May the force be with you...and mickey, too.

Introducing my Star Wars nuts...

Princess Leia & Darth VaderThen there's Mickey

~Bowen's first Halloween, 8 months~ Brinley's favorite activity (next to eating candy) was squeaking Bo's ears.

A great moment:

Ben giving Brinley a pep talk about the creatures...meanwhile Brook (Alice in wonderland) has to shield her eyes to make it up to the door. Not afraid, that's my girl!


One last look back ...

And just because it cracks me up...

He was pooped.

It was a great night.

Happy Halloween!

This year Brinley wanted a happy jack-o-lantern

so he wouldn't "scare the kids from our porch". I hope your Halloween isn't too scary!

Storybook Forest

Storybook Forest is just that...a stroll through the woods at Lake Arcadia with storybook and nursery rhyme themes throughout the trail. And of course the kids get candy at each stop!

The three little pigs....

if you peek in the window, you can actually see pigs sitting inside :)

The sword in the stone

Rock a bye baby...

Brinley had to get close enough to see if the baby was real. And let me apologize for her attire..she insisted on the purple dress but at least I got her to put something over it to keep her warm!

Hey diddle diddle....

Although I've never seen a cow jumping over the moon,

somehow I don't think he would quite like this, lol.

Points for getting it up in the sky, though!!!

Peter Peter, pumpkin eater...

Hold on, Bo!

Nighty, night & sweet dreams.

"I Love Fall!"

Ahh, a Sunday afternoon at Nece & Pawpaw's house in the fall.

"I love fall" Ben exclaimed!

Even though Brinley was sick,
she couldn't resist the lure of a pile of leaves...

Even Daddy joined in.

Have I mentioned I love my new camera?

There's no way I would've caught these shots without it :)

Bowen's first leaf pile!

And just when I thought we were done...

they spotted it.

A "dancing" leaf -

actually just stuck on a spider's web blowing in the breeze.

I just LOVE the excitement in their faces as they chased around after it.

Happy Fall Everyone.

What's the rush? 5k & Baby Karlie!

Saturday was a crazy day (I know, I'm behind posting - lots flu around here...yes, that flu) because I was headed downtown to run my first 5k!!!

Okay, run may be a bit of a stretch but I didn't walk, or stop.

I completed it and I wasn't last :)

It was a personal goal but most of all I wanted to do it for the cause....

It was the 4th annual Kelsey Briggs Run Against Child Abuse and if you want your heart broken, you can learn more about Kelsey here.

So as I was headed to my race, I get a phone call that my sister in law is going into labor....um, she's not due until December!!

But baby Karlie must have been in a race too (unbeknownst to us!) because she rushed into this world a few hours later.

Welcome Karlie Mae!!

October 24, 2009

5lbs. 1/2 oz. 19 inches long

She couldn't leave the NICU for her photo session :(

but both she and mommy are healthy and thriving!!

Congratulations Michael & Brookie!!

I'm certain God has a plan for her.

The time has come...Brinley's 1st haircut

Well, she made it 3.5 years with the same hair because you know once she started to get curls (shortly before her first birthday) there was no way I could get it cut.

Her little curls have become so much a part of her identity.

Definitely her most remarkable feature (although I love her eyes).

But after so long, no amount of conditioner and detangler was helping and c'mon, it's just hair so it was time for a haircut.

This little girl was excited!

"We're going to the kids' place, right?" she asked more than once.One last look...


Bye bye baby curls :(

Her hair was pretty long with curls but wet, it was really long.

We had to take off about 5 inches to get the top layer to even up with the new layer of curls underneath.

And this is why she was adamant we go to the "kids' place" - you put your card in and pull out a prize. She was willing to cut her hair off for a bottle of bubbles! LOL

~AFTER~

All her hidden curls

Hello, big girl hair :)

I've got a canon, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Finally, I took the plunge and invested in a camera that will do my children justice :)

I got a Canon Rebel T1i last weekend and love it!

I've been taking pictures but it's taken me a week to upload the software....

but now I can share them with you!

This is why I love it:

It can click... as fast as...

my kids change expressions.

And I love that it can do this...

focus in on the pumpkin.

and then Ben.

Bryce's new wheels

So I predict...

you'll be seeing...

lots of little faces...

in the future.

8 months now!

~Bowen~

No, those are not his teeth...he's working on feeding himself Gerber corn puffs.

He is eating (solids) so much better lately...we kinda skipped ahead to stage 3 foods which seem to better suit his palate.

He still has only 2 teeth.

He can often be seen standing/pulling up and usually only crawls when he's following me, haha.

BIG news: He has moved into his own room, goes to bed early and stays there all night!

(this is actually more exciting for me than him)

He does not like the carseat.

He loves pat-a-cake!

And he is still mommy's little boy :)