Falling in the Leaves

Aubrie in the leaves

Aubrie and Paci in the leaves

Midflight!!!

Siding down into the leaves

Running through!

Happy Fall Ya'll

I love the fall...not just because my birthday is in the fall (although that helps) but I love the sense of change that comes in the fall. I can literally smell when it starts to change...the air smells different to me and it gets me so excited to think about what is to come...Thanksgiving in Heber Springs, Abbie's Birthday, decorating for Christmas, making Christmas cookies, Christmas music at Body & Soul with Jingle Bells on, My Christmas Tree...so many wonderful things that just the change in the air gets my blood moving faster with anticipation. One of the things that I love to do in the fall is watch Abbie play in the leaves. This year, we have our little Aubrie joining in the fun too! She was not sure what to think about the huge pile of leaves but she eventually consented to sit in the middle of it and explore the textures and sounds. It was so fun to watch her as she picked up the leaves as best she could in her mittens and moved them around. Abbie is now a veteran leaf pile jumper. This year, my dad moved a HUGE pile of leaves from his yard to ours and strategically placed the pile at the end of our slide. Abbie immediately went up the slide and slid down into the pile. After she had done this a few times she suprised me by standing up and launching herself off the top of the slide and into the leaf pile. I was anticipating another picture of her sliding and as I snapped the picture, she was midflight...the result is posted above. What can I say, change is in the air, my baby isn't a baby anymore...she's a toddler and my toddler is now an adrenaline junkie jumping off the top of slides.
I LOVE THE FALL!!

Guatemalan Girlfriends

Sandra, Michele, Tanya, Sessia and Abbie Grace

Abbie, Sessia, and Brie

The girls, bundled up on the swingset

Abbie, Sessia, Michele and Brie

My parents hosted some wonderful ladies from Guatemala this week. They have been here in AR teamed up with Fellowship Associates Residency Program. Tanya's husband is a pastor in Guatemala. It's so fun to meet all these missionaries and see how God connects all His people from all over the world. Abbie just fell in love with these two girls... Sessia and Michele. They both speak English beautifully and are so sweet to her. They are experiencing a new climate here with the changing season and the cold! This is all of us playing around in our backyard.

Breakfast with Santa

Abbie Grace

Abbie and Eric

They were giving out Fire hats...these guys are ready for an emergency!

This is what really happens when you take a picture with kids...one is struggling to get out of my arms and the other one is in a mid-tackle trying to take me down to the ground...

Tracie and Tracy with Brie Baby

The posed shot....

Eric, Abbie and Aubrie

Abbie after Santa moves away

Our encounter with the Claus Family

Last week we had Breakfast with Santa at McCain mall. We got up, got dressed, got excited, drove up to the mall, took out the super stroller, met up with Tracy and Eric and then experienced sheer terror at the presence of Mr. & Mrs. Claus. Yep, terror...especially from Aubrie. We didn't have to pay for the terror, thank goodness. We were going up there to take pictures but that dream quickly faded when we approached Santa and Aubrie attempted to climb over my shoulder. When her escape plan didn't pan out, she opted for hiding her face in my shoulder and shaking with fear. Abbie, my normally outgoing child, clung to my leg like it was a lifeline and wouldn't make eye contact with either Mr. or Mrs. Now, understand that these were some of the best and most pleasant Clauses that I have ever met. Not scary at all...so needless to say, we passed on having our picture officially taken with Santa. Maybe next year, maybe not...I'm just glad that my expectations have been set low, okay really low, for any and all Christmas encounters with Santa for 2008. Our holiday song will go something like this...

Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-La stay away from Santa...

Homeschool at Mrs. Tammy's

Eric and Nate

The girls club!

My little artist at work

Kaden and Elaina creating their fall tree

Painting in process!!

Mommy and Brie

Abbie painting

Brie during story time

Our special guest, Elaina

Story Time

In the month of November, we did our homeschooling at Mrs. Tammy's house. It was so much fun. Tammy is awesome and the kids had a wonderful time learning all about fall. Abbie was calling the colorfull tree's "Changing Tree's" and after Mrs. Tammy explained a little about chlorophyll, Abbie now shouts CHLOROPHYLL!!! everytime we pass a tree that is changing colors. I love that she picked up on that! What can I say, my child is brilliant. The kids did a weaving project with foam leaves, Tammy read stories and they did some painting. We had a special guest on this day too...Elaina May! She was out of school and got to come with Beck and Kaden. Abbie was so glad to see her girlfriend!

Mornings at the Durham's

Abbie Grace, 4.75 years

Brie Baby, 16 months

Hanging Out watching Cartoons

So we don't always have lazy mornings at home but on my girls ideal morning, we are at home hanging out on the couch watching TV with their sippy cups full of chocolate milk. Both of the girls nursed...well forever. So when I weaned them, I did it the easiest way possible...from mom to Chocolate Milk. I mean really, if you have to be weaned why not move to the best kind of milk...chocolate. So both of them LOVE chocolate milk...chocolate was Aubrie's sixth word, I promise. In the morning, both the girls want to snuggle on the couch, sit in my lap or under the big white blanket and drink their hair of the dog...otherwise known here as chocolate milk. I love this tradition...when Abbie goes to Kindergarten next year, I am going to miss these mornings and I'll miss moments like these the most. Chocolate Milk, Cartoons, Coffee and my two little girls...it just doesn't get better than this for me.