Happy Halloween Birthday!

Mike got to celebrate a little bit today.  We often relocate it to another day as it's pretty crazy with the kiddos and trick-o-treating.  We went to French Laundry for his free breakfast, and he got steak and eggs, so that's got to count for something!  Hope to get a chance to go out for dinner at some point in November.  Picked up the house, pushed leaves around the property (cause they're finally falling with the frost), and got ready for the evening.  Had a great dinner with some friends, and we all headed out with all the kiddos.  Nice night trick-o-treating chilly, but not cold, and especially great since we started the day with 50% rain in the forecast.

Birthday visit

 Jen's family met us at Spicers for some brisk playing and cider 'n donuts. Girls had a blast running around with their cousins, and it was a beautiful fall morning.  Headed back to the house so Penny could grab a nap, and Debbie and Dave brought pizza over to celebrate Mike & Jen's birthday.  Kids had fun, it's been awhile since we've all gotten together. 


On to Halloween crazyness!

Pumpkin time...

We went to the pumpkin patch and got a few good ones, and some cute gourds for the kitchen as well.  Girls wanted to carve today, and it was nice outside, so we went for it.  Hopefully a week early is okay!  Penny was very excited about the top coming on and off.  Jane dug in, but I still got to do most of the de-seeding.  Mike even tried to pass his off on me-nice try buddy.  He's working on outside stuff, cleaning out the barn, and a bunch of other things at once.

Sew Liberated Cape

I wasn't sure if I really needed to get a pattern for capes for the girls costumes, but I decided to go ahead and buy the Sew Liberated kids book.  I'm so glad I did. Jane's cape turned out fantastic.  I love the hood so much, and I don't think I would ever have come up with the pointy shape of it on my own.  It's reversible to a fuzzy black, and the shiny stars fabric is awesome.  I'm actually going to have to get more and make Penny's out of that, I bought fabric before I bought the pattern, and I just don't have quite enough for Penny's to make it quite right.  I also hacked up an old black dress of mine, and it's working pretty well as Jane's witch dress.  Successful trip to K'zoo, chance to hang out with Mom a bit before she leaves, and Mike got some work stuff done and helped Dad get some wood cut.

Fall fun

 Started off the day with the requisite visit to Spicers for donuts.  It was beautiful but rapidly got crazy there, since it was a weekend.  Came home and the girls rode bikes and had some fun outside.  Dad and Mike got the woodstove up on the hearth, it's huge (compared to the other one), but kind of cool looking.  I think it doesn't really match the brick very well, but will be a good fit whenever we get around to redoing the living room.  Hoping for a warm winter, regardless.  Mom's off to Albuquerque to hang out with Torsten (and Baird and Amy, I guess-haha); we're going to miss her!!!

Easter Island installation

 Mom and Dad and Gram Nomi came for the weekend.  Dad and Mike worked on installing the new (that's been in the garage for a year) woodstove. Girls played with the grandmas, and I roped Gram Nomi into making apple pie.  Mom and Dad brought some corn cobs, and while I thought the girls would just lay them by the bird watching area, it was apparently great fun to pull the kernels off instead.

Over our house...

Mike was going to be home late, so the girls and I decided pizza was in order.  Jane saw this hot air balloon on our way out, and it was still in the area on our way back home.  I headed up past Spicers thinking we could see it better, and then headed towards our house, thinking it was over the elementary school.  I didn't have my camera, so stopped home first...and then we realized it was right overhead!  Got the girls out of the car quick, and we waved (and they waved back).  Jane asked me about 10 times if that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, she was pretty excited.

'Nother vette

But this one is a z06...which probably means I don't want to know.