House O' Sullivans

Lindy started walking a couple of weeks ago! I love watching her stagger around the house. Here is the proof: https://youtu.be/8aYvJHGGwdY

Last month when I changed the furnace filter, I pulled out a little bonus: a plastic shopping bag that was plastered to it. Apparently the kids sent it down one of the return vents from their rooms upstairs. I thought to myself, "This furnace will be so much more efficient now ." Ha! This month when Casey changed the furnace filter he pulled out another plastic shopping sack, a diaper , and a swim ring (you know, the ones that kids can fit around their waists). Are you kidding me? I'm thankful that any warm air is pumped out considering the amount of detritus in our ducts.

My children have one gift that I don't--the ability to sleep anywhere . Somehow they got the idea that they'd all sleep out in the living room last night. Casey and I passed off on that (with promises from all three kids that no bamboozling would occur). Hallee, sleeping halfway on a chair and halfway on the couch, snuggled in the lap of her giant bear. Check out Sophie--75 percent in a chair with her legs draped over the end of the couch. That would kill me! She seriously slept that way all night. Zeke was camped out on the floor--the hardwood floor--on a couple of blankets near the front door.  Of course they all insisted that we leave the Christmas tree lights on. (This is what $60 will get you at the local tree lot. All the way from Kalispell.)  

I cannot believe that December is nearly upon us. Here are a few November highlights: November marked the inaugural performances of "The Girl's Band"--a neighborhood musical menagerie comprised of the five girls that live on Best Avenue. Performances are regularly held on our neighbor Annie's driveway or in the bed of my brother Newel's work pick-up truck (which has been parked at our house all this month while he's been vacationing in Florida). They've worked out some incredible choreography (which they write out in stick-figure glyphs) and some swank lyrics. The Best Ave Girl's Band in action Some post performance posing. Can I just say again how much I love the colors in the fall. We spent ample time examining leaves this month, utilizing our digital microscope, studying the color change process, and generally drinking in the beauty. Sophie and Hallee spent another Saturday this month at a Liberty Girl's Retreat, this time...

Zeke made this song up several months ago and sings it to Lindy often. It is possibly my favorite composition of all time. https://youtu.be/21m1t4-R5Tk

This year we didn't plant any pumpkin seeds in our yard, but several pumpkin plants grew for the people. Apparently we have some pretty amazing compost around these parts. Not only did we grow lots of pumpkins, we also managed to produce some cross-bred squampkins--half pumpkin, half squash.  The unexpected harvest called for our best creative efforts. We invited the neighbor kids over and went to work. Zeke with his painted pumpkin. Sophie with some Best Avenue buddies, displaying their solid work. The squampkins were especially fun to paint. Hallee knows how to do this right. This thing strikes fear into the heart. My cyclops squampkin, after it had been rolled around the yard and lost some paint. Three months ago, Casey and I reserved permit spots to descend Mystery Canyon in Zion National Park--part of our 10 for 15 plan. (To celebrate 10 years of marriage this year we planned out 10 things to do together in 2015 that would be epic and Mystery Cany...