it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

i absolutely adore this time of year! it is so much fun and full of traditions. around the keller household, we have been doing our best to celebrate the season! we are thankful to gma and gpa who gave us a lovely 24 days of christmas book in which we read a scripture, story, and sing a song daily. we also now have a little elf on the shelf (also from gma) whom the boys love finding each day. (i am still not sold on the elf, but it is a cute idea.) i was really worried one morning when i forgot to move him. i hurried and moved him before the boys came downstairs (or at least i thought). but gryffie had already come down. when he came down again and told me elf hadn't moved, i was mildly concerned. i said, are you should. he looked around and found him in the new spot. then he said, "boy, he is fast." it is amazing to me how willing children are to believe, especially in anything magical. it does make the season extra memorable.

some of our other fun: we went to see the celebration of lights at hartwood acres, the boys get christmas pjs, we go out to zelienople with family and take a hayride to go cut down our own trees, the boys go out with gma and gpa to buy christmas gifts for the family, we make tons of cookies, we go down to the strip and go shopping/eating on the saturday before, and the boys love making ginger bread houses. christmas eve we usually have a brunch with the kellers and head out to aunt betty's for a christmas eve party. however, this year, aunt betty has to work, so we went out to cranberry to visit last week and to do an early christmas with my parents as well. i am sure we will head out there again over the next week.

ahh, christmas time. it is truly the most wonderful time of the year. i love that it is both a spiritual but festive holiday. i love the music, food, and just all out celebrating! here are a few pictures so far of our christmas fun... there will be a ton more to come.

happy belated halloween!!!

it's practically christmas, but i have yet to post about our halloween fun. the thursday before halloween, we finally had time to carve our pumpkins (ben has class on mon and tues and then ym on wed eve).







on friday, we had the trunk or treat at our church. and then on sunday, we went trick or treating. ben stayed at home to hand out candy with most of the keller clan and beth, paula, and i took turns taking the boys out. the boys were really excited about their costumes and getting candy (we still have some left). jonas was harry potter, gryffin was superman, and porter was a little dragon.











happy belated halloween!!!

fun at trax farms

another family tradition is going to trax farms each year. while we are there, we buy lots of delicious food to eat, go to the petting zoo, get our pumpkins in the pumpkin patch, get delicious apples, and take a hay ride. we always look forward to this time of year and have lots of fun with our family. it is a good way to celebrate fall and get ready for halloween.

some of my favorite pictures...











and since i am the queen of slideshows:

the great race

jonas and gryffin decided that they would really like to run the kid's great race which was held in september. ben worked with them for several months at training. we headed downtown that morning and enjoyed all the games and fun activities available. then i ran with gryffin and ben ran with jonas while grandma and grandpa hung out with portie. it was an awesome experience. as gryffin and i crossed the finish line, my eyes welled with tears. i was so proud of my little dude. i didn't know where jonas and ben were though. they were behind and i came to find out that jonas had taken a tumble at the beginning of the race and was bleeding, but he still wanted to finish his course. i was so proud of my fearless little man. way to go boys! this may be a new family tradition, and maybe next year, portie will run, too.

washington county fair

as always, each year, we venture down south to the washington county fair. the boys have a wonderful time, seeing the animals, eating yummy food, and riding the rides. this year, portie was even big enough to ride. here are some pictures of our fun day.











and the rest of the pictures...

to jonas...

so, again, i haven't been very good at updating the blog, and i feel i owe a post to jonas specifically. i did not put on any pictures of his 1st day of first grade or even his birthday (which was back in april). so here's to you, mr. jojo keller, you sweet little man who is too smart for his own good and a whiny mcwhinerstein at times, and i love ya! can you believe that jonas was ever this little?



now, he is in the first grade...





pictures from his birthday: