Last night, the kids and I trekked to the mall to run a few errands. Dad was gone for the last several nights; sometimes these outings keep us from getting stir crazy with each other at home. As we walked into the mall, the kids were amazed by all the sparkling lights and decorations. My Best Girl said, "Wow, Mommy! I think the mall celebrates Christmas every year too!"

Later, we were walking through the mall, and we passed a display of portrait photography. Many of the pictures were of infants. While looking at the photographs, my Best Girl said, "Mommy, where is my picture when I was a baby?" My Favorite Boy had an answer for her. He said, "I think they only hang the really cute kids up there, right mom?" I just had to laugh at that!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy, Small Talk

Free to fly tagged me for the seven random things about myself meme. I have done this before, but I decided it might be fun to try a Christmas edition.

1. This year, I would like to wake up on Christmas morning to a Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker. I think it would be so fun to make these every Saturday morning as a family. My kids are hoping I get this as well.

2. Christmas Eve is my favorite time during the holiday season. I love the anticipation.

3. At age four, I performed "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" at a church potluck. After my debut, I sang it for several more years (by popular demand, of course).

4. I remember waiting forever for the grown-ups to wash the dishes before we could open presents. Now, for some reason, we often open presents first and wash later. Youngsters these days don't know how easy they have it. :)

5. My mom still fills a stocking for me.

6. As we travel to visit family on Christmas Day, we listen to Christmas music on the radio.

7. I loved Christmas as a child, but watching my children enjoy this time of year is even more wonderful!

There you have seven bits of information about me. If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. I would love to read bits of Christmas information about all of you!

Labels: Christmas, Fun

Labels: My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy, Wordless Wednesday

When we visited Santa a few weeks ago, my Best Girl was under the impression that she would get her presents immediately. I explained that she would tell Santa what she wanted, and he would bring her presents at Christmastime. She replied, "But I want them now!"

On Saturday, we finished the decorating, and she gleefully exclaimed, "Hooray! Christmas is here! Santa will bring my presents now! Can I have some of his cookies?" Again, I explained that it wasn't time for Santa to come. My Best Girl responded, "But I want him to come now!"

For a child, waiting for Christmas is such a painfully slow experience. A month might as well be a year! Unfortunately, I am afraid that most of us adults don't have much more patience during the holiday season than the little ones. We have no trouble waiting for Christmas Eve, but what about waiting in the traffic? Are we patient when we are looking for a parking place or when the lines in the stores are long? How patient are we when our kids are "helping" us with the decorating and baking?

This year, as I help my Best Girl wait patiently for the big day, I plan to watch for opportunities to improve my own level of patience. Growing in this way will only serve to make the season even more merry! I hope you will join me.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Labels: Christmas, Life Lessons, My Best Girl

I planned to write a detailed post about the rest of our Thanksgiving weekend. Unfortunately, I am under the weather. Hopefully, it is just a cold, and it will pass soon. I am sure it will seem that I am giving the day with my husband's family the short end of the stick. However, all of his immediate family was present; so, unlike Thanksgiving with my family, no one will be counting on my description of the day.

Here's the abbreviated version:

1. We spent several hours on Friday with almost 40 of my hubby's closest relatives. His family is great, and I enjoyed seeing them all. Because I only have one cousin on my dad's side and two on my mom's, the size of my husband's family was overwhelming when I first met them. Now, I enjoy getting together with all of them so much. There is never a dull moment! I used to feel young at these gatherings because my husband is one of the younger cousins. That feeling is changing. On Friday, I got to see one of my flower girls who is now a freshman in college. That makes me realize I am not one of the youngsters in the bunch anymore!

2. After visiting for a while with the big group, my husband's immediate family (his mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and three kiddos) came to our house for the rest of the day. My husband's sister and her family live in Georgia, so we don't see them as much as we would like. The kids had a ball playing together, and the grown-ups enjoyed visiting.

3. On Saturday, we put up our Christmas decorations. My kids are still amazed at the simple things. When I plugged in the lights, my Best Girl said, "Wow! That is so cool!" She also said, "Dad, do you remember? We even did this last year!" It was so cute!

4. Now, I am sick! I am thankful, however, that I made it through all the fun before coming down with something. We had such a wonderful week, and I am glad I was able to enjoy every minute!

