Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!

We started the big day by making pumpkin cookies and decorating the porch with pumpkin decor. We practiced the "trick or treat" routine all day. Andrew was super excited.


Here we are practicing how to trick or treat.
The little train engineer really loves his whistle.

Here is the pre-game meal--- meatballs and broccoli.
My son loves to eat "little trees."

Video footage of Andrew trick or treating---listen closely to hear Andrew say "open the door...let me in." I guess I forgot to tell Andrew that we don't go into everyone's house.
Just take the candy and run!

Going to the Chapel

We are so happy that we were able to attend George's best friend's wedding in fabulous Banner Elk, North Carolina. It was peak leaf season and of course, we were able to sneak in the world-famous Woolly Worm Festival. Elliott and Aimee had a perfect wedding weekend. Aimee is the most adorable, kind, beautiful, caring, and giving woman. They believe in the importance of family, and care so deeply about each other and about their friends. We love you guys and are so thrilled that Andrew was able to stand in your wedding as your adorable ring bearer.

Cheers to a long, happy, healthy marriage!

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.

I'm only half kidding [smile]. All I can say is that we appreciate our family so much and can only say that while we wish circumstances were different, we are so thankful that we got to spend such quality time with our families this summer.

Families are like fudge--mostly sweet with a few nuts

We spent a wonderful few days with George's brother's family. Uncle Ben, Aunt Jamie, and cousin Cameron just moved into a beautiful new house in Wilmington, NC. Andrew and Cameron are such great buddies, and they had such a fun time together. Its a shame that we live so far away.

No, Andrew is not tackling Cameron--- this is Andrew's version of a hug. Unfortunately, this high level of affection can case injury if you don't see it coming. Check out the boys' new boots (Andrew calls them his "cowboy boots"). They are perfect for puddle jumping.

Goin' Punkin' Pickin'

One of the silver linings to being stranded on the east coast was that we were able to get a nice (though brief) taste of fall. We took a hay ride, chased some farm animals, drank apple cider, and went punkin' pickin'.

Fall Bonanza

Andrew's school hosted a Fall Bonanza with pony rides,
sno-cones, and a bouncer.
Here are some pics from the fun.

I waited in line for about 45 minutes so Andrew could ride the pony
(a bigger version of this guy),
but once we got the front of the line, Andrew did not want to ride.
He was a little scared, so we'll try again another time.

The sno-cones were a huge hit. Andrew tried a red one and a green one.

We also went to a local farm to check out the pumpkins,
farm animals, and hay rides. They had really fun slides for the boys to go down.

Check out my new firefighter hat Mommy bought me at the farm.

Now I can ride my fire truck and look like a pro.
I ride and yell, "weeyooo weeyoooo!"

I Can't Help Myself

So, I can't help myself...He is just so darn cute.
Here is pre-school day #2.
Still excited and still lovin' it.
He even ate his own lunch today. Hooray!

First Day of School

Andrew woke up ready to go.

He had his school bus in hand, and was excited to go to school.
We have been reading books about the first day of school,
and the children always get to ride the school bus,
so I think he was a little depressed that he didn't get to ride the bus.

Andrew saw his teachers, Ms. Pat and Ms. Fenimore,
(affectionately known to our family as Ms.Lawnmower)
and ran into the room to play with toys.

I was so excited to pick Andrew up,
and I wanted to hear the full report of the day.
It was a great sign that when Andrew saw us,
he pulled us into the classroom to show us his favorite toys,
and show us the pretty artwork he had made.

Ms. Pat told me that Andrew was such a good boy. When some of the other boys and girls cried when their mommy left, Andrew took them a toy to try to help. The kids made some beautiful artwork, and Ms. Pat said that Andrew was her "little helper." My greatest concern was lunch time. I didn't think that Andrew would sit still at the table, and I didn't want him to get in trouble because he can't sit still (if he isn't snapped into a booster seat). Ms. Pat said that Andrew was very interested in what the other children were eating for lunch. He walked around the lunch table checking out what the other kids were eating. Apparently, his new best buddy, Lilly, was eating bologna and cheese, and that must have looked good to him. He asked her for "a bite, paw-leez." Ms. Pat thought it was hysterical, and Lilly was happy to share her lunch. I'm glad Lilly was happy to share with her new friend. It was a great first day. Andrew had so much fun. He gave Ms. Pat a huge hug. We are thrilled that school is such a hit!