Boo at the Zoo

We made our annual trip to Boo at the Zoo on Monday night.  Tate & Lyle (Jared's work) reserves a night just for T&L employees and families to attend Boo at the Zoo. It's very nice and well put together.  We get to trick or treat through the zoo (which included a Del's caramel apple!), ride the train, and carousel and dinner is provided.  It's always a fun time and the kids look forward to it every year!  Enjoy some pictures of our visit this year...

Atley, the tiny pumpkin

Luke Skywalker (striking a pose)

Luke and Black Kitty

Nora, the ornery black kitty!

Boo at the Zoo!

Atley is impressed with her first Boo at the Zoo experience

Waiting for the carousel

Ethan and our neighbor, Sarah as Luke and Leia

Trick or Treat!

Found another station

Checking out the penguins on the way by.

Kitty and Penguins 

They liked the pumpkin heads all throughout the zoo

Waiting on the train with Sarah and Lindsey

Apples, Pumpkins & Skeletons

Saturday we decided to head north to Champaign to go to Curtis Apple Orchard.  It was a chilly day, but that didn't stop us.  We had a good time picking apples and choosing pumpkins.  And the kids enjoyed the playground and inflatables!  And as always, we left with some yummy treats.  A bag of freshly picked apples and some apple donuts :)!
Lots of pictures ahead!!

Picnic lunch in the car first!

Getting ready to follow the yellow brick road

Apple picking!

Nora found some too!

Jared got in on the action too

Atley's first apple picking experience... too bad she won't remember or get to taste the apple.

Cute kids in the apple orchard

Pumpkin choosing time!

The 3 kids. 

Now, time for some fun!

How Tall This Fall??

Minigolf

Playground fun

Ethan on the big slide!

Nora got to go this year...twice!  She loved it!

Gotta stick your head in the hole...always with Nora!

Ethan on the zip line

Our Family of 5 on the Big Chair

That evening, we had a couple eager pumpkin carvers.  They were ready to carve.  So they picked out their design and Daddy helped carve it on the pumpkins.  Ethan helped quite a bit with the carving this year, and even scooped a little goop :).

3 concentrated carvers

Being very careful!

Scooping some goop

Clean kids and finished pumpkins!

Skeleton kids

3 cute skeletons

I told you...lots of pictures!  Boo at the Zoo is tonight, so stay tuned for dress up pictures!

Sunday Funday!

Sunday afternoon we decided to go to the children's museum.  Jared doesn't get to go too often, so it was fun!  And it was Atley's first trip to the museum!

Shopping Nora and sleeping Atley

Ethan climbed all the way to the top.  Atley was thrilled :)

Driving girl!

Engineer Ethan built the bulldozer (pictured behind him).  We don't build much when Daddy doesn't come.

Nora driving it.

And now a ball run.  I'm glad Daddy is so handy!

Lunch With Ethan

I went to Ethan's school yesterday, to surprise him by eating lunch with him!  It was fun seeing the lunch/recess routine and seeing him interact with his friends.  He is still loving school, and I'm so happy for that!

In the lunchroom

Ethan and his buddy Jaxson having a cheeseburger.

Since it was rainy, they had recess in their classroom.  I tagged along.  Ethan and some boys went straight for the legos!

Silly boys!  They all seemed really sweet and had a great time!

Pictures from Home

We were busy the first couple days home from the hospital.  But we have taken it easy around here since then.  Lots of cuddling and adjusting to life with 3 kids.  And the kids are adjusting very well, I think.  They both love to hold her and talk to her (as you've seen from pictures) and Ethan proudly took pictures to school yesterday to show her off to his class.

Tummy time girls (Side note: how does the youngest in the family, before the baby, grow up so fast in only 1 week?!  Nora looks so big and old now!)

Such a good big sister

Abby came to visit on Tuesday and stayed until Wednesday evening.  It was fun having her here! She played, read books, painted nails and just hung out!

Tummy time

New nail polish! 

Abby with her 3 Collier kids :)

Here are some pictures of Atley, from around the house.

Both big kids are always wanting to hold her :).

Thursday my mom came up and I neglected to get the camera out!  I have to say, I have the best mom, ever!!  She brought dinner and dessert for us.  She babysat the girls so I could go have lunch with Ethan at school.  And she went to the grocery store for me!  Not to mention just being here!  It was a great day!  Thanks for coming mom.  I'll take pictures the next time :).