I'm off to the couch. I'll be back soon!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

Note to my bloggy friends: My parents, aka Grammy and Papa, are currently living in California. They spent Thanksgiving with my brother and his family in New Mexico. We went to my aunt's house (my Dad's sister) for the day on Thursday. In the past, we all spent the day at my aunt's together.

Dear Grammy and Papa,

We wanted to let you know how much we missed seeing you, R and R, and the two little cutie pies during Thanksgiving. We know you had a great time out west, but we thought we would share some pictures from our day. We wish you could have been here!

As usual, Aunt D. decked the halls in time for our visit. Her stockings were hung with care.



The trees in the family room and master bedroom were trimmed.


Snow White was very impressed with the decorations (as you can imagine, the Warren Co. crew got a big kick out of her outfit).


The dining room looked so inviting. In your absence, A. and I got to sit at the grown-up table! All the adults and the princess sat in the dining room. The rest of the gang ate in the kitchen.




Grammy, I captured a picture of the rolls for you. Here they are right before they went in the oven. I knew you would have eaten a few, so I ate four of them to make up for your absence. :)


My Best Girl enjoyed playing with the big girls.


My Favorite Boy was enthralled with the video games. The big boys were very accommodating and patient with him.


T. tried to get my Best Girl to sit with him all day. This was as close as she allowed him to be.


He finally took her kicking and screaming.


Overall, your grandkids were very well behaved. However, we did have trouble keeping your granddaughter out of the M&Ms.


I also found your grandson having a little too much fun with N.


We had a wonderful day! We missed you all and wish you had been here with us. We look forward to the day you move back this way!

Love,
Your Baseballs and Bows Family

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun

My Favorite Boy is out of school, and my hubby is home. I plan to enjoy the next few days with my family, so I may not be around much. Happy Thanksgiving!

Labels: Blogging

Congratulations Tiff! You are the winner of A Proper Pursuit. Email me your address, and I will get the book in the mail. Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

Once again, our family is a little early with some of our Christmas festivities. On Saturday, we went to see Santa at a local hardware store. I guess this sounds like an odd place to visit Santa, but I was looking for a new location because I refuse to go to the mall this year.

Our annual mall Santa photo experience started when my Favorite Boy was 11 months old. On Christmas Eve, I decided I had to have a picture of him with Santa (I am not sure why I waited until Christmas Eve to decide this). Off to the mall we went to wait in line with all the other procrastinators. We got a great 5x7 picture for $12.95; it was the cheapest picture available. I also took a few pictures with my own camera. In the years that followed, we continued our mall Santa tradition.

Two years ago, I was shocked to walk up for our visit and find out that I could no longer use my own camera. I planned to purchase one picture, so I felt it was a little ridiculous that I couldn't take a few more of my own as well. Last year, the downward spiral continued. Not only was the "no camera" policy in effect, but they also raised the price of a 5x7 to $19.95. The kids could sit in Santa's lap and talk to him for free, but we couldn't have a keepsake from the event unless we handed over $20. Clearly, the mall operation is controlled by Scrooge.

So, this year we headed to a hardware store for a free visit with Santa where I could take all the pictures I wanted, and the kids even got cookies. I will admit that I was a little disappointed. Santa has a real beard at the mall, but for some reason he shaved and had to wear a fake beard at the hardware store. :) For the record, my kids didn't notice this; I am the one with issues. I was also disappointed because my daughter, who has been having separation issues, wouldn't visit Santa without me; I did not get a picture of the kids together. Perhaps we will find another location that still believes in the giving and joyful aspect of the season and try for a picture of them together.

Here's my Favorite Boy. He wants a video game system, Madden NFL '07, and Backyard Soccer (PC game). He is truly a boy after his father's heart. He wants Madden NFL '07 because "it's last year's version, so it's cheaper."


My Best Girl told Santa that she wants a princess vanity, a princess wand, and a Belle dress. In her opinion, Santa can feel free to spend whatever is necessary.


When I asked my Favorite Boy what Santa said about his requests, he replied, "Santa said that it would be easy for me to get those presents." Now they only have to wait a little more than a month (or forever in their minds) to find out if Santa will grant their wishes. Somehow, I suspect he will.

Labels: Christmas, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy

Lately, I have shared several stories about my Best Girl. Some of you have responded that my kids are so sweet. Much of the time, they are. However, I wouldn't want you to get the idea that we don't have our share of frustrations. As a matter of fact, we are currently experiencing a problem with my Best Girl.

