ode to November

November came and went as fast as the winds blew...

Thank you for the sunny skies,

And delicious pies;

(hosted Thanksgiving this year for Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, Lon, Uncle Gary, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Dan, Aunt Bri, Caleb & Codi, and not one. single. picture.)

For the funny faces

And gingerbread places;

For good eats

And lit-up streets;

(in Seattle)

For reading books

 And new swimsuit looks! (for Hawaii)

 

Thank you for being good to us, November.

little joys

tractors, cars, trains, trucks...

Looking for garbage trucks on a Friday morning

 

this little boy's joys.

one-three

13.  Official Teenager.

Breakfast in bed.

Celebrated with friends after school.

Mod Pizza.

Ender's Game.

 

 Football.

 Birthday Dinner.

 

 Presents.

MineCraft with cousins.

Saturday celebration at The Ram.

Best Root Beer Float EVER.

 13 will be good.

lost teeth

 Emmy lost her first two teeth yesterday and today!

 She was pretty excited about it.

 She was hoping the tooth fairy would bring her gifts like Santa Claus.

She did not, but Emmy was okay with the money left under her pillow.

And we were just glad that the tooth fairy came!

school pix

 7th grade

Pacific Cascade Middle School

3rd Grade

Grand Ridge Elementary

Kindergarten

Endeavour Elementary

halloween in '13

Another fun Halloween season.  

We found ourselves doing things from Halloween pasts, and yet changing things up a bit, too.

Same-o Same-o

Drew was a railroad conductor, reminding us of Jake many years ago.

Steve was Napoleon Dynamite, reminding us of many a past Halloween.

I went in Five Guys employee garb,

reminding us of a previous costume from a Burger place.

Emmy went as a butterfly,

reminding us of Ali a couple years ago.

Jake, once again, decided that less was more as far as a costume.  

At least this year he added some green to his hair.

And of course, the traditional candy sort!

New this Halloween...

Ali created her own costume and character:

One thing we really missed doing this year was the Pumpkin Push, which has become a fun family tradition.  However this year, our soccer schedule would not allow it  (sniff sniff).

I baked like it was Christmas, thanks to a couple fun Halloween parties.

Jake dressed up for school in Steve's treasured costume.  He even took it a step further and said he bought tater tots for lunch and stuffed them in his pockets!!

It was Drew's first time trick or treating and he loved it.

We decorated our house like we've never done before.

However we do things, one thing is always the same...

We LOVE Halloween!!

'Twas three nights before

'Twas three nights before Halloween

When we luckily found:

All of our carving tools

Lying around.

For 3 big fat pumpkins

Were ready to be

Designed and carved

By the Hoopes oldest three.

Little Drew didn't have one--

(He was tucked in bed)

"He's happier sleeping,"

Is what mom said.

So merrily the others

Began to imagine

What they would carve

In their big, fat, orange pumpkin.

Emmy came first,

Because she did know

She wanted a cute face

Complete with a bow.

She had been planning

and thinking for days,

She loves Halloween

in so many ways.

Ali kept reading,

With no pause to plan

Her pumpkin's fate

Which was in her left hand!

But finally she began;

Her face just as cute,

With a nice big smile

And eyelashes to boot!

Then Jake went to work

designing a face.

He needed some paper

and a good working space.

He couldn't decide

(he can be picky),

but then carved a swoosh

from the famous brand, Nike.

Steve was so nice

And patiently did

All the requests

That everyone said.

Mom, she just watched

(ew yuck! guts are gross)

And took all the pictures

of those she loves most!

The pumpkins are carved

So in twenty-13

We are all ready

for a GREAT HALLOWEEN!