Date Night

Friday nights are date night at our house. Noah and I teamed up with two families so we get to go out two weeks in a row, and then on the third week we watch the kids--all ELEVEN!

Since they're all roughly the same age, they just play and make mine and Noah's job really easy.
Now that the weather is a little colder, we're stuck inside, but during the warmer months, we play night games, jump on the trampoline, jump rope, and rollerblade.
Best night of the week (especially when you're the one on the date!)

In an unrelated note, Oliver's Snoopy bed is lit up for the holidays (you probably already guessed this from the precious pictures, still I think it's important to bring attention to the details--such as Oliver's newly acquired Charlie Brown pathetic looking Christmas tree).

The Artists in my Family

I am one happy mom today--even though I spent my morning cleaning up Oliver's poo, which miraculously found its way on two separate toilets, the kitchen tile, and his bedroom carpet (not to mention on his underwear and pants). But, all that is forgotten now because of a surprise package I received in the mail today:
Um...are you flipping out?! My wonderful [and obviously very talented] uncle Dell Blair made this breathtakingly beautiful painting of my daughter, Gabrielle. I asked him if he'd be willing to paint portraits of my kids a month or so ago after falling in love with his work at my grandparents house, and he accepted!
I wish you could see it in person, it really is incredible.

I've always wanted original artwork in my house, which accounts for one of the [many] reasons I married my husband, Noah--his dad, Wesley Lifferth, is an artist! We've dedicated our office to my father-in-law's art, which I absolutely love. This is what I see every time I sit at my desk (which, coincidentally is where I'm sitting right now):

this is one of my favorites:
This is a painting my father-in-law gave to my daughter, which she proudly hangs in her room:
now if you'll excuse me, I've got another painting to hang...

The Most Wonderful time of the Year

HALLOWEEN

My favorite holiday has come and gone. This is how it went down this year:

I threw a little Halloween party for Oliver and his preschool group.
We tagged along with some of our friends to go trick-or-treating
Gabby was Dorothy (again, I got to remember how much I really hate sewing as I once again made her costume)
the group:
I'm throwing these next two pictures in of Oliver as Dwight (from the Office), even though he was Charlie Brown on Halloween (we dressed the poor boy up as Dwight for a party earlier in the month)
Gabby as Dorothy:
Alex as a Star Wars bobble head:
And here's one of Oliver's Charlie Brown costume (which Noah made!)