My daughter didn't have any separation anxiety for three years. She has always gone willingly to Bible class, the nursery at the Y, school, etc... Unfortunately, we have entered a new era. Now, she's experiencing separation anxiety, and she also has a longer memory and a very stubborn will.

Recently, I left her at school (she goes two times a week for three hours). She was not happy when I left, and she cried for a little while. When I arrived to pick her up, she handed me this.


I asked, "Why is your pumpkin wearing a frown?" She replied, "Because I was mad that you left me." Oh yes, I forgot. She's a female! When my son gets upset, he gets over it and goes on to have a fun time. Not so with my little girl. She's going to hold onto it and try to punish everyone who had a part in her sadness.

In the last week, this problem has gotten much worse. She wails and screams anytime I leave her. Hours before we go somewhere, she will start saying, "I don't want to go to..."; she repeats this over and over, attempting to convince me to change my mind about our plans. As I am sure you can imagine, listening to her say the same thing repeatedly for several hours tests my patience.

The last two times we have gone to church, she has attended the adult Bible class. I let her come with me, but she has to sit quietly and still, and I bring nothing to amuse her. (FYI, we have separate Bible classes for adults and children, but we all worship together. This means she is with the grown-ups for two hours instead of one.) I feel sure that she will eventually decide her class is a much better option. Today she said, "Mommy, you didn't even sing any fun songs in your class!"

As frustrating as this has been, I will admit that I am thankful she likes to be with me. I was putting her to bed recently, and I asked, "Why do you cry when I take you to class? Mommy always comes back." She replied, "But Mommy, I just want to be with you all the time. You're my best friend!"

I plan to remind her of this when she is 13!

Labels: My Best Girl

I was lying down with my Best Girl at bedtime. She held out her arms to me with her fists closed. This is what she said.

BG: Can you see them?

Me: See what? (I had no idea what she was talking about.)

BG: Can you see them?

Me: See what?

BG: (opening her fists to show me that nothing was there): OUR SINS! You can't see them because Jesus taked them all away!

Yes sweet girl, he did! For that, we can be truly thankful!

Labels: My Best Girl

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending my Favorite Boy's Thanksgiving Feast at school. We enjoyed the traditional turkey and dressing meal (of course, most of the kids chose chicken nuggets over the turkey because the turkey had gravy on it). Because so many kindergarten parents attend the meal, the kindergartners ate at 10:15 so they could have the cafeteria all to themselves. As you can imagine, the lunchroom was filled with adorable children and parents armed with cameras. Prior to the feast, the children made outfits for themselves and the teachers gave them Indian names. My son proudly wore the name Speeding Arrow. He is convinced the teacher gave him this name because he "runs so fast." It could also be that he was given this name because he rushes through his work, but I am sure his teacher will never share her reason. :)

I am so thankful for my Speeding Arrow, and I am thankful that he has such a wonderful school!

Labels: My Favorite Boy

Something happened this afternoon. I was going to blog about it because it was a perfect example of how I seem to be losing all my brain cells (in my previous life, I was a very organized person who remembered everything). Of course, now I can't remember what happened. I guess that is proof enough that I am losing it!

Labels: Fun

Last year, I read a series of books by Lynn Austin called The Chronicles of the Kings. I enjoyed the books so much that I decided to read all of Lynn Austin's books. Most recently, I read A Proper Pursuit.

Set in the late 1800s, A Proper Pursuit is the story of Violet Hayes, a young girl unsure of her role in life. After learning that her father is remarrying, Violet goes to Chicago to live with her aunts. During Violet's stay, her aunts expose her to several conflicting lifestyles, leaving Violet confused about her own desires and responsibilities.

While this was not my favorite Lynn Austin book, I enjoyed it. As I have mentioned before, I prefer historical fiction; this book fit the bill. I was particularly interested in the decisions Violet encountered as a woman in this particular time; it was during this period that women began voicing their desire for the right to make choices for themselves.

If you are interested in reading this book, please leave me a comment. I will randomly select one commenter to win this book on Tuesday, November 20th. I am linking this post up with Overwhelmed with Joy's Pay It Forward book exchange. Be sure to check out the many books you can win by clicking here. Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

For more WW, click here.

Labels: My Best Girl, Wordless Wednesday

Today is Jill's 40th birthday! About a month ago, I got an email from her husband asking if I would post a letter from him on my blog today. He wants to post about Jill on all the blogs she reads so she will see over and over how much he loves her. Since that was one of the sweetest ideas I have ever heard, I said yes! Jill, here's a message from your hubby!

