Happy Halloween~2012

I wish I had gotten a picture of us all together like I did last year, but we had such a short time to get home from work, pick the boys up from daycare, and get them dressed that we didn't have time to dress up with them this year.  I didn't get a picture of my boys together, either.  Oh well, we got some good shots anyway.

This was Gentry's first trip trick-or-treating and is his first Halloween.  He wore the same costume Jubal wore on his first Halloween.  He & I stayed on the hayride throughout the night because it was so cold and he already had a cough and I didn't want him to be in the night air too much.  I had him in his car seat with a thick blanket covering it to keep the cold wind off of him.  I don't want any sick babies if I can help it. :)

A little side x side of my boys :)

Jubal, on the other hand, made his rounds with his daddy to every house we passed.  He is at a great age where everything is so exciting to him.  He wanted his daddy to tote him instead of walking, but that's because there was so many other kids running around.  He's still a little unsure of it all.

Jubal wore a lion costume that my friend Melissa bought for him.  He had initially said he wanted to be a "pibate" for Halloween, but I knew we were going to be short on time and I wouldn't ever be able to make the time to get him in costume, so we were glad when he decided he wanted to be a lion.  He practiced his roar for weeks leading up to last night.  Ha! ;)

This year, we went with my BFF, Shawnya, and her family, which I consider my family as well.  Shawnya & I have been BFF's for almost 21 years.  They had decorated a trailer with hay bales and Halloween lights and pumpkins.  It was so cute and very efficient for carrying 10+ kids trick-or-treating.  It was a lot easier than driving a car where you have to stop, get out, get in, go, stop....you get the picture.  It was so much fun being with them all.  It's certainly the kind of Halloween memories I enjoy making with my boys.

I love this picture my niece, Lacy, took.  Now I have a pic with sweet Ashton in it, too. :)

  

It was so funny when Jubal walked up to one house.  They had someone dressed up as a gorilla and bless Jubal's heart, he was scared.  When they hopped back on the trailer, Jubal started waving and yelling, "Bye, Gorilla!  Bye!  See you!"  He was glad to be far, far away. :)

Telling the gorilla goodbye. ;)

We had a wonderful time.  I enjoyed every minute of being with my family & friends.  I hope every year we can get together and celebrate Halloween like this.  I want my boys to grow up and look forward to each holiday simply because we find unique ways to enjoy them.  I love to do fun & different things to celebrate and I want my boys to grow up with traditions.

After we got home and had a little supper, got baths, and got everyone settled in and Gentry in bed, I made some cute little pumpkin krispy treats for Jubal's class at school.  I found the idea on Pinterest, of course. 

They turned out super cute and were very easy to make.  I always want to be the mommy that makes sure do something fun for my boys' friends and classmates for birthdays and holidays.  It's just fun and more than anything I want my boys to have fun in this life they were given.  I want them to know that their mama did everything she could to make sure of that, too.  I just want to make sure my babies are happy & that they KNOW that they are loved more than anything in this world. :)

Happy Halloween!  



Weekend Wrap Up

We had a pretty laid back weekend. I'm thankful. After working all week, I would like nothing more than to just hang out at home in my pjs and spend time with my boys.  I don't get a lot of time with them during the week and I miss them.

Sometimes, I'll admit, I get a little jealous of all the stay-at-home mommies out there.  I wish we could afford for me to stay home with my babies.  They flourish, though.  The people that care for them during the day are good to them.  I trust them.  Evidently.  I just wish I had more time with them.  Did I already say how much I miss them?  Well, I do.

Anyway, I got off the subject there.  Just thinking out loud, though.  We did take them to a Fall festival Saturday when I got home from work.  Jubal had a fun time.  Gentry always enjoys looking around, for now.  It won't be long and he'll be running around, too. 

Afterwards, we went over to have dinner and visit with my SIL who had flown in from Mississippi.  Jubal had fun handing out candy with his cousin, Ashton, while Gentry got lots of attention from Lyndsay.

