Happy Halloween!!!

We had a fun filled day for Halloween. Emily was suppose to be a mummy but my lack of sewing ability sent me to the store at the last minute for a new costume and she was thrilled with it. So, Emily was a leopard cat and Amanda was a fairy. The wild one was a witch and Meg was a princess for about 2 seconds. We went trick-or-treating with cousins and friends and believe it or not, it was rather warm but still lots of fun.

Pumpkin Patch

We were finally able to get to the pumpkin patch and it was a beautiful day. It is really starting to look and feel like fall (a few days have even felt like winter). We did the annual all you can carry for $20 and that got us 8 pumpkins. We never seem to find the time to carve them but hopefully this year we will get it done.

Abby

She started off so cute and adorable we couldn't say no to bringing her home. She was just a ball of sweet lovable fur. Now, still cute and adorable but also a challenge. You forget how much work a puppy is, they are really like having another child. Abby is no exception. When she decides she wants to get up she whines and barks until someone lets her out, this is usually between 3am-6am. And becareful if you get up in the night, she will think it is time to get up. She has also learned to jump the fence leaving us to worry everytime we put her in the yard. Even with the challenges we still love her and are glad to have her. The girls expecially enjoy her and she loves everything about them. She plays more than Meg ever did and has more energy than any of us. She is 10 months old now and every so often I can see signs that she is learning but I wonder if she will ever fully learn how to behave. Enjoy some updated pictures of the crazy pup!!

Just for the record.....I have never allowed animals on the furniture but keeping Abby off the sofa is a full time job. Like I said, maybe someday she will learn and until then, we keep enforcing the rules.

Pretty Amanda!

Amanda was going to a friends house for a playdate and just too cute!! I had to capture the moment and share.

Drive In Movies!!!

I am a bit slow in posting lately. A few weeks ago we decided to take our kids to the Drive-In movies. Our area just opened a brand new place that is wonderful and lots of fun. If you are local, check it out!!! It was fun for the girls and a great way to share some of our childhood memories.

We put the girls in their pj's so they could sleep in the van after the first movie. You get a double feature each night!! It was a family outing and a date night all in the same activity, and not very expensive either.

First Day of School!!!

Emily went back to school today and she was very excited. She started 2nd grade and had a couple friends in her class. Her teacher seems wonderful. She is one of 16 kids in her class. Here area few pictures to enjoy! It was very dark out and raining really hard.

Byrd Theatre!!

This past weekend we took the kids to the Byrd Theatre to see the movie UP. I had never been to this historical theater but Ed had. It was so really cool to see this great movie palace that is more than 80 years old. The theatre hasn’t changed at all and although the seats weren’t as comfortable as the newer places it was great to see a historical place that was still functioning as it did 80 years ago. The prices for a movie in 1928 were $.25 for a matinee and $.50 for an evening movie and although our tickets weren’t that cheap we did only pay $1.99 per person. If you haven’t seen the movie UP, it was A LOT better than I thought it would be and we enjoyed it.

We also have a brand new drive in movie theatre we plan to visit in the coming weeks so watch for an update on that.

Patients or Patience?????

Two weeks ago Ed had knee surgery (he is doing very well). We took the girls with us to the surgery center since they are home with Ed right now. We knew the procedure was only 30 minutes so we figured they could endure. What we didn’t know was the Dr. was running 3 hours behind. I had loaded the bag with coloring books, crayons, books to read, games, workbooks and plenty of snacks. The girls were bored after a few hours and I couldn’t blame them. We had to be there at 1:00.

Just before we were able to take Ed home at 6:00 they had all of us come back to recovery to go over hid discharge information. Everyone was very nice to the girls all day and they were very good for such a long wait. The nurse gave them drinks of juice to drink while Ed was drinking and getting ready to leave.

Amanda walked up to a cart of drinks and crackers and decided she wanted crackers with her juice. I told her she couldn’t have those because they were for patients. She walked up to me and said “I have been very patient”. I was just shocked and tickled by our beautiful 4 year olds cleaver response and she was right! The nurses all got a good laugh and Amanda (and Emily) got crackers!!!

Camping!!

Ed and I both grew up camping with our families. This year we decided we wanted to take the girls camping and create some similar memories. We had a great time!!!! We went to Loft Mountain on Skyline Drive and went to the top of the mountain. We worried about the heat but had beautiful weather, although windy. The wind kept the bugs away and the heat down and the nights were cool.

A few months ago we reserved a campsite but as we arrived we realized our tent wasn't going to fit so we found a new spot that was perfect. We saw a lot of deer, even in our campsite. We enjoyed walking around, cooking on the fire, relaxing in the shade, making hobo packs, roasting marshmallows, making smores, popping popcorn on the fire, seeing stars as if you saw them the first time, laughing with bubbles, dancing in the dark and just spending time as a family.

Emily went to the Jr. Ranger program and went on a hike and learned about nature. We played Uno, bubbles, found animals in the clouds and shared a part of our childhood with our kids. What a great weekend!!! We are already planning our next trip.

Happy Anniversary!!!

It has been 13 years, the best 13 years of my life!!!! What an amazing man, words cannot even begin to express the love I have for him. We have been through a lot but I am blessed to know we have forever together! Happy Anniversary!!!!

Keep in mind, these pictures were taken pre digital. How I wish we had digital cameras back then!!!

Last day of school........

Friday was Emily's last day of school and she is now heading off to 2nd grade. Her report card was EXCELLENT and we are so very proud of her. She has learned so much this year and it is so wonderful to hear her read. She enjoys sitting down reading a book herself now. Emily didn't want the end of the school year to arrive, she loves school, her friends and her teacher but we know that she will continue to thrive!!!

Field Trip

I was lucky a few weeks ago to go on a field trip with Emily and her class. It was a lot of fun!!! We went to the local science museum. I was responsible for 5 kids in a place that had hundreds of kids there for the day. I was surprised at how loud the bus can be and although a lot of fun and I was thrilled to spend the day with Emily I was also exhausted. I have a whole new appreciation for teachers!!!!!!