Pumpkin Carving 2010

Every year we carve pumpkins at Mimi and Grandad's house along with Aunt Chelsei.  It's always fun to see what the pumpkin carvings will be each year.  We never stick with just the plain old Jack o Lantern faces (we will always have at least one of those just because though!)

It is also fun to see how the kids start enjoying this more and more each year!  I am looking forward to (and dreading at the same time) the year that they kids get to carve their own pumpkins.  Okay, the more I think about my kids carving pumpkins with knives I really don't like that idea.  I may have to excuse myself for that!

Here are Nathan and Elizabeth with their pumpkins!

John and Elizabeth getting ready to make the first cut.  By the way, you probably can't tell form this shot what is on Elizabeth's shirt, but this is Elizabeth's new favorite shirt - it has a monkey on it!  She has been obsessed with duckies for a long time, well, move over duckies! Elizabeth now loves monkeys!

I just had to include this shot of John looking very dangerous with the knife!  See the concentration!

Elizabeth helped me pick out the guts of my pumpkin.

Nathan was very good at scooping out the guts of Grandad's pumpkin.

Here is a shot of everyone hard at work.

Elizabeth got bored shortly after that shot was taken and went to find her "Bob the Builder" tool belt.  It sings...

Here are the finished 2010 pumpkins!  We have this year a cat, and owl, a spooky face, a happy face, and a "hill billy alien".

Fall Festival

October 16th was Fall Festival at our church.  Fall Festival is so much fun!  We had perfect weather too - sunny and mid 60s.   Yes, my son is in shorts, but I think this kid would wear shorts in the snow.  He gets it honest though, I can remember my brothers (...Greg) doing the same thing.

Nathan loves the bouncy things.  Elizabeth went in one for the first time (I think) but just stood there and wouldn't move so John had to talk her out of it.

Elizabeth did love getting candy though.  Here she is trying to get a box of Nerds in her pocket.  I couldn't believe it but that box of candy actually made it home!  She is a candy fiend.

Nathan played several of the games.  Elizabeth just went straight for the treat bucket.  This game was a pumpkin toss.  Mimi and Grandad were helping run this game.

A hot dog and chili dinner was served - yummy!  Elizabeth loved her "chipies".  Nathan actually ate a hot dog.  Amazing because neither one of my kids like hot dogs, but Nathan said "hey, this isn't so bad!"

There was a tractor drawn hayride and also a donkey pulled cart ride.  Such a cute little donkey!  We ended the evening with the donkey ride.  Fun times!

Playing Dress Up

Elizabeth got for her birthday several dress up items so we have entered a new phase in a little girl's life - playing dress up!

Aunt Shanna sent this boa and pearls.  I have to say that Elizabeth LOVES these pearls.  She has worn them to church, and will go an entire day without taking them off - except I will not let her sleep with them (much to her dismay)

 

This is just a cute shot of her as she watched me making dinner one evening.

Here is another dress up outfit that she got for her birthday.  This is a combo of Minnie Mouse, heels, and a birthday hat.  Imagination at work.

The Pumpkin Patch

I love so many things about fall, but one of my favoite things is taking the kids to the pumkin patch!  This year John even got the chance to come with us - he has never been able to do that before so his presence brough great happiness!

There is a pumpkin patch only about a mile or so from our house so that is where we went this year.  There were already picked pumkins, pick your own pumpkins, and a hayride.  The kids loved the hayride!  Nathan wanted a picture of him with the tractor tire - who knows what is going through the mind of a little boy, but here he is with the tractor tire.

We did walk through the pumpkin patch and picked one pumpkin from the patch.

We let each one of he kids pick a pumpkin from those that were up at the pumpkin stand.

Such a difficult decision.

 

Those things are heavy!  Thankfully she did not drop it and break it.  It would have been a shame to pay for a busted up pumpkin :)

A very successful trip to the pumpkin patch.  We walked away with three nice pumpkins and two very happy children. 

Happy Fall!

Birthday Cake!



Sunday was Elizabeth's 2nd Birthday Party.  Cousin Ethan's birthday is only 4 days after Elizabeth's, so we got to share a birthday party!  So much fun!

Here is Elizabeth's birthday cake.  Elizabeth loves duckies, so this was a natural choice for a birthday cake for her.  Thank you so much Tabitha for letting us borrow the cake pan!  It turned out great!



We also make mini cupcakes and decorated half of them with blue icing for water and the other half to be the hind end of baby duckies with their little tails and feet sticking up out of the water.  Cute!

Yum!

Is that all?  I want more!



Rainy Day Fun

It's been raining here for about 4 days straight now.  Now I am not complaining as we need the rain very badly, and I know that other areas of the country need rain desperately.  That being said, the kids are a little tired of being inside all day long... so today I let them go outside and play!

Check out the cute rain gear!  Thanks Mimi for Elizabeth's rain coat and rain boots for both the kids - they loved them and I think they are adorable!

They had so much fun just splashing through all the puddles, trying to find the deepest ones.

Check them out in their little tug boat!  Good day to be in a boat - they might just float away if it continues to rain like this!

 What a happy boy!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

September 29,2010  

Elizabeth is 2 years old!

She picked out her own outfit... she did get the shirt and shoes for her birthday though. 

Elizabeth had a wonderful birthday.  We made sugar cookies to celebrate.

Elizabeth carried around her birthday cards all day long.  She loved her "Happy Day Cards".

I loved hearing her talk about her "Happy Day" and singing "Happy Day" to herself and anyone who would listen!  I am so glad you had such a Happy Day little girl!