And, happy 40th from me as well! I hope you have a wonderful day!

From Doug:

Birthdays can be difficult. Milestone birthdays can be devastating. To some more so than others, but to most people…they really seem to matter, to an extent, anyway. (How’s that for covering both sides of the fence?)

That is most people, except my wife Jill @ Who Could Ask for Anything More. Today is her 40th birthday and my co-conspirators I call BFOJ’s (Blogging Friends of Jill’s) have allowed me the distinct honor of being a guest columnist. My hope is that wherever my wife goes within her circle of BFOJ’s today, she will see this message and know how much she means to me, not to mention how much the BFOJ’s think of her for letting a grizzled hack like me hijack their fantastic and very personal blogs.

Rather than do the traditional acronym exercise (J = Jazzy!) or the "40 Things I Love About My Wife" entry, I thought I would share the four most wonderful things about Jill -- the things that make me love her more every day.

She loves my older kids – Not everyone who marries into a new family will connect with the entire crew, but Jill never missed a beat. With my older kids, she accepted them and loved them – at first simply because they were my kids – and now because of who they are. She treats them with kindness, respect, gives them guidance on chores and other responsibilities, but is very respectful of their mom and never tries to "mother" them. She educated herself about Bay’s food allergies and is very cognizant of his limitations when planning and preparing meals. Rarely a day goes by that she doesn’t make a special version of our family meal just for him. Many times Jill has invited Kendra to come along to the salon to get their nails done. At 11 years of age, Kendra has always gravitating to older girls and more mature activities and this is a special way for them to spend time together.

She loves my parents - I can’t say I was ever really "close" to my folks in the sense that I sought them out for advice about life. So I wasn’t sure how that dynamic would play into my relationship with Jill. She has such a kind heart for that generation and quickly threw her arms around my folks and loved them unconditionally. Since we first met, my Mom has passed away and my Dad has endured a mountain of health issues. Through it all, Jill has been a steady, loving partner. In fact, on the occasions when my Dad visits, we have to make some alterations to the house to accommodate him, his wheelchair, his walker and his personal needs. Jill not only goes with the flow of the décor disruption, but lovingly plans meals that my soon-to-be 82-year-old father doesn’t get as often as he would like. It’s amazing how a simple plate of fried eggs and bacon can light up a proud man. My favorite time of our visits is in the evenings. Jill typically beats me home from work and when Dad is in town, they have usually already cracked open a new bottle of wine. Dad isn’t afraid to ask for service and Jill takes great pleasure in keeping his glass full. It is a precious time.

Her patience – Full disclosure: patience is not my strong suit. In fact, it is probably my greatest weakness and barrier to volumes of peace and happiness. That said, I find myself much more patient in the last four years in so many areas of my life (hmm…coincidence?). If you look up the word PATIENCE in the dictionary, you see a picture of Jill. Despite the chaotic nature of our house, I have rarely seen her react with desperation. In fact, I just see her continuing to raise the bar. As my patience has improved, she get even MORE patience. Her thoughtfulness and patience with Adam is uncanny…not that all mothers’ don’t have that nurturing gene…but even after a solid 10 minutes of whining about something that I find unintelligible…Jill merely says (for the umpteenth time)…"Adam, use words to tell Mom what you want." She is amazing.

She makes our house a home – Imagine buying your first home together…and it’s already 27 years old. Granted it was in good structural shape, but the majority of the décor was stuck in the 70’s. Over the past two years, Jill has developed a beautiful vision of how our house should look…how it should become a home. We started with dark wood throughout and some of the most exciting beige paint you could imagine. We’ve progressed to vibrant colors, amazing window treatments and bright open spaces. The original kitchen was hideous, but is now a show place. The powder room was engulfed in mind-altering striped wallpaper but now looks like a museum exhibit. She goes bits and pieces forward as time and budget allows and every step of the way she is filling the gaps of her master plan. We’ve both said that this home is the first, last and only one we will ever buy and we joke that our next stop is either the Retirement Home or the Funeral Home. We want a home in which we can build family traditions and memories and one that the kids will want to bring THEIR kids to. We want to grow old right here. Together.

There are obviously many more things that make Jill the woman to whom I have given my heart and want to give my life. She is the woman I dreamed of marrying. She is sweet, but tough, Honest and direct. Kind and loving. She gives without request or expectation. She nurtures with care and patience. She loves unconditionally.

