Pumpkin Carving

Sunday Papa and Greg brought home 4 pumpkins to carve.  Granny had gotten some cool pumpkin tools that we were anxious to try out.  The kids always like to carve but are pretty disinterested once we being because we didn't trust them with a knife:/  Well this year with the cool tools we decided they could make a go of it.  They did great!  We spent 2 hours carving and the weather was beautiful!  Double bonus:)

I just love fall!  Pumpkins AND weather that doesn't make you sweat or cold!  Bliss!

the fun part...

hard at work....we were pretty intense:)

Check my pumpkin out!!  Wow right?  I shocked myself:)  

Greg tried the etching route...pretty impressive! Go Mizzou!

My Daddy!  Getting better everyday.  Still dealing with fatigue but is doing awesome!  He was walking with a walker 6 weeks ago and yesterday he went to the gym with me!  He's such a rockstar!  So proud of you Dad!

our creations.
Greg's, mine, Abby then Reese

for real, I really did do this all by myself!!!  Next year I plan to top this one:)

Abby and the pumpkin bling that Granny for her!

Reese and Greg creation.  Daddy assisted a bit while Reese kicked the football;)

Trick or Treat!

Halloween around here brings a mixture of emotions.  Both the kids talk about it for months and then the day arrives.  I can always count on Abby to get her costume on (with few hiccups except maybe her hair and we normally can noramlly wrap that up in about 20 minutes:) but it's Reese that I can never predict!  

About 2 months ago Abby and Reese drew up a costume design for Granny to sew for Reese.  He was on a Captain America kick (remember when he painted the garbage can lid into a shield?:)

Anyways we mailed the design to Granny and she was happy to make the costume for him!  When they came to town she gave it to Reese and he loved it.  I figured we were in the clear (last year I had a crying trick or treater (baseball player) because he didn't want to be in a costume-:/)

Well Halloween came and so did the tears...see below.  This is the only picture I got of Granny with Reese in full costume...cape and all.  He doesn't look happy but thankfully the tears were for only a season...

Presenting Captain Reese!

 After a few houses and seeing some friends from church and school he began to warm up.  He did take the cape off but he started to smile.  His teacher from school lives 5 houses down from us and as you can see he was very happy to see her!  The evening turned out to be a hit and Granny and Papa got to join in on all the fun!  Very thankful for that!

I didn't get a great picture of Abby in her costume...she was Princess Leia.  She loves Star Wars and she wanted to be a Ninji but I had to veto that one....a girl a Ningi,what?  She's a funny duck that Abby:)

Well I was able to get her hair to look like the real Princess Leia and she was pleased with that!

The kids got a ton of candy and actually this year they really scored in the chocolate department!

Way to go neighbors! Greg and I were pleased:)

Princess Leia
-bad lightening but my friend got a good picture and she is going to send it to me and I'll post it later.

Minute-To-Win-It!

Today we had Reese's 7th birthday party!  He wanted to have a minute-to-win-it party so we did:)

I planned about 6-7 games and hoped for the best!  It was super crazy but fun!  We had about 10 boys and 2 girls so it was a little nutty but I remained calm, most of the time! ha!

Everyone wanted to do every challenge and I didn't expect that but thankfully I planned for it so I had enough supplies to go around.  It was fun to watch the kids and I know Reese really enjoyed himself.  He said his favorite was pushing the car with the party blower (see below) because he won twice:)  that's a boy for ya huh?

I really do love planning the parties for the kids and I really don't mind it BUT I guess with the kids birthday's 10 days apart and the Rangers playing in the World's Series (I don't want to talk about it:/ --ughh!) it just makes it a little nutty around here for a few weeks/months:)

Speaking of parties I better get off of here because now that Reese's birthday party is over I need to plan Abby's!  T minus 6 days.....C.R.A.Z.Y.

Friday we will have 9 nine-year old girls spend the night.  Thank goodness girls are calmer than boys!

Let the game begin! 

Go Nathalie!  This is my friend who volunteered to show the kids the ropes:)

Cookie on the Forehead into your mouth with no hands!

you can't see it but they have Vaseline on their noses...  

