Halloween 2012 (a LOT overdue!)

 We had a great Halloween this year!  We kept very busy with all sorts of fun activities & loved celebrating our first Halloween in our new neighborhood.

Daddy really enjoyed the pumpkin carving

Liv dumping her loot after the big night

The week before Halloween Riverside hosted a Fