Having a beary good time at Emma's party!

Yesterday we celebrated Jake's best friend Emma's 3rd birthday at Build A Bear Workshop. This place is so cute! They pick out a bear and make it. Unfortunately, Jake did not take his nap that day so he wasn't too thrilled with the bear. He picked one out, but refused to hold it and make it most of the time. We then went upstairs to eat pizza and cake and ride the carousel or as I used to call it the merry go round. It was such a fun day! Thank you Emma for inviting us and we hope you had a Beary Happy Birthday!

Emma and her daddy

Emma giving Jake one of her hearts that goes inside the bears.

Jake got to step on the pedal that made the machine start stuffing his bear.

Here are Austin, Jake and Emma washing their bears.

Here they are sitting with their bears

Jake carrying is bear in a box

Jake, Jack, and Emma sitting in these cute cars

you can buy for your bears.

Me and Jake riding the carousel.

Emma and her princess cake her mommy made for her

Jake and his friend Paige checking out the cake

Travis and baby Brodie eating cake.

Actually, Brodie was eating the plate.

Jake, Jessie, and Austin

Visiting with Grandparents!

On Friday the kids and I went to visit my grandfather. He has been staying at my Uncle Richard and Aunt Sandy's house so that they can help take care of him since he has been sick. They told us that he only had a few days or weeks and that was a little over two months ago. We are very lucky to still have him. He looked good, but very frail. He loves seeing children and enjoyed watching the kids chase Richard's cat around their house and play in the floor with some toys. Jake talked to Paw Paw a little and he said "hey buddy" to Jake. It was so sweet. Paw Paw also grabbed my hand and held it for a few minutes while we visited. I got to take a couple of pictures of Jake and I with him, but Ben was getting a little fussy and would have nothing to do with it.

Then on Saturday my dad, myself and the kids went to see my Granny and other Paw Paw. This is my dad's mom and stepfather. We had a great time seeing them since we have not seen them in a while. Unfortunately, Ben is not too fond of people he doesn't know well and he was reluctant to let Granny hold him. He warmed up to her a bit later. The kids had fun playing with all of Granny's toys and she gave Jake a little hand held radio and Ben a play ATV for his birthday. Jake rode with Papa on the way there and back. He listened to his radio on the way back while bobbing his head around to the beat, at least until he fell asleep.

Jake saying chesse with Granny

Ben on his ATV Granny gave him

Ben playing in the floor

Jake loved playing with these giant lego blocks.

He played with them for at least an hour.

Granny and Ben with his crazy hair

Ben finally let Granny hold him without any screaming.

They had fun doing patty cake.

Ghosts, Ghouls, Fishermen, and Pooh!

We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and received many treats and few tricks. Jake had the best time this year. He really understood what was going on and even said "trick or treat" when we went to each house. After he got his candy, he would ask if we were going to get more. At first, he wouldn't take the candy if they offered it, but wait until they gave it to him. He then got the hang of it real quick and began to pick out his candy. My parents came over and we took turns going around with the kids and staying at home waiting on trick or treaters to arrive. They brought along a giant pumpkin that has a hole in the bottom so you could put it on your head. Of course my dad and Lee had tons of fun with this and even wore it around while we took Jake trick or treating. Jake got lots of candy, even a chocolate covered prune. Yuck! My dad ate it and said it wasn't too bad. One lady gave it out along with lots of candy with foreign writing. I missed this house so I don't know where she is from, but Lee said she gave them a ton of it. I love Halloween and I am sad it is over. Oh well, there is always next year.

Jake the fisherman, Ben as Pooh, me, and Lee as pumpkin head man.

He even had a pole with fish attached.

Here we are before trick or treating

Outside the house waiting to go get candy

Me wearing the giant pumpkin head

My parents posing with the boys and that pumpkin head again

Walking down the street trick or treating

Ben had a piece of candy which is all over his mouth

My mom

Papa and Ben relaxing after the trick or treating

Jake's stash of candy

Carving pumpkins!

I love Halloween and one of my favorite things about it, is carving pumpkins! On Sunday, we went to my parents house to eat homemade vegetable soup. I made a ooey gooey pumpkin cake to take too. After dinner, we carved our pumpkins to put outside our house. I will post a picture of the pumpkins at our house later. We had a great time!

Jake's pumpkin crocs!

Jake saying cheese and one of the pumpkins before it was carved.

How's the pumpkin face look?

Checking out Daddy's work

Papa and the boys

Of course Ben was trying to get down

Lee is really concentrating on his carving.

Nice work Lee!

Craaaaazy hair days!

For some reason when Ben wakes up from his naps, his hair is CRAAAZY! I think he rubs his head into the corners of his bed and this is what happens. I try to take pictures of Ben's crazy hair when I remember because it is so funny. I can brush it, but it doesn't help much. I think it is getting close to time for a hair cut.



Maybe we shoud dress Ben up as Elvis. My mom calls him little Einstein, so that's an idea too!

Look at me and my CRAAAAAZY hair!

I even put one of my mini hair clips in it sometimes. He is so cute and would even make a cute little girl.

And to end this posting, Ben with pretty good hair looking adorable.

Love the Pumpkin Patch!

Nana was visiting us this weekend so we decided to take her to the pumpkin patch, a Southern tradition.  We went to Burt's farm on Saturday and it was a beautiful day to go. We met our friends Bobby, Gina, and or course Jack and Emma for lunch.  Then we took the beautiful drive up to Burt's Farm to look at all the great pumpkins.  We had a great time looking at all the huge pumpkins and riding the hayride. We went last year when Ben was only a month old.  I love the fall and can't wait to go back to the pumpkin patch again.  If you enlarge the above picture, you can see Ben sticking his tongue out.  Maybe he thought those pumpkins looked tasty.

The rules which I don't see very many people following.

Jake and his best friend Emma. I think Emma is trying to get a leaf out of the tree.

Jake and his other friend Jack checking out the pumpkins.

What a cutie!

Gina and Jack on the hayride. Can you find Emma?

The talking Pumpkins on the hayride

Lee and Jake on the Hayride

Which one should we get?

Nana and Ben

Jake and Emma loved running around the farm

Gina, Emma, and Jack sitting on the pumpkins. Oh no, remember those rules? :)

Nana knitted a pumpkin hat for Ben. Too bad she didn't finished it before we went to Burt's, he could have worn it there. She finished it last night and it looked adorable on him.  

Jake's exercise video

I don't know where Jake learned this because unfortunately I don't really exercise. Hey, maybe I could make some money off this.