The Rest of November Photos

Loved this impromptu dinner! I got a phone call on the way home from a friend. She said there were two teenagers that wanted to come eat at our house and asked if they could come...tonight. Yes, of course! It was a great time, and they loved the dogs!

The car got its first wash.

Katherine playing tennis

She's really catching on quickly!

Her workspace for school.

Love

Katherine helped prepare the food for our guests.

dinner

Kevin and Hudson

washing dishes afterwards

The dogs got a needed bath.

Katherine decided to make cinnamon rolls....she's hired! They were soooo good!

Benjamin's workspace

heading to tennis in her new shoes

We got a package!

We surprised the kids with a movie...on a Thursday!! Movies are not often shown in English, so we wanted to see it as soon as possible before it was gone! 

We have never sat on the back row before. 

One bucket of popcorn to share

Also a first...INTERMISSION!?!?! and at the worst possible time! 10 minutes

Lauren and i were the only ones who didn't leave. Katherine and Hudson were super excited for the chance to go to the bathroom...haha!

Outside the theater

Lauren got to skip one day of school because The Royal Ballet came to her dance studio and she got to be a part of the class! She said it was so much fun! She's always talked about the Royal Ballet, but it's just been a far off dream, so when she got to participate in this, she was on cloud 9.

making her cinnamon rolls 

Lauren's dance shoe broke. I had to take it to a repair shop.

While I waited I noticed this picture on the wall. I asked him if it was his family. He pointed to the little kid working on shoes in the picture and said "This is my father." He's still in the family business!

Can you see the millions of birds flying in the sky? It's that time of year again for the birds to migrate south. It's always so fun to watch them.

Homemade Chicken Noodle soup. 

The kids have new uniforms. He looks so handsome.

Yes. It's cold! A hoodie, blanket, dog, and hot chocolate for school.

Regan sent me this picture

Thanksgiving at Union

a 2D art assignment

This was a crazy project! She had to copy the piece of wrapping paper (on the left) but was only able to use 3 colors to do it. Then she had to change the colors in the other 3 blocks to be inverse, etc. After she sent this, she cut it out and glued it together to make a box.

November -Thanksgiving and More

Someone sent me this photo...my boys arm wrestling while waiting on me to clean up from a class :)

This is what my living room looks like when preparing for Sunday School.

This craft turned out to be a hit...one of the boys still brings his to church a couple weeks later. 

the first SS-several moms stayed to help with their kids (the kids would have been fine)

Katherine helping with the craft

The kids each drew a self portrait then took someone else's home with them so that they can remember to pray for that person during the week.

so encouraged to see so many kids at church

Preparing for the game to help the kids remember the song they are learning.

These are "my choir kids" at the Chinese school. They are learning a song for Thanksgiving called "Thankful"

Lauren and Katherine help me with the class as well.

The girls won the final competition with the song.

One of the Sunday School tables. I love that I am on teh rotation...these kids are great! We have about 15 

Craft where the kids had to write 5 things they are thankful for in teh heart...one of the kids panicked briefly because he heard me ask my helper if she could write in characters for the younger ones and he said "Oh no! I wrote everything in Italian!"

These cookies were soooo good!

At the afternoon service, we celebrated a birthday!

The Chinese school

The kids performing for their school

Some of the teenagers videoing some of their friends who were performing.

Breakfast for dinner....and Lauren determined to make Mickeys and cars and who knows what else with the batter :)
 

Oh no! Poor Katherine! She has the flu (after Thanksgiving)

St. Philip School had their open day. Lauren made this at one of the workshops. The teacher commented on how the girls are so good with working with their hands.

Katherine no longer attends this school, but one of the teachers contacted her a few weeks before and asked if she could lead a workshop teaching kids how to make pop up cards (because it uses math and art) Katherine was so excited to do this! I made her wear a mask because she had started to cough and the flu has been going around. She was coming down with it but didn't know until the following day.

Teaching her little brother how to do the cards.

Some of the artwork was on display. They didn't have nearly as much art this year since the art teacher moved down to the elementary floor to be the main English teacher for 4th grade.

One of the older kids explaining to Hudson about the microscope and what he is looking at on the slide.

Checking out Lauren's classroom. That's one of Lauren's teachers sitting down...she looks like one of the kids ;)

Hudson's art.

he was so excited to show his dad all about it.

Lauren working at one of the workshops with Ms. Sabrina and her friend Sarah.

Lauren decided that she wanted some sugar cookies and just went to start making them. YUM!

This is one of the popup cards

and also this one

After Thanksgiving, we put up the tree. This is our new family ornament. We love hot chocolate...when we can find it! (again, these pictures uploaded all out of order)

Our Nativity set.

the girls decorating outside on the balcony

Yearly selfies with Mom :)

Lauren

Hudson (and Scout)

Katherine

Benjamin

Family Selfie

First try at a family selfie putting some on a ladder :)

It's Benjamin's turn to put the start on the tree

Lauren looking out for her little brother

decorating the tree

The kids talked us into putting it up on stools...it made it hard to decorate, but they love how tall it looks!

I always like to see what ornament that they choose to put on first. This year, it's the horse.

Her musical one (that doesn't work anymore...but still her favorite)

The breakable ball ornament with a hand-painted bird

and ALWAYS "My first Christmas 2015" ornament...that Mickey nose has been glued on multiple times!

We ended the day watching the Grinch

Thanksgiving leftovers, Mmmmm!

Here they are moving the tree and stools to the corner :)

She's so cold...but happy to have Scout snuggling with her

They made a heart ;)

Katherine made a Nativity set out of paper...LOVE it!

Regan spent Thanksgiving Day with Mamaw and Emily...and Linus. It was a beautiful day in Knoxville! I love her new outfit from Mamaw as well!

Outdoor selfies with Mamaw and Auntie Em

Preparing for lunch

We talked with Regan on Thanksgiving. Hudson wanted a screenshot because he said "Regan looked so beautiful."

Thanksgiving leftovers!

Our guests brought some honey as a gift. They had no idea that I had lost my voice! This is just what the doctor ordered ;) It really did help.

It was a little sad that I couldn't really talk on Thanksgiving Day, but I had a fantastic time with family and friends.

We had a couple from America over, Roy and Jenna, and a Chinese couple and their son over, Shenli Mushi and Pan YiMin (and son, Miki not in the picture)

What a spread! We are so thankful for this food and for the beautiful paper plates from my mom! They came in handy and our Chinese friends had never seen plates like this before.

Our turkey from the butcher! It didn't last nearly as long as I had hoped!

Look at this handsome guy!

Lauren helping her dad make apple squares for Thanksgiving...and an apple snowman in the process ;)

Katherine helping prepare the turkey. This is always one of her favorite parts of Thanksgiving!