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!!