Truly…I am blessed. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.

Labels: Blogging, Family and Friends

Last year, I found 3 ft. Christmas trees on sale after Christmas for $5. Because we put our family tree upstairs in our bonus room (all other rooms are downstairs), I decided to buy both of the kids one of the little trees for their rooms. Our family tree has white lights, so I thought they might enjoy colored lights. Wouldn't you know it? They only had one tree with multi-colored lights. I bought it anyway, knowing I would have to pay full-price this year for the other tree ($15).

Last week, my Best Girl and I were walking through the Christmas section in the big name superstore, and I remembered that I needed another tree. I bought it, planning to put it in the attic with all of our other Christmas stuff until Thanksgiving weekend. Of course, my Best Girl wouldn't hear of it. She begged me to put up the tree right now. I am kind of a sucker for all things Christmas, so I agreed.

To say that she was happy would be an understatement. While I was trying to fluff the branches, she was grinning at her tree like it was her new best friend.

I hope the tree will be able to handle such an affectionate roommate. She likes to give hugs.


Big hugs.


Now, my Best Girl is ready and waiting for the rest of the world to join the fun!

Labels: My Best Girl

I have finished several books that I want to mention. The first is a children's book; the other two are from my Fall Into Reading list.

I recently received a review copy of I Love You More by Laura Duksta (this copy came from the publisher). I Love You More is a conversation between a mother and her son. In one half of the book, the mother describes how much she loves her son; in the other half, the son expresses his love for his mom. Similar in style to Guess How Much I Love You, it is a story that is fun for children, but it also provides an opportunity for parents to discuss with their children how much they are loved as well.

Several aspects of this book appealed to my children. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and childlike. The rhyming pattern is fun and predictable. Most of all, my kids loved that it is a flip book. You begin reading the story with the mom talking to her son. After finishing this portion, you flip the book around and read about the son talking to his mother. This was a big hit! My kids wanted to read and flip and read and flip... After finishing, we also made up rhymes about how much we loved each other.

If you are interested in a new book to read with your kids, be sure to look for I Love You More. It just made its way into stores this week!

In my grown-up reading, I recently finished Austenland by Shannon Hale and Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Austenland was an easy, fun read; I really enjoyed it. Jane Hayes is a thirty-three-year-old woman whose relationships are doomed to fail because of her obsession with Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy in the movie Pride and Prejudice. Jane takes a trip to England to rid herself of these fantasies once and for all. Her journey is funny and charming, and I appreciated the many references to Austen's other works. I did wish, however, that I had read all of Austen's novels before reading this book. I am sure I missed some of the humor because I was unfamiliar with a few of Austen's characters. If you enjoy Jane Austen, and you are looking for a light, fun read, be sure to check out Austenland.

Same Kind of Different as Me is in a league all its own. It is one of the best books I have read all year. It is a memoir, written from the perspectives of both Ron Hall, a rich art dealer, and Denver Moore, a homeless man. As a point of reference, let me say that I taught in the housing projects in downtown Nashville. I am not blind to the struggles of the poor in America. This book, however, blew me away. Reading Mr. Moore's side of the story gave me a greater appreciation and understanding for those people classified by the world as needy, and it reminded me that throwing money at problems is not the way to make a difference (I don't mean that money isn't necessary, but we shouldn't only give money). Truly making a difference requires time and commitment to people. Developing relationships with others is the way we can affect change. The friendship that developed between Mr. Hall and Mr. Moore was inspiring, and their story served not only as a reminder, but also as a challenge for me to find meaningful ways to serve.

I hope one of these books will appeal to you! Happy Reading!

Labels: Books

Labels: Blogging, Fun

I'm back from my brief blogging break. I didn't finish all the things I needed to do, but I did some of them. My Favorite Boy was out of school on Tuesday, so I was able to give him my full attention without taking computer time.

I have to share this story about my Best Girl; it is so typical of her. My mischievous girl finds one mess after another. To set the stage, we were eating lunch in a friend's home after church on Sunday. The kids were playing in the backyard. I looked up to see my Best Girl heading toward the kitchen door. One half of her body from the waist down was soaked, including one dress shoe, one half of her tights, and one half of her new dress. This is what she said...

"Mom, I accidentally got wet."

