To work with your hands

Hello Fall

So long summer and HELLO FALL!!!

It is official, Fall 2009 is here!  I have had my first pumpkin spiced latte and my first pot of soup is on the stove.  I love fall.

This past week, we welcomed the season by visiting Sean's dad and step-mom in Missouri.  What a beautiful time we had!  We spent a gorgeous day at Silver Dollar City, another day on the lake, and an afternoon picking out pumpkins. (Yes, those are green pumpkins in my hands... my sweet Sean agreed to transporting them home across 4 states!  I just had to have these beauties!)

Miss Paige loved the kiddie rides.  She was very impatient when we had to sit and wait for the ride to begin.  Connor was quite the dare-devil - riding all the roller coasters (he was just the right height this year).. More than I was even willing to ride!

Grandkids have an incredible power over grandparents! Connor somehow talked his Popa into swimming in the cold lake.  Great memories!

Hello cooler weather

Hello pumpkins

Hello scarecrows

Hello changing colors

Hello Fall!  We've been waiting for you!

So Long Summer

We had a beautiful weekend in Galveston with my family.  The weather was perfect, our beach house was great, and the company was even better.

Here is our "White Shirt Day" family pic.  This was Mom's birthday present... we gave her a card on her b-day in June with an old "white shirt day" pic and told her we needed to update it since we have several new family members.

We have been taking these since before little ones... From 6 family members to 10!  Which means it is near impossible to get everyone smiling! Can you tell who our unhappy camper was this year? (Hint:  he is too big of a boy to be held by his mama like this!  Ha!  A good story to torture him with later when he is all grown up - right?)

The kids had a blast playing in the sand and the water.  Paige took to the beach right away!  We all did alot of sitting around, fishing with Uncle John, eating good seafood, playing with grandparents, and just old fashioned laughing.... Just what we all needed after a long hot summer.

 

So long hot days.

So long sunscreen.

So long swim suits.

So long mosquitoes.

So long summer...

Hello Fall!

Breakfast in Romania

Had a Romanian breakfast this morning.... kind of...  We ate breakfast while talking to Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jenny on Skype!  One of those moments when I thought "I am living in the future!  Where is George Jetson?"

 

 

We got to catch up with them, hear how they are settling in, and even show them Paige's Halloween costume!  Technology is so cool!

 

What a great start to our vacation today... Soon, we head out to our "So Long Summer" beach weekend with my family!  We are packed and ready for some sunshine and sand.

We walk

Lots of walking going on around here.

Paige is officially walking now, although, crawling is still her choice mode of movement.... I take that back... Being carried is still her choice mode of movement! 

Our Barefoot Baby is no more.  She has decided that shoes are great and insists on wearing them at all times.  She will find them, bring them to us, and whine until we put them on her feet.  A whole new world of fashion awaits her!  Sean thinks it is hilarious ...and pointed out to me that she is already such a woman... He noticed that she even wants to wear them when they rub blisters on her feet... but they are cute and cute counts, right ladies?

The four of us participated in another kind of walking this weekend.  On Saturday, we took part in the LifeWalk - a charity walk for a non-profit organization here in Collin County... Real Options for Women.

 

  Real Options for Women is a Christ centered ministry that offers help to those facing unplanned pregnancies.  Despite a rainy morning, there was a great turnout.  Connor just about ran the whole first mile... and then pushed through the second!  Paige took her morning nap through the whole thing!  We were a bit soggy when we left - but that made it more memorable.  We plan to make this annual walk a family tradition.

 

The Kids' Table

Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends.
 We had sweet cousin time this long weekend.  We went to Bryan to celebrate Cousin Olivia turning 2! It is always a treat to get to see our "country cousins" and play on the farm.   We never thought the day would come when all 4 of them would be sitting at the table together for dinner.  Yay for the "kids' table!" 

Then we spent time saying goodbye to Cousin Jack.

Jeff, Jenny, and Jack boarded the plane bound for their Romanian home for the next two years today.  Lots of tears have been shed over the past few days. Was really hard to say bye that last time.  We are so thankful we got to have some sweet hang time.  There is a hole here now, but a great void is being filled over there.

Cousins are special.  I grew up with one cousin.  Our world always stopped when Cathy came to visit.  John and I both thought she hung the moon!  We always picked up right where we left off.  She lived far away from us, but I have always felt our hearts are close.  We still pick up right where we left off.. and my kids love their "Aunt Cathy." 

Sean grew up with his cousins much closer.... almost neighbors most of his childhood.  So many inside jokes, hilarious memories,  and just living life together in great ways. We still get to see them often and are now sharing life together with the next generation of cousins.... a new set of cousins at the "kids' table" now!

 

Family is such a great thing!  We are so blessed to be surrounded by two incredible ones.  Cousins are just one sweet part of the whole equation. 

Boys, Brownies, and Bunny

I am attempting to be intentional and organized with Connor this school year.  The teacher in me comes out this time of year.  Who can resist a new box of crayons on the school supply aisle?  I found this website and am trying to do a letter of the week to add some fun to our days. 

This week is B.

We have already been busy with "b's" ....

 

We went to our buddy Addie's house today and baked brownies together (he is also learning about B this week!)

 

I actually got Paige's bunny layout done this week!  This was a lot of fun for me.... one of those pages that really allowed me to play.... Mommy needs playtime too!

 

Sean took this picture of me rocking and singing to Paige before bed last night. He found the camera, figured out the correct setting for the dark room, and did it quietly enough to not disturb us... without me knowing.  This is such a normal scene today, but this sweet normality will pass by all too soon. Warms my heart when Sean recognizes moments worthy of capturing.... things that he wants to remember.