Sunday was a lazy day.  I did manage to get some house cleaning done and washed, folded, and put away all of the clothes.  I usually do these things on Monday when I'm off, but I had a class this Monday so I had to get it done.

Gentry has started pretty much holding his own bottle.  He still has a way to go before he is completely independent, though.  I did get a picture of him holding it for a minute. :)

I caught my big boy in some serious deep thought on the way home from getting groceries Sunday afternoon.  He is growing so quickly.  I wonder what was going on in his little mind?  I hope he was thinking about how much he is loved.

Like I was saying, I had a class this Monday that my boss wanted me to attend for work.  I usually get to spend all day Mondays with my boys - just us because Larson is working - playing outside, holding them tight, watching The Incredibles (Jubal's favorite movie), or running around paying bills.  No matter what we are doing, I am WITH them and there's no place I'd rather be.  I missed getting to spend that time with them this week. 

I look forward to Sundays because that is our family day where we all get to be together, and I look forward to Mondays because that's when I get a whole day to spend some one-on-one time with each of them.  Gosh, I love my babies.  I looked forward to being a mommy for so long and I'm so thankful that the Lord saw fit for me to finally become one.  Sometimes I still wonder what I did to deserve not just one, but TWO amazing little people.

I must be doing something right.  Thank you, God. :)





Poppell Farms~2012

We had a great time with the boys Sunday at Poppell Farms.  Sweet Gentry slept a lot of the time, but he's so little right now that there wasn't a lot for him to do anyway other than just be there with us, which makes me just as happy.

Jubal had fun last year, but this year he was able to run solo a little more.  Last year we had to stay right with him and he didn't get to do nearly as much.  He had a ball this year, though.

While he loved everything there, I think his favorite was the cow train.  He wanted to ride it over & over.  He even got to ride it all by himself!

There is a huge inflatable trampoline there.  He played on it for a long time, but unless his daddy was holding him, he didn't do much bouncing.  He would lie down and let everyone else bounce him around.  It was too cute!

Gentry & I pretty much just followed Larson & Jubal around.  I got to take all the pictures, which is why I didn't get to be in any.  Gentry did like looking around at all the kids squealing, though.

There was so much for Jubal to do.  I'll just let the pictures tell the story.

I didn't realize just how much Jubal had grown until I started comparing pictures from last year.  I really like the pics of him in the little playhouse.

A little side by side...

Click to enlarge.

Jubal enjoyed the petting zoo a lot more this year, too.  He wasn't as afraid to touch them.  They didn't have the donkeys out this year, probably because they were having to warn everyone about them biting last year.

Last year he was so funny when he saw the geese because when they walked up to him and started honking, he started growling at them, his body shaking.  This year was no different.  HA!

This year, 2012

Last year, 2011

After petting all of the animals, we walked over to the mini hay maze since we weren't going to go to the corn maze.  Jubal refused to walk through the maze.  Instead, he wanted to walk over the maze. :)

It was getting later in the day and we had not eaten since breakfast so I knew Jubal needed at least a snack & Gentry was letting me know he was ready for a bottle.  We walked over to one of the tents they had set up so we could take a break before the hayride to the pumpkin patch.

When the tractor/trailer came back for us to get on to ride to the pumpkin patch, we went to get in line.  Evidently, both of my boys were tired and ready to go because they both had major meltdowns.  Jubal's was from not having a nap, and Gentry's was because he was ready for another one.  It was also hot outside. 

So, we didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year, but that's okay.  We'll just buy pumpkins to carve.  I just wish we could have gotten a good family picture like we did last year.

On the hayride to the pumpkin patch~2011

Family pic in the pumpkin patch~2011

I also wish I could have gotten some cute pictures of Gentry with all the little pumpkins and Charlie Brown like we got with Jubal.

Oh well!  Maybe next year.  We did have an awesome time this year, though.  I'm so happy spending time with my family.  No matter what we do.  Just as long as we're together.  That's all that matters to me.