Annual Thompson Bike Ride

Well, we may have been scattered for Thanksgiving, but we didn't let that stop us from gathering for our annual bike ride the day AFTER Thanksgiving. We met up at Johansen High School like usual. As we waited for everyone to arrive the sky grew darker and darker until it finally unleashed on us sending us for cover. With the weather being so wet and cold we decided instead to head over to the movies. Half of us watched "Old Dogs" while the other half of us got to see "New Moon." After the movie we headed back over to the high school and hopped back onto our bikes. The weather was more cooperative and we had a nice little ride. Afterward we met back at Noah and Heather's house for some delicious french dip sandwiches. Thanks Noah and Heather for a fabulous dinner, and thank you to mom and dad for a nice family movie day!

Pretty Paris Turns 9!

November 11, 2009, Paris Rose had her ninth birthday. Her birthday happens also to be Veteran's Day, so she was lucky enough to have the day off of school. As a birthday treat I took her to the salon where she got her very first perm. (well, it didn't take, but she still enjoyed the experience) She had requested "Hoho's" in lue of a birthday cake, so later that night she blew out her candle atop a "Hoho." That Saturday she celebrated with her "Silly" party. She came up with this theme on her own and helped me to plan the event. She hand made a "Pin-the-Nose-on-the-Clown" game, and insisted that everyone come dressed silly or crazy. There was a silly freeze dance, a silly string war, a pinata, and at the end of the party everyone got to decorate their own silly cup cake. The pinata was a fun event to watch because Mike got the idea to have the kids wear his welding helmet instead of a blindfold. It was a fun day and Paris had a great time.

Trick or Treat!

After the "12 days of Halloween" came the actual Halloween. Sophia was a "diva witch" while Paris and Brenden went as the heroic duo Shark Boy and Lava Girl. Maybe I've said this before... but wow does Brenden look the part! Taylor Lautner look out! Paris looks AMAZING in red hair... and Sophie, well, no surprises there! We loaded up on the trailer with our friends the Astles for our annual Horseshoe Road trick-or-treat hay ride. It was a good time like always.

The Twelve Days of Halloween...

We went to a great pumpkin patch with our good friends Jason and Rickie Daley. This has become somewhat of a tradition over the past few years. We watch our kids run wild through the acres of pumpkins and pick to their hearts desire. Afterward we went to Del Osso farms and rode the train, checked out the haunted house, and bounced on the "bounce pillows." It made for a fun night... again. Thanks so much Daleys!

Well, on top of being Halloween week and parent-teacher conference week, it was also red ribbon week at Knights Ferry School. There was a crazy hair day and Paris and Brenden were very excited to sport wild colored hair at school. One busy evening this week Mike took the time to carve pumpkins with the kids. They each designed their own. Perhaps the most unique was Sophia's; she carved a one-eyed alien hampster with extra big teeth. Finally, Friday came and up to Knights Ferry we went to partake in the many Halloween festivities at school. The kids dressed in their costumes and marched through the town with the school in their annual parade. Friday night was the big Trunk or Treat activity at church which I had the privledge of running this year. When we finally got home that night, my feet were aching and my back was screaming... but laying there in bed thinking over the busy week I had; I smiled. What fun memories that my kids will have. I'm so grateful to be able to be so involved in their lives at home, at church, and at school. I'm one lucky Mama!

Scarecrow Bob!

Uncle Stan and family pose with Scarecrow Bob.

Katlyn and Andrea take their turn to cozy up with him too...

Dominick and Maryn hang out with Scarecrow Bob while waiting for the dancing to start...

Thompson Halloween Party!

October 24th, 2009 the Thompsons held our 2nd annual Halloween Party. I wish I had more pictures to share, but being so busy with the party I wasn't able to snap very many. These are a few examples of the fun displayed! The top photo is of the invitation that Brooke and Rachel put together, the following is Brooke's graveyard scene, the bottom two are of Meredith's Morgue. This year we went all out. There were carnival games, crafts, glow in the dark tattoos, a spook alley, dancing, and the big hit of the night: the haunted hay ride through the orchard! As always, the party was tons of fun. There was a lot of preparation that went into it, but as I see it, hanging with the family and putting it all together was half the fun. Thanks again to our fabulous family for a fabulous party!

Oops! One More...

Okay, I was going for a silhouette at sunset on this one, but the timing wasn't right so I tweaked it into something random and artistic instead. I'm still practicing and happy to practice on anyone that will let me... this means you Thompson sisters!

This Is Too Much Fun!

I love the feeling of this picture... sweet and simple

This one is growing up way too fast...

This boy has the look already at the age of 7, I'm in so much trouble...

This girl is all attitude and I LOVE this picture for the simple fact that it represents the real Sophie!

My Little Models...

This boy should be in a Gap commercial... so handsome!

This pose was Paris' idea...

Check out the cuteness...

Yeah, I've said this before... this girl can WORK IT!

LIttle By LIttle...

Well, if you know me, you know that I'm obsessed with taking pictures. My kids are my models and I practice on them frequently. This last time around I committed myself to better understanding my editing software. These are some examples of my results...



I saw an example of this posted on Facebook and decided I HAD to try it... so happy with the result!

Going with the vintage look on this one... kind of looks like a JC Penny ad huh?

Here's a fun trick: This picture was pretty blurry, so I roughed it up a bit with a vintage look and now it's saved! Yay!

She Ought to be in Pictures...

Okay, I've been debating for weeks whether to post this picture or not, but I just ran across it again today and could NOT resist the urge to share it. Look at this girl! She is such a natural. This looks like some magazine picture. I take no credit for it... it's all in her attitude and those eyes. Wow! What else can I say?

Some Family Time...

Mike and I are trying to spend at least one Saturday a month on a family outing. October is a busy month for us, so we grabbed the first weekend and made it count! We loaded in the car and went for a road trip to Mammoth Lakes. It's only about a 3 hour drive but we took all day to get there. We stopped all along the way taking in the sights. We drove through the Yosemite Valley, visited a pumice mine, (of course the kids collected pumice and obsedian rocks!), hiked around some hot springs, and toured the local lakes and their beauty. Our kids love the outdoors and hiking. This was the perfect trip for our little family. Once we got to Mammoth we had a wonderful dinner at a local favorite, then hopped in the hotel pool and spa. The next day we took our time heading home and swung through Tahoe. This state is full of beauty...