Halloween

Our trip to Canada this fall overlapped Halloween. Initially, Daniel was going to drive up this weekend and stay with the boys at least a couple days into the week, possibly the entire week. Then he got a new job that required him to travel this week (our last week here) and fly out on Nov 1st. So, that left us spending Halloween apart. It's not my favorite holiday and not as sentimental as Christmas or Thanksgiving, but I would still prefer to trick-or-treat and go to pumpkin patches and harvest festivals as a family. But that was not in the cards this time. I had to miss the boys trick-or-treating and Daniel had to miss the girls, Allie's first time to dress up for Halloween- she was only a couple months old last year.

It was really sad and we missed each other but at least we're here with friends and weren't alone. Poppy is here during this schedule as well so we were able to spend Halloween with her, Hayley and Danny. Maggie and Poppy just love each other, they're so cute together. We went to their condo this afternoon for some activities hosted by the condo; the girls had fun dancing.

Then we went upstairs where the girls tried bobbing for apples and fell in love with it! They did it over and over again. Hayley made us dinner then we all went out trick-or-treating. We had a great time and if I couldn't be with my whole family, I'm glad we were with good friends.

 My camera battery died while we were out, so this picture in the lobby was the last one I got before trick-or-treating. We stayed out about an hour and half when the rain started to pick up. Me and the girls got back "home" around 8 and I charged the battery a little to take a few more pics of my Princess Aurora and ladybug. Happy Halloween!

Painting pumpkins

The last few years the kids have painted pumpkins rather than carving them. They really enjoy the pumpkin painting activity and I'm not a great carver anyway. Plus, they last longer when they're not carved. So Will and I went together to pick out the pumpkins this year and here's what we got:

The Big 4-0!

My sister just turned 40!! I didn't get her permission to write the blog so hopefully she's ok with it. :) I went back in forth for several months about how I wanted to put Tracy's party together. For a long time I wanted to have a surprise party the weekend of my cousin's wedding, but there were some logistical issues and some uncertainties so I had to find another way.

My aunt, Patti, offered her house for the celebration so we had a little party for her on Friday, October 9th. My mom, aunt Patti and I got together and came up with a menu- they did the meal, I handled dessert and decorations. Several years ago we all decided to forego sibling gifts on our birthdays, but my brothers still wanted to do something so they pitched in on snacks and drinks. We all put the party together for Tracy, that was our gift. :)

We had chicken-n-dumplings, green beans, homemade applesauce, chips & dips, gooey butter cake, pumpkin cake and ice cream. Jeremy brought a carrot cake and two homemade corn bread skillets- one with jalepenos, one without. My cousin Rachel was visiting as well and planned to make corn bread, so we had plenty of that. All the food was delicious.

My pretty sis

Allie eating half of Grandma's food

There is still construction in my aunt & uncle's neighborhood, so the kids had fun getting dirty in the mud and rocks. I even came up with an obstacle course that all the kids and my brother, Rob, ran through or over as the case may be. They ran up, over and down the several piles of rocks, it was a lot of fun. I mean, I didn't try, but it was fun watching them. :) Everyone did good, but Caleb had the best time. Sadly I couldn't get pics of them running the course since I was keeping time.

 My cutie good-lookin' boys

Everyone seemed to have a great night, I hated to leave. I certainly hope Tracy enjoyed it! Happy 40th birthday sis!!

Our little flower girl

Earlier this year my cousin, Stefani, mailed us this cute little poem asking Maggie to be a flower girl in her wedding. We were so excited! Maggie immediately said she wanted a pink dress but I told her the flower girl usually wears white like the bride. As the year went on, Stef did tell me they found a pink dress for Maggie and that pink was a secondary color.

Anyway, Maggie has been practicing in a walker this summer and we hoped she'd walk down the aisle in it- she really wanted to. The walker we ordered for her arrived about a month before the wedding and we practiced plenty but she still felt more comfortable with me behind her. And I don't think me scooting on my bottom down the aisle behind Maggie is exactly what the bride would envision. :) Then it turned out the wedding was outside and the aisle was long and concrete; Maggie still practiced but at the end of the day, she felt more comfortable in the wagon Stefani prepared for her. She was still the sweetest, most beautiful little flower girl ever!

Practicing :)

Maggie in her pretty pink dress, pink flower and all ready to be a flower girl!!

 I love this picture of Maggie and my cousin, Matt :)

 It was cold! But Maggie was a trooper, stayed bundled up until it was time to start

 daddy pulling the girls around after the ceremony 

 Then on to the reception where indeed, our little flower girl caught the bouquet (with daddy's help)

What's really cool about the whole thing is Maggie would turn 5 by the wedding and I was 5 the first time I was a flower girl and in Stefani's mom's wedding no less. :) I just thought it was a really cute happenstance.

It was such a nice wedding and I'm so glad our beautiful little Maggie was able to be a part of it! Congrats Stef & Cam!