Fall Festival and Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and I am sad to say I have no pics of Halloween night. It was a blast though, we got the kids dressed up and went to the Fall Festival at church. We had more fun this year because the kids were older could play more of the games, the ring toss, knocking down milk jugs, kicking the giant soccer ball into the net and basketball. Their bags were full of candy by the time we left and it was time to head home to greet the trick or treaters.

When we got home, we cooked our Jack O Lantern pizza from Papa Murphy's, which was really cute and yummy and may very well be our new Halloween tradition. The kids had so much fun running to the door to see the trick or treaters, they would get so excited to see them! Especially Elizabeth, our social butterfly, she even yelled "Happy Birthday" after one of the kids, I think she got her holidays confused. They were all about the candy too, even more than we thought they would be. We didn't even think they knew what candy was, but it must be a pretty simple concept for them to grasp.

The week before we went to a Fall Festival at a local nursery and did a tractor hayride and corn maze. It was alot of fun, and I do have some pics to show from that of the kids in their costumes. As the kids get older, these holiday adventures get more fun with their ability to grasp what it's all about and how they can get involved. Not that I want them to grow up too fast.

We also did our first pumpkin carving with the kids the night before Halloween, they just watched of course, I did try to get them to stick their hand in the pumpkin, but they weren't into it. We had fun though!

Who needs Water World?

Chris had the really great idea to put our little plastic slide in the kid's kiddy pool, so they could slide on it into the water. Let me just say, they loved it! Our own little waterpark, right in our own backyard!

2009 Summer Recap

Wow, did we ever have a great summer! The kids were so much more mobile this year (D had just started walking in August last year and E didn't start until after Labor Day) so we spent as much time as possible outside. The kids just love being outside and we love it b/c they seem to burn off so much more energy that way! We went swimming a couple of times this summer, and the kids had their first water park experience, and ate popsicles, ice cream cones, and s'mores for the first time (not all at once, of course). We also took them to Tiny Town to ride the train twice which they talk about all the time, and we all rode in a surrey for the first time, that was a blast! But I think the best part of all of it was just playing in our backyard, cooking on the grill as much as possible (less clean up for mommy) and eating outside, one of my favorite things about summer. But alas, summer has almost ended and soon the kids will be snuggled in their warm pj's and watching Daddy shovel snow (sigh), but with the change of seasons comes anticipation of the coming holidays and so much more fun to be had.

How My Babies Have Grown

Well, it finally got hot here so we got out the kid's baby pool that they got for their birthday last year. They still loved playing in it but there was certainly a lot less room to move around this year. The first pic is from last year and the second pic is this year's, check out my chubby babies turned lean toddlers!

It's Like Looking in a Mirror

I just love this picture, I don't even know when they took it, one day when I was at work, I guess. So this is what they do all day, play and have fun? That's how it should be. I would love to be the one at home with them and know I will be soon enough, but they have THE BEST daddy ever and as you can see by this pic, Elizabeth thinks so too. That is my little girl right there, sometimes I still can't believe it.

Fun in the pool, Floaties rule

We have taken the kids swimming a couple of times this year, well when I say swimming I mean we take them to a friends neighborhood pool to play in the 1 foot baby pool. The first time we just let them walk around but they kept falling over and into the water and even though we were right there, it really stressed me out. So this time we got them Floaties and they worked great! It was much more relaxing this time, and the kids had a blast! Daniel even sort of figured out swimming and was bending his knees and floating in the water. Elizabeth is our little fish, she absolutely loves swimming and couldn't get enough! We are encouraging them to blow bubbles in the water in the pool and the bathtub, apparently that is the first step in getting them used to swimming underwater. We will probably look into official swimming lessons soon.

Cousins

I love this picture of Cameron and Elizabeth wearing their matching shirts that Grandma Judy brought back from Cozumel. They are even sitting the same way in the chair, how cute is that? Elizabeth was crazy about Cameron from the second she got here, she must have said her name a million times that week. And she is still talking about her a month after she left. How I wish they lived closer and we could see them more often!