Hmmmm.... I investigated and found out that she had accidentally scaled a rock wall and submerged half of her body in a little pond. We explained that climbing over a wall into a pond was not an accident. During the conversation, she kept insisting that it was an accident. I concluded that she has her own use for accidentally. I am quite certain her meaning is "I really don't want to get in trouble, but I..."

Later, she was talking to my parents on the phone. I heard her exclaim, "There was a bathtub made of rocks, and I got in, and I was soaked just like on the rapids ride (at Disney)!" I guess the experience was thrilling for her. Not so much for me. I am the one who has to fix the brown suede shoes that are no longer the same color. Perhaps I will soak the good one in the bathtub so they will be equally discolored.

Doesn't she just look like trouble?

Labels: My Best Girl

I am going to take a few days off to catch up on things around here. I'll be back Wednesday or Thursday. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Labels: Blogging

Thanks to random.org, we have a winner. Congratulations to commenter #9, Jason and Caryn! You are the new owners of The Parting by Beverly Lewis. Happy Reading!

Labels: Blogging, Books, Fun

This week's theme is classic. This is the largest Coca-Cola Classic I have ever seen. It is actually a stairwell. My Best Girl was so excited when we saw it because she knows how much her Grammy loves Coke. She exclaimed, "Mom, we have to get that for Grammy!"

To fit the theme even more, we can throw in the classic, All-American sport of baseball. These bats are Louisville Sluggers, a classic name in baseball. I think these bats, however, are a little larger than standard size.


Where did I take these photos? At a classic vacation spot...Walt Disney World, of course!

For more Photo Hunters, click here. Have a wonderful weekend!

Labels: Disney, Photography

On the way home from trick-or-treating Wednesday night, I thought, "Okay, the fall whirlwind is slowing down." My next thought was, "Here comes Christmas." But...contrary to what you may believe when walking the aisles of stores, there is a holiday between Halloween and Christmas. Oh yes, THANKSGIVING!

Leah at South Breeze Farm expressed her sentiments about this subject yesterday, and is offering a challenge as well. These are Leah's words.

Yesterday, I started jotting down some Christmas gift ideas because, you know, one can never start too early. But I don't want to rush through "The Thankful Month" and miss so many opportunities to thank the Lord for all He's given me. Before I start adding to my wish list, I need to work on developing a more thankful heart for the things I already have.

So, in honor of the month of November which boasts a most wonderful holiday, I'd like to encourage all of you to join me in a month-long CHALLENGE. All you have to do is post one thing you're thankful for each day somewhere on your blog. It doesn't even have to be an actual thought-out post. Just start making a list on your sidebar - somewhere you can see it every day to encourage an attitude of thankfulness.

What a great idea! You will see that I have added a section to my sidebar for this purpose, and I will be adding one new thing I am thankful for each day. I hope you will decide to join the fun. I know we will all benefit from focusing on our many blessings!

Labels: Fun, Life Lessons

We have had a busy, but fun week. On Tuesday, I went to a farm with my son's kindergarten. It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, it was 70 degrees, and the sky was a beautiful blue. We had a picnic next to a pond, went on a hayride, picked pumpkins in a pumpkin patch, and enjoyed various activities set up in some of the barns (some were educational, some were just plain fun). This is a picture of my Favorite Boy playing in the pretend farmer's market.


One of my favorite parts of the day was the hayride. As we were riding around the farm, the cows came right up to the wagon. I couldn't believe they were coming so close; but, I found out why. The farmer threw out a few pumpkins for the cows to eat, smashing them on the ground in the process. You can imagine the gleeful cheers that erupted from the children when the pumpkins smashed and the cows ran for them. The cows obviously know where to head for a treat!




You can see a few calves in the background of the picture. Several of the cows have given birth in recent weeks, so we saw a handful of babies tagging along behind their mommies.

Last night, we donned the costumes and went trick-or-treating for a little while. We still had our regular church services last night, so we didn't trick-or-treat as long as usual. The kids had a ball, and I think they enjoyed talking about trick-or-treating with their church buddies almost as much as the actual trick-or-treating. Here are my Snow White and my Tennessee Titan.



After wearing the Snow White costume at Disney World, around the house, and for multiple Halloween activities, I think my Best Girl has made good use of the gift my aunt gave her for Christmas last year (Thanks, Aunt Dessa!).

Whew! We have been so busy lately; I think I am ready to slow down. Of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here soon. Maybe we'll slow down in January!

Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy