In Case They Ever Wonder

Baby Lucie still hasn't joined us, but that didn't stop four little trick-or-treaters from having a blast on Halloween! Ariel, Lightening McQueen, Princess Tiana, and the cutest little flower you ever saw walked all over the neighborhood, faithfully chiming "trick-or-treat" followed by "thank yous" that were music to the mamas and daddies ears! We had our annual pumpkin-carving fun the night before, and Matt and Derek really outdid themselves! Unfortunately, there was a run on pumpkins, so the adults weren't able to carve, but everyone knew that I would have won the contest anyway! As it was, Zoe's first pumpkin, a joint effort between Derek and Matt stole the show this year! (Although, Will absolutely could not have been happier with his Lightening McQueen! He doesn't get that excited that often, but boy, when he does, it really melts your heart!) Even little Lucie had a pumpkin, but that girl is on her own if she isn't here by Thanksgiving!

Happy 31st Birthday Matt! Most people say things like, "I can hardly believe it's been a year since we fill-in-the blank... My, where does the time go???" Well, I know where the time since your last birthday has gone. It's been right here backing over us like a mack truck! All I can think as I remember last Halloween is how has it only been one year since you were celebrating your 30th birthday by going to a Halloween bash designed for teenagers while Aunt Pam and I took the kids trick-or-treating in the rain? It seems like at least three years ago since you and I were in the house with a princess throwing a fit about something while Aunt Pam was on the front porch knocking on the door to let us know our dragon had just made himself throw up to avoid wearing his costume. Seriously. Are you sure you're not turning 35? Since this year has been oh-so-eventful, I thought it would be no problem to come up with 31 memorable moments from the past year! 1. Begin at the b...

Last weekend we had our traditional pumpkin-carving around the fire at my parents house. I can't say how wonderful it was to be with the whole family, carving, laughing, and eating pumpkin crunch, without having to make a 4 1/2 hour car trip! Anyway, Matt outdid himself, reminding me once again of what is probably the main reason I married him: so my children could have really cool jack-o-lanterns. This year's creations included: A Barbie silhouette for Sophie Diesel 10 (you have to be a Thomas fan to know this one, but the resemblance is uncanny) for Will Lillie's pumpkin portrait Oddly enough, my pumpkin won the contest (as it does every year), but the kids really loved their designs, so they were fine with it. And the craziest part is that I'm always the first one finished, yet I always win. Weird. Despite the fact that my classic design once again stole the show, I thought Matt's creations for the kids were pretty decent. In fact, if the student pastor thing doe...

It's beginning to look a lot like fall, and, occasionally, it even feels a bit like it (though it didn't today)! Since Matt's birthday is on Halloween, the onset of autumn brings extra excitement at our house, and this being Lillie's first fall is even more special! Today, we visited Gentry's Pumpkin Farm, and had a ball! It was Lillie's first trip to this family favorite, and she was definitely the cutest pumpkin in the patch! We ran through the corn mazes (getting way more lost in the kiddie maze than the adult maze), explored the log cabin outhouse, and teepees, and played in the barn maze and on the slides. (Will couldn't get enough of the slide even though he was nearly as long as it was!) We played in corn, saw lots of farm animals, and played with lincoln logs, a farm set, and tons of other neat toys in the granary. Will loved riding on the toy tractors in the t...