Fall Kick Off

So have I mentioned how much I LOVE fall!  I know I am repeating myself, the ever broken record.   And although most are mourning the loss of summer, I can honestly say that if the temperature is going to be above 70, that's when I get a little sad. 

So there could be no better way to kick off the autumn season than a trip to the cider mill!

It was a chilly fall day, but we picked mini pumpkins, feed the animals, and had cider & donuts (Carly's favorite part of the day!  My little donut hog scarfed two and still wanted more!) 

Then Carly and her cousin Morgan let loose on the playground! (Cousin Sammie joined in too!)

It was a wonderful day! 



What a character!



This weekend, my niece Sammie stayed with us too!  We had fun!  And when I look at Sammie, I can only hope that Carly grows up to be just as strong, confident and beautiful!

Time flies!  Everyone told me it would, and they were right.  This picture just pulls at my heart strings, because Carly looks so much older.  Stride for stride with her big cousin (who wasn't so big too long ago!).

It was a lovely fall weekend.  A perfect start to a magical Halloween season.  Our house was officially and completely transformed for the season today, but it could always use a little more.  I think a trip to Michaels will be in the future, as well as some crafting!  And it looks like my girl wants to be a cat now for Halloween...so some costume making will be in the works as well.  I can't wait!

I love fall!

P.S.  Baby Berry is due May 17, 2011!  Dr. Kaplan says all looks good!  Next appointment will be Oct. 25th!

Friday Night Lights Nostalgia

All my efforts of the day went into Friday night!  It was my niece's first home football game, and we were going to watch her cheer.  I envisioned this wonderful family night, with us in our Fowlerville Glad apparel, gloves, scarves - all sitting in the stands with friends & family, hot chocolate in hand, cheering on my niece cheering on the football team.

But between my sleep deprived Love Bug, the crazy road construction around my house (and let's be honest, I am a little emotional myself right now) I came very close to the edge several times today! I am pretty sure I counted to ten about ten thousand times.  And somewhere between sitting in the longest traffic line a small town could have and the thirtieth melt down of the day...I said forget it!  I called my husband who graciously offered to stay home with the crabby one, so that I could go to the game.  And while the idea brought some relief, I was bummed.

So when I FINALLY got home, I counted to ten (again), and we ALL bundled up (some of us in Fowlerville apparel, some not) and headed to the game.  And within the first ten minutes, the craziness of the day was gone.  It brought me back, I loved Friday night games!  I miss being down in the action of it all!  But at the same time there was something wonderful, and thrilling about watching my niece down there, where I was!  Having as much fun as I did, and hopefully creating the same magical memories that she can treasure too!

My beautiful niece on the right!

My Love Bug just looked around absorbing it all in. 

You could almost see her reserving judgement on everything - the bright lights, the big field, the band (that we sat right next too) - just taking it all in.  And then she decided.  It was her thing too!

We all boogied in the stands while the band played Elvis...

We shouted and cheered (some times for the wrong team - heehee) as our boys scored touchdown after touchdown!



The score read 26-0 at the 3rd qtr!

 And we had a great time...

It was friday night nostalgia with a twist of new and a promise of more electric friday nights to come!  I do miss being down in the action, but being up in the stands is going to be just as sensational!  Tonight was invigorating.  And somehow, despite all the hectic, short tempered, and over tiredness of the day, I got my wonderful family night.  Complete with a surprise cup of hot chocolate from my hubby!

Oh! and One More Thing....

It's here!!!!  My favorite time of year...autumn!  I love, love, love this season!  I love that the sun still shines, but you have to bundle up a little when you go outside.  I love the mornings, when you can see your breath a little and the smell is crisp and clean because the chill of the air has taken away all scents but that of fresh fall.  I love the changing colors, and the leaves that fall from trees.  And I love views like these, looking out into my backyard as the sun is setting.

Soon I will be decorating the house for Halloween (my second favorite holiday! And yes, I know that Halloween is still 48 days away - I don't care!)  And as my house gets transformed into a spooky fall haven, it brings the anticipated excitement of family gatherings, taking my Love Bug trick or treating, and just around the corner is Christmas! And I am completely unashamed to admit that, yes, I am one of those people that listens to Christmas music starting November 1st! (Roll your eyes, go ahead, I don't care!)

And even though, the weather is chilling, the sun does still shine!  And when I entered my kitchen the other day, I was greeted with this sight...

Gotta love my girl's aversion to the sun in her eyes.  It's probably one of her top three annoyances.  But there is nothing wrong with eating breakfast with sunglasses on...in fact - this was her own solution to the problem.  She went into her play room and dug these bad boys out!  And nothing says creative genius like hot pink cat sunglasses!  Rock on sister!

Oh! and one more thing....

Check out Carly's new shirt!

It's pretty early still, but the stick definitely had two lines on it!  I go to my first doctor's appointment on Sept. 27th!  And if all goes well (which I am praying for) and my calculations are correct, our new little Berry addition will be here in May sometime!!

