Happy Halloween!

Our Tinkerbell and Cinderella had a magical evening tonight!  Our little town is so perfect for trick-or-treating, as you see sidewalks lined with children, looking eagerly for lighted houses, while parents stand at the ends of driveways catching up.  Our two little trick-or-treaters started off very timid, but soon Kate was leading the way up to the doorways to get that "tandy".  It was fun to see so many smiling kids tonight and being able to walk around in fairly mild weather made it even better.  Happy Halloween!

Someone is DEFINITELY growing up too quickly!

We ran into Kainen, a friend from daycare, while trick-or-treating.

Alzheimer's Walk

A couple of weekends ago, our family participated in the postponed Alzheimer's Walk, in honor of our Grandpa or Great-Grandpa Jack.  The weather was cool and misty, and the walk was shortened because of sandbags from the flood in our way.  It didn't matter, though.  We had a fun time walking together in honor of such a wonderful man we were blessed to have in our lives!

Audrey was giving us all a pep talk before participating in the walk.

Eventually Kate did give the bouncy house a try, and she LOVED it!

Pumpkin Patch

A couple of weeks ago we made our annual trip to a local pumpkin patch.  It was a cool and cloudy night, but that weather helped keep the crowd smaller.  We had a fun time going through the pumpkin field and allowing our two pumpkin judges to weigh in on the quality of the different pumpkins.  When we had finally settled on some favorites, the girls checked out the animals, little tractors, and finally, took some good pictures for us.  Audrey had dressed in her pumpkin dress for the occasion, which earned her an extra big bag of candy at the end!  Now we're ready for the annual pumpkin carving bonanza with Dad...

BIKE!!!

Audrey had some really exciting news she wanted to share tonight!  She realized she is able to ride her bike without training wheels, and boy, was she excited!  She basically worked on it herself tonight and became quite confident in just one setting.  She had to call some people to share the news, and others, she said she would send cards to tell them. :)  We are so proud of her achievement and her confidence.  Here's a short video with not-so-great quality.

Future Teacher

To say that Audrey loves school is an understatement.  She is excited to go every morning, loves her teachers, and has made some nice friends already.  It's fun to see her in a different setting and watch her flourish!

We have also seen school creep into Audrey's play at home.  She is constantly playing school and is always looking for students.  Believe it or not, she slides into a bossier role very easily. :)  When she cannot find a human to play with, cats can even stand in as students, too.  In these pictures, Belle was recruited, and she was very attentive.  Miss Paulsen taught her quite a bit in a short time, and then Belle ran away very quickly!

Love

It's been a bad week in our small community, as we all grieve a heartbreaking loss.  One piece of good that can come from a horrific week like this is a reminder to be grateful for those you love...grateful for those crazy, stressful, sassy, dramatic, and tiring moments.  Those moments are reminders that you are with those you love.