A Soldier, Mario, A Fairy, and a Puppy......Oh My!!

 Although Jared and I aren't overly crazy about this holiday, we do allow our lovies to dress up and collect some loot from our friendly neighbors.  We aren't into the whole ghouls and goblins thing, we don't decorate or make a big production on this day....just some fun costumes and smiling faces for a couple of hours.  We walked around the neighborhood as a family with another family who live just a few houses down the road from us. It was actually a great way for us to meet alot of our neighbors that we hadn't met before....and our lovies had a great time.

Noah is so proud of his Uncle Shawn who is in the army. He really wanted to be an army soldier, and he was ultra excited when his Daddy surprised him with this get up.  He has really been into the the whole military theme since he is involved with a group at our church known as "The Dangerous Boys Club." So this costumes suits him to a T.

My Mom and Dad got our lovies a Wii sometime last year....and just last month Noah and Nate received Mario Brothers in the mail as a birthday gift from their Grandma and Pap Pap. And although we are not fans of video games, we do set aside 30 min. a few days a week for Nate to play Mario Brothers....and he loves it. He was thrilled to pretend to be Mario for the evening.....in fact, he wore it again today. And the kicker is that we have to call him Mario when he is in costume. When he put his name at the top of his math page this morning....he wrote Mario....he cracks me up.

Of course our only girl had to be something "girlie." Lauren is not picky and was happy to wear this sweet fairy costume given to us by cousin Taylor. Nate didn't care what Lauren was going to be....as long as she was something pretty....I think we succeeded in having a very pretty fairy.  I thought the highlight of her outfit were her pink sparkly sneakers she was given for her 2nd birthday.

And this little puppy was making us all melt....not only did he look cute, he has the cutest little bark too!  He and Lauren rode in the wagon at the beginning of the evening, but then decided that he wanted to be a big boy and walk to the door like everyone else. It was so funny to see this little short stack strut up to the houses and collect some candy. 

So it was a fun evening, the weather was perfect and no one got a belly ache from eating too much candy. Jared took half of it to work today....and we still have a ton left.  It brought back memories of my little sister and I going around our neighborhood as kids....it was sweet to reflect on a  special memory from my childhood.

Pumpkin Pickin' and a Hayride.....

I love family traditions. A favorite of mine this time of year is the day we do our pumpkin picking.  Being new to the area, I searched on line and found a family farm close by who welcomed pumpkin pickers such as ourselves, and offered some other fun stuff for our family to enjoy. 

Our lovies had a blast....it doesn't take much....they are always up for a good time. A pumpkin patch, a little train ride, some farm animals, and a hay ride to top it off. Jared and I kept sharing warm glances as we watched our lovies having a great time....the kind of glances that speak volumes.....reading what the other was thinking.....knowing that both of us were holding these moments precious....this afternoon and this farm with our lovies.  We are both very thankful for our children and for this precious time together as a family.  

Life can be crazy at times....I'll be the first to admit that.  As the cool fall air fills our lungs we are all being refreshed as a family.  This day was much needed and was of course in God's perfect timing. It's amazing how one afternoon can help to bring life back into proper perspective after going through a time of feeling overwhelmed.  Nothing major, just the business of our days which include homeschooling, practicing instruments, laundry, keeping the house clean, making meals, serving my wonderful husband....all of these things I absolutely love to do, (well maybe not laundry {smile}). In these times when God has me strong in His Word and when He blesses our family with togetherness like we had on this day....I am thankful.

Us in October....

Have I mentioned how I absolutely love this time of year? Well....now you know. I am one of those odd balls who long for the dog days of summer to end and for the cool crisp beautiful autumn season to begin....it took a lot longer for it to arrive here in Indiana compared to New Hampshire, (I heard they even have snow already!)

Last night we spent time with our church family. It was Battle of the Chilies...an awesome harvest party with a huge bon fire and hayrides....oh and lots of good chili. 

Our lovies had an absolute blast. I took lots of photos, but since we are still getting to know folks, I did limit taking photos of others, I decided to only post photos of my kids on my blog. (I do try to protect other people's privacy) Our new family will soon get used to me carrying my camera around. In the above photo Nate and Lauren are playing "Ring around the Rosies"....their new favorite game to play together...so cute.  

Their little faces had curious and amazed expressions as they lit the bonfire. I love these sweet moments when I get to witness my lovies getting excited over something as ordinary as lighting a fire. Luke stood there trying to blow it our for a while....he makes me laugh.

Noah of course had a great time. He loves getting together with his buddies. I love the way he naturally steps in and cares for his brothers and sister when we're out and about, even without me having to say anything.  If he sees Luke wander from Mama, he guides him back to me.  He is maturing right before my very eyes....I guess that is what is supposed to happen. Sometimes I just stop and look at him, and can't believe that he's eight already....I am cherishing every moment. Some days my hug lingers extra long, he nestles close and I thank God for him.

The times we get to spend time together as a family mean so much to me.  And we love the fellowship that we are able to have with other believers. People that have embraced our family, truly making us feel so loved and welcome...so hard to believe that we have only been here for less than three months and yet have been blessed with love from so many.

This Daddy loves his "Littles".....and "The Littles" absolutely love their Daddy....especially when he throws them high into the air. Their giggles are the best....just something about a belly laugh from a toddler....sheer joy! 

As it started getting dark, I put my camera away. I am too lazy to spend time using my camera on manual, adjusting the settings so I can do some cool night photography, (I am not a huge fan of flash photography)....so some day I will sit down invest time into learning more, but for right now capturing memories is my goal.

Lots of great memories in the making that I am thanking God for.