Halloween, Colorado & Leaf Piles

Two flappers and a pirate!

Claire getting her face painted.

Will and half of Claire at a trunk-or-treat. They really liked this blow-up thing. Will asked if the bats inside were real. I think he was disappointed that they weren't!

The day after Halloween, Scott and the kids drove to Colorado for vacation with his parents and grandmother. They stopped for a play break at Lake Abeque (sp??) in New Mexico.

Nov. 2nd was Papa's birthday. Here is the crew waiting for cake!

On an excursion to Lemon Reservoir (I think!) up by Durango, CO.

Hiking up Treasure Falls in Pagosa Springs (Claire, Will, Grandma Connie and Papa).

At Treasure Falls

Pic of the waterfall

Scott and the kids at the falls.

Scott at the falls.

Cute pic of Will...not sure where? Still at the falls, probably!

The kids with Grammy, Papa, and Grandma Connie on a bridge at the falls.

On the way home...I think they were tired!!!

Our pecan trees started REALLY dropping their leaves this week. We have raked about four times and our yard is still covered! This was the initial pile of leaves on Monday.

Jumping in the leaves...so much fun!

Cute kiddos!

Throwing them back in the air is almost as fun as jumping in the pile!

Kids and Mom (with no make-up!)

Sept. & Oct. Pics and Update

Okay, so I lied. Evidently I do not have all the pictures from my mom. So, here are a few from the last couple of weeks that we have taken with our new camera. I don't have many pics from the Pumpkin Patch because my mom was with us and she did most of the picture taking (and has all the really good ones).

In September my mom had surgery, so Claire and I went down there for a couple of weeks to help out. She took a lot of really great pictures then, so hopefully I will get them and post them eventually. Mom came back up with us and stayed for another week. While I was gone, Will's class at school started the color behavioral system and he wasn't doing so hot. He's a very willful and spirited kid! He likes to talk. A lot. So we started a reward system that he can pick something from a clear plastic tub if he gets one of the top colors (we put those little colored garage sale stickers on the prizes to coordinate with the color he gets at school). Since we started that, he hasn't gotten a bottom color. He's even gotten green a couple of times (the best!), so we are very excited about that.

Before and after my trip to Houston, I have been busy at work with homecoming mums and garters. Thankfully, last week was the last one, so we are done with that for the year! However, Christmas Open House is right around the corner and our shop has not one Christmas thing out! So, I will be quite busy with that coming up.

We are looking forward to Halloween this weekend. The kids have dress-up day and parties at school tomorrow and we'll go to a little festival on Saturday night. Claire is going as a flapper and Will hasn't quite decided yet. He has a great pirate costume, but if it's anything like last year, he'll change his mind at the last minute!

The only pics I got of when we went to Katy in September are of the kids swimming (it was still plenty warm enough!)

Scott tossing Will into the air.

Watching a movie after their swim. I just love how Claire perched herself on the arm of the couch.

I stole these of Mom's Facebook...Claire lying in my great-aunt Rutie's hammock at Lake Livingston.

Beautiful sunset at the Marina at Lake Livingston.

Lego fort that Will and Scott built

Sweet boy

Pretty eyes

Scott and Will at the Pumpkin Patch

Will showing off a prize he got (from us) for being good at school.

Cutie Claire

Claire dressed in Halloween shirt, skirt and leggings

Halloween arrangement I made at work...it's a cat ^~^

Aww, Nuts!

With Fall comes harvest. We've had a bit of a harvest of our own lately. We are the proud owners of three pecan trees, two in the front yard and one in the back. While our dogs regularly snack on the backyard pecans, our front yard is brimming full of ripe, ready to shell and eat nuts. And boy, are they tasty this year! We've spent a bit of time collecting them and have shelled quite a few.

I'm sorry I've been so lacsidasical in posting lately...I know I always say this, but we've really been quite busy. I was sick a couple of weeks ago and on top of that was my shop's open house and a meal the youth hosted for the senior adults all on the same weekend. Whew...I'm tired just writing that. Then of course, Scott promptly turned up sick, too. Thanksgiving was the next week and we enjoyed seeing my family and Scott's brother's family. We spent a little time relaxing and my mom and I went shopping on Black Friday. It was a good time. We returned on Sunday night and I have been trying to get my home decorated and in order in time for our families to arrive for Scott's graduation next week (whoot woo!).

Of course things aren't complete around here without a few glitches. Scott began itching all over his body severely last night and began to notice hives. He took some Benadryl and went to bed, but when he woke up this morning they were still there and now his upper lip is all swollen. Oh, and did I mention we're supposed to have our Christmas card pictures made on Saturday morning? I just have to laugh, you know?

I am just so excited that Christmas is almost here. I guess I am really in the Christmas spirit this year because I know my kids, especially Will, will really enjoy it this year. He is already amazed by every Christmas light display he sees, no matter how pitiful or extravagant, he yells, "LOOK!" It's quite cute. So, merry Christmas, even though it's still early! I will leave you with a few pictures of the Christmas decorations I have done and some others.

If y'all remember from last year, I'm a bit of a Christmas tree-aholic. I have them in almost every room. This year, however, I am lightening up a bit. Instead of a big tree in both my "formal" living room and the den/family room, I am just doing one in the formal living room. So, I have combined my ornaments for both those trees this year. I did this for the simple reason that I can sort-of cordon off this room from little hands. Claire is very interested in the tree and wants to pull all the ornaments off of it. And she's not that gentle about it. I did hang all my breakable ones up high, so I can at least rest a little knowing that she can't really break any of them :)

A mini tree on top of the desk in the family room. I put all my really "folk-sy" ones on it.

Just Will :)

Claire having fun with a piece of cardboard that came with a mixer I got.

Farm Fun with Nana

We were so excited to have my mom with us this weekend for trick-or-treating and other fun. We went to a farm a little ways outside of Midland that has a corn maze, hayride, pumpkin patch, cow train, and other fun stuff on Saturday night. It was a little cool, but we had a GREAT time. Will LOVED it! In fact, he said that over and over again. We will definitely be going back with Daddy in the near future in the daytime.

Nana and Will on the cow train, riding "Elsie." This was especially neat because my mom's dad worked for Borden's for a very long time, so Elsie is near and dear to our hearts!

Claire and I riding "Daisy." This was also funny because my favorite dog growing up was named Daisy! Claire didn't like the cow train as much as Will did...

Will, mesmerized on the hayride. We saw lots of pumpkins and several deer. It was really cool!

Me, Claire and Will on the hayride.


Posing with some pumpkins...Claire was ready to go home :)

Will doesn't usually pose for pictures this well, so you can really tell he was very excited and had had a great time by the permanent grin on his face!

Sister and brother posing together.

Will and I pushed our pumpkins to the car in the pumpkin barrow. Every family gets one pumpkin to take home, but since it was after Halloween, they said we could have two.

If anyone who reads this is in the Midland/Odessa area, you should go out to Fiddlesticks Farms. They will be open til November 29th. It is lots of fun for the whole family!