Last year we found this cool site that lets you cut out digital snowflakes. This year we made a family night out of makin flakes. Batman, Mario and Logan's masterpiece.
When he was done, he typed in his name. Computer class is his favorite time at school. He calls it "playing dot com."
With Thanksgiving over this weekend, we have been putting up our finishing touches to get ready for Christmas. We put the tree up the week we got back from the states but due to some exciting twinkle light short outs, we just got around to putting on the ornaments.
We put up the table and unpacked the boxes. It is fun to see all of the ornaments from years and memories past. This really gets the kids excited.
Logan and Addy each got a new ornament, they look like sugar cookies, cut in the shape of an "a" and a "L".
Addy took a bite just in case it was real. You can also see in this picture the results of her literal run in with the corner of the kitchen table.
Here are some other ornaments we fashioned out of trinkets from our travels this year. This is a plastic copy of an Allosaurus claw. (fits in beautifully next to our Alcatraz spoon)
This Lego man represents the hours Logan and I spent building Lego sets this year, and also our fun-filled trip to the Lego store at Disneyland.
This is a bat from the Haunted mansion at Disneyland. We had a blast this October trick-or-treating in the park with the kids. What fun memories.
Here is one of our new santas with a couple of Korean tigers.
Drum roll please.... here is the final product. We will have to wait for it to get dark to get the full effect of the 4000 + Chinese LEDs. Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders like this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.
Sarah Josepha Hale, a prominent magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival." She wrote, "You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution." The document below sets apart the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."
According to an April 1, 1864, letter from John Nicolay, one of President Lincoln's secretaries, this document was written by Secretary of State William Seward, and the original was in his handwriting. On October 3, 1863, fellow Cabinet member Gideon Welles recorded in his diary that he complimented Seward on his work. A year later the manuscript was sold to benefit Union troops.
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State
We have an appointment on Friday in the states (Saturday in Korea). We will let you know when we do. Did you all vote for girl because you think we gave up the answer?
You guys really think I can handle another one? This house is not big enough for two pirate princesses....
giddy-up little GTO... HERE I COME!!!
Logan said, "It's better than Christmas"!
Visor.... check.
So here I am 16 weeks pregnant and bigger than I ever was with the other two. (Or at least I feel that way.) But we are doing great and super excited about our new baby coming in March.
Logan and Addy were sick yesterday and I was in charge of Sharing Time in Primary so Spencer stayed home with the kids. I thought this was so cute, Logan decided to do Addy's hair and bless her heart she sat still for a long time. 
This little girl is CRAZY!! 
She didn't like me interrupting her reading time.
Addy loves, loves, loves books...and she loves them even when I'm not reading them to her.
This is a fun activity she enjoys to do while Logan is at school. I am pretty impressed she makes every single word herself. We lay out all the letters and she has a blast finding the right letters to fit the word.
I love this picture. Logan you are so handsome! Soon after this picture when I asked what he learned at school he said "Mom, she didn't teach me how to read." I thought that was so cute! He expected to be taught to read the first day of school. (I told my mom this later and she said Grandpa Allen told his mom the exact same thing his first day of Kindergarten.)
They gave him the cutest books and Logan was thrilled because he loves new books. We have read them every night since!
I had to post this picture probably more for me than anyone. Ever since we have met Diana she has spoiled my kids with these chocolates. They love them and get so excited every time.
Diana, Jeff & Sarah bought Logan a present so after getting off the bus we headed to Diana's for his special gift. She is so sweet and made Logan a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, milk, yogurt, so while he ate we asked questions. I was shocked to see how hungry he was. It made for a fun ending to an eventful day. Logan said "everyone is being so nice to me." :-) 
Addy was next and then me! :-)
He looked tired when I saw him on the bus but the moment he saw Diana he was one happy camper. She is are grandma here in Korea and we all love her so much. I don't think she will ever truly understand how much she means to me and my family. She was so excited to come and be with us on his first day. He ran straight to her and gave her a huge hug. It made him feel so special so have her there. 
I must say I am pretty spoiled Logan's bus drops him off right in front of our apartment. The other thing I like is it is the only stop so he isn't on it forever. Addy had a great day and enjoyed having me all to herself. At lunch it was so quiet I read her books. It was really strange and good at the same time. We had fun going to play outside and taking a walk together. So although Addy didn't have a problem with Logan being gone, she was more than ready to have him come home! Here we are waiting for his bus to come and she was getting frustrated with the wind.
Seoul Korea for Logan's first day of Kindergarten...(who would have thought?)
So right thru this door is where I dropped my little guy off for his first day. I was doing really good until he sat down in his chair and I gave him a hug at told him to have a great day. He then started to softly cry and said "Mommy I am going to miss you so much" it was all I could do to tell him it would be okay and I loved him. Off I went out the door trying to hide my own tears. Spencer was outside waiting and smiled when he saw me crying. I sure am going to miss my buddy!!
Logan you are cute, Grandma Dana & Grandpa Allen sent Logan some cool new outfits for his bday that we saved for school. He thought that was pretty awesome!
Addy had to wear her backpack and be just like her big brother.
This is the playground just put in new this year. Logan is looking forward to playing on it. Part of me wondered if that is what made him excited to go to school.
Spencer was able to take a couple hours off in the morning so we could eat breakfast together and celebrate Logan's big day.
We drove him to school for the 1st day so we could meet Ms. Donaho and show Logan his classroom. It was a day filled with mixed emotions for me.
I still can't believe that Logan has started his schooling for the rest of his LIFE!! Here he is at home all ready for his first day.
School starts at 7:55 am and ends at 2:25. I am glad Logan is an early riser because otherwise I think it would be hard to be up and out that early.
