Trick-or-Treat!

I know you will be surprised, but Jaxon was a football player again. He went back and forth from a super-hero to a football player to not even dressing up this year! What!?!? Is my first born already to old to dress up for fun and candy hopping with his brothers? I sure hope not! This was the last year for him to participate in the school Halloween parade and I am hoping not the last he chooses to go out with his siblings on trick-or-treating night. We usually drive from house to house of good friends, but we let the boys experience a full out walking night for their goodies. They loved it!

 Jax and his good pal, Cam, both football players and both still little enough to dress up...(if you ask me :)

 Jaxon was so sweet at times helping Austin across the yards. What a good helper he can be...when he chooses :)

 Carson of course had to keep up!! It was cold and his big brothers walked fast...but that did not discourage him. Actually, he was rather mad when I walked him back after one trip down the streets! Next year, buddy, next year.

 Austin quickly got the hang of it and his last words as he ran from one house to the next..."this is the best holiday...ever!!!" Ha!

 His Aunt Heidi made this super cute costume a few years ago. It fit perfect for our little man this year...who knows, maybe we will throw it on him over the holidays...I went back and forth between Peter Pan and an Elf. being he looked so cute, I may just get all my worth from it while it fits!

 Every year we wind our way back to the same house to hang out before we head back over towards our neck of the woods... hot cocoa and a warm fire and popcorn and good friends who feel like family are always waiting...and every year it warms my heart to end here.

 Austin (aka Underdog) and his buddy...of course, unrecognizable in her costume :)

 Carson stayed strong the whole night...what a trooper. He spent the final minutes of his evening kissing the dog and pounding popcorn...by the 3rd one, whatever it is that keeps him happy that time of night...kiss away, my son!

 I had a great night of fall fun with so many loved ones...I went to bed that night so thankful for full homes and full hearts and full days with special moments like those ones.

 I had to snap a picture of these two... I think it was 6 years ago...maybe 7, that we started making our pit stop at our friends house. Jaxon and Emma spent one of those first Halloween nights sitting side by side sipping their cocoa in their lion and giraffe costumes with rosy cheeks and cold little fingers. Emma turned 9 on Halloween! They looked so big and I can't believe how quick years go by...

It was a successful Halloween...on many levels. But this boy sure enjoyed the stash he and his brother collected for months to come of sweet tasting enjoyment!

Backyard Fall Fun!

I'm not sure how this started, other then inviting some friends to stop by for soup before trick-or-treating about 5 years ago...but this little event has grown into one big fun fall party for pretty much anyone and everyone who wants to come! Our boys look forward to this every year and between all the good food and assortment of friends and cute little people dressed up, it is an enjoyed night by all. I love hosting to so many friends and their kids and having everyone gather together. It's short and simple and then all head out to trick-or-treat. This year we moved it to the back-yard because our house was packed wall to wall last year and it got a bit...crazy :) the backyard was perfect and I think this will become a new tradition to add to the fall party plans.

We had plenty for everyone...from smores and desserts...

...to hanging donuts for kids...

...to soups and sides. Last year I ran out of food (sorry!!), so I made plenty this year!!!

Carson slept through the first half of the party, then he made an appearance...as Peter Pan!

It was neat to gather everyone on our back porch. We spent a lot of time on our porch this last summer enjoying many meals and quiet times and art time and snack times and just sit and chat times. Ending the season with friends on that same porch that was our gathering point so often was a perfect ending to celebrate the joy our home brings to us. And we're so happy to share it with others.

We had a campfire going to keep warm and roast marshmallows...of course!

                                   

The weather worked in our favor even, thankful!

 Such cute little monsters at this event!!

We pulled it off this year with help from our awesome roomie...Thanks Natalie!! You saved me :)

Lots of toddlers who were just babes last year, so fun to see them change year to year. I think we had 6 infant car-seats sitting in our living room at one point last year...now they were running around!

And once dark came, we hit the streets for some candy! We have always driven from house to house of people we know each year. That just started to become not very enjoyable as the big kids just wanted to trick-or-treat "for real". We did a lot of driving around town and by the end we were all wiped. So this year we let them walk and walk they did! They were excited to go!

We started off with some friends from the party and then headed to a neighborhood where we usually end our Halloween nights anyways .. more to come on our boys first walking experience on trick-or-treating night. :)

Austin's First's...

