Daniel inside to show him how a plane works...