{Gram & Papa's Punkin' Patch}

Every year, my mom and dad plant a section of pumpkins in the their garden for the grand kids. We all get together for a Family Home Evening and everyone gets to take home the pumpkin of their choice.

The Pumpkin Patch

and from another angle. I love it when the weather is nice, the kids can play and we can all just enjoy being together! This year my cute cousin Cami was spending the afternoon with my mom, so she got to be included in the fun too. Doesn't Kaleb make the best scarecrow?

All the kids take turns drawing a number to decide who gets to pick there pumpkin first. Cami may look confused.... Her number is one, but she is holding up two fingers??? She was just really digging the peace sign that night!

The Dearden Clan-aka, my kiddos!

Brock decided to go Elk hunting with his dad and miss out on the pumpkin fun. So, I picked him out a pumpkin and took a picture of it, all by it's lonely self!

The Teeples's Peoples-aka, Lisa's kiddos!

and last but not least, The Beckstrand Bunch- aka, Shad's girls and Cami!

What a great bunch of kids, all with their pumpkins!

and of course the silly picture (that's more realistic anyhow)!

After the pumpkin fun we all roasted hot dog and cooked tin foil dinners in the fire pit. I feel so lucky that both my brothers, my sister and our parents are all so close. I love that the kids are growing up together and I'm thankful for the the time we get to spend together! I also love that my parents do this and we don't have to go buy pumpkins!

{Date Night & Family Night}

Tonight was Derrick's faculty Christmas party. Can I just tell you how odd it is to go to a faculty party at the middle school you went to and sit with all your old teachers, not to mention your parents? I just always feel a bit out of place. When Derrick talks about the other teachers and says Phil, or Ralph, or Vickie, or Stuart, it's all I can do to not just say, NO, NO it's Mr. Blad, Mr. Myers, Mrs. Carling and Mr. Bailey. I just can't make myself be on a first name basis with them, it's weird to me! It was nice to get out and spend a little time with Derrick. We really need to have a date night more often, but preferably minus my middle school teachers.

There was no room for Jesus in the inn, is there room in your heart?

From there, we went and picked up the kids, met the rest of my family and got all bundled up for family night. A family in our area put on a live walking nativity program. If you ever have the chance to do something like this, you really should. It really helped me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and was the perfect way to begin the season. As we walked to the different stops, the guide asked some questions and Kaleb had all the answers. At each stop Carlie kept saying in her loud voice (with her it's loud, and louder) "Where the baby?" As we got to the stable with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, Joseph said, "There was no room for Jesus in the inn, is there room in your heart?" Kaleb didn't hesitate for a second before he said "YES!" I hope our family can keep the sweet spirit we felt tonight with us for the rest of the season and remember the things that are truly important in our lives.