The last pictures of fall

Fall is my favorite season here.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the changing colors of the trees.
This year did not disappoint.
The boys spent hours every single day after school playing outside with friends enjoying the beautiful weather.
Here are a few last pictures of our fall.

A handsome man on a beautiful sunny day

Some pumpkin carving fun at our annual harvest fest dinner 

A fun night at a hotel.  Dinner, swimming and a good nights sleep.

Family movie day out

Thomas is playing basketball.  Lew is playing soccer.  THEY LOVE SPORTS.

Does anybody know where Lew is?

Samples at Sam's Club.  A regular Saturday activity. 

Two brothers sharing some love.

Goodbye Fall.  Hello Winter!

Happy Hauntings

This Halloween was packed full of fun festivities.

We had school programs.
School parades.
Ward trunk or treats.
Cookie making at friends houses.
Getting "booed" multiple times.  oops!
Friends over for our annual Harvest Fest dinner and pumpkin carving.
Chili cook offs.
Trick or Treating.
The works.

I like to party.  I like having fun.  I love the fall.  The leaves are amazing!  I love love love the kids dressing up in costumes.  I love that the kids get into full character in their costumes (Thomas).  I laugh every time I see Lew as a space astronaut/alien.  The name changed often.  I love the creativity and the spirit of a holiday.

I am not trying to be a Debby Downer but, this year I started to feel like we take things overboard.
I feel like the two weeks leading up to Halloween we were booked and by the time Halloween night came and we were heading out to go trick or treating, we were exhausted.

Of course we were excited... but we already had 3 big buckets at home full of treats.  Not to mention we had probably eaten more candy in that one week than the rest of the year combined.  And we hadn't even hit the main event yet.
We had buckets full of fake teeth, play dough and spider rings.
We had already worn our costumes every single day that week.
And to be honest and real, we only lasted about 15 minutes before we had a melt down and had to go home.  A melt down over something silly because we were EXHAUSTED I tell you.
So we came home.  Turned on movie.  Snuggled.  Went to bed.
With tired exhausted hearts from all of our festivities.

I had to post these last pictures.  They lift my spirit and apparently my spirit needed lifting after that rant of a post.  This was the perfect costume for this little one.  He brought it to life!

The Lucky One

I often get comments about my large belly.  I am definitely at the point in my pregnancy where I look due any minute. Even though I still have 6 weeks....
"You close?"  One lady demanded the other day as she went on to tell me that she didn't want to be the one to deliver my child.
I try to be witty, while not sounding exhausted, and answer with something about it not being soon enough.  We really are just so excited to meet this little one.
Then the conversation always seems to turn to how many other little ones I have at home.
I also try to be witty, while not sounding exhausted, and answer with something about it being my third boy.
That always gets a good reaction.  How will I do it?  Poor me.  Oh you are in for a wild ride!
It is always the same.
This bothered me early on.  I didn't know how to respond.

I feel genuinely so blessed to be having a healthy little boy.
This baby is already so loved by us all.
This baby was prayed into our family.
This baby is needed and wanted.  We can't wait for him to get here.  To be a part of our family forever.
I know that this is true.  I know with all my heart that this baby is a blessing and we are the lucky ones.
I didn't know how to tell strangers this, or even if I should.  It is private information.  Special information.
I soon decided that I did need to say something.  It is my way of letting others know that I cherish motherhood.  That I choose to be a mom.  That for me this means staying home with the little ones day in and day out.  Wiping noses.  Doing laundry.  Making dinner.  Tickling bellies.  Kissing necks.  Reading the same books over and over again.  Stepping on cars.  Wiping toothpaste out of the sink.  Getting the best kisses and hugs.  The good kind.  It is my way of letting others know that I choose to love what I do.  That I believe that this is a divine calling and families are important.  The most important.

So now I respond with how I am the LUCKY ONE.
I have the sweetest men in my life.
They all treat me so good.
They are full of goodness.
They all have different traits that bless my life daily.  I am the LUCKY ONE.

Thomas holds my hand everywhere we go.  Walking to school.  Going into the grocery store.  I know this won't last forever.  So today I will cherish it.

