Life with my sister

There are dates on the calendar that bring back memories. Sure Dec. 25, Feb. 14, Aug. 8 and Aug. 14 are dates that bring back memories. But there are those other dates that when I look at my calendar and see them my heart leaps with joy at the memories, or it falls to the pit of my stomach. This week is a mixture of both. My first date was on Oct. 31. I was a sophomore in high school (& way to young to date), a senior asked me out, and because of his good reputation, and to save me huge embarrassment , my parents let me go. I was so excited. And nervous. Before I could go on my date I had to take my 7 year old sister trick-or-treating. Sounds harmless, but it wasn't. Abby was dressed as a cross between Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper . Oh, it was just bad, but she loved it. I wish I had a picture. I was hoping to get back so I could hide her before my date showed up but wouldn't you know he was early & I was on time and he saw her. I was so embarrassed, but he thought she...

Henry started his Halloween morning with a spooky face! He is so silly and was so excited to get to school and see all his friends. He made pumpkin art and a pumpkin book while celebrating orange and black day with his little buddies at his school. After school he was ready to get out to the truck. He loves Daddy's truck. In fact, he is slightly obsessed with the truck. I have a little video I will load this week of him having a fit to get in the truck. So strange. We went to Sonic for 50 cent corn dogs before trick or treating. He was happy to get a ride in the truck and we were happy to eat some cheap corn dogs...it is the simple things! After a little stop in another neighborhood close by to visit a friend and my boss, we headed home to get our trick or treat on in a serious way! The duck went in his wagon and off we went. We went from house to house in style...I tell ya! We all had such a fun time. I told Randall it was the most fun Halloween I have had since I was a child....

We participated in trunk or treat at our Church's Fall Festival. It was great fun to prepare for it, but when I got there the wind was insane, so I had failed execution and found myself just sticking stuff where it would stay put. It sort of looked like Halloween threw up in the back of my ride...but it was all good! My little family was excited about our first trunk or treat with our new church family. Our duck was a hit...as he always is. It is almost embarrassing how they make over him at our church. I pray he is humble. I seriously pray for humility for him. It worries me! The handsome little duck sat in the back and watched all the kids trunk or treat while sucking on his sucker. He would occasionally belt out "I'm a duck!" and they would laugh at him. Henry is a mess! Our pastor, Bro. Stan is smitten with Henry and loves talking agriculture with Randall. He tried to get Henry to ride his pony but Henry would have none of it. He smiled and said "NO!...

We partied it up at Henry's school Friday afternoon. It was his harvest party and the last day of spirit week. It was PJ day...just so you know when you look at these pictures. He was such a cutie in his monster pj's. Henry loved his juice box. He had all these fun sweet treats on his plate and he went bonkers over the juice box. I love my sweet boy! Treat time is something at his school. I forget how fancy some of the mothers can be. I must say my treat sacks were the saddest of the bunch. And if you know me, you know how sad that made me. Seriously, I am already preparing Christmas goodie sacks in my mind...hmmmm. I love his excited face. He was elated about the Mickey Mouse "Hot dog" coloring book he got from his best girl, Piper. Piper was giddy about her Mama being at her party. She is so cute in her Dora pjs. My favorite memento from the party was the sheet they sent home from art time today. Henry colored his safety sheet for trick or treating. It made me lau...

I hope the weather where you are is as beautiful as it is here. It is gorgeous today. The temperature is perfect, it's sunny, and the leaves are changing colors. Oh, I just love this time of year. This weekend we will once again be helping out the Boy Scouts at Cane Creek . Every year the state park in our area has a Ghost Roast . The park is decorated for halloween , all the campsites are occupied with campers that have decorated their campsites and they give out candy to the thousands of children that come for that night. It costs them a fortune in candy, but they love it. It's a safe place to take your kids trick or treating. They also have hayrides, games and the Boy Scouts have a haunted house. Now, the Beavers family doesn't do Halloween so much. If we can't make a costume with what we have at home then we don't dress up. And my kids have always dressed up. We aren't in to all the scarey and gore that comes with halloween . Samuel helps with parking (the ...

