Welcoming fall while looking back at summer

Goodbye summer, thank you, you treated us well...










Meanwhile, thank you Fall, for being beautiful and sunny and for offering time for... grandma to come and help with homework,


grandpa to carve pumpkins,

Ada to pick out her Halloween costume,

many after school playdates,

and more time with the twins and Ada.

.,

(and I won't mention the sickness that came with fall, the picture gives it away though)

Outside Life

We finally completed our back deck and it has already gotten a ton of use. Here we are enjoying our first meal on the deck with Nate's bro and folks

This was the first meal we enjoyed on the deck.  Looking at it makes me want to eat it all over again.  Lime Chicken Baked Burritos with Sweet potato fries. Yes Please!

Uncle Scott and Lu.

Ada enjoying Maz and Papa

Will in the backyard chillin' in his car with his freshly bought walkie talkie.  Lucy and Will entertained themselves all night with these gadgets (and the occasional trucker talk coming through).

Happy Birthday Maz!

We love you Maz! Thanks for all you do and the ways you love us so well!

Maz and Henry

Maz and Ada

I think this is really sweet.

The Eve of Christmas

We had a wonderful, peaceful Christmas Eve. It started at church, followed by a meal with a couple friends and Maz and Papa, with some White Christmas mixed in and ending with a gift for each kid (new Christmas Pj's).

Santa called and talked to Lucy and Will. They were thrilled and for much of the conversation Lucy had a look of disbelief.





This pic was about as good as it got. Sure, it's not the peaceful, sweet pic I might have been going for, but at least it's a little bit more entertaining to look at.



Nicole and the kids. Squirmy Ada.

Maz and the kids reading the book Nicole got Lucy.

Yes, and the twins were there. They made appearances every once in a while, but spent much of the time in slumber. (FYI: Henry on left, Molly on right).

Baking with Maz

Maz baking Nate's birthday cake with Lu. This cake is the best cake and probably worthy of a recipe on the blog- if it's not a family secret. By the way Maz, can I have that recipe? I think I need to continue the tradition at our house birthdays.