November

November began with a cousin's wedding in Savannah, GA with Phil's family sans kids.  We all stayed in a historic bed and breakfast and enjoyed exploring the city.

Enjoying complementary happy hour in the B&B

A whole platter of raw oysters.  It doesn't get any better than that!

Sister-in-law Teresa and I in the candy store

The trolley ride from the wedding to the reception.  The reception was so fun with delicious southern fare at the Olde Pink House.  Phil even got to step in with the hired jazz band to play sax for a few numbers.

One of the 20 some squares that Savannah is organized around.  Phil and I stayed by ourselves one night after the wedding and enjoyed reading novels in the parks, sitting leisurely in coffee shops, and eating in restaurants we would never take the kids to.

We were standing in line here for 45 minutes to get into Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House restaurant.  Family style community tables with down home southern food--the best we've had.  I have dreams about those collard greens and fried chicken!

But we missed these two munchkins so much!  They had a great time with Grandma June and Grandpa Fred though.

Jack spends literally hours each week maneuvering his matchbox cars along the back of our couch.  He parks them carefully in a row and then moves them one by one to the other end of the couch.  Other things he is into right now are pirates, superman, batman, and football.

Sasha got her tenth size violin this month and the sound is 10 times bigger from her smaller one.  We think she's doing a great job and she is excited when she gets to tackle a new song.

Sasha has started to disappear into her room to read books on her own now.  It all began when we rearranged her room and got her a nifty reading light by her bed.  The rule in our house is that you don't come out of your bedroom until 6:30.  Sasha is an early-to-bed girl and early riser so she now reads her current book for awhile when she wakes up until her clock says it's time to get up. 

Playing in our first significant snow.  Sasha and Jack had a blast sledding down the driveway and going down the snowy slides in the yard.

We went down to my parents house for Thanksgiving.  This time we spent the night which made it seem more like a holiday weekend.  It has become tradition to have Anne Liechty at our Thanksgiving dinner.  Our families were good friends in Goshen growing up and she lives in Albuquerque now.  This year her brother, Jeff, was visiting as well.  It was great to catch up with them. 

The kids always love playing the piano and grandma and grandpa's house. 

The day after Thanksgiving we all went out for donuts and then to see the Sand hill cranes where they stop on their migration every year.