Fall Update

Where, you might ask, are the spring and summer updates?  Isn't the last blog post from about this time last year?  Seasons are such interesting things, and I've been learning a lot about them recently.  I've been learning that the season of having adorable, little, highly dependent children is a short but intense season.  It's a season to treasure, hold close and pay close attention to.  It isn't a season (at least for me) with a lot of extra time to blog or scrapbook.  I've been doing a pretty good job of continuing to take pictures, but I have thousands in files on my computer that I long to organize and share.  So, at some point I will, and, until then,  I will be grateful for the moments that I DO get to upload a few here!

So, here are a few moments of wonderful from this fall....

Shea and Cooper loved harvesting tomatoes in our little garden.  Because of the weird weather this summer and fall, we had tomatoes until the second week in November!

 Look closely and you can see our cute little chipmunk that has come to live in our backyard.  He spent a whole week stuffing his cheeks with bird seed, so we're sure he's set for winter now.

 Cooper is a lover of all things trucks or cars.  He said he's going to to have a truck and basketball themed birthday party, too!

Here are some pictures from our visit to Deanna Rose farm and pumpkin patch 

Cute kiddos!

I love this one with their grimaces....can we be done smiling now?

Fishing! 

So, what could Josh be building in the play room???

Why, a 2-story playhouse for the kiddos, of course!

It comes complete with lookout loft...

Slide...

Climbing wall...

Make that a SUPER FAST slide....

Stairs...

And their kitchen inside!!!
Needless to say, the kids are THRILLED with their surprise.  We kept them out of the playroom for a week so that Josh could finish the project.  They had no idea we were planning this as a birthday/Christmas present for them.

Annual Pumpkin Carving

Danya tried her hand at it and found out  how tough it is!

I had the flu during Halloween, but thankfully I was able to snap a few pictures before the  poodle, fairy, and monkey took off for trick or treating.

Finally, here are few pictures of the everyday sort of wonderful: 

Shea and Cooper "doing school"

Danya, working on her school work and Shea listening to a Sparkle Story (all of the kids' favorite right now).

Today, the weather seems to have changed to winter, and I'm looking forward to snuggling in with these kiddos for another wonderful SEASON!  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, snow, Plaza lights, traditions, our normal slow-daily rhythms of school, work, play and the joy of close friends and family (near and far).