Flag Salute

One of the great things about being a first grader is that you get to have a turn holding the flag with your eighth grade buddy at morning prayer.  We were all super excited when it got to be Lizzy's turn.  Not only does Lizzy love her buddy, but how awesome to get to go in front of the whole school and hold the flag!  Way to go, Lizzy!  You did a great job!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

Every year, we love to visit the best pumpkin patch in the world with our cousins.  It's just the most darling place.  There are tons of baby animals for the kids to hold, hay bales to climb, a maze to explore, and of course, tons of pumpkins to choose from.  Lizzy and Peter were super into the animals.  They loved the snuggly cats and bunnies.  Peter wanted to explore every inch of the barn, and was eager to hold and pet all the animals.  It was amazing to see Catherine standing up around all the pumpkins.  I keep forgetting that this is her first Halloween!  She seems so big now, that she surely must have been here last fall, but she just missed it.  She was a giant pumpkin in my tummy, and now here she is, having so much fun climbing and exploring all around.  I love this tradition, and I hope we can visit this patch every year!  

Pumpkin Festival

It's that time of year again........Pumpkin Festival!  Oh, I look forward to this every year.  It's so fun to see the whole school pitch in to create an old fashioned, wholesome, great family event.  On Friday, I was able to help out with none of my anchors (Peter and Lizzy at school, and Catherine with daddy) around, so I was amazed how productive I could be!  It was great getting the school all decorated.  When we picked up Lizzy after school, she was so excited about her fun time at the carnival with just her school-mates.  She loved all the games and excitement, but was especially proud of herself that she made it through the haunted house!  After school, we all got to enjoy the games, and Peter was a real ringer, winning two of them!  He was so proud:)  The next day, after soccer, we decided to have lunch at the carnival and play some more games.  What a great day!  The weather was perfect, the kids were all so excited, and we had the best time.  The kids even got to get these amazing face paintings done!  Lizzy cried when she had to wash is off that night, and I had to agree with her- it was so beautiful!  What a great way to spend a weekend!

Daddy's Birthday........

......just keeps going in our house!  We finally got around to making daddy his favorite chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  He didn't seem to mind too much that it was a little past his birthday- he got to celebrate longer, right?  And who doesn't love a chance to make a cake and light up a whole bunch of candles?  I think the kids could do this everyday!

Baseball Boys

One of the presents we gave Pat for his birthday was his very own baseball glove, so he can play catch with Lizzy and Peter.  One day when Pat was off work, we went to the park with Peter and Catherine while Lizzy was at school.  The boys got out their gloves and had a great time throwing the ball around.  I loved this picture that I got, capturing our fun day at the park.  Look at Peter's rosy cheeks, his sweet adoration for his daddy as he looks up at Pat.  I'm so thankful my kids have such a dedicated, loving, fun, and wonderful daddy!

Mud Pie Break

Lizzy's soccer games are very fun, and we all enjoy getting to watch her tear it up on the soccer field.  But sometimes, for the littlest spectators, the games can get a tad bit long.  We've tried lots of different ways to pass the time- scootering, eating snacks, playing around the field- but the favorite by far has become..........making mud pies.  It turns out, everyone, and I do mean everyone, loves to play in the mud.  It started out just Peter and I, then Catherine, of course, had to get in on the action, then Lizzy when she had a break, then pretty much every kid around, once they spotted the mud, knew a good thing when they saw it.  Thank goodness for mud!  It's saved us on many a Saturday morning.

Happy Birthday Dear Daddy

Our daddy had his birthday, and of course we were all ready to celebrate.  On his big day, Lizzy had a little musical show at school.  We all went to watch her, then ran to Susie Cakes to pick up a special dessert for daddy.  Everyone in our family has a big sweet tooth, so we were all excited to wish daddy a Happy Birthday, then dive into our cupcakes.  Mommy and daddy went out to dinner later all by themselves- what a birthday treat!