November happenings

 Cute squirrel cuddled up in our tree, nope!  Dead squirrel, had a 11 yr old remove it for me.

 I found this special note left for me on the fridge

Dreaming of an actual mudroom to contain this mess. 

 My kids are banned from full size yogurts.  They never finish them.  Used 5 half eaten yogurts in a smoothie. 

 I am adding these slippers from Target to my Christmas list.  size 10 please

 Laundry folding is my nemesis

 Half-naked kiddos, applying deodorant.

 Emily is a bracelet making fool.

 Leaves, just fall already.  Raked three times, these slow pokes are gonna be hanging out on my lawn come Spring.

Emily also enjoyed trying on boots at Target, she wanted pictures of all of them. 

SEMA show

A couple weeks ago three years of hard work and sacrifice culminated at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.  I made an appearance for 2 days.  I couldn't let this opportunity pass to see the car, Robert speak and work. 

 Me sitting in the car complete with my racing harness, see the pretty roll cage?

 A blurry picture of Robert presenting at the YEN business competition.  That guy behind him had just introduced him, he was the MC, and apparently famous in the trucks and drifting worlds.

 I took this picture for Dallas.

 Robert working, he worked the entire time, 7:00 am - 9:00 pm.  Here he was interviewing the guy that restored the original license plate, Restore-A-Tag works magic. 

 This was the only famous person I knew, or cared about (besides Rob). 

 These guys are like family now.  The Florida group, Muscle Car Express and Street Metal Concepts.
Only missing guy was Jeff Allison from Allison Customs in New Mexico.

Before Robert left

 Nope, not pop

 ISU game

 Go Cyclones

 Digging

 Cleaning

 Design

 preparing for a road trip

 meeting of the minds

 last hugs

 Road trip partner in crime

 Let's do it - Dallas as photographer

Truck ready - Dallas as photographer

While Rob was gone.

 Dallas and the kids were sick.  He gets major fevers, it's just his body's way.  He finally succumbed and had a little nap.  Em and D rebounded, Noelle ended up at the Dr, with an ear infection.

 Halloween was fun.  Two mermaids and Beau Duke

 Noelle and I dropped in on Dallas preschool Halloween Party

 Aunt Lynne joined us for a spooky $3 burrito at Chipotle and then trick or treating! 

 We found Christmas music on the radio

Fun mom appeared and we had ice cream for dinner

 We watched the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, after the holiday

 We had Saturday morning cuddles

 Drove home from Osky and cousin Drew's baptism.  Girls were still sick and passed out right away.  Dallas was not sick, got hot and stripped down... He also got to watch Mater Tales all by himself.

Noelle got new pj's.  They glow in the dark.

Emily Reads

 She caught me taking this one

Today has been full of looking for and ordering shoes.  Dallas can barely get his tennis shoes on, eventually he does, but then says the back hurts.  Emily has tennis shoes, but prefers to wear a more casual shoe with her "outfits", she has been wearing flip-flops until they broke this weekend on the way to Galena.  Robert wore out his daily shoes at the beginning of summer which was fine, he can wear sandals a lot in the summer.  He started wearing his dressier shoes when he needed too.  Hence, his dress shoes are pretty ratty looking, and he now sometimes wears his new running shoes during the day which is a little too casual for the look he needs to present some days.  I think that is four pairs I need to replace.  Oh, and it is sort of snowing/sleeting today, it really is time to retire the sandals we have all been wearing everyday since May.  Noelle and I seem to have lots of shoes to wear, I am looking to replace my workout shoes, but that requires a trip to Ankeny for me.
And less pressing is that Robert will need new winter boots and a pair of work boots, perhaps I can make those the same boot?


Emily and I have been working diligently on learning Christmas songs on the piano.  We can play three duets so far, and are working on a fourth.  It is fun to play together. 

If anyone is wondering the Gluten-free brownie mix from Aldi is delicious.

Robert and I had a wonderful date last week.  We went to the Straight No Chaser concert with some friends.  It was wonderful, and reminded me how much I miss attending concerts and good performances.  The amazing thing about SNC, is they are completely a cappella, no back track or singing to music.  When you hear what sounds like drums, it is a person singing!

http://www.sncmusic.com/video/straight-no-chaser-prayer-live-songs-decades

Jen and Chad's Wedding

We spent the weekend in Galena, IL celebrating the nuptials of Jen and Chad.  Robert and I had a lot of great family time.  He worked frantically on the drive there, he had a 6:00 pm pacific coast deadline, and we needed to be in Galena by 6:00 central time.  I think it might have been the second time in 12 years of marriage that I have driven him on a trip.  It really isn't his favorite thing, and usually makes him a little nauseous to be the passenger. I drove the first two hours, he submitted his work and took over.  And you know what, he didn't do another work related thing the rest of the weekend, it was so nice.  He has been working or on the phone constantly for the last month, it was so nice to just have him.  It was so refreshing.  The only thing that would have made it more perfect is more than one bed in our hotel room.  My public complaint is if you are going to call the room a suite, and you are going to make it big, and you are going to but a sitting area with a couch in it, why in the world would you not make the couch a pull out like every-other hotel in the world.  Five people, one bed... thankful it was a king, but really.

 

Robert walked Jen down the isle until she met Dallas.  The ceremony was wonderful.  The location perfect, and it is super good luck to have it rain on your wedding day.  We figured out that it rained on Mark and April's day as well as Robert and I's day, so why  not theirs!

 The Trolley ride downtown to the dinner reception was a big hit with these kids!