Happy Fall/Happy Halloween

It's been a busy fall with two visits to the pumpkin patch, trick or treating at the arboretum, and fun times with family. On one trip to the pumpkin patch we were with our friends the Downings who are back from Tulsa. Yea! Piper and Sally had fun exploring the pumpkins.

Our other trip to the pumpkin patch was with our small group. Piper and Mackenzie followed the big boys around. Piper really likes to sit on top of pumpkins for some reason. She also got her head stuck in the bars on the window of the play house, after laughing at her I quickly pushed her head back through which she didn't like but I made sure we weren't really stuck.

With mommy

Enjoying the view with Kaleb on top of the dads shoulders.

We were so dusty when we came home we all had to wash our feet. Piper helped Daddy.

The day before Halloween we went out to the arboretum with the Downings to enjoy pumpkin village. Piper followed or chased after Sally the whole afternoon. It was so cute to hear her calling "Sally." The girls wore their costumes, Sally was Minnie Mouse and Piper was a fairy.

Crawling on top of pumpkins

It felt like we saw more of the girls backs all day as they kept running off to enjoy something new.

The one and only sitting posed picture with both girls semi-looking at the camera out of the 100+ taken. :)

Piper actually fed a goat and let it eat out of her hand at the petting zoo. This is the closest she's ever gotten to an animal's face/mouth. I couldn't believe she did it.

Say cheese!

Enjoying a popcorn snack with Daddy.

On Halloween night we started out sitting on the sidewalk handing out candy til Piper got the idea of trick-or-treating. Then she was willing to put on her costume and get her bag. We went to four houses and then came home, she only said "trick-or-treat" for Daddy at the last house. Then we came inside and she continued to stuff her bag with candy from the bowl.

We ended the night with a bedtime story from Daddy.

Just had to sneak this picture in too. Piper playing with her new favorite toy, a stuffed lambie she calls "mimi."

Bash's summer blog

Even though school has started and I'm late posting this, technically it's still summer. :)

This boy had a very busy summer here with us. It all started when he came home with us from Midland after visiting for Memorial Day weekend. We still had a few days of school left so Bash came to school with us. On the last day we were at school Bash was playing in the gym and he slipped and fell backwards hitting his head on the mop bucket. Well of course he split his head open so we had to take him to the emergency room and he came home with one staple in his head. What a way to start the summer – couldn’t swim for a week. But he sure healed nicely and it didn’t affect his lovable personality or extensive vocabulary.

At the end of June Bash went to overnight church camp at Mount Lebanon. He had an awesome week filled with swimming, a climbing wall, swimming, field games, swimming, bible study, swimming, and theme nights. Bash’s favorite person all summer has been his counselor Marco. He was a wonderful young man aspiring to be a doctor and inspiring young boys to live a life dedicated to the Lord. Bash can’t wait to go back next summer.

On our summer vacation to North Carolina Bash was an excellent car rider and so sweet to his sister sitting right next to him. His favorite part of the vacation was going golfing with Chris’ best friend Nathan in Mississippi. He also really enjoyed the Georgia Aquarium and hanging out with Uncle Craig who came over everyday after work to swim and eat dinner.

Bash has been very busy playing with the boys who live behind us. There’s a group of boys in the neighborhood who all get along and love to be outside playing capture the flag, basketball, Star Wars, swimming, riding scooters, or riding bikes. These boys play all afternoon and then head back outside after dinner to play until dark. We are so thankful that Bash has a good group of boys to hang out with here in the neighborhood.

Bash has also been playing on a basketball team this summer through the YMCA and Chris has been his coach. It’s been fun to have these two bond in a coach/player relationship. Bash has really gotten into sports more this summer and all the technical aspects of the rules. He listens to his dad now and tries to apply his new skills. Bash is an excellent rebounder and has gotten more aggressive on defense, going after the ball to intercept passes. Bash also really understands zone defense. He likes basketball and we hope he continues to play and improve on his skills. Unfortunately the team has only won one game, but they keep playing each week giving it their all. During the double elimination tournament, they one the first game and then lost the next two. The boys played great, but they were very tired at each consecutive game.

Sebashtian really wanted to stay here this year for 5th grade, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. He got to go back with a new cell phone and he really feels cool. It is my old phone and of course he already knows how to do more things on that phone in 3 hours of having it than I did in two years. That’s a digital native for you!

Being a jungle gym for Piper, he sure was patient with her.

In the team huddle

From our vacation at the children's museum in Charlotte, climbing across a rope bridge, laying on pins and needles, and building a race car.

Bash filming the penguins in an underwater tunnel at the Georgia aquarium.

