Sunday, October 26, 2014

Weenie Roast Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated 2 very special people in my life!  Nora and Jared share a birthday and we hosted a weenie roast in our backyard.  The weather was amazing for this time of year (almost hot, in the sun)!  We had a great time and I would call it a success :)!  Enjoy some pictures of our afternoon celebrating Nora and Jared.

The activity/party favor for the kids was pumpkin decorating.  Nora thoroughly enjoyed it :).  Her pumpkin has about 30 googly eyes!
Birthday girl decorating her pumpkin
The other kids decorating
Fun group of kids!
Present time.  There are always lots of eager helpers for this time during a party!
Working on the tape...
Check out the helpers ;)
Happy girl...who looks SO grown up in this picture.
The fire was great for our hot dogs and s'mores!  Good job, Jared!!



Singing and cupcake time!
3 candles for the 3 year old!
We love you sweet Nora!
Jared gets candles too...just happens to be more than 3.
Couldn't leave Alex out.  His birthday is tomorrow, so he got a candle too!
Atley enjoyed being outside
Such a fun party!
Birthday kids making some s'mores!
Happy Birthday banner
Loving the s'mores!
Such a great afternoon!  So happy to have such wonderful friends and family to help us celebrate!!  Happy Birthday Jared and Nora!  You are loved :).

Thursday, October 23, 2014

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

Monday, October 20, 2014

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!