Christmas Time!

It's December and that means CHRISTMAS!  We've been busy decorating and getting in the Christmas spirit!

Saturday we went to the Christmas tree farm and picked out the Flusche Family Christmas Tree!  Ben has recently watched National Lampoon Christmas Vacation so he reenacted the movie for us on the drive to the farm, there, and back.... he cracks us up!!!
It has been so warm here lately!  So we picked out or tree in short sleeves.  The kids had fun being silly and taking pictures.

Monday night was one of my favorite Christmas activites!  Ben's schools Christmas Concert!  I love it! Every grade sings songs and puts on a play of the birth of Jesus.  

1st grade thru 6th grade sung carols from around the world.  It was really neat to hear the kids sing in all of the different languages.  Ben wouldn't let me take a picture of him :( I was so jealous of all of the moms who were getting pictures of their kids by the pretty Christmas tree-haha!  BOYS!

Now it's time for a visit to Santa... not the either one of my kids will sit on Santa's lap.  We also have to make our gingerbread houses, and do some baking!  HO HO HO!!!

Courage

Ben received Student Of The Month today for the character trait of COURAGE.
We are so proud of him!  Ben is such an amazing kid!
Ben's teacher didn't say why he was recognized for the character trait of courage.   I think it was because of his performance in the Thanksgiving play.  Ben hates to have all of the attention on him or be made a fuss over!  But he got on the stage for the play and said all of his lines correctly and clearly.  We were all so proud of him and just amazed by him!  It was a lot of lines to remember and a lot of people watching him!
Ben is doing so wonderful in 1st grade and I love that he has great teacher that challenges him.  I love that Ben was recognized for COURAGE!  Maybe now he will see just how courageous he can be!

Receiving his certificate from Mr. Staggers.

Wanting me to stop taking his picture-haha!

AMAZING BOY!

My crazy babies! LOVE THEM!

1st Grade Thanksgiving Play

Today was Ben's Thanksgiving play at school.  1st grade does the play every year during elementary chapel.
The kids and Mrs. Madden have been working so hard and today they proved that!  They all did an amazing job!!!
Ben was a "contemperary boy" and then later in the play a pilgrim.  Ben and his friend basically were kids from today thinking back on the first Thanksgiving.  Ben was excited about getting to wear the wireless mic on his shirt-haha!  He did so good!!!!  We were all so proud of him!
After the play the parents and grandparents are invited to a "feast".  The kids really liked that!
We really enjoyed watching our little actor today!

"contemporary boys"

saying their lines!

watching for the indians.

PILGRIMS!

Indian Gage and Pilgrim Ben

Reese and her Gigi

yummy treats at the Thanksgiving feast!

15 Months And Non Stop

Reese is now 15 months old!  She's getting too big... too fast.  I want both of my babies to SLOW DOWN!
Reese is 32" tall and she weighs 25lbs.  She is in the 90th percentile on the growth charts.
Reese wears a size 5 diaper. She is in 18month clothes.  Her shoes are size 5's.  Her hair is growing and is staying a beautiful brown.  Oh and those big brown eyes! LOVE THEM!
Reese still doesn't say much.  She says "Dada" ALOT. She calls her brother "Du", which is her way of saying Bubba I guess-ha!  Reese will say juice, dog, truck, and nah-nah (which is No No).

Her Daddy says she doesn't need to talk because she expresses herself in dance-heehee!  Our little ball of energy loves to dance!!!  Reese loves playing with her big brother!  They wrestle, chase each other around, and dance all over.  They are so sweet together!  

She loves anything girly!  Bracelets, necklaces, and purses are her favorite. She loves all thing blingy and pretty!

Reese is so fun!  We love her so much and all enjoy her so much :)

pigtail sweetness!

pestering bubba!

playing with Gigi at Bubba's soccer game.

A Skeleton and A Black Cat

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
This year Ben was a skeleton.  He wanted to be something scary and a skeleton is what we agreed on... after a fight!  I wasn't taking him trick or treating in anything I was scared to look at!
Reese was a little black cat.  Cutest little thing EVER!
So we headed to cousin Landon's for some fun!  We love trick or treating with them because the kids have so much fun!

sweet little trick or treaters!

her little tail was the cutest thing!

Macee was Rapunzel.  Love these two sweet girls! 

she wiped her nose and whiskers off :(

boo!  

ready to get candy!

a little treat!

hitchin' a ride!

The BIG red bowl is the candy Ben likes. The white bowl is what he doesn't like.  CANDY CRAZY!

Pumpkin Pickers

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch today... finally!  Everyone keeps getting sick or it's been raining so we finally had a nice day to go.  I spent the morning at the Urgent Care with Reese because she has a bad cold :( But we went to the patch just for a little while.... pretty much so I could get a couple pictures of the kids-ha!  Oh and so Ben could get the biggest pumpkin there!

Here is Ben's picks!  One for him & one for Daddy!  Ben cleaned his pumpkin out and then the neighbor kids came over.  So Matt was left to do the rest by himself :)  I tried to get a good picture of the pumpkins carved but couldn't.  

I also found this really cool pumpkin idea on Pinterest so Matt made it.  He used a "Funkin" so we could use it every year.  It turned out really cool!

Matt and Ben also made the front porch really spooky this year!  The scary blue lights look really neat!

Shepherd's Cross

Today was the first field trip of the year!  All of the 1st graders loaded up and caravanned to a beautiful working farm called Shepherd's Cross.  

The farm has an annual Shepherd's Pumpkin Festival.  The kids played fun games, were able to pet animals, go thru the hay maze, see pumpkins growing on the vine, and take a hay ride around the farm.  

The kids had a blast!  

beautiful!

BUDS!

a little duck, duck, goose-which gets very intense-ha!

1st GRADE!!!!

bowling!

hay maze fun!

sweet face :)