Oh Christmas Tree

The snow came just in time for our yearly treck to the Red Flannel Tree Farm in Cedar Springs to cut down our Christmas Tree.

Anna not quite sure about the horses pulling our sleigh out to the fields...

We go all the way back in the woods, past the swamps, to get a Balsam Fir tree. The farm doesn't have many of the big ones left (most people want Douglas Firs these days), so it's almost like having our own private tree crop to choose from every year! We've already picked out next years' tree too :-)

Waiting for the sleigh to come back and get us. They always forget us way out there, and we usually end up walking about half way back before meeting up with the sleigh.



Cookies!
And of course, hot chocolate, to finish up the afternoon :-)

Trying to get a picture of all 5, but alas, Brady was ready for bed!

Matching Jammies!

Last year after Christmas, we order matching PJs for the kids and Jeff and I to wear this year for Christmas morning. Judi ended up ordering them for her and Rick, as well as Jeff's brothers Andrew and Jordan as well. So, at Thanksgiving, we all put them on for a Christmas card picture :-)

Happy Thanksgiving from the Fanco Five!

Meg and her friends getting ready to head out Trick or Treating :-)

Trick or Treating at GFS :-)

First Haircut!

Brady was in desperate need of his first haircut...

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We took him to Great Clips here in Caledonia, b/c we've always had good luck with them doing the kid's haircuts...

Brady sat on my lap while the stylist did the cutting...

He looks so much like a little man now, and so much less like a baby!

Louisville Slugger Factory

On our drive to Disney, we stopped in KY at the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory. The kids had a great time seeing how bats are made...

Jeff got to use one of David Ortiz's bats that was used to hit one of the home runs in the playoffs that eventually lead to the Red Sox breaking the curse!

Theodore William standing next to the Ted Williams wax statue :-)

Each of the kids were given a bat as a souvenir at the end of the tour. They had fun posing with them outside of the largest baseball bat in the world.

Crazy Teddy. Need I say more...?

Monkey man sporting his favorite Patriots hat. He'll only wear it backwards....

Poor Chessie.... she apparently is inheriting her mother's thighs... :-(

Little Buddies

This is how they usually ride in the car.... holding hands :-)

First Haircut

Chessie needed a haircut to help correct her "Beauty Shop by Anna" induced bangs. After all of the hair issues we've had with Anna, I have to say I've held off cutting Chessie's hair as long as possible, but it was finally time... She was worried though, and so she sat on dad's lap for the haircut.

Back To School!

First day as a 7th grader!!

Too grown up for a backpack now- she's sporting a Jonas Brothers messenger bag instead.

A very happy 1st grader- being goofy before heading out to the bus...

Funny, but I never noticed how much he'd grown up until I looked at this picture after I took it. Where has the time gone...