Birthdays & Thanksgiving

Someday I will be all caught up with this blog.  I think the main reason I haven't updated so much is because my new Iphone has a different cord and I'm too lazy to go buy one!  Anyway, on to the craziness.  Riley turned 7 this November and we had a gymnastics themed party for her and her friends.  They got to flip around for an hour then open presents and have cake.  She had a party like this before when we lived in Gig Harbor.  We always had a double birthday party with her friend Allie since they were only 4 days apart.  It's kinda sad now that it's just her.  I miss my friends so much!
Ella also had a birthday on the 23rd and turned 4!  Sadly I didn't take even one picture.  We just stayed home and sang to her and before we could even cut her cake, our dog ate it!  Go figure.  Someday Ella will get to have a big party with her friends too.

Thanksgiving rolled around and we had dinner with my college friend Kate and her family and friends. The kids made apple turkeys (they were glued to that for over an hour!) and they were sporting some cute pilgrim hats.  Kate is a kindergarten teacher and it shows :)  

It's fall already

I love the leaves and their colors in the fall.  It goes by so fast and then they're already on the ground.  Here is our trip to the pumpkin farm and Halloween.  The farm was just a tiny little family farm about 5 minutes from our house.  We painted the pumpkins this year in addition to carving.  Riley's was a witch, Ella's was a cat, and Owen had an airplane.  This year's costumes were Riley as a witch, Ella was goldilocks (although the pics don't show her blond pigtail wig), and Owen was Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  Owen was hilarious to watch trick or treating.  He'd run up to the house, squeal when the person came out with candy, and then proceeded to take handfuls before running back to the wagon.  I think it's his favorite holiday so far.

Watching the goat eat the pumpkin

Our house in the fall

Catch up

I've missed a lot of happening around here, so here is just a random sampling of what we've been up to lately.  Ella & Riley had a fundraiser at school called Dewey's Dash.  They raised money and then did an obstacle course and a fun run for the older kids.  I got a couple pics of Ella during her obstacle course.  Riley's class performed a musical they had been rehearsing since the beginning of the year.  It was all about Life Cycles and Riley was cast as one of the animals, a deer.  It was the cutest musical I've seen!  Ella has been taking ballet and she's been rehearsing for the Nutcracker this year.  She's a mouse, an angel, and a kid at a party.  She'll be performing it at Columbine High School in a couple weeks.  She can't wait to be center stage :)

Riley the deer

From a short hike at Lookout Mt

Ella's obstacle course

The mouse

Hike-Mt Falcon

This was a post I forgot to publish from October...I'm just now catching up
Our next hike we ventured out to Mt. Falcon.  The morning was very cold but the sun was out!  We saw a ton of deer just driving up there.  There was still lots of frost on the trees and meadows which just made it look magical.  We didn't get to go very far since the kids started complaining of their hands being cold.  I love living so close to so much beauty!

Family pictures

Last time we had a family photo was when I was pregnant with Owen.  It was definitely time for some new ones.  My friend Ashley did a great job.  We went to these gardens just 10 minutes from our house, I wish we could've gone just a week earlier to see more of the fall colors but we still got good shots.