Thankful

Not too much to report this week, except that I am feeling especially grateful and thankful for my many, many blessings. Truly, I am blessed beyond what I deserve in both big and small ways.

A few things I have thought of lately . . . . I am thankful to work where my girls go to school. This week alone, I was able to watch Madeline's jumprope performance and attend Sophie's Thanksgiving feast. I am so thankful that both girls absolutely love school this year . . . I was able to watch Sophie's acting debut in her Thanksgiving play where she was a narrator and one of the few little ones with speaking parts. Wow, she shined. I always thought of Sophie as my shy little one, but she is proving to be my little singer/actor/performer, and I am thankful for surprises like this.

I am thankful Madeline has found too many sports and activities that make her happy.  How lucky is she that she will have to choose which competitive activity she will pursue . . .

I am so, so, so thankful that Kent is building his studio in the backyard. He has something that occupies his time, energy, and passion.

As for me, making my family happy, makes me happy.  I know while I get to ponder what to hang on my walls this winter, many other mamas must concentrate on how to keep their babies warm and clothed. I am blessed beyond what I deserve. I have healthy children, a loving and supportive husband, a roof over my head, a job, warmth, and the list goes on.

And just in case you are still not convinced to "count your blessings," I'll leave you with this picture of my girls feeling "appreciative" at Frying Pan Park today. Madeline wants to know what they use to use  to wipe . . . I have no idea. Please, share if you know the answer to my inquisitive little one's question. I would be most appreciative. :)

Happy pre-Thanksgiving everyone. Use this week to appreciate all your blessings and please consider how you might help others throughout this holiday season.

Halloween Fun!

First and foremost, we survived Hurricane Sandy!  We were very lucky. Our sump pump worked like a champ, we never lost power, and we got two days off of school! Kent worked from home, and we enjoyed some extra family time together.

Wednesday, we carved our pumpkins. One rotted over the last couple of weeks, so we had to figure out who was going to design whose pumpkin. Sophie ended up settling for a "cute" design on the little one and Maddie came up with a "spooky" design for the bigger one.

Thursday, we went back to school, came home, and donned our costumes. Sophie had a change of heart. She decided she didn't want to be Dorothy anymore. She wanted to be a ballerina and wear things we already had. I purchased, several weeks ago, her costume, ruby slippers, tights, a dog, and a basket. Yeesh. What evs.  So, here we have this year's Halloween: Dorothy and a ballerina. Ta Da!

Hello 38!

On the day of my 38th birthday, we drove to Clifton and spent the afternoon in the adorable and historic little town. Everyone was preparing for the yearly "Clifton Haunted Trail" creating a festive fall atmosphere. We played at the town park which had a seesaw made for four, a perfect fit for our family. Kent and I took a few turns shooting hoops that neither of us made.  Then we hit the local ice-cream shop which I think instantly became my new favorite place. It is so darn cute! They had delicious pumpkin flavored ice-cream and a big chalkboard for the kids to write and draw on. In the back of the building, we discovered a perfect outdoor bar area. Kent and I had a birthday beer while the kids ate their cones and played with blocks (each table had games, ours had Jenga). It was such a sweet little place.

It was fun to walk through the small downtown area and read about the old buildings.

Back in our own neighborhood, I took what will probably be the last pictures of our leaves. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Frankenstorm, who will likely clear the trees of their remaining beauty.

I love these vibrant orange leaves. Next year, I will make planting a tree in our front yard a priority. Our front yard is pretty bare and lacks landscaping, so most of the pictures are of our neighbors. I do love our views.

Our backyard is beginning to reflect the changing season. There's Kent's studio on the left. He has the walls framed, power run, fabric and lighting fixtures picked out. He is excited to get his mini-split installed this week. Woot! Woot!

A little Sunday morning fun in the front yard.

Here is a little snippet from a walk through the woods last weekend.

We got our fireplace screen, and I rearranged the mantle a bit. There is still no paint, and this weekend, I am leaning towards light blue. Maybe if we get a day off this week due to "Sandy," I'll be able to get the painting started.

Have a great week everyone! I am looking forward to the unknown. We have our flashlights and bottled water ready . . . 38 is off to an exciting start . . . I think.

Around the House, Inside and Out

 It has been a perfect fall this year with great weather and beautiful scenery. I think we are now in the "peak" of the season. I absolutely love the mature trees in our neighborhood, as well as just about every other single thing about it.

Here is Maddie trying to squeeze in her 60 minutes of viola practice. Her schedule is full with three hours of jumprope, an hour of gymnastics, and an hour of swimming. She is a busy girl who would love to do more.

I re-did the framed pics in Maddie's room by painting and hot glueing some words on each one. I replaced the insect prints with some favorite black and white photos. We also found the wall hanging above her bed for three dollars at a yardsale. You know I love a bargain. Kent gave her one of his music stands.

Our basement has been slowly coming together.  We purchased the sectional new, and I replaced the throw pillows. Dad and Mel gave me the personalized Cali one as an early birthday present. I love it. The media cabinet and coffee table came from craigslist. We just ordered fireplace accessories, and I am contemplating wall colors. I am thinking a straw color would look nice, or perhaps a light blue . . . what do you think? I am open to suggestions.

Sophie Turns Six, Again.

We had another celebration for Sophie"s sixth with our NoVa cousins this weekend. Sophie designed her own chocolate cake and yellow cake cupcakes.

Just like last year, she wanted everyone to wear their Halloween costumes. Sophie and Madeline are going to be Dorothy twins this year.

 Arts and crafts with the Super Girl Twins.

 Trampoline fun . . . And the rest of the pictures are awesome and were taken by my talented sister-in-law. The last one is my favorite.

New Jersey and Birthday Fun

Over our three day weekend, my mom and I took the girls on a road trip to New Jersey to celebrate two special birthdays. Lilly turned three and Sophie turned 6! Lilly had an awesome purple hippo cake (her favorite animal and color), and the highlight for Sophie was opening her presents. She loved everything, and she was especially surprised to open Mel's Skipper doll. It has always been her favorite toy when visiting South Dakota. Skipper is 40+ years old and comes with lots of clothes and accessories, many that are handmade. Sophie has hardly let it out of her sight over the last two days!

Does it look like someone is having fun?

Another picture of the birthday girl.

New Jersey is about 3 weeks ahead of Northern Virginia weather-wise. The rolling mountains adorned in shades or orange, yellow, and red were gorgeous! The leaves were so fun!

We went to a great farm for some fall festivities. It was cold up there! Madeline is still a California girl and not a fan of the cold weather as you can see here. I think the temperature was 52 and a bit rainy.

She warmed up to some rides with her cousins, though.

This ride was a little more Sophie's speed.

We took a hayride to the fields and picked pumpkins! It was muddy, and most of the options were huge, but we managed to find a couple we could carry.

 We had a great trip! The ride took 5.5 hours each way, and I am pleased to report we made all eleven hours without a single electronic for entertainment: no movies or video games. We enjoyed the company of each other and the beautiful scenery!