At the Dallas Zoo with the Tiggemans, there was more for older kids here and Bash had a great time.

His wonderful counselor at camp - Marco, Bash's favorite person all summer!! That sure speaks volumes of Marco's character and connection with young boys to sow seeds of the gospel.

Happy Father's Day!!

Learning from his sister :)

Gently spraying sister with the hose, definitely not torture :)

Blowing bubbles for Piper

Congratulations Chris!

Last weekend Chris graduated with his masters degree from Lamar University. We are so proud of him! All of his hard work has paid off. He is now the proud owner of a Masters of Educational Technology degree.

Piper's summer update

This summer has been so fun with Piper. She loves going swimming or playing in the splash parks. This girl is not afraid of water. She is climbing on everything and trying to jump. She understands the concept, but can’t seem to get both feet off the ground at once. We are breaking the attachment to the pacifier. When she gets up from sleeping she throws the paci and her lovey into her crib and is ready to play again. Piper is very into books, pretend talking on the phone, pushing buttons on the remote, playing with balls, being outside, and blowing bubbles. She’s taken to carrying around her teddy bear like a baby doll and pulling her toy cart everywhere. She likes to dance and her favorite tv show is Yo Gabba Gabba. She is trying to climb the stairs up and down like adults which is very nerve racking for us.

Her daily routine is – wake up around 7:30, get a cup of milk and play in bed with mama and daddy. Then she has her breakfast on the kitchen floor while mama makes coffee and cooks breakfast for everyone else. She plays and is a happy baby, no toddler, going with the flow until naptime. We are working down to one nap which is usually from 11-1. The afternoon is full of more fun playtime usually with brother, until dinner which is immediately followed by bath and bedtime at 7:30. She is now climbing out of the bath tub. Piper got 4 teeth during our construction in June which was no fun, but she is loving eating meat now, especially if she gets to dip the bites in ketchup. She eats pretty much everything we give her, especially frozen treats. She is getting very good with a fork and spoon, and she actually eats more because she is motivated to use these items. She now knows how to take her bib off when she’s finished eating.

Words she can say now are – “daddy”, “no”, “please, sounds like peas”, “ball”, “food” which is sometimes “fo”, “hot” which is said in a whisper, “more/mo and does the sign”, “bubble” then she blows, for dog she “pants” and then says “woof”, “up”, “thank you – with the sign and gibberish”, “hi” (also she’s good at waving, giving leg hugs, and kisses/blowing kisses). She still uses her sign language a lot. She can identify herself in pictures and we’re working on the rest of the family. She likes to pretend clean – wiping up messes, throwing trash away, washing hands, picking up things and putting them away, and blowing her nose. She will dig in my purse looking for her paci, lovey, or milk cup. She can even upzip it to get inside. She can point to her nose, teeth, hair, ears, and belly button. The body part we started with first was feet, but she can’t seem to get that one.

She’s been testing the limits with throwing things and hitting. She gets crushed when we tell her “no” or “stop”. She’s been throwing temper tantrums which makes Chris very nervous about the terrible twos and we have even started trying time out. She loves seeing kids, especially older kids and thinks everyone wants to play with her, by that she expects them to give her whatever toy and let her play with it by her rules. She’s learning to throw the ball with people and even kick, but it sure is hard for her when she can’t do whatever she wants to with the ball. At her 15 month check-up in July she weighed 21.6 lbs. and was 31 ½ inches tall. She has been really healthy her whole first year with only one virus and fevers when she was teething. We pray it stays that way this next year. She has a little eczema in her elbows though. This summer has been so fun with her, I wish I could stay home all the time and enjoy this little girl.

Piper we love you so much and are so grateful for the opportunity to be your parents. We hope and pray that you will quickly come to knowledge of the Lord as your personal savior, seeing his grace and love for you. You bring so much joy to our family, you are LOVED – your parents

Pics - being silly in her chair, watching Yo Gabba Gabba, and a random aquarium pic

At the zoo with Tilly and Ellie

Teaching brother to use a pacifier

Resting in mama's bed when she was running a fever getting new teeth

Family breakfast in bed to watch an early World Cup soccer game

Wearing her backpack to her last day of daycare at the beginning of the summer, we're gearing up to go back again next week.

Eating blueberry breakfast

Want some?

Getting squirted with the hose by big brother

She liked it

Blowing bubbles

Sporting pigtails

Shaking the maracas at her great grandparents birthday party

Floating in the pool

Swimming with mama

Happy 4th of July

Enjoying the zero entry baby pool in NC






Bash's summer update soon to follow :)