Halloween Weight

Is it just me or does the food from about mid-September to Christmas just about top everything? Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, spice cake, Kit Kats, Twix, turkey, sugar cookies, ham, potatoes with cream cheese....you name it. Must be the cooler weather that makes me want to turn on my oven and cook. Unfortunately, my baby weight (which is still holding strong) has now been named Halloween weight (thank-you Jack for not noticing how much candy has actually been stolen from your plastic pumpkin). Next month it will be Thanksgiving weight. You get the idea. Oh well. I should just think of it as insulation for a long winter, right? :)

Jack wanted to carve "Jack Skellington" for his pumpkin. Jay did a great job. Very spooky.




Since my kids aren't old enough to think for themselves most of the time, I took the liberty of deciding our costumes. Jack thought it was a great idea. Luke didn't really care. And Jay knows better than to argue :)


Jack loved trick-or-treating. He asked to go again today. Poor kid.


Jack made a great Scarecrow. Thank you to my sisters for once again supplying my kid's costumes :)



Everyone keeps calling Luke a girl. I think Luke is really cute, but I really hope that if we ever have a little girl she looks like me.


Our very sweet neighbor gave Jack his Christmas present early. It is a remote controlled Jeep. The boys love it and I love it because it distracts them long enough for me to make food :)


And lastly, since I just can't get enough of my sweet little Luke.....

Pumpkin Patch in Deliverance

I have really been neglecting our family blog. I can only be so creative and all of that has been going to the "other" blog. We are all still alive and happy! Well, I think anyway. Luke can't tell you otherwise yet, so I can say anything I want for him :) He would also like to say that he has the prettiest and kindest mommy.

Moving on. We treated ourselves to the pumpkin patch this year. I think Jay and I had more fun than the boys. Plus, this year I wasn't on bed rest so I really got to have fun! No contractions! Wahoo!

We went to the back woods of Virginia for our pumpkin fun. I don't think you believe me. It was truly like stepping into the heart of Appalachia. An old man banjo picker, teenager with a creepy stare and 4 teeth missing, and a motley bunch of farm animals. We were totally scared. Perfect for Halloween :)

Jack could have played on the tractor all day.

Aren't my boys the most handsome? (The answer is yes)

Luke kept trying to lick the tractor. No wonder the kid is always sick.

Further proof that my hair in the Virginia humidity NEVER looks cute.

Jack had his first pony ride. I was so excited for him! I was taking a million pictures and clapping and acting like an idiot. Turns out he wasn't really that impressed with the pony. Guess he won't help me beg for one for Christmas.

We also got to go down for baby Story's blessing. She is an angel and so cute. Geez, who knew that in the 5 years we have known each other we would have so many kids between our two families. Haha!

Waterlogged

I know the people in Texas are going to hate this post. If you are from the Lone Star State, please discontinue reading. If you are from anywhere else, prepare to feel sorry for us.

It has been raining. For a month. There have been bits of sunshine here and there. Enough to make it muggy and disgusting. Everything in the lovely state of Virginia smells like mildew.

From the hurricane, to the tropical storms, to regular storms....we are saturated. I'm about to build an ark and start collecting the animals! It never hurts to be prepared :)



This is when Jay and Jack got so bored inside during hurricane Irene that they decided to walk down to the ice cream shop. I know what you are thinking. Who lets their kid go out in a hurricane? Well, this was before it really started blowing, and quite frankly we missed the worst of it.

Our neighbors car on the other hand did not fare so well. Sadly, there is a Porsche under that tree.

Jay has spent countless hours on the phone making sure everyone in the ward has made it through each storm safely. He has been helping people take ruined carpet out of their basements and he has moved numerous couches to higher ground. I have been grocery shopping in the downpours trying to get my groceries in the car while the water swirls around my ankles. I have been running in the rain...dodging downed trees and trying not to slip in the mud. We even had a refugee at our house. (Not really, but a guy in our ward couldn't get home one night because the roads were closed so he came here for a few hours :)

I'm over it.

Over labor day we made a trip down to Yorktown beach with Jami and Scott. We were in the water for literally 4 minutes before it started pouring.


Needless to say, I did not get a tan.



Luke totally loved his first beach trip.


Until his bully of a big brother stole his toy.


And since it has been rainy, we have been home-bound. But, the boys find ways to entertain themselves.


I realize we haven't suffered nearly as much as others, so for that I am grateful. But, I would be even more grateful for some sun :)

Family Pictures

We got pictures done a little while ago down in Richmond. They were taken at the University of Richmond which was an absolutely gorgeous campus. They turned out great which is a miracle considering none of us are photogenic :) You can find our photographer's website here.

My Attempt to Become Famous

So, I really have little desire to be famous. Rich? Definitely. I have no qualms about that. I have had my eyes on a pink Corvette ever since Barbie put the idea out there. Since my talents are painfully limited, I decided to try to become a contributor to another blog. They took the bait. Shhhh...don't tell them that my funny runs out after a while! So, look for me at www.pearshapedthoughts.com on Mondays. Heck, read it the whole week. The other girls are a hoot! You will also see my friend Jami on it! She is hilarious and the one that threw me the bone for this. Hope you love it because I REALLY want that pink corvette.

Frankenstein

On Wednesday Luke finally got his third eye removed! Wahoo! Actually, the tumor did not contain an eye, just some hair. I can't decide which would have been worse. Both are pretty gross. We got to see the tumor. Jay wanted to keep it for Luke but they said it had to go to the lab for a biopsy. No souvenir for him. Guess the hospital bracelet will have to suffice.


He stayed pretty happy the whole time. They gave him a sweet little teddy bear and a cute little gown to wear.


They had a playroom for him which was a nice distraction since he had been fasting for a while. A hungry baby is never very fun.


They marked his face so they got the right eye. It took forever to come off.


I got to go into the OR and hold his hand while they put him under. He didn't cry even one bit! Wish I could say the same for me. I lost it the minute I walked out the door and had to leave him. Haha!

This picture is really making me rethink my dream to be a surgeon.

After they were done (about 20-25 minutes) they came and got us and I got to hold him while he woke up. He was a little out of it and disoriented, but he drank his bottle and cuddled me. I kind of liked him that calm. I wonder if they had some of that I could take home for Jack? :)



At last we got to leave. He slept all the way home, most of the day and then 13 hours that night. He woke up the next day as happy as could be! He is such a great little guy! He has 6 stitches and looks like a little Frankenstein. We are lucky we didn't get another earthquake or he could have had a few more :) Ha! His incision is healing and now he will have a cool scar to impress the ladies. Although, we may have to think of a better story than just a tumor....like maybe a wolverine attack or something :)