Happy Birthday Kia!

Yesterday my niece turned two and today we celebrated, Minnie Mouse style, with family and friends. Kia was spoiled, as usual! Gracie found it challenging to let Kia play with everything first. But we made it alright! I made the cake, with the help of a Wilton cake mold, thanks Rachel! And for anyone who makes cakes regularly, the Price Chopper bakery sells icing for $3 a pound. Seriously worth it! Oh yes, and a note-to-self, next time don't forget to give Minnie eyelashes.

The dress up clothes were a huge hit with both little girls. I couldn't resist a few pictures. The shoes just kill me!

Happy birthday, Miss Kia!

October Fun!

There are no words to describe how much I love fall!  The older I get, the happier I become about fall.  There's something about pumpkins and apples, costumes and candy, The City Market and fires in the fireplace that make me feel so nostalgic.  Sometimes I think it's less about my age and more about having a family.  Not just my own little family, but our extended family, too.  Siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and close friends.  Fall really is better together.

This fall we spent time at The Pumpkin Patch on a beautiful Saturday.  There were so many fun activities for Gracie to get her hands on.  She got the chance to feed some goats, which was hilarious to watch!  She shrieked with glee every time she laid eyes on a goat, and even wanted to feed them.  But as soon as its dry, rough tongue touched her hand, it was all she could do not to scream!  So funny!  She fed them over and over again, but each time, freaking out a little at the actual eating part.

Feeding the goats

Almost a great picture... she just got distracted before my camera snapped the shot! Boo!

Cows... moo!

More goats... Daddy said touching their horns weirded him out a bit!

I thought that was funny, for some reason?!

Saving us a quarter by scrounging up some goat food!

Cousins!

We also watched Pig Races.  She didn't really seem to understand, but the stampede of pigs running past her, made her feel startled and excited at the same time.  For everyone who's seen her snort like a pig, I'm sure you can imagine how hilarious it was to watch Gracie watch the pigs.  

Waiting for the piggies!

Other Pumpkin Patch fun included a barn slide, a stair-step climbing area (which she completed all by herself), rubber duck races, and pumpkin donuts!

Cousins working together on rubber duck races.

Steph and I got a little competitive with the 10 year olds next to us...

we are Doug Sevedge's kids after all!

We also went to Momma's work party, which was a bon fire at a colleagues house.  Ryan and I love this event every year because we dream about having a lot large enough to have an amazing fire pit, a barn, and enough space to feel like we're in the country.  But not too far, must have a Walmart within 5 miles. At the bon fire, Gracie and all the kids enjoyed a haunted candy hunt (mostly just "in the dark" candy hunt).  We all roasted hot dogs in the fire and bundled up to stay warm.  Totally our kind of fun!

The weekend before Halloween, we continued our yearly Pumpkin Carving tradition.  This year, with so many little kids, I made toddler-safe paint for pumpkin painting.  For anyone interested, it's just 2 cups cold water mixed with 2 cups white flour.  Whisk in boiling water to desired thickness.  Divide "batter" into jars, add food coloring, and mix well.  The paint dries out in about a day and half, so don't make it too much in advance.  Anyway, the Pumpkin Carving Party was a huge success!  Everyone in our family had so much fun that Gracie wasn't in bed until nearly 11:00 that night.  And anyone who knows me well, knows that that never happens.  I think it's only the 4th time Gracie's ever seen 10:00 pm.  But it seems like everyone is so busy these days, that we don't catch up with our friends as often as we'd like.  So when we do get together, it's hard to leave.

Pumpkins!

Daddy's is the spider, second from the right

Gracie's is the blue polka dot in front

The final October Fun was, of course, Halloween!  Our precious little darling dressed up as her most favorite animal.  I mean, her most favorite word.  I mean, her most favorite, toy.  I mean, her most favorite book character.  Next to 'Mom-ma' and 'Dad-dee', I'm not sure Gracie has said any word more than 'Pup-py!'  She's a dog-lover, that's for sure, so nothing seemed more fitting than dressing up as a puppy-wuppy-doodle-ding-dong, as I sometimes like to say.  If you ask me, she was the cutest puppy I've ever seen.  I had a hard time getting good pictures of her, because smiling at the camera isn't something Gracies, I mean puppies, do very well these days.

Gracie thoroughly enjoyed her first independent trick-or-treating experience.  She liked knocking on doors and saying, "Chip or Sheep".  She didn't want people putting candy into her pumpkin, instead she held it in her hand and showed it to both Mommy and Daddy.  Then she'd run to the next house saying, "Go, go, go!"  Her level of excitement was through the roof, which was so much fun to watch! We made stops at Gracie's Great-Grandma Jean's house, Grandpa and Grandma Tena's, and Aunt Brandi and Uncle Chad's.  We also had a chili supper and trick-or-treat outing at the Willis' house, where Gracie got to show off her costume to Grandma, Aunt Steph and Uncle John, and all the Willis clan.  It was a great night!  Gracie was exhausted by bedtime and so were Mommy and Daddy.

Our 2 puppies!

Isn't Tysie's costume original?!

First house... happens to be Great Grandma's!

First candy!  M&Ms!

Cousins and friends at the Willis Party

This is the best shot I got.  Too many variables to get a great picture!

Kyle, I mean, Mario was super cute!

And Kia, I mean, Lady Bug, was darling, as well!

Daddy and daughter... makes me smile!

Candy!  So happy!

Puppy loves puppies!