Happy Halloween!!

We're on a BIG Toy Story kick around our house... love it! 

We are hanging with some friends tonight and trick or treating around the neighborhood... all of this is still SO new to me since I never did it growing up.  :)  I am really looking forward to it though!  Any excuse to hang out with friends is fine by me.

Have a safe & happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch Party.

I had a few different thoughts for Cohen's party this year.  I wanted to do something fun, outside of the norm, low-key, and easy (for me) to pull off.

Having a late October birthday came in handy this year when I thought of having it at the pumpkin patch.  Kids could run around, parents could enjoy themselves, we'd eat some yummy food, and we'd all walk away happy.

Which is exactly what happened, I think!

Yes, I made these... details coming :) 

Should have ironed that table cloth... whoops!

This picture pretty much sums up my boys' attitude that day.  :) 

We had a great time just being surrounded by people who love our sweet boy... my entire family was there which meant so much to me (it's been too long since that happened!) and my inlaws came down for the weekend as well.  I'm so thankful for family.

It was nice that there were lots of things to do as well, so we could all spread out and keep busy.
They had a hayride...
corn maze...
petting zoo...
pumpkin picking...
and lots of fun activities for the kiddos.

Yummy desserts! 

And of course, birthday boy was spoiled rotten by his Grandparents :) 

We were incredibly blessed with the perfect fall day!

All in all, a fun birthday celebration indeed.

Two years old!

Cohen Michael,

I am teary-eyed this morning thinking how quick the last 2 years flew by.  My baby is no longer a baby... you are now a big boy!  2 years ago today God gave wrapped His arms around me and gave us the sweetest gift... you.  You bring an incredible amount of joy to our family and make us feel so much more complete.  Before you were born, I wondered if I had enough love to share, but you have shown me that that there is no limit on love.  You fill my heart with deep joy... your laugh, your sweet voice, your chubby fingers that fit in my hand perfectly, the way you wrap your arms around my neck to lay on my shoulder, your expanding vocabulary, and your sweet gentle spirit.  I love everything about you, little guy.

I look forward to every day I get to spend getting to know you better and better.  Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet boy.  I am so excited to spend this day celebrating YOU.

Mommy

 

(sneak peek of his super fun birthday party at the pumpkin patch yesterday!) 

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
    I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
    I had holy plans for you."

Jeremiah 1:5 MSG 

Fall... I like it a lot.

We spent a lot of time outdoors this weekend, as a family.  It's pretty rare that we have a free weekend, so we took full advantage of it!

The original plan was to go to an Apple Orchard, but iMaps failed us once again and routed us 45 minutes out of the way, so we walked around the Arboretum instead.

It made for some pretty Fall pictures.... glass half full approach.  :)

The rest of the weekend was spent attending my brother's college football game, a surprise 2 hour visit from my Sister, a family movie night, "signing the steel" at our church building site, and I wrapped up the weekend with a 4 mile run.

I was afraid the Fall colors would disappoint this year because of the dry summer we had, but it didn't!  I love the changing trees and cooler weather. 

Is it a pretty Fall where you are?