OUR NEW LITTLE LADY

Here is our new little baby, Gwen Abigail. She is a delight already, and turns 2 weeks old tomorrow! How time flies! I keep telling my kids to STOP GROWING but they don't listen... they just giggle and smile about that extra inch they grew since yesterday. Honestly it seems that way! I guess I'll just have to cherish every day... :)

GROWTH WALL

Now that Ian is 6 years old, we finally started a growth chart on the wall. Tom said we should have done it as soon as we moved into the house 3 years ago, but alas... we did not. He had his growth pencilled in on a wall in his house throughout his school years, and it I think it's a fun thing to do!

TRADITIONS

I am all about incorporating traditions into our family. It is so fun to do when little children are involved! Now that my kids are old enough to remember the previous year, they take great delight in reviving traditions they recall. And this time of year is the BEST for traditions!

One tradition we do is packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. The kids have fun shopping and picking out gifts for children their age, and we bring them home and wrap them. It can be a challenge to stave them off a bit... from wanting to keep the gifts themselves... but it's a good lesson I think!

38+ weeks

Me and my big ol' belly at 38 weeks.

DRESSING UP

I'll admit that Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. But I DO enjoy seeing my children dress up! Their excitement is palpable as we visualize costume possibilities, scrounge the costumes up, and finally see them brought to fruition. I also enjoy the challenge of making their costumes. This year I just made Ian's, and it was a furry mess for a while! Trimming that white furry fabric left trails of white fuzz all over the house.

So... the final costumes are Ian as a baby harp seal (photo below, if you aren't sure what they look like) and Nina as Princess Aurora.

We went trick or treating at Burnsville mall, since Ian had the sniffles and I wanted to keep them indoors.

Nina was beyond enthused to be able to wear makeup for the FIRST time. She carried herself with a regal presence and was noticeably more diplomatic and beautified!
Such fun.