Fun Halloween Books

One of my favorite things in the world is books.  Another one of my favorite things is reading to my kids.  After being a mommy for nine years, we have us quite a collection of children's books.  Another one of my FAVORITE things is children's holiday books.  In fact, about five years ago, I started "The 12 books of
Christmas" with Jacob where every year on December 1 he would get to unwrap a different Christmas book for 12 days straight.  The books have ranged from religious to funny.  This has always been a tradition the kids have looked forward to.  Well you can imagine after several years of this, we have quite a few Christmas books.  I want to keep the tradition going this year without having to buy new books, so I think this year we will just set aside a book to read each night, because I think there are a few we never even got a chance to read over the past few years.  Okay.....so what does this have to do with Halloween?  Well, we have some great Halloween books too, although I don't go as crazy with those.  But there are some that we read year after year that the kids never get tired of, so I wanted to share them with you. 

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Amazon.com: Room on the Broom (9780142501122): Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler: Books

Amazon.com: Ten Timid Ghosts (Read With Me Paperbacks) (9780439158046): Jennifer O'connell: Books

Amazon.com: Big Pumpkin (9780689801297): Erica Silverman, S.D. Schindler: Books

Happy Reading!!!!

Fall Home Tour

One of my favorite blogs, Kelly's Korner, is doing a "show us your fall decorations" home tour. You post your pictures on your blog and then link it up to hers, so here are my fall/Halloween decorations.  I feel like I just got them up and it's almost time to take them down and start getting ready for Christmas.  Although I did tell Matt the other day, "Poor Tom Turkey gets left out."  I have been noticing more and more Thanksgiving decorations for sale this year at various stores.  So we want to be sure this year that Thanksgiving doesn't get ignored.  I also want my kids to know the importance of this holiday.  I am trying to figure out a way to not only start getting my trees up, but also decorate for Thanksgiving too. 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween, Yall!!!!

Happy Fall Y'all!

I'm just playing catch-up on the blog. It has been a busy month around here and have not had a lot of time to blog. The weekend after we got back from Mexico, we went to Dewberry Farms with Tim & Shan and the kiddoes. There is so much to do there: a zip line for the kids, a train, a corn maze, a BIG pillow-like structure for the kids to jump on, and a pumpkin stroll after dark (this is where you cross a creepy bridge to get to an area where they have hundreds of pumpkins carved into various pictures...everything to celebrities, presidents, cartoon characters, you name it). This was our second year to do this and the kids really enjoy it.
Sunday, October 18th was David's birthday! Happy birthday to you, Dave! Every year Shannon and I reminisce the day David was born when Dad came in and told us we had a baby brother and then we went up to the hospital to meet him. I went back to first grade so proud to tell people all about him. From then on, I thought he was my own little baby doll to hold and play with. Sorry, Dave :)
On Friday, Jacob went to his friend Max's house for a fun fear factor type event and Saturday, October 24th was the reception for Scott and Angela. It was great to see the Michigan family members and old friends of Jim and Marilyn. By Sunday, we were all pooped and tried to gear up for another busy week of getting ready for Halloween and Jacob's birthday party all at once.

Jacob on the zipline

Blake helping Jacob

Alexa jumping on the big pillow

Alexa, Shannon, and Sydney on the train

Natalia flirting with Brody

I love this one of Alexa

Jacob and a petrified Natalia on the slide

My happy girl

Timothy and Brody (we could be brothers)

Da Uncles

Matt and his dad, Jim, in the back while the Uncles Bill, Mark, and Marc try out the seats in the movie room

Jacob quizzing Alexa on her sight words

My lil' punkin'

When you wonder...

A Beautiful Wedding in Cancun aka Sunburn City Sweetheart

It is Tuesday morning, the day after we got back from Cancun.  It's always hard to come back from vacation and get back to reality.  Right now, the house is mess.  We parked everything in the front of the house and immediately made laundry piles.  I had to do at least one load of laundry last night.  In addition to the post vacation/unpacking mess, it's just in general disarray due to Natalia being sick right before we left.  She got sick the week before we left and by Tuesday, she had a fever of 105.  We had quite a traumatic doctor visit that day.  She had blood drawn from her finger, her arm, and had to have a penicillin shot in her leg.  I am so thankful that mom came and met us at the dr.  If she had not been with me, I would have been a mess.  She stayed the whole day and evening. She helped take care of everybody, made dinner, gave Natalia a bath to cool her (and it worked!) and let me go get a much needed mani/pedi.  That night, Natalia still had a high fever and we were worried about leaving the country with her being that sick.  What a difference 24 hours makes!  By Wednesday her fever had broken /> and I had to take her to get a kidney/bladder ultrasound.  So with all of that craziness and the packing, the house looks like a tornado hit.  I'm torn between cleaning or blogging.  But I'm choosing to blog, because if I don't do it now, I never will!!!!!
So here are my memories from our quick but fun vacation!!

