Wrapping Up October

Great-Grandpa

Great-Grandpa moved back to Arizona this month.  It was sad to see him go and the twins especially are really going to miss him.  The LOVE him soooo much but we're thankful that he has a crew of grandkids there ready to welcome him and who he is excited to get to spend more time with and we hope one of these days we'll get to get down there to visit.

Silver Falls

We were just here last May with Evie's class and had the chance to come again with Hazels class this month.  It was incredible to me how different it looked in the fall.  Truly beautiful!!!  We were blessed with a little bit of sunshine and a chance to see the falls at a different time of year than I ever had.

The kids did a really fun scavenger hunt and the instructions were to take a group photo of each thing they found.  Fun idea and fun group of girls :)

Renny, Myla, Hazel, and Naomi

A New Driver

I gotta say it is pretty surreal to follow my daughter out of the school parking lot.  Also... It's amazing to have another driver.  She's already been helping me pick up kids from places and some mornings taking everyone to school.  It's super helpful for sure although I still don't like that she's growing up so fast.

Harvest Party

Finally last but not least the girls really enjoy this event at Grammy's church.  They do a great job and it's fun to get to be a part of this community in a small way.  We've known many of these families for longer than just about anyone else.  I remember flying up to Oregon to spend a week with my Aunt and Uncle when I turned 13 or 16, I can't quite remember which.  Anyway, I meet many of the families then and it's a trip to now be best friends with one of them and to have kids growing up alongside kids of the "kids"  I met way back then.  Love this part of a small town and a small church.  I couldn't help but think as I watched my "little" brother pull out the vacuum to vacuum the sanctuary as it was wrapping up and as I watched his new girlfriend Rachel paint the twins' faces I really love the way everyone just shows up, pitches in, and does it together.  Though no church is perfect they are definitely doing something right.

Maddie spent a majority of her time at the face painting booth.

A cake walk winner

Marshmallow guns

Guessing how much candy is in each jar.

And of course dessert.

 

Halloween 2025

Pumpkin Carving

Mandalorian

Cat

Puppy Print

Costumes

Aubrey - Mandalorian

Maddie - Dog Dog

Of course we have to be silly...

The kids agreed to go easy on me this year.  Cooper already had a shark costume because he has to dress up in blue pretty regularly as a house leader.  The rest of the kids except Aubrey and Evie picked out their costumes at good will.  Hazel was a panda, Evie was Rey from Star Wars, and Wyatt was a dinosaur.  Sadie once again had volleyball practice so she joined us later in the evening.

Feeding Grogu to the dinosaur.  The boys rarely pass up an opportunity to pester these days.

The Cousin Crew

Only a year or two left of this.

The Loot!

Pumpkin Patchin'

 E.Z. Orchards

Our last kindergarten pumpkin patch.  I remember vividly going with Wyatt.  It poured and I was pregnant with Evie and couldn't get my coat to wrap around my baby bump.  I remember the boys sitting at the bottom of the slide just pouring water from their rain boots.  Time really does fly.  This on the other hand was a beautiful day.  Daddy joined us and we had such a nice time watching the twins pick their pumpkins and play with their friends.

Arwin, Maddie, Grace, Lincoln, Gretta, Judah S., Beck, Sadie, Aubrey, and Tess

Hay Ride

Maddie, Aubrey, and Tess

Apple Picking

Maddie

Aubrey

Picking Pumpkins

Maddie

Aubrey

Play Time

Arwin, Maddie, and Aubrey

High School E.Z. Orchard Trip

Sadie, Lexi, and Justice

Greensbridge Farm

Last but not least was our family trip to the pumpkin patch.  The weather for this one was less than cooperative and I honestly wasn't a big fan of going.  We'd waited and waited for a day when Sadie was free and the only time that worked was a Sunday morning in the rain.  This irritated me.  Probably shouldn't have but ugh...why is life sooooo busy ALL THE TIME.  But Brandon has turned into a die hard pumpkin patcher and I don't think we've missed many years so in the end I was glad we went. 

This family really is pretty fun.  Are they A LOT at times?  Definitively!!!  But they're also really good sports most of the time and up for an adventure and just generally a lot of fun.

I really do love the pumpkins although the dogs have taken some of the fun out of decorating around the house with them as they eat them.

Even Dog Dog got a pumpkin.