Boo

Happy Hallloween!

(a little sneek peak of the costumes....)

Happy Haunting this evening friends!

Love,

Monarch, the "Monster" and Bert

(disclaimer: although I love the many other "characters"

in these photos like my own....they are not my own !:)

Things I want to Remember...

 It has been busy around here!  Halloween "month" is always a busy and fun time...

We have spent our time carving pumpkins with friends...

 

Celebrating our 14th Wedding Anniversary! 

(the gift was "Ivory"...

I got creative and decided to wrap

some of his small gift in our "Ivory" colored wedding invite :)

Baking Ghost cookies

(recipe via Tessa)

and BLUE ghost cookies...

Fires in the fireplace, lots of snuggles and blankie time!

Enjoying the beauty in our neighborhood that is Fall!

Drawing and coloring on our newly painted

garage chalkboard wall....

Pouring over the precious words and art

that Charlotte brings home

from school!

Dining Alfresco on a rare 75 degree day last week...

Making S'mores with best buddies...

Crafting for Christian's school Halloween Parade...

(Cute idea found here: Tessa  again :))

More fun coming in the next few days...

Lately

The days and the weeks, they fly by...sometimes I feel like I am in a big rat race, sometimes I wish I could freeze time - seriously...it.is.going.way.too.fast!  All of it.   Just wanting to share a few pics of late.  The leaves have quickly began to fall, almost to November and I have heard the rumblings of a possible first snowfall next week (BEFORE Halloween!).  We have a few Halloween parties over the next week or so and a soccer-free weekend...looking forward to it all.  My kids costumes are sooo cute this year...can't wait to share :)

They are so cute :) 



We spent some time last week at our Piano Teacher's House
decorating tees to wear during December!
The kids play Christmas music at our local Grocery store :)

 

We spent some part of that same weekend at Notre Dame for a big game against Stanford!

Game Day was awful and cold and wet but so much fun nonetheless!

Tailgating with friends, a trip to ESPN's College Game Day

and all the usual ND traditions that are truly so amazing!

We even saw Vince Vaughn :)

The night before the game the Campus is always buzzing with the band practice, pep rally and lots of family/kid friendly things to do.  ND is a beautiful campus , especially so in the Fall!  We met our sweet friends from next door to pal around with!

Lots of fun indeed!

Creepy Crows

dine with the crows if you dare

i promise they will eat you right up if you scare

halloween "treats" no more

only bats and mice and "tricks" galore

all in good fun!

we love a good table scape around here

 to mix things up for

 autumn dinners,

after school snacks and

lazy weekend breakfasts!

i look forward to hosting a few of my lady friends for lunch before halloween

we will eat, drink and cackle....

happy halloween!

Apple Pie and a Tooth

 It has been rainy and cool and gloomy all day...

we have 30lbs. of apples to use soon

so Christian and I decided it was the perfect day to

bake an apple pie...

Yumm!  and so, so easy...

and this little cutie pie

lost her first UPPER tooth last night

 so she will be so happy

to have some warm, squishy apple pie

afterschool!

10/2/12...lost her first top tooth...



Derrick the Fish

Our family suffered a great loss Tuesday...

the loss of our fish -

a

Fantail Goldfish to be exact...

He had a (fairly) happy, (semi) long life at our house...7 months!

"He" was a "reward" for Campbell for getting a 100% on some test last Spring...

His name was DERRICK!

Campbell was away at soccer practice when he passed...

Bryan sent him to fishy heaven (via the toilet)...

Charlotte cried and could not go to bed until Campbell got home and she was able to tell him the news....

and while she waited she drew this for him...

so he had a little something to remember him by...:)

that girl has a heart a gold i tell ya!

RIP Derrick...we miss you!

Fall

Well, here I am again...weeks having blown by.  The colors are absolutely glorious here right now...bright blue skies, reds, yellows, gold and rich browns in the the trees and leaves... all so beautiful...truly, God's Gift to us all!

September was busy with new school routines, soccer, gymnastics, a weekend in Ohio with a dear friend and a trip to The Country Living Fair, apple-picking, a huge garage sale, a barn dance and lots of  "feathering my nest" for Fall...(kids are already bugging me for Halloween stuff to make its way out of storage!) 

Happy Fall Friends!



A late afternoon bike ride with my sweet boy...




New wreaths to welcome Fall...( my poor urns look sad )

 

Shopping the CL Fair with Jen



the BEST and BIGGEST caramel apples...from Country Bake Shop, yum!



St.Joe Farm...St.Pius Parent Social...



Giddy Up!...Date night at the Social...