September Recap

 With fall coming we were trying to wrap up some of our outdoor projects before winter comes. We finally rented a lift to get it done. The kids were happy to help and took turns getting a ride. I cut the boards and handed them to Matt to speed up the process. It ended up looking great now we need to take the time to get it puttied and painted.

They have been sealing and patching the asphalt in the neighborhood and Liam has loved every minute. We often sit out and eat our meals on the front porch swing. I love his love for all things vehicles. 

Being a kid some days is a lot of work. One morning I heard Liam get up but then didn't hear him come in my room. I looked at the cameras and saw him sound asleep on the couch. I guess he needed another nap after his sleep at night. 

Someone on Huntsville was selling these lights for cheap and I had been wanting to put something like this in. I love how it's turned out and the fun lights at night above the fire pit.

Emy drew these pictures and wrote the following story 

The kids are still spending plenty of time in the sand box and making some beautiful creations

One morning while working in the yard I was wandering around picking up weeds and found this beautiful bush that I had no idea it would look like this

Pumpkin Patch Time

 Oh its that time of year when the temperature drops as the sun sets and you can feel a chill in the air after all the summer heat. I had see advertised this new pumpkin patch East of town so we went to check it out and of coarse we didn't leave empty handed. Now with the sun setting sooner Matt met me there so we had some daylight to pick them out. Jamie and Parker also came so we could pick pumpkins for the front porch. Needless to say we all ended up with more pumpkins than any one family could ever need ...but it was such a fun evening.

The wagon felt heavy and it was only then that we realized we had 2 flat tires

We had to stop and reorganize the wagon multiple times because they all weren't fitting. We finally gave in and got a second one

Hallie loves all things little and cute as she says...pumpkins were no exception 

And the photo opportunities were plentiful

Happy 13 Hallie!

 There was a a quick turn around from our vacation to Hallie's birthday so we went from one fun thing to the next. While Liam was at school I checked Hallie out for lunch. We just stayed close here in the Valley and it worked out great and I got her back just in time for me to pick up the girls and Liam. It was fun to have some one on one time on her special day.

She requested a gold drip cake. Gone are the days of princess cakes but it's still fun to try and create what they describe.

All gathered around to see what she's getting as gifts

When I saw this shirt I knew it looked like something Hallie would wear so I snagged it. She seems to be pretty thrilled with it

She got a game from Paityn

A book she had been wanting released the day after her birthday so we preordered it and printed out a picture of what she'd be receiving the next day.

Her friend Paityn

We have our first teenager. Hallie is one of a kind although often I think she is a miniature version of me with a few splashes of Matt in her. Luckily she has his musical ear but it drives Grandma Joy crazy because she wants her to learn the notes! She is super helpful and is my right hand most days. I think she would say that Gracie is one of her best friends, with her and Emy they clash frequently because the are so alike, and she, like all of us, has a soft spot for Liam. Once she make a decision to do something she is a force to be reconned with for anyone who stands in her way. She still loves reading and Im grateful for that. Love this girl who made me a mama. Can't wait to see where she goes in life and what she chooses to do.

Universal Day 2

One the first day we passed this donut place and we decided that we would stop there the following morning for "breakfast" donuts. The kids were thrilled with all the options but had a hard time trying to decide which one to choose.

By the time we figured out the schedule the day before we had missed the Water World show and the Studio Tour so we made it a priority to be there early and get a good seat in case we decided we didn't want to stay all day. The studio tour was cool to see the shows we watch and where they film them. 

The show was fun and we even got a little wet which was great because it was so hot.

At that point everyone had ridden all the rides and was tired out from the previous 5 days in the parks. So we decided to grab lunch and call it a day.

When we got back we decided to do some swimming which turned into chicken fighting. We were the only ones in the pool and a nice guy walking by offered to take our picture.

We had an early evening and got everyone bathed and ready for bed to watch a movie. We ate random stuff to finish up what we had bought throughout the trip. Then we packed up since we had to leave the next morning. The next morning we got up and finished packing what we needed for the night and the morning. There was ice cream left and Liam really wanted to eat so we grabbed a spoon and he ate it until we got to the rental car facility.

Then we were headed home. Happily exhausted and so grateful for the time we got to spend together

Universal Day 1

When we were planning the trip and figuring out the schedule and what we were going to do I started researching and Universal Studios kept coming up over and over. I looked further into it and decided to run it past Matt and he said he thought it was a great idea. In the past we have felt like the kids weren't old enough to enjoy it but we think they are to that point now. The night before we showed the kids all the ride options and they seemed most excited about Harry Potter land. I think Matt and I were most excited about the limited hours that would make our days shorter...lol. We Woke up and packed up to move hotels. We were able to check in early so we dropped our stuff off and at that point we just stopped and grabbed lunch before going to the park. There wasn't a line to get in so that was nice.

Universal was a lot smaller than I expected and the rides were very similar just themed differently.

The best part was Harry Potter land for the rides, snacks, and sites. This was the Harry Potter rollercoaster.

The frosty butterbeer was a highlight for me. So delicious and probably my favorite thing I ate the entire trip.

The castle and the ride within the castle were mind blowing. They did a great job recreating the movie in real life. The ride was 3D and Matt said it was one of the best rides he's ever been on although all of us needed a break after riding it because it was a head and tummy turner.

There is an upper and lower park so we rode the escalator down to the lower level where more of the rides were.

We wrapped our day up shortly after trying all the rides as they were closing and opening up for the night time Halloween event that was more geared to adults...so we were out of there.