November - Sunday Family Dinner

ANOTHER month, ANOTHER Atkinson Family Dinner.

The hosts for the month were US. We served Chicken Alfredo Pasta with homemade rolls (thanks Rachel), a green salad (thanks Sheri) and yummy homemade cookies (thanks Mindee).

This month we celebrated Great Grandpa Meredith's Birthday. It was so fun to have him and Grandma come and hang out with us. We hope to see them every month at our family dinners.

The dinner was very similar to the fairy tale

Goldilocks & the Three Bears...

The BIG size kids ate at their own table in the entry way...



The MEDIUM size kids ate at the snack bar...

And the WEE little kids ate on the plastic picnic table...

Open for Business...

The final phase of our Marriage Counseling project

was completed in mid November

just before the first snow storm hit.

We spent our last Saturday together

working side by side

(more like one on the roof and one up and down the ladder)

preparing the roof

and laying the shingles.

Come spring our plans include

dressing up the exterior

and planting several garden grow boxes,

one for each of the kids

and one for our berry patch.

(strawberry & raspberry jam here we come)

After several hours of reading

the installation instructions for the garage door,

we happily hired it out to the professionals.

After all our hard work,

we have decided to celebrate our success

by spending a night

(testing our below freezing sleeping bags)

in what we now affectionately call

The Love Shack...

Christmas in October...

Every year the girls get new Christmas dresses. This year they received the highly anticipated attire a few months early, just in time for their Primary Program. I simply love Christmas in October.

It was Emilee's first time participating in the program. Her part was, "I like to go to church in the car." She DANCED AROUND the house for several weeks singing her part.

Kelsie talked about how FAMILIES can be TOGETHER FOREVER. Her favorite song was Called to Serve, which she sung with apparent gusto and great facial expressions.

Brock also memorized his part but laid low during the program, trying not to draw attention to himself. Sorry Buddy, you are way too CUTE to miss.

Ryan sat alone, with his affectionate and canoodling parents, just a LITTLE embarrassed by their behavior. Of course it's only FAIR... because the last time they sat with JUST HIM alone, he was two years old and THEY were just a little embarrassed by his behavior.

They're simply LOVE-ly!!

Another QUIET Sunday...

or so we THOUGHT,


until SWEET little Emilee

who was DANCING around the kitchen

TALKING to the Grandparents in Germany

telling them WHAT she wanted for Christmas

SLIPPED in her white tights

and landed head FIRST


on A staircase baluster

dad joked that steri-strips WOULD do the job

mom KNEW stitches were required

which resulted in a TRIP to the Insta Care

who wouldn't ACCEPT our insurance

and sent us across the VALLEY

to SOMEONE who would

Emilee patiently WAITED to be seen by the doctor

there were NO tears

there was NO crying

just a sweet little GIRL

concerned for her BIG sister

who had to LEAVE the room when the stitching began

Three stitches, two hours and one taco LATER

we arrived HOME

with a HAPPY little girl

and a new BOX of hello kitty band-aids

when the Grandparents in Germany called BACK

to check on the PATIENT

she enjoyed TELLING them

about her ADVENTURE

while SECURELY buckled

in a restraining SEAT

I've seen the LIGHT...

...TWILIGHT

In A word it was fabulous, amazing, incredible, epic, dramatic, sensual, fantastic, wonderful, marvelous, terrific, awesome, humorous, excellent, sensational, phenomenal, brilliant, magnificent, outstanding, and delightful!!!

Special THANKS to my Bubba

for getting ME tickets (luv ya)

AND for staying home with the kids (huge sacrifice)

while I went with a FRIEND!!! (owe you big)

Thanks also to his work

who rented Thanksgiving Point Theaters

for an EARLY 7 pm showing on Thursday Night!!!!

(that's 5 whole hours BEFORE it was officially released)

The Day the Angels Sang...

Forty years ago TODAY

the HEAVENS were opened

and the ANGELS sang

I know this to be TRUE

because I was ONE of them

TODAY, forty years later

the heavens have opened AGAIN

this time I HEARD the angels singing

those who have already WALKED the earth

because this ETERNAL companionship

are IN Birmingham, England

LOOKING for them

and bringing them HOME

Ahhh! the BLESSINGS of Motherhood...

found these super cute pjs at the store

and just had to buy them

because I miss snuggling with my babies

Emilee LOVES them

"They are my Snuggly Jammies " she tells me

when she wears them everybody gets a hug

I absolutely ADORE Snuggly Hugs!!!

No TRICK or Treating this year...

... at least for Mom & Dad!!

Our Trick or Treating Crew...

Race Car Pit Worker...

went to a party with his FRIENDS, had a blast and came home at 11 pm. This POSE is also typical of a TEENAGER listening CAREFULLY and INTENTLY to every word (blah! blah! blah!) his MOTHER says :0)

Mime...

went trick or treating around town with TWO of his friends. He used a cell phone (making communication fairly difficult because Mimes don't talk) to make CONTACT with us during the evening. He called for pick up at 9:00 pm from a local business, where they had STOPPED to refuel with FREE popcorn, drinks and handfuls of candy.

Mime & his friends RAN from door-to-door all night long. When he came home, most of his makeup had been dissolved by sweat. However, he WON the award for the most candy collected (filling 3 gallon size baggies) which he generously SHARED with the rest of his family (for several days).

Little Red Riding Hood...

happily skipped around trick or treating with JUST her girlfriends for the FIRST time ever. Her Mother, an ENCHANTING witch, used her SPECIAL powers, casting a MAGIC spell and creating her DARLING costume (in Fairy Tale remembrance of her Grandmother, the Good Witch of Germany).



After trick or treating, they played GAMES and watched a movie (Homeward Bound). She came HOME at 11:30 pm, just before the time when SWEET little girls turn into yummy pumpkins (and their mothers turn into ogres).

Beautiful Princess...

was supposed to GO trick or treating with her Daddy BUT when the neighbors came to the door, she slipped into her flip-flops, grabbed her PINK bucket and joined them on their WAY (unknowingly, Mom was painting Mime's face AND Dad was ON the shed.) We stayed in contact with them VIA cell phone and, when it started to RAIN, HITCHED up the horses and picked HER up in the carriage.

Pirate Dog...

STAYed home all night, HELPING to welcome our visitors (who adored his costume) by sniffing them up and down as Princess passed out the CANDY.

Our favorite Trick or "TREATers" of the evening were also the last. We opened the door to see them standing on the porch with a cauldron FULL of candy and a combination pizza. Thanks, GREAT Grandma & Grandpa Meredith! We LOVE you!

More Halloween Memories...

A Halloween Fairy Tale...

The Princess & The Preschool Ball

"A Mean Old Witch..."