...maple {LEAVES}

 

We have a gorgeous maple tree in our backyard that turns bright red & orange in the fall!  I love it!  It is actually one reason we bought his home!  When I am in the kitchen (which is A LOT!) I love to look at this tree as it changes through the seasons.    It reminded me of when I was a little girl in upstate New York!  We had three large maple trees in our backyard and we spent a lot of time raking them. One time, our dad raked paths all along the yard making little "roads".  We then made homemade stop signs and designated different places in the yard as the "store," the "house"...etc.  We drove our bikes through the different paths for hours.  I remember thinking how cool Dad was for letting us play in the leaves instead of bagging them up that day.  Such good times!

 

 The kids decided to play in the leaves today after we did some raking!
 

Ethan just giggled throwing the leaves in the air...

Abby (neighbor), Ethan, Taylor (cousin), and Nyah

Nyah loved laying in the leaves...

Taylor loved jumping into the leaves over and over again...

{HALLOWEEN} 2012

We love Halloween and this year we decided our little family would turn into SUPER HEROS!  Ethan, having a love for the Avengers, wanted to be Captain America!  He was very excited to make Daddy into the HULK!  Nyah has always wanted to be the family from INCREDIBLES and so she and I were Violet and Elastigirl!  We found deals on the kids' costumes and Marty and I made our costumes from things around the house.  It was so fun and we definitely turned a few heads walking around the neighborhood. 

 

the Hulk, Captain America, Violet, and Elastigirl ready to defend and beat the bad guys!

Just loved our costumes this year!

We went to Nicole & Matt's annual Halloween Bash and had a blast with everyone.  The twins loved seeing their cousins.

Kristy, Brigette, Machelle, Jodie, Dad, and Nicole.  Missing Paige in New York and Mom who I am sure was smiling down at our silly family! 

{PUMPKINS}..2012

We took our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch this year in search of some great pumpkins in celebration of FALL(our most favorite time of year) and for Halloween!  We brought along Aunt Debi, Aunt Jodie, and Taylor and had a wonderful time in the fields close to our home.  We took a tractor ride in and the kids loved it.  Each year our local pumpkin patch hires kids to dress up in wolf costumes and hide in bushes and ravines.  We prepped the kids and they thought it was so cool to keep an eye out for the wolves!  They giggled when they popped out from their hiding places! 

 

It was a great day at the pumpkin patch and I love that we live so close to it.  It is nice to support our local farmers and we feel grateful to be near such beautiful farm lands! 

 

 

This year the kids decided to paint their pumpkins instead of carve them!  I loved this idea because it gave us adults time to create some fun jack-o-lantern masterpieces!  Jodie, Adam & Taylor joined us and we really had a blast!

{APPLE} picking..

One reason we love our home is because we have a beautiful apple tree in the back yard!  They are Johnathan Apples and take a little longer to mature.  It was hard to keep the kids from wanting to pick them before they were fully ripe, but finally the day came!  We had a lot of fun picking apples, we made some applesauce, and had a few to enjoy....

{FIVE} year old pictures...

 

 

Since the twins turned five this past summer, we decided it was time to get some updated photographs of all their cuteness.  They are getting so big, so independent, and so fun!  We had our dear friend Natalie take pictures of the twins!  She did a wonderful job capturing their sweet and spunky personalities! 

 

{RAINY} days...

We love rain!  I love rain because I grew up in upstate New York where rain came often and we had lush green trees and grass everywhere to show for it.  I also love rain because it feels so refreshing and can cool off the hottest of summer days.  Marty likes rain because he thinks it is romantic and if he can find  reason to share a kiss,...he does.  Ethan and Nyah love rain because they are big puddle jumpers and love playing with the umbrella!  We all would be okay if it rained more often.  But since it doesn't rain a ton where we live, we try to make the most of it when it does! 

 

Ethan & Nyah had fun with their cousin, Taylor the other day in the rain.....

 

 

 

...two {WOMEN}

Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you may not remember, the other you call Mother

Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun

The first gave you life, and the second guided you on your way
The first gave you love, the second reminded you every day

One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim

One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears

One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you

Now, which of these two women, are you the product of?
Both, my darling, both! Just two different types of love.

--Unknown.

 

 

**  I've been thinking a lot lately about how very blessed I am to be Ethan & Nyah's mom!  I wish I could fully express how grateful I am to their birth family for so lovingly placing them into our home.  It has been the most sacred and amazing gift! 

a trip to the {VINEYARDS}

We had the opportunity of going to Marty's parent's home to help Nana pick her grapes.  The entire fence line is covered in vines and we thought it would be so cool for the kids to help harvest the grapes this year.  We had a blast!  Now whenever we have Nana's homemade grape juice, we will have fond memories of helping her.