Happy Halloween!

Portrait Session Photos!

vacation to CO!

We had a great week with the Smiths in Colorado Springs. They were very hospitable and let us stay in their place. We drove down 15 hours straight and we very exhausted when we got there. But things went fine from there. Went to the zoo, hiking, playgrounds, saw E in choir, E and F do a church race, a pizza party, went bowling, then up to Vail for 2 days at a nice condo there (I felt spoiled J). The scenery was so beautiful! Eric and I got to have a nice night out with his sister and then in Vail, just the two of us while they graciously watched the kids. Kaylee and Levi had lots of fun with their couins. Kaylee was especially enamoured with the baby. But she spent lots of time following her older cousins around, dutifully. Levi just bopped around doing whatever he felt like, sometimes playing alone, with me or with his cousins. They were very sad to leave but were really glad to get home, they seemed esp. at peace with each other yesterday. Playing quietly together and sharing well – we think they missed each other. And they missed their toys from what we saw with their time spent in the playroom yesterday. Either that, or they were just really glad to be out of the car. It was really nice to see D and B again, as well as S and her kids! We really enjoyed our time and now it’s back to the grind (you know what I mean). S took a couple of great photos out there. Here’s some with our fam in them. Thank you so much to the Smiths for a great visit!

the countdown

So the kids went to have their annual photos taken this past weekend and it was a little crazy. They were very good before and during, but AFTER oh my goodness I guess they had had it with sitting/holding still!... Hope it paid off with some good shots, I think so…I’ll post them here soon.

 

We went to the apple orchard this weekend with my parents and my sisters. It was a lot of fun. We went on the tractor ride, got the kids some pumpkins, had treats (apple donuts – yum!) and got to taste test some apples. It was a good thing to do and Kaylee very cutely counted down the days until she got to do that. Afterwards we got to all go out for lunch and it was a great opportunity to catch up – it was fun. Afterwards the kids slept great (maybe too great because last night Levi thought 5 am was wake-up time).

Now she has started a new countdown to our vacation to CO on Thursday. We will be there for a week – can’t wait! Excited to see the Smith clan.

 

Levi said something cute this morning. 1,000 times more cute if you heard him say it himself but he smiled at me with yogurt on his nose during breakfast, with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Mom backetbol! I love it, I love it, I love it” as if it was some sort of revelation on his part, some sort of sweet epiphany.

 

The kids got to jump in a pile of leaves in our front yard yesterday. Though Kaylee and Levi were having fights over Levi wanting to tear the pile apart and Kaylee wanting to keep the pile a pile. You know, there has to be something! I tried to tell Kaylee that is what leaf piles are for and she had trouble with letting her brother do what little brothers need to do – JUMP/SQUISH/TRAPSE/DESTROY!

 

Eric has been working very hard this past weekend with organizing the laundry room, repairing a wall with newly discovered water damage, sorting through his aquarium stuff, constructing a real chute for the laundry (not make-shift cardboard boxes). It looks awesome in there now! He also primed the wall so the contractor can put on the wood cap in the guest bedroom.  Great work Eric! Between being sick and then kicking it into high gear – suffice it to say at the end of the day the poor guy is worn out!

 

Hope the Fall weather is treating you and your families well! Stay warm!

Halloween mask fun!