Happy Halloween!

Unlike last year, James was truly into the spirit of Halloween this year.  He was excited the carry his pumpkin basket and put on his Thomas the Tank costume and hat - and even more excited to visit then neighbors homes to see some friendly faces.  Last year at this time he wasn't walking just quite yet - crazy how much difference a year can make - this year he was walking the streets and wanted to continue on even though Mom and Dad made the call that we were done trick-or-treating after completing our block. 

We carved a pumpkin and James put his hand on the guts of the pumpkin once and declared himself, "All done."  Guess he doesn't like the slimy goopy stuff that boys are typically into just yet - and it goes a long with his huge dislike of bugs too.  But once it was finished he thought it was pretty cool - particularly once we got a candle in it and he could see it all lit up!

James already knows his "treats" are in his pumpkin - now if we can just hide it so he isn't continuously asking for it between meals without him noticing that'd be a good thing.  He has taken a liking to Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and Milky Ways just like Mom and Dad enjoy ... that and a lot of the other things are a little tough for him to eat yet, particularly as he's working on his second set of molars.

In addition to the evening of Halloween we celebrated over the weekend in the neighborhood as the business association hosted a daytime trick-or-treating event for the kids.  It gave James a chance to see how it's done and tag along with his neighborhood girlfriend Ashley who he's quite smitten with.  I must say Abby Cadabby and Thomas make a pretty cute pair!

What will James be for Halloween next year?  Only time will tell, but I have a feeling, given his strong will that he displays on a regular basis (he is a Leo after all) that he'll be telling us what he's going to be rather than us selecting a costume for him

A Visit to the Apple Orchard and the Pumpkin Shop

No fall season would be complete without a visit to an apple orchard and selecting pumpkins, right?

We spent part of the weekend before Halloween traveling to Stillwater with the Atkinson family to select some goodies and have the boys enjoy the sights of animals, and assist us in picking out pumpkins.  We definitely didn't go home empty handed.

The boys enjoyed their apple donuts and cider (as did the adults) and enjoyed spending some time playing outside before we departed for the pumpkin store just down the road.  Although the highlight for them I think was riding the "rides" at the pumpkin patch store - though once they were on, they both didn't like them really moving around when the start button was pushed and wanted off.  So it goes with toddlers. 

We had a great time celebrating the fall season and enjoying one last outing as families before winter coats and boots will be required ... we know its coming soon!  Stay tuned for a Halloween post next!

A Visit to Rockford

Following Dan and Aimee's wedding the Clark family made a quick trip to Illinois to visit Great Grandpa Ehmann and Jeanne during their short visit to the Midwest.  Cousin Kim hosted all of us at her house for meals and we had a great time catching up and visiting with Kim's daughter Reese who was just a mere few weeks old the last time we saw her.

James had fun building towers of blocks ...

... showing Grandpa Choo-Choo how the cars work ...

... splashing in the pool for a bit with Daddy ...

... visiting the apple orchard with the entire family, seeing the animals, riding the slide and enjoying a cider donut ...

... relaxing with Aunite Mal and Grandpa while watching the big game on tv ...

 ... and spending time together with family that we don't get to see often enough.

Although it was a quick trip it was definitely a great time.  James was a great traveler and slept in a big bed all weekend (although he kicked Mom and Dad a lot during his slumber).  Hopefully this will make his transition to hig "big boy" easier here soon!

Unca Dan and Auntie Aimee's Wedding Day

On October 15 we all got to celebrate the wedding of Uncle Dan and Auntie Aimee.  James was the ring bearer and Mom and Dad were both part of the wedding party as well.  James was a trooper through it all - from the late Friday night rehearsal dinner to the day itself - even though he got stage fright and Papa had to walk him down the aisle. 

The highlight of the event for James was dancing on the bus, as you can see below.  He had a great time and the wedding party got a kick out of his antics ... someone out there has a picture that caught him when his pants fell down due to his dance moves and when he went for the bottle of champagne (no worries he just held it, but it made for another cute picture none the less!).

We had a wonderful day at the wedding and couldn't be happier for the newlyweds.  Thanks guys for letting us be a part of your special day!