• Airplane ride there was so quick.  It's hard to believe this paradise is just a 2 hour plane ride away.  The kids were all good.  Natalia did great for her first airplane ride.  Towards the end, she kept saying, "ear hurt".  Jacob was in all his glory watching the wheels, the wings, you name it.  So funny how little boys are so into that type of thing.  I love watching my 'lil guy get so excited about the inner workings of vehicles.  It takes me back to the days of his Thomas trains, his Little People airport, and his standing next to the coffee table at age 2 lining up his matchbox cars "making a parkin' lot".
• Wanting to freshen up towards the end of our plane ride, I starting digging for my makeup bag.  After much searching, I could not find it.  I was in a panic.  I thought, "I can not be a bridesmaid without makeup".  Although most of it probably melted off during the wedding anyway from the gallon of sweat that poured out of me.  My wonderful, understanding husband knows that a girl's got to have her makeup and he paid 50 bucks for a cab to take us to the local Wal-mart.  That was quite an experience.  I found some of my makeup.  There wasn't as much variety, so I had to go with some different brands and colors but it was all good in the end. 
• Spending time with Matt's relatives like Debbie, Donna, Charlie, Courtney & Brian, Al & his lovely friend Mary Kay.  I didn't get to talk much with Grandma Phyll but it was good to see her and she looked great! 
• Watching Scott and Angela's angel-of-a-baby Timothy be baptized in such a beautiful setting.  God has many wonderful things in store for you, little one!
• Seeing Scott (who I still remember as an adorable 11 year old when Matt and I met) marry his beautiful bride, Angela.  She looked gorgeous and Scott looked so handsome.  It took me back to the day I married his handsome brother. 
• Hanging out by the pool with my girls while Matt and Jacob played golf.  Jacob joined us later when he was tired of golfing.  Jacob and Alexa had fun ordering pina coladas (which Natalia enjoyed drinking as well) and food by the pool.  They both has so much fun swimming.
• Getting to spend extra time with my hubby.  Thank you Ama and P-pa for helping out so much with the kids.  It was nice to steal a few moments with just the two of us including hanging out in the pool, walking along the beach, and riding a jet-ski (which I am still sore from). 
• Seeing my husband and son in a tux, and my little angel Alexa as a flower girl.  It was fun being all dressed up as a family.  I am so disappointed that we didn't have time for family photos that day :(
• Watching Jacob walk down the aisle as the ring bearer and Alexa throw flowers down with the other flower girl, Isabella.  You both did so good.  I wasn't worried though.  I knew you would be fine. 
• Listening to Matt's toast to the newlyweds.  It was short and sweet, but very heartfelt.  He talked about marriage being a beautiful thing.  And that he wishes for Scott and Angela to be as happy as he and I have been.  My sentiments exactly! 
• Visiting the spa while Matt and Jacob went snorkeling.  I had an aromatherapy massage and a facial.  So relaxing and just what I needed after a long, taxing week.  The spa was the most beautiful I have ever been to. 
• Watching Natalia on the beach for the first time.  She LOVED the sand and Matt and I melted when we saw her tiny little footprints.
• Lots and lots of alcohol.  Matt and I have not drank as much in our entire 12 years of marriage as we did over the past four days.  Now it's time to detox,,, lots of water and back to the treadmill!!!
• Last night after we got home and were sitting around eating our favorite Wood Fired Pizza, Jacob said, "I'm going to tell my friends at school 'while you were taking your spelling test, I was hanging out by the pool drinking a pina colada!' "  He gave us a good laugh with that!
• Sleeping as a family all in one room.  I love having everybody close by.  Jacob and Alexa slept in one bed, Matt and I in the other.  And Natalia actually slept in the hotel crib every night. 
• Too many other memories to mention, but those are the highlights!