o christmas tree...

Each year, we head out the weekend after Thanksgiving to pick out our Christmas tree. We always go with Poppy, Nana, Uncle Blair & Aunt Brittany...tree shopping, bringing them to our home, & then heading out for a yummy dinner! Traditions are so much fun...& we sure enjoy the Christmas season!

At the Christmas tree lot...picking out our perfect tree!

Mommy & Brecken

Averie

Brady

Brecken

happy thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving...from our family to yours!

We love seeing all the beautiful poinsettia's...

Brecken Thomas ~ 9 months old

Brady Joseph ~ 3 years old

Averie Grace ~ 6 years old

And, one more of the 3 of us

We celebrated Thanksgiving with both sides of our family with dinner at Oma's house. We had 45 people there enjoying a yummy feast. There was lots of noise, lots of laughter, and lots of reasons to be giving thanks to the One who gave it all to us...our Lord Jesus!

Brady with his buddy, McKinly

Poppy & Nana with all their grandchildren...Averie, Brady, & Brecken...McKinly & Easton

Thanksgiving 2011

we give thanks...

I (Brady) am in preschool 3 days a week, and I love it...even if I tell others that I don't. I have awesome teachers and some really good buddies there. For Thanksgiving, we celebrated by having a "feast" with our parents...and we also sang a few songs for them.

Here I am...singing "I am a Miracle"...

Feast time with Daddy & me

Mommy & me

We are so thankful for each other!

family birthday dinner...

We always celebrate birthdays with a birthday dinner out. So, the day after my birthday, we went out with my Oma, Poppy, & Nana...as well as some uncles, aunts, & cousins to celebrate my birthday...I picked Bravo's, and we enjoyed a fun night together!

Here I am...ready to celebrate with my brothers again!

Brady & cousin, McKinly...also one of Brady's "BFF's" :)

My Oma & me

Uncle Art, Aunt Kelly, & me

Daddy & Brecken

Poppy, Nana, & me

Uncle Todd, Aunt Helen, & me

Me with some of my cousins...Carter, Grant, me, Sam, Paul, Kaitlyn, & Stephanie

Daddy & Mommy with the birthday girl

Making my wish...

Sure had fun celebrating with some of my family! Birthdays are so much fun!

the birthday girl

Happy 6th Birthday to our sweet Averie Grace! We love you so very much...you bring our lives so much joy, and we thank God for you daily! We sure love celebrating you, our sweet daughter!

Love, Daddy & Mommy :)

On my birthday, Daddy & Mommy came to have lunch with me at my school. That was such a fun treat! And, I got to wear the birthday button all day!

Daddy, Brecken, & me

Stephanie & me

Mommy & me

That afternoon, Oma picked me up from school as a surprise. On our way home, she let me pick something out at Walgreens. I picked out a little make-up kit. And, Oma also let me open it and use it on the way. When Oma dropped me off, I had lots of beautiful make-up on...don't I look great? Thanks, Oma!

For my birthday dinner, I picked "noodles with red sauce." I got to enjoy it on the "your are special...celebrate" plate. Yummy dinner!

Then, Mommy made one of my favorites...pumpkin cupcakes. So, after dinner, Daddy, Mommy, Brady, & Brecken all sang "Happy Birthday" to me.

My brothers & me

After cupcakes, I got to open my gifts. I LOVED my Flynn Ryder and Maximus to go with my Rapunzel doll.

And, I just love opening gifts!

Yay for Rapunzel...

Me...the 6 year old Birthday Girl!

And, I love being a lil' "mommy"...I could carry Brecken all day on my hip...too bad Mommy doesn't let me :)

Sure was a fun day...I loved turning 6!

the big birthday sleepover....

For my 6th birthday, I got to have a sleepover with 2 of my closest friends, Kara & Stephanie. We are ready to party!

We are super excited about our evening!

And, we also like to be really silly!

After some fun playing at home, we headed to "Big Fire" (Local Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you) to enjoy some yummy dinner!

They even made me stand up & do the chicken dance while everyone sang "Happy Birthday."

After dinner, we headed to Build-a-Bear to make some bears.

We had fun rubbing the hearts on our foreheads :)

Me & my birthday bear, Ella.

My friends & me with our bears!

After Build-a-Bear, we got to get Dippin' Dots...yummy!

We came home, got our jammies on, & then sang "Happy Birthday" to me, opened presents, and ate a yummy cupcake! I picked a Rapunzel themed party, and I loved it!

Make a wish!

The next day, we enjoyed playing together all day. What a fun way to celebrate turning 6!