Lewis snuggles with me every morning in bed.  He pats my cheek and tells me, "I love you so much" in the sweetest most loving voice.  It is unconditional.

Daniel works so hard for me and always brings laughter into our lives.  He knows I love to laugh.  He  blesses our family with the priesthood.  He leads us and guides us.  He teaches our sons about the scriptures and what it means to be a good man.

I am the LUCKY ONE that will be blessed to have another man in my life.  6 weeks can't come soon enough!

Port Farms 2014

We had such a great day together as a family.  Something that I LOVE.
I would take a fun outing with the family over almost anything else.  I love quality time together.
It started out with T's basketball tryouts.
Lunch at TGI Friday's.
Then the whole afternoon spent at Port Farms.
The kids love it there.  They go non-stop the whole time.
The corn maze.
The slides.
The go carts.
The hay bales.
Corn hole.
Seeing the goats and bunnies.
Looking at the beautiful fall colors.  I LOVE THEM.
Hippity Hops.
Cotton Candy.
40 year old dancer dressed from the 80's.  priceless.
The hay bales again and again.
I can't forget the corn pit.
Heaven I tell you!  We were able to do it all.  Even if there were a million other people there that day.
We all came home exhausted and warn out from a busy day of playing hard.  The perfect type of day.

29

I turned the big 29.
It was a fabulous day.
Gift Certificate for a mani/pedi.  I have never had either before.  So excited.
I got to watch some Gilmore Girls on Netflix.  Why did it take this long?!
Didn't pass my glucose test. BOOO.
I talked with loved ones.
Had lunch with a dear dear friend.
Dropped my phone in the toilet.  Seriously?!
Dinner on the beach.  Chipotle.  AMAZING.
Watched the sunset as my boys ran and played.  AMAZING.
The boys rode their scooters as I walked behind them.
DQ blizzard.  Peanut butter cup.  A fav.
That weekend I got spoiled.
Dinner date at Firebirds.  Can I say blue cheese steak.
Visitors for the weekend.
A surprise ice cream cake.  So so sweet and yummy!  Thanks James and Laren!
General Conference.  Snuggling.  Relaxing.
29 started really really good.  I can't wait to see what else it has to offer.  I can tell it will be exciting!

Preschool 2014

We tried preschool last year.
It wasn't for us.
We tried preschool this year.
We were ready for it.
We love it.

Dear Lewis.
Your "2nd" 1st day of preschool was great.
You picked out your outfit the night before.  Your teal skinnies and shark/dog shirt.  You picked those out at the store all by yourself.  Quite the fashion guy!
You had your back pack ready to go for weeks.  Ninja Turtles of course.  It may even be bigger then you are.
Can you see just how excited you were?  You were so ready this year.  Asking daily when it was your turn to go to your school.
You were super confident when we got there.  You immediately went and found some toys to play with.
I had to stay and fill out some papers... The longer I was there the less confident you got.  Darn it.
You soon were holding onto my leg and didn't want to let go.
I looked you in the eyes.  Found you a fun toy and a friend/teacher to play with.  I told you I loved you so much and that I needed to leave now.  I said I would be right back to pick you up.  You looked at me with your bravest eyes and hugged me and said, "I LOVE YOU."  I turned and walked out the door.  Afraid to look back, but curious enough that I did.  YOU WERE JUST FINE!
Thomas was with me.  He was so nervous for you.  We had nothing to worry about.
I picked you up and took you for a donut at Fuhrman's.  You got a cake donut with white frosting and sprinkles.  I got a pumpkin spice.  We shared a chocolate milk.
I asked you how it went,  you said, "It was long, but I liked it."
We went to the park to play.  The weather was amazing.
You came with me to the doctors.  You climbed up on the bed with me and listened to the babies heart beat.  You went quite and held really still while while you listened to it.
I love that I got to have this day with you.
I love the big boy that you are growing into.
SO SILLY.
SO SWEET.
SO BRAVE.
SO GOOD.
You bring so much joy and happiness into our home.  You are determined and work so so hard.  We love you more everyday.