Punkins' 2011

 Happy Halloween!  

We hope the weather was prime and everyone is now enjoying their loot.

It was the perfect Halloween for us.  In fact, we have basically been celebrating this holiday for the last month.  Preschool fun, Trunk or Treats, and candy galore.  Abby stated that she wants to celebrate Halloween everyday. This year Abby wanted to be Rapunzel, which wasn't surprising.  She also requested that Kate be Pascal and I be Mother Gothel, or in her words, "Mother Gobble."  Well, for those of you that haven't seen the movie Tangled, Mother Gothel is the Evil Mother to Rapunzel...lovely.  I felt so honored that Abby felt I fit the part. Ha! So, I attempted to dress up at her request for the Trunk or Treat. 

 Trick or Treating was extra fun this year because Abby really got into it.  She didn't want to miss a house.  People were very generous and she had quite the haul by the end.  The best part about today was that Brett was able to get off work extra early and spend the afternoon with us.  We were able to have a picnic in the park for dinner and travel the town with Daddy. 

 Rapunzel, her favorite.

 Pascal

(My friend Eve is amazing and came up with Kate's costume. Thanks Eve!)

Quite the Pair. 

The park where we had dinner. I had to post this because it was so pretty.

 Pascal, Mother Gothel and Rapunzel

Trick or Treating

Pumpkins

Pumpkins on Halloween Night

Watchin' them glow.

Dentist

This little girl had her first dentist appointment this week.  I must say I was pretty nervous to take her, knowing very well that she would probably throw a fit.  Gratefully, the dentist knew exactly what to do.  The first he thing he did was pull out a princess toothbrush.  Abby was sold on the idea she got to have her very own princess toothbrush if she showed him her teeth.  She did it!  No tears and no cavities.  Phew! What a relief. The dentist handed her a plastic bag filled with toothpaste, floss and her prized toothbrush and she left the office beaming. This bag was taken with her everywhere as we ran errands throughout the day.  I think the part Abby loved the most was she felt like an adult.  This kid loves feeling grown up and likes to think that she is at the mature age of 20.

Oh, and she dressed herself, can you tell?

She wants to start a new trend.  Bloomers?
(And, you may note that she is carrying her floss in the other hand.)

A New Decade

Brett welcomed a new decade this week.  He bid farewell to his roaring 20's and turned 30.
Thirty years.  Crazy?!  Life just keeps getting faster each year.

He has definitely accomplished a lot in that time: school, mission, school, marriage, school, children, and now work. (I guess this somehow means we now need to be responsible adults or something.) I do think the greatest accomplishment in his life is his family.  He is an amazing father and husband.  We are so blessed to have him. I sure love you Babe! 

Happy 30th Birthday!  

Bring on a new decade.  

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Every year Virginia holds a Hot Air Balloon Festival near the Shenandoah Valley. Our friends Nic and Anabel introduced us to it this year and we hope to keep it a tradition because it was a lot of fun.  I never realized how huge these balloons really are in person. Sadly, they didn't last long because the wind came and they had to put them down. Either way, it was sure worth getting up extra early in the morning to see them blow up and enjoy a pretty sunrise over the valley.  The festival had TONS of activities for the kids, including Monster Truck rides, blow-up toys, parades and a petting zoo.  Abby was in heaven.  We love savoring the Fall.  

 

We had to bring the kite and try it out on the fields of green.

Here are the boys enjoying an intense race.

LAWN MOWER RACES!?!  

That's right, you read it correctly, lawn mowers. These races were definitely the hit of the day and were not taken lightly.  The men in the race took this event very seriously.  Testosterone levels were at a high as we watched them spin around the corners, revving their engines as they went. One engine started to smoke, which led a mom to come running out on the track with cups of water to put it out. Oh my goodness, I could have been entertained for hours. Welcome to the Western part of Virginia friends.  

 The girls enjoyed the parade of old fire trucks. 

 And, of course the petting zoo with Grandma.

 They even had an Old Car Show which I loved.

The lawn mower races.

(Just ignore me talking to Brett, I didn't realize I was recording.)

Shake Those Hips Abbers.

Skyline Drive

We had Brett's parents here this last week to celebrate his upcoming birthday.  It was great to have them around to savor the Fall Season with us.  We wanted to do something fun and different while they were here so I looked into different options. I had heard that Skyline Drive was a beautiful place to visit with the changing leaves, so we loaded in the car and headed for the hills.  At first I was hesitant to leave because it was foggy and rainy, but I am so glad we went because it was breathtaking.  We saw spectacular views of the Shenandoah Valley, with patches of fog enfolding the ground below. It made the mountains seem a wee bit bigger as they peaked up through the clouds, even though they still don't compare to the West. Abby liked driving through past the changing leaves as we wound around the mountainside.  We were even able to visit my new favorite place to pick fruit, Hartland Farm. (Thanks Michelle for introducing us to this place.)  They had freshly squeezed Apple Cider, crates full of freshly picked apples, and mounds of bright orange pumpkins.  Mmmm.  The owners of the farm also told us that we needed to experience the taste of an apple donut in the Fall. I am not a donut fan, but I have now been converted.  The apple donut was heavenly.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. We had a great day and definitely enjoyed soaking in the fresh air.

 

As you can see, Kate loves to eat leaves.  

Mmmmm.....Apples.  

Picking out pumpkins.

There were parts of the drive that felt a little eerie with the fog...perfect for Halloween.

 

Cheers to the Fall!  My favorite season.