Pumpkin Craze!

The kids had a blast cleaning out their pumpkins and sent pumpkin seeds flying in every direction! So much for my "O-kay kids, I only have ONE rule...no pumpkin guts on the floor!" This was the first year I let Sam and Kaeli carve their own pumpkins. Not because I trust them with knives, because I don't yet. But because I found a little carving kit with tiny saws. I didn't think they could do much damage to themselves with them, but the little saws had a different fate. They were broken before the carving was done.

Each kid wanted something different:

Sara wanted a silly face, just like her own! The similarities are scary!

Rylie wanted a mean face! How could something so sweet want something so mean?

Kaeli carved THREE different faces on her pumpkin! Here she is mimicking one of them.

And as always Sam went for the spookiest face he could dream up!

Every year I go for the classic Jack-o-lantern face. I love his jolliness! Aaron couldn't resist his romantic side and gutted out my pumpkin for me. It truly was the cleanest pumpkin I've ever seen! Not a seed or stringy thingy left!

And Aaron's pumpkin isn't one I'd ever want to meet in a dark alley!

Sadly, our little pumpkins are outside braving a little snow storm! Hopefully, the cold passes just long enough for us to enjoy a night of trick-or-treating on Saturday!

Caramel Apples!

We decorated caramel apples!

They were a bit tricky to eat, but oh soooo worth it!

Yum.

where do WITCHES go on SUNDAYS?

To CHURCH of course!

Would you believe me if I told you that vampires do too?

Pickin' PUMPKINS!

It's that time of year again when we can't resist a visit to the pumpkin patch!

My little pumpkins!

A Question for YOU!

We have had all four of our babies use the same car seat. It expired in 2004. So Rylie and Sara both used it although it was past it's expiration. (And yes, we are cheap-scapes.) Do you think it's still safe to use it for our baby-on-the-way? It has never been in a car accident and never exposed to the sun for long amounts of time. I'm still confused how a car seat can expire. If it was safe in 2000, is it still safe in 2010? We honestly don't know, so please share your wisdom! I really don't want to fork out a hundred bucks if I don't have to.

Am I nesting too soon?

I went to the Baby Day Expo on Saturday! There were a ton of vendors selling anything and everything BABY! It was so much fun to see all the creative things for your little ones. I came home with a few ideas of things I can make myself. I can't wait to get started! But I also made a very exciting purchase...a baby SLING! Have you ever seen new mommies walking around with their baby in a sling? It always looks so natural and so comfy for baby. Any way, there was a vendor at the expo (my favorite one there) who was selling slings of all fabrics and colors. They were super cute! You can check them out at their website www.modmum.com. A baby can be carried in a ton of different positions too, not just in the cradle carry. I'm not sure why I am still so revved up over this purchase, but maybe it's because I can't wait to put my new baby in my sling and walk around all motherly-like! Are you catching on to my fantasy or is it all my own? Sadly, I still have 4 loooooooooooong months to go before I have a little one to fill my sling...

Mine is blue, although I'm having a girl. I just liked it the most, and I think that's OK :-)

Nothing welcomes Fall better than an apple pie!

DELICIOUS!

Unfortunately, our little family has BIG appetites and this pie only made it through one sitting!

Fall Photo Shoot

We took our annual trip up Butterfield Canyon to pose in all the autumn splendor! We were so excited to go up with Dawn's family (Aaron's sis) this year, and we took turns taking each other's family portraits. Our goal was to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time, with their eyes OPEN, and to avoid any unfaltering angles of the pregnant woman...not an easy task! Here are a few of our favorites, now it's your job to help decide which one to use in our Christmas letter:

#1:

This one was taken in the exact spot from last year's favorite.
#2:

#3:

#4:
And a few more of our crazy cute kids:
I love Sara's look: