November was a month of gratitude, where we gave thanks for our many blessings. Luke wasn't able to play in our November piano recital due to his broken finger, but it was almost healed and we were thankful for that. We watched Leah shine in the recital, and she flawlessly performed her four pieces. She worked hard preparing them, and I was once again amazed at her nerves of steel and composure in front of an audience:
There was one weekend in November between the end of soccer season and the beginning of basketball season, which means that we were able to go out of town for a quick getaway. We visited Grandpa in Myrtle Beach and took Millie to the ocean for the first time. She was more interested in digging in the sand and playing in the tidal pools than swimming in the surf, and it was fun to watch our playful pup explore the beach:
We had a random teacher workday in November, and this is how the kids wanted to spend it:
We love Barnes and Noble and could spend hours there, reading and adding titles to our book wish lists. After a full morning of reading, we walked to the park in the afternoon for a little play time with the fluffy one:
And speaking of fluffy, someone went to the groomer for the first time in November. She didn't get a real haircut, but had a puppy appointment, where the groomer said that they would bathe her and "fluff her up". I dropped off this dog in the morning...
...and picked up this dog in the afternoon:
She may not look too different in pictures, but in person, the difference was shocking. I actually drove by Mark's work on the way home from the groomer to see if he recognized Millie (and if I picked up the same animal that I dropped off). We told her that she was so pretty and after we removed the scarf and her fluff settled down a little, Millie looked more like herself. Her fancy 'do still makes me giggle:
Millie continued to learn our family routines in November and was a helpful addition to many chores:
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| Loading the dishwasher |
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| Kitchen helper and soux chef. |
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| The world's fluffiest watch dog. |
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| Carpool line supervisor. |
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| Chauffeur. |
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| Naptime. |
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| Belly Rubs. |
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| Spoiled rotten. |
One of Millie's Christmas presents arrived early. Here's her fancy Kuranda cot, which she loves. Apparently, Doodles get hot easily (with their fluffy fur coats), and our breeder told us about this type of bed that are a favorite of her dogs:
In November, we also gave up trying to keep Millie off the furniture. She loves snuggling with us, and has absolutely no sense of personal space. She thinks that she should always be in a lap, curled around someone's neck, or on top of our heads. In her opinion, closer = better, and so we've embraced the Doodle cuddles and are thankful that she doesn't shed:
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| She's actually in the driver seat with me, in my lap, as we wait in carpool line. |
Millie continues to follow in Winnie's paw prints, as she collects giant sticks (and tree branches!) on our walks. She insists on carrying them all the way home to add to her collection, and it's quite entertaining to watch:
We sure are thankful for this sweet girl. She adds so much to our family and is one of the best parts of our 2019:
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Tuba Dude brought his instrument home a few times in November to practice for his upcoming Winter Conccert. I had visions of him practicing upstairs in our music room (where the sound may be slightly muffled), but we couldn't get his massive case up the stairs easily. This thing is enormous, so Luke practices in the laundry room downstairs!
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| You could fit Leah in the case! |
We also think it's funny that we had to sign a waiver (since we borrow the school's tuba) stating that if we damage the tuba, we are responsible for the $6000 it costs to replace/repair it. Mark almost hyperventilated at this form. When we saw the condition of the bell of the tuba, we decided that we weren't too concerned about maintaining its "pristine condition":
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| This kid loves playing tuba so much! |
November also included the Oak Ridge Colts Dash at the Town Park. Our elementary school's running club held its own 5K to celebrate the end of the season, and Leah came in 4th out of all the girls in the school. This was her first 5K (she's previously run in the one mile Fun Runs), and we are amazed at her athleticism and perseverance. I can't wait to see what the spring running season holds for her!
BB Emily and her family came to visit us the weekend before Thanksgiving. These kids love playing together and we had a great time, but only remembered to take 2 photos the entire weekend:
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| Selfie attempt! |
We also attended the Holy Ghost Weiner Roast at our church in November. This family-friendly fall event includes a big bonfire, hot dogs and s'mores, and lots of good old fashioned games. Our church family is so dear to us, and this is such a sweet tradition and fun evening of fellowship together:
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| Games for the kiddos. |
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| Graham adores Luke and was his partner for Apple Bobbing. |
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| Parent-Kid sack relay race. |
L & L had a blast playing in a Thanksgiving Eve flag football tournament sponsored by our Youth Association. Leah and her 2 BFF delighted the spectators with their aggressive girl power in this male dominated sport. We love watching these girls play with all their hearts, and all three have big brothers who played in the older division (and weren't as cooperative for pictures!).
On Thanksgiving morning, we drove to Williamsburg to celebrate with our Winterhoff/Offutt family. We tried to dress up this little turkey for her first Thanksgiving, but she wasn't thrilled with her outfit:
Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob hosted Thanksgiving dinner and we had lots of fun with Nate, Evvy, and cousin Kristy:
On Friday, we visited Colonial Williamsburg which was all decked out for the holiday season:
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| Bruton Parish cemetery. |
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| Colonial duo. |
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| I couldn't love this more. |
We also had time to visit some of our familiar favorites during our Williamsburg visit. Mini golf is always a crowd pleaser for our family:
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| Watching her brother and sister play mini golf. |
We also visited WISC (Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex), where the kids did the Clip & Climb Walls, Laser Tag, and the Laser Maze. This was a fun-filled morning, and they loved all of the challenges:
We are thankful for all of the opportunities that November provided for us to appreciate our health, travel, and participate in so many fun activities!