The "Craft" Bug...(and our first cozy fire of the season!)

Sophie and I have caught the craft bug... (Thanks to Pinterest!) In the last week or so we've done a few projects, made several trips to Hobby Lobby (a new one TOO close to our house!), and clocked hours of fun together around our little red table.

 Sophie has her own craft box that she puts all kinds of goodies in: stickers, pipe cleaners, various kinds of paper, foam stickers, empty toilet paper and paper towel tubes (aka: do-do's), etc. 

One of our projects was making Christmas trees.  Lucas joined us for this one.  We started with foam cones and covered them with buttons using pins to attach them.  Here's Soph's...

 Lucas decided to choose all the giant buttons so he covered his pretty quickly!

 Mine is the tall one.  We have an even taller one for Eric but we ran out of pins.
(Something tells me he's okay with that.)

 Sophie and I also made a "Thankful" banner to put across our mantle.  I just used raffia, cardstock/scrapbook paper, and mini clothes pins.  I had a font in mind that I wanted to use so I found it on the internet and eyeballed the lettering on a brown metallic paper.  It was surprisingly easy to do!

 Soph hung it up for us when it was all finished.

 I've also had my eye on some neat "fall" branches/leaves to put on the mantle but I'm waiting until they go on sale (next week) to get them.

 The final product below....with a special touch.... our first fire of the season!  

 Lucas...reading a few Bible stories to Soph (Soph's request).

More Fall Pics...

Sophie has been noticing the leaves outside her bedroom window were piling up and needed raked... so, we ventured outside yesterday and I put the kids to work! :)

 ...but I soon realized we would be playing more than raking... 

(Hey, had to give Eric an excuse to use his leaf blower!)

 Nali!  Check out how the kids are using the trampoline?! So much fun to watch...

Loved these mid-air jumps I caught on camera...

  Brady, trying out the swing...he was really content in it for about 10 minutes or so...

 A very serious game of backyard football...

Beautiful...

We carved out some time this morning to enjoy the beautiful day... so glad we did.

We have had quite a few frosty mornings already this fall....and yet, my snapdragons live on....amazing!

5 months...say what?!

5 months ago today... this sweet little babe was born....

A few recent tidbits about Brady...

LOVES rice cereal (just started this).   It's so fun to feed him- he opens his mouth wide open when the spoon comes close.  The first 2-3 tries he wasn't a big fan but he sure is now! 

We've had to "graduate" Brady from the Bumbo to the high chair already.  He twists and wiggles right out of the Bumbo now!  Bummer, because it's such a great perch for him to sit in on the carpet while the kids play around him.... not anymore!

 Brady's really into his Baby Einstein play gym thingy (what do you call it??!).  Lucas and Sophie love to rearrange the hanging toys for him.

Oh yes, and notice he's not on the mat anymore?  He rolls over and over and over...and shimies his way here and there... I walk away and come back and he's 4-5 feet from where I left him.  Silly guy.

 ...and he's getting up on his knees and toes.  Of course we all know what this means... crawling is most likely in his very near future.  Lucas was an early crawler too so this doesn't surprise me at all.  Time to start hiding all the Lego pieces and marbles!!  (NOT quite ready for this stage personally...but so very thankful he's a healthy and growing baby boy!)

 Look Mom...no hands!  (he does this a lot)

 Brady also loves lifting his feet up and sucking on his toes... it's hilarious and absolutely adorable!!!

 Brady has also "graduated" to the bottom of the pack-n-play (still in our room) because he was getting close to the weight limit and getting up on his knees more.  He now takes most of his naps there as well.  Nights are getting better for sure, but there are still some rough nights here and there.  Typically we'll have him down for bed by 9... he wakes a few times throughout the night but a paci puts him right back to sleep.  I nurse him around 6-ish (when Daddy is getting ready for school)... and he'll go back to sleep until 8:30-ish.

Oh boy... I just realized my next update post Brady will be half a year old?!  I really can't believe that's possible.  Lovin' this sweet little guy to pieces.  It is such a blessing to be home right now soaking it all in.

Pumpkin' Pickin'...

Lucas, Sophie and I headed to Spencer Farms this past Sunday to pick our pumpkin for carving...

We enjoyed a fun hayride!

 We found "the one" at the very back of the pumpkin patch.

 Sophie took this pic...not bad!!

The kids didn't hesitate at all to get out all the "guts".

 Yeah....no pic of our finished product.  Whoops.

Love our backyard this time of the year... this happened to be our first frost of the season!