...so they can pick up as many cotton balls as possible and place them in a bowl

Abby and her friend, Emilia

Ready to catch the marbles
Here they had to roll marbles to knock over the pencil.
We had marbles everywhere:)  

Eager Beavers!

Me being bossy probably:)

ok here they used straws to suck up M&M's and get as many in a bowl  as you can

Cameron was the master!  He got like 30 M&M's in his bowl in one minute!  Amazing!

You use a bday blower to puch you car over the line.  This one was a hit but the blowers kept blowing- fail:)
*if you ever want to do this have PLENTY of extra party blowers
p.s. they are very annoying when you put them in the hands of 15 plus children. 

Reese won!  Love this picture!

Reese wanted a cookie cake that had a clock on it.  I tried.  It was kinda lame but tasted good:)  Just needed to put more in more time.  Again, I blame it on the Rangers.
I have lost lots of hours of my life watching the Rangers. Well spent but still lost!  :)

Way to go Greg...perfect timing!!!  Make a wish buddy!

Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!
This is a conversation I had with Reese on Friday night (night before the party)
R-"Mom, I really want it to be tonight already!"
Me- "Why buddy?"
R- "Because then right after I wake-up and it's party time and I get to open gifts!!!"
We like birthdays around here.  Ok, lets be honest, We like GIFTS:)
Giving and receiving!!!

Check out those dirty feet.  What a boy. :)

My nephew, Charlie holding my new nephew Colson.  He's a doll.
*and that's sweet Eden (my friend Becky Brooks daughter) in the corner.  She's also a doll:)

Happy Birthday Reese!

Today our sweet boy turned 7!  7 years old?  Is that possible?  He keeps getting older but I don't seem to age...weird huh?:)

Today we woke Reese to a birthday cupcake and his wish for the day was that the Rangers would win the World's Series on his birthday!  OH please Jesus!  PLEASE!:)

I remember the day he was born 7 years ago tonight.  We were living in DC, actually we were right outside in Reston, VA and I was induced at about 6am and he finally arrived at 5:56pm right before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.  We will never forget that day.  Reese broke the curse for the Red Sox, we're convinced:)  We'll see what happens tonight!!! Go Rangers!

Anyways, on another note--Granny and PaPa came into town TODAY!  My Dad hasn't been here in over a year and HE'S HERE!  He's doing awesome!  He's getting stronger everyday and Mom and him actually drove all the way down from K.C. no prob!  They are gonna stay 2 weeks and cover lots of ground with the kiddos activities!  Tonight we watched Abby preform at the High School with the drill team.  She went this past weekend to a junior drill team camp and she loved it!  Granny and PaPa are also gonna see flag football games, eat with the kids at lunch a few times, go with Abby to musical theater class and much, much more!  SO fun!  I am just so overwhelmed with praise and gratitude to have my Dad with us still.  Honestly things were looking pretty grim there for so long.  I remember praying he would wake-up at least a little so we could spend a few more minutes with him and now here he is recovering!  Praise God!   

We are gonna have some great fun....so glad they could make it!

Good morning buddy!

TREE HOUSE!

The kids and Greg have been tree house brainstorming for some time and yesterday the project began!

The kids were ECSTATIC the whole time and "helped" as much as they could.  Today Greg finished up the job and tonight the kids had dinner and watched Tom and Jerry from their new fort...very fun!

The tree house is dangerously high which gives me and Greg some anxiety but I think the kids will use "discretion" when playing up there:)  We hope! ha!   I asked them to sit down the whole time they play up there and they looked at me like I was nuts then they started laughing! Ha!  Ok, ok I admit that was a little much but I fear for their lives!!!:)  

let the building begin!

Abby handed Greg all the tools he needed...very helpful!

Platform in place...this took alot of brain work for Greg and I but we were able to figure it out!  (Greg did ALL the work)

First trip up!  Yes, I know it's high:/

Abby made a pulley  

Ready to roll!

Dinner and a movie

So fun!  Thanks for all the hard work Greg, you're the best Daddy!!

The Ultimate Fan!

Reese came in the kitchen dressed like this last night....
Mavs shorts, Rangers shirt and Cowboys helmet:)
Nice Reese...way to support those teams!