What a fun weekend with our Great Pumpkin! Our Great Pumpkin had his first Halloween. "I want candy!" Starting out on his first trick or treat. First stop, our next door neighbor's house. He got loaded up with all kinds of goodies and got to see a doggie . Our second stop was at another friend's house on our street. We loved her porch and took some fun pictures of the Great Pumpkin. We then headed over to see Randall's work buddy and his wife who live down the road from us. They had a fun book for Henry. On Sunday we headed out to show off our Great Pumpkin. Our first stop was to see Nana and Papa (Randall's parents). I think Papa really liked our pumpkin! We then headed over to see Great-Grandad (Randall's maternal grandfather). He let the Great Pumpkin read him a book. Priceless! The last stop on our Halloween outing was to Uncle Rick and Sissy's house (Randall's aunt and uncle). The Great Pumpkin also got to see his second cousin, Cad...

This is our grandmother. She has the best broom in her neighborhood. We also think she is the prettiest one in her neighborhood ( Sorry, UD...you are pretty too!). We are loving her vest...only our Mawmaw! What a doll. Their neighborhood had a Halloween party and a broom decorating contest (what a FUN idea!) and Mawmaw's broom won, hands down! She has lent it to her hairdresser who is taking it as her own to another broom contest this weekend in a neighboring town. Cheaters! ha. We love seeing all the things sticking out of this broom. I (Abby) spot a little shoe that says "Attitude is Everything" that I gave her to hang in her kitchen..and honestly, when you are riding a broom your attitude is everything! We also love the large skeleton. So funny to see that hanging there all big and bold. It has "UD" written all over it. It must have been his idea. So cute! We hope you have a safe and fun Halloween! Julie & Abby

Standing on a big mound of cotton with my boys... while at the pumpkin patch in Randall's home town this week. Randall and I had never been to a pumpkin patch. It was a memory for all of us. I do think Henry was the cutest pumpkin in the patch, don't you?! Randall said the pumpkins were in a gourd patch and not a pumpkin patch. They were brought into the patch. I had to laugh...only Randall. Henry loved all the pumpkins. We did not buy him one there though because in true Randall and Abby fashion we realized the same pumpkin was $3.80 at Walmart! Henry and his Daddy are too cute. I loved that we got to take Nana with us. Nana loved it too. Henry loved playing with all the pumpkins on the ground. It was really cute to watch him. Henry and his Nana are a perfect pair. These photos made me laugh. Taking these with a 10 month old is not real easy. I heart this one the most! Look at the facial expressions....crack me up! I may be out of touch, but I do not remember anyone...

This past Friday night I headed to Cane Creek State Park with a cheerleader, a hunter and a soldier in my van. It was quite fun company. In the 11 years that I have been a mother my children have never been trick-or-treating. We have gone to many a harvest party or fall festival but never going from place to place to get candy from willing strangers. Every year at Cane Creek campers spend the whole month at the park and decorate for halloween. Then the park holds "Ghost Roast" and invites everyone to come and trick-or-treat the campsites, go on hayrides and play carnival games. It was great fun! The kids loved it. We helped my friend Gay pass out candy. She had a huge Rubbermaid bucket full of candy, and we gave it all away. They said 5000 people came to the park that one night. WOW! Gay dressed up as a witch with blinking teeth. The kids loved her. I dressed up as myself. But believe it or not, some people thought I was her. Me, dressed up as a witch? Come on people! I don...

We got this email this morning from our cousin Sarah (or "Sa-Sa" as we affectionately call her). Her little Princess Gracie is full of personality and so cute. Enjoy and Happy Halloween! Note to reader: Words in all caps indicate shouting and italics indicate quiet drama. A Pumpkin Halloween Story Once upon a time, long, long ago there was a little bitty pumpkin who was all alone in the forest and couldn't find any of his friends. Then, out of nowhere , POPPED out a WICKED, WICKED WITCH and she GRABBED that little bitty pumkin up and she took him home to her house in the forest. When she got home she TIED that little pumkin to a stick and she COOKED HIM and GOBBLED him up. Well , that little bitty pumkin was soooo sad to be in that witch's yucky tummy so he waited and waited till the wicked witch fell asleep. And when she was sound asleep that little bitty pumkin climbed OUT of that witches mouth and rolled out of her wicked house and lived happily ever after. THE E...