Pretty Girl

Christmas Morning

Christmas is so much more fun with kids. Max was so excited for it this year, and we spent weeks shopping, reading about it and talking about it. He couldn't believe it when we told him it was finally Christmas morning!

Burkle Family Christmas

Eight adults. Seven children. Makes for a hectic family gathering, but we had a great time.

Holiday Card Fail

It is so hard to get a good photo of two young children. Here are several attempts before I gave up and sent a holiday greeting card with separate photos! (It is also really hard to keep the blog up-to-date, too. Sorry, folks.)

Tricks and Treats

Once again, Halloween proved to be much more fun with kids. Max was excited to be a fireman, and June was his little dalmatian. I made Max's outfit out of a gray sweatshirt, orange tape and a bit of felt for the collar. He also had a badge, but it fell off during the school parade. I realize I could have gotten more creative with the under-outfit, but it was a work night. And he didn't care. He had so much fun trick-or-treating with his cousins, and his "candy pick" for the night was a little bag of goldfish crackers, so that worked out well, too.

Pumpkin Patch

We've had so much going on recently, and I never had a chance to take the kids to a pumpkin patch. Luckily, a neighboring church creates their own patch for lazy people. So Danza and I gathered the kids and picked out a few pumpkins for our porch. Max and Harrison were excited to pick out their own pumpkins, and then we let them ride their bikes in the empty parking lot. Bet you can't do that at a real pumpkin patch.

A Weekend at Grandma Barnes

Sometimes, a little R&R is in order, and a weekend at Grandma Barnes Cabin in Brown County recently fit the bill. The cabin was quiet and comfortable, with a rustic charm. We spent the first night playing Yahtzee and drinking red wine in rocking chairs on the screened-in porch. Danza, Matt, Drew and Christa joined us on the second night for a bonfire and games. The weather was perfect, and we are ready to book next year's getaway!

Baby Couture

Justin has a great aunt June, and her daughter made our little June this dress when she was born. The detail is so beautiful, we've had it hanging in her nursery for months and finally let her try it on.

Pizza Party

We found a new way to make an old standby -- grilled pizzas! Load up regular pizza dough with your favorite toppings and grill on medium heat for 10 minutes or so. The toughest part is getting the raw dough off the plate -- otherwise, it's an easy treat. And yummy, too! My favorite style? Prosciutto, veggies, goat cheese and add arugula after it's cooked.

Red Riding Hood

Time to break out the fall wardrobe, including this little number! It's a little tough getting the kids to sit still for a photo, but I managed to land a few good ones (including one of June's new funny face).

Lego Soup

I'm loving the cooler temperatures, so I'm trying to keep the kids busy outside as much as possible. We lugged this huge box of legos from the basement for the kids to play with, which kept June entertained as well. And when they were done building houses, they made lego soup!