Amber turns 7 months-end of November

A friend of Nicole's from school invited her and Heidi to a cookie exchange party--Snowman themed (her friend has a little sister Heidi's age)

Both Heidi and Nicole got to decorate a mini gingerbread house

For a few days until his teacher deemed it disruptive, Ryan wore a Santa hat to school.

Reading with big sis

Aunt Marilyn gave us 2 gingerbread sets to decorate.  The younger three did the tree and Nicole and Isaac meticulously worked on the house together.

Thanksgiving

Couldn't have asked for nicer weather--kids played outside a lot while we were at Aunt Marilyn's for Thanksgiving.

 Heidi and Juliet

 Aunt Marilyn with Amber

 Nicole, Isaac, Ryan, Jack, Juliet, Heidi

 Myself, Aunt Marilyn, Denise

 Curt and Brian

 Drove up to the top of Mt. Diablo for a picnic.

view from the top

 Three kids on the tippy-top of Mt Diablo.  They have the summit inclosed and in a room with a monument

Amber's favorite thing is a bath.  If she is upstairs she will crawl to the tub, pull herself to a stand and squeal with delight hoping you will put her in.  We can't give anyone a bath without Amber joining in the fun.

 At Lake Des Valles

 Another picnic

 Pelicans

 Within minutes of getting to the Lake Brett was up to his waste in mud.  Thankfully it was a warm day and we could just let him roam in his diaper . . .

 Brett kept asking if he could vacuum.  I let him thinking he would try for a minute and get tired and stop.  He vacuumed and vacuumed.  I had to persuade him that he was finished. 

Late October/Early November

 These 6 month old pictures were taken at the end of October

At this point she was sitting up and really close to crawling.  She would get up on all fours and rock back and forth and jump her back legs forward which would result in a face plant, and could also do some army crawling with her arms.

 This just had to be archived.  During the first week of school he came home very proud of his newly acquired skill.  Thanks a lot kid who taught him that.  We've been trying to get him to stop ever since.  Apparently his teacher has been too.

 Nicole's last game

yummy treat

sleepy baby

 Nicole's team

 we found a new construction site for Brett to watch

Went into check on the boys one night and they weren't in their beds.  Then I discovered these moving boxes in their room.