Christkindlmarkt

This past weekend was Ferdinand's annual Christkindlmarkt.  Friday evening was the opening ceremony.  Like last year, Owen and Addison walked in the opening ceremony.  Emily and I walked with them again this year.  Alvin and Adam stayed with Avari, Easton, and Kenley.  We met at the elementary school, got battery operated candles.  Then we walked to the Monastery.  We were the "walking lights" that appear to begin the opening ceremony.  After the ceremony was complete, the kids got hot chocolate and a cookie, before heading back to the school.

We didn't have soccer on Saturday morning because the part of the Christkindlmarkt was held at the YMCA.  Usually, we would have the game at the elementary school, but since there was an extra weekend between the Christkindlmarkt and Thanksgiving this year, they just skipped this weekend.  Since we didn't have soccer, the kids and I met the Schipps at the library, to see Animal Tales.  They got to see a snake, a hedgehog, a tarantula, an armadillo, and a big tortoise.  At the end of the show, they had the chance to pet each of them.  Owen and Avari, jumped right in line.  Easton decided to just look at them from afar.
After the show, Emily, the kids, and I headed to the Christkindlmarkt.  By the time we made it through our first stop, the kids were done.  Emily and I didn't mind because it was a little nerve-racking trying to keep track of five kids in a jam-packed building.  Luckily, my parents were on their way back from Jasper, so they met up with us and took my kids home with them, until Alvin woke up.  Adam came and got the girls.  The kids did really well, but I think they were just done trying to move through all the people.  Emily and I stopped at a few more locations, before I had to leave to go to Owen's basketball game.  We never buy much, but we enjoy looking at everything.

Owen had another basketball game Saturday afternoon.  My parents' went along to this game.  Owen did good, and really enjoyed having grandma and grandpa there, watching him.  He got a few rebounds, and took a couple of shots, but didn't make any.  Alvin and I are just happy at the effort he is putting into it.

Owen (gray shorts) going for a rebound. 

After Owen's game, we headed to Jasper, to get something to eat, and go to Walmart.

Sunday, our plan was to go to church, and then head over to the Toy Farm Machinery show at the 4-H Fairgrounds.  My dad, Alvin, and Owen have been going to it, every year, since Owen was about 4 years old.  Sometimes the rest of us will join them.  Plans changed a little, when the weathermen started forcasting sever storms, with a high chance of tornadoes.  Instead, Avari went to Sunday school, and my mom, Easton, and I went to church, while my dad, Alvin, and Owen went to toy farm machinery show.  Owen had been looking forward to it, since he found out when it was (he talked about it every day), so we really didn't want him to miss it.  After church and the toy show, my parent's came to our house for pizza, and then went home.  Luckily, the storms went around us, and we just got a lot of rain.  I just wish everyone in Indiana would have gotten as lucky because some places got hit really hard.  We spent the rest of our day and evening just hanging out at home, and trying to catch up on things around the house.