thanksgiving 2012

you had a great time celebrating thanksgiving with all the people that you are so very thankful for!  however, with your current dislike of the camera and it being natalie's first thanksgiving, there are few pictures that capture your thanksgiving!  but, this picture of you and uncle don in your amish hats is one of my all time favorites!

first, you celebrated with mommy's side of the family in brooksville on the saturday before thanksgiving.  mimi, g.g., nana, papa and uncle don were all there and you helped make a special placemat for each person there.

then, the day before thanksgiving, we went to orlando to celebrate with daddy's side of the family.  there was lots of food, grandma and grandpa z, aunt karen, aunt cheri, uncle todd, and erica and drew too.

on thanksgiving day, you had some time to play with grandma and grandpa, which was probably your favorite part of our time in orlando, before we headed home to a very non-thanksgiving dinner of homemade spaghetti and meat sauce!

it was some great, extended family time!

halloween 2012

 

{serenading your sister}

originally, mommy thought you and daddy would make great cowboys and natalie and mommy would be indians, BUT you are currently infatuated with both jason mraz and guitars, so we based this year's halloween costumes on you and your loves (even though it was natalie's first halloween, so she should've had dibs.  next year.).  you as "jason" + natalie as a tambourine player, mommy as a drummer and daddy as the lead singer = the Z family folk band.

daddy found a battery powered guitar that plays pre-recorded songs that we bought to give to you for your half birthday and to be your instrument.  but when miss sylvia brought you her daughter's old guitar (your "real guitar"), we just couldn't say we already bought you one after seeing how excited she was to give her daughter's guitar to you.  in the end, it was good to have both, since the one daddy picked out was just the right size for you to hold while riding in the z family band tour bus, aka the double stroller.

before heading over to aunt cheri's house, we stopped by kat's house to see if she was dressed.  she wasn't, but she was happy to see you all dressed up.

we had a pizza party at aunt cheri's before heading to her church for trunk or treat.

you LOVED running around in the dark with your guitar.  you still didn't care much about the candy, even though mommy bought you special nut free, organic, dye free lollipops to sub out the candy you received that was contaminated.  

we didn't stay long, it was late, there were mosquitoes and natalie was hungry, but you enjoyed every minute of it!  it was a great halloween!