Shania Twain

Back in early November, the girls were surprised by a trip to the Des Moines area to attend a Shania Twain concert. Our whole family went, and then Geeka and Grandma also went and helped fund the concert as part of the girls' birthday gifts. Audrey had become a fan of Shania a few years ago, and we have enjoyed many car trips singing along to Shania's songs from the 90s and early 2000s.

We had wonderful seats, in the front row of our section, and the girls were so excited for the special effects and being able to sing along with the songs they knew. Kate did get a little tired, but in talking about it the next day on our drive home, both girls were so happy to have gone. Seeing them in their matching leopard print dresses will be a memory I hold close for many years, too.

What a fun night!

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

It is so hard to believe that it is already Audrey's 12th birthday!  The years has gone so quickly, and it is very fitting that Audrey's birthday fell on Thanksgiving because we are all so thankful to have her in our lives!

Audrey has had a great day, and the definite highlight of it all was finding out that her dad did FINALLY agree to let her bring a new kitten home soon from Grandma and Geeka's.  Audrey had the chance to bottle feed this sweet kitty awhile ago, and her heart fell in love.  Our family will again have two house cats shortly.

Audrey, your caring ways toward animals and young children show off your truly kind heart.  It has been fun watching you mature over this year and start middle school.  Not every day is easy, as middle school is full of social drama, but we hope you realize every day what a beautiful, kind heart you have.  Any friends you have are lucky to be a part of your life!  Your curiosity for life and artistic flair add the perfect amount of spice to our days.

We love you, Audrey, and we hope this year is your best one YET!  Happy Birthday, Audrey!

Audrey's Twelve-Year Interview

Here are the answers to Audrey's twelve-year-old interview:

Favorite Food:  Tacos, Salads, and Smoothies
Foods I Don’t Like:  Eggs, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes
Favorite Thing to Learn: Math
Favorite Color:  Sage Green and Light Pink
Best Friend:   Kate, Lillie, Kaylee, Julia, and Chloe
Favorite Game to Play:   Settlers of Catan
Favorite Books to Read:  Wish, and I like reading new books.
Favorite TV Show:  Proud Family and Liv and Maddie
Favorite Holiday:  Christmas
Things I Do Well:   Coloring, Drawing, and Crafts
Favorite Place to Go:  Grandma and Geeka’s House
Favorite Thing to Do With Family:  Play games
Favorite Thing about House:  The windows
Favorite Thing to do Outside:  Riding the Canned Ham a.k.a Can-Am
Favorite Chore:   Cleaning my room
Least Favorite Chore:  Cleaning the sinks
Favorite Song:  “Greedy” and Taylor Swift songs
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a:  Teacher for 3^rd grade
Place I Want to Visit:  Bahamas
Favorite Part of Each Day:  Lunch and School
Favorite Drink: Smoothies, Dr. Pepper, and Kool-Aid
Favorite Sport or Activity to Play:  Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, and Lifting Weights
Something New I Want to Learn How to Do:  To get along with my sister, Kate
Best Part of Your Family:  The animals and the people in it

Concert

Aud had her first middle school music concert back in October, and besides almost forgetting her band music during the concert, all went well. She is still plugging away at the French Horn, and she still isn't completely sure she likes it. She is also participating in choir and loves our new director. It is so fun to watch and listen for the growth between each concert. It all changes so fast. Way to go, Aud!

Pumpkin Patch

One of our favorite fall traditions is visiting the pumpkin patch in Manchester with the Vorwald boys. We picked a cooler day to meet, but it ended up feeling very comfortable! We successfully completed the corn maze under the direct guidance of Justin, picked out lower priced pumpkins under the guidance of Jeremy, enjoyed a hay rack ride, and played on some cool equipment. We ended the day with a drive thru lunch from Burger King, so all was perfect!

Pumpkins!

Here are three pumpkin creations from our house...Kate's is a mummy cat, Audrey's is Barbie, and then Kate painted some penguins on a pumpkin for school. It was a carving experience that had tears partway through, but then everything turned out okay in the end.