I am determined to enjoy this pregnancy (penguin waddle and all) and find delight in every moment! As Chris is set that two littles are enough for us (I would be fine with one more, I think), I want to savor each moment during this time - just in case it is the last!  Sooo...bring on the morning sickness, extreme tiredness, expanding waist-line, and loss of bladder control!  And let the countdown begin until Baby Berry 2's arrival!

Love is good.  And it brings good with it! 

A Little Bit of Everything

It was a little bit of everything this weekend, and it was wonderful! 

My Love Bug made a necklace.  She was doing such a good job of stringing the beads on the necklace.  So independent, anytime I offered to help she would say, "No, I'll do it Mama."  And she was doing a fabulous job!

Until one of the beads rolled off the table and my cat thought it would be great fun to chase it.  What ensued next was something that can only be described as hilarious chaos.  Carly, naturally, was completely undone by the fact that the cat was using her necklace as his toy.  So in an effort to be Super Mom, I chased after the cat that was chasing after a little wooden bead all over my house.  Let me tell you - wood floors, socks and laughing like a hyena (because in that situation you can only laugh) while running are not a good combination.   After several attempts to snag this bead, and several rounds of Carly yelling, "Spooky give me my necklace!" and "Mama! Get it!" I finally got the dang bead!  But that did not deter my cat from hoping that one would drop a second time...

He is waiting oh so patiently for one of those beads to fall!

Friday night friends of ours came over for dinner.  And after a quick scramble Friday morning to find something to make, I decided to try something completely different.  Now this could have gone really bad because I've only started to dive into the world of cooking, but surprisingly, it was very good!  And we had a wonderful evening of food (my girlfriend, Erin brought dessert - it was SOOO DELICIOUS), some awesome pictures of New York (they had just gotten back from a vacation there) and Erin getting roped into play time with my Love Bug...

Another momentous moment of Friday night was that my Love Bug got a BIG GIRL BED!  She loves it, she just doesn't want to stay in it when she is told aka bed time!

Saturday left me with a messy house.  So as I went from room to room in cleaning mode, I came across this sight in my Love Bug's play room.  And again, I could only laugh...

One of these things does not belong...

Not to worry there were no actual beer cans in there and the Bud Light box was removed, and is no longer being used as a baby house.  There is that imagination again!!

Carly went fishing this weekend for the first time.  She was so stinking cute and excited!  At first, she was having so much fun reeling in the line, that she couldn't catch anything!  As soon as Chris would cast it, and hand the pole to her...she would start reeling it in! 

But Chris was patient with her, and finally she got a little more patient, and BEHOLD A FISH!

It took a little coaxing to get her to finally touch it (because like any first time fisher woman, she had Daddy take the fish off the line) but she did touch it.  And laughed delightedly when it flipped out of her Daddy's hands onto the ground a few times.  It was a "Crazy Fish!" as she called it!

And with dinner at my Aunt's house Sunday (where all the fishing took place), and dinner at my Mother-in-law's on Monday- this weekend had a little bit of everything in it!  And it was great!  And I leave you with this picture only because it is too cute not to post!  Happy Labor Day everyone!  Bring on the fall!!!

Runnin' with the Big Girls!!

So the other day, Carly and I met up with my wonderful friend Nicole, her daughter Kenzie, and Kenzie's friend Ellie.  Carly was so excited about the afternoon, that she was being quite the character on the car ride there...

We went to this indoor playhouse called Castaway Cafe. And when I say playhouse, I really mean play - warehouse!!  It is a 30 ft. floor to ceiling jungle themed - jungle gym.  In other words, it is every kids runnin', hangin', climbin', slidin' dream come true!  And while Nicole and I got some "girl chat" in on the couches overlooking this kid heaven, our girls took off to their wonderland!  And although they do have a small section for the little tots...Carly would much rather run with the BIG Girls! (both Kenzie and Ellie have 3yrs on Carly)  And run she did!  I was very proud of my Little Girl keeping up with the older ones.  And the Big Girls did an awesome job of being patient and keeping an eye on my little!!

It was a rip-roarin', rope climbin', super slidin' day!

And at first I was slightly reluctant to let my Little Girl go on any of the slides (mind you these slides are 15 - 20ft tall.  And they twist and turn all the way down).  But after several rounds of asking/begging by both my Little Girl and the Big Girls - I said, "OK - but you have to go down together and keep a hold on her the whole time!"  I don't even think I got the whole sentence out and they were off with huge grins on their faces!

They had a blast!!

Carly's first question to me after the slide, "Can I go again Mama?"

The best part was listening to their little voices carry down the slide, and the big debates as to who would go first second & third.  And finally the, "HERE WE COME!" before the giggles and laughing come flying down the slide.  And as soon as they hit the bottom, "Let's go again!".  It was exhilarating and exhausting just watching them!  

And then for lunch....PIZZA!

It was also character lunch that day, so half way through the pizza Sponge Bob came out to visit all the kids!

Now here is how the Big Girls greeted Sponge Bob...

Here is how my Little Girl greeted Sponge Bob...

And lunch wouldn't be complete without dessert!!

After dessert....more runnin', climbin', and slidin'! 

                                          

It was a wonderful afternoon runnin' with the Big Girls!!