Our little preschooler was so excited for his first BUS ride that took him on his first FIELD TRIP to a...farm of all places! He loves things on wheels and loves farms so this was like a super cool day for him!! As a parent with school aged children, there are a few things I have committed to doing as my children grow and attending field trips is one of them. I try my best to go on all trips and love the time to spend with my boys peers and teacher and experience things with them along the way. I was so looking forward to Mr.Austin's first bus ride because he has talked about it for years.  I remember sitting on the bus next to Jaxon for his first ride and to do it again with the next one was so neat. I love these days and these little moments that will shape our future and what stands between us as parents and them as grown children. These little years really matter and I can't say it enough, I'm so very blessed to be so present in their everyday lives. 

 First Bus ride!

 He has a couple pals in his class, so sweet to see them. Austin and this buddy, Addelyn, were born just days apart...these preschool days seemed so far away, but here they are!

 I can't say enough about Austin's preschool teacher. We love her! She is everything a mama wants for her little one as they go off to school for the first time...patience, gentle, warm, kind, understanding  and so very good at what she does. Austin is learning lots in the academic end, making new friends, and his heart is being filled with God's truth. So blessed by a Jesus loving teacher sharing her gifts with my boy!

You might be surprised...or maybe not :) But, Austin could have stayed here all day! he loved the farm atmosphere and soaked it all in. He often tells us when he grows up he is going to live on a farm with his 6 children :)

Thank you to the Koenen's for sharing their home with his preschool class....a perfect first farm field trip!

fall into fun

This used to be my husband's most dreaded job as a home-owner...but he didn't have three little boys to bring it to life when he started. These days, collecting our yard leaves is more of a big play event for the kids while Dad works around them and with them to get the job done. Our boys love the huge leaf piles their Dad makes for them and in the end the work gets done around a lot of play. One thing I loved about my hubs when we were dating...he always made the not-so-fun jobs extra fun and enjoyable...and he does it still today for our boys. I'm a blessed wife, but they are some pretty blessed kids.

 Austin in action...he made the leaf a whole week's worth of fun as his Dad came home each night and worked on different parts of the yard.

 Watching Dad with the leaf blower...our buddy, Wil, wasn't so sure at first!

 I was not kidding when I said HUGE leaf piles :)

 Our dear roomie, Nat, even got roped in for some work...er, I mean, fun!

 This boy will be sad when we can't go outdoors anymore all day...and so will this mama!

 He loves any and all action outside!

 Jaxon and Austin had a system for pulling broken sticks down and old leaves...pretty comical to see their idea come to life with some random yard tools. 

 Carson enjoying the leaf blower action :)

 Our leaf jumping boys!

These two little boys just make me smile...perfect age for leaf fun. these are the days! 

                                              

pumpkin, oh, pumpkin

Our little pumpkin carving people patiently waited all weekend to carve into their pumpkin of choice the last weekend night before Trick or Treating. I think Austin asked 20 times if it was time yet?  He loves this process and makes it a high-light of our fall traditions.  I love using the pumpkin cleaning process as a visual and hands on project for my kids to learn about the way Jesus cleans us out of all our own yucky stuff so we can shine a bright light for him. Along with a fun family tradition each year, I hope someday they will look back with a good reminder too of Jesus work in them.  

 Carson and Austin waiting for the big boys to come!

 This was the first year we really let Jaxon have a go at the knife and carving process...

 His brothers watched in wonder...

 And even attempted themselves!

 Dad is the ultimate cleaner here...

                                  

 he has got it perfected!

 Austin found such delight in seeing it come together.

 Carson, of course, found everything he shouldn't while we all focused on the pumpkin! (he spends many trips up to the table like this and me pulling him down 2 seconds later...up and down, up and down, up and down...all...day....long.)

 The boys did a great job and did most of it themselves. Felt weird to sit back and watch!

 Proud pumpkin carving boys...and one sad baby because he couldn't touch the flame :)

Our yearly happy face :) Pumpkins and fall...an always looked forward to event in this house by these little people!

best pumpkin ever

If you read this post from my In the Trenches Blog, Gardener's Harvest, you will understand the joy I wanted my middle son to find when he discovered this pumpkin... However, I stretched the truth a bit. You see, my wonderful husband accidentally cut the vine off when he was weeding one day with the weed-eter thingy. I didn't have the heart to tell Austin that his dad killed his pumpkin vines and so like any good mother, I plotted to let him think he is the best pumpkin grower on the block. I couldn't help myself and bought this lovely large pumpkin from a sweet mama farmer and her children down at the market. I hid the pumpkin in the garage and placed it in his little patch the next day. Austin believes almost everything you tell him, so when he found the pumpkin I told him it was the one he grew! He was SO excited. I may be a liar here, but the pure joy it brought him made us all smile around here!! 

Besides, he'll never know or at least not until he's years older and it doesn't matter anymore :) Right?

 Finding it...

 What!?!? Yes...your pumpkin grew!

 Carrying it away...

 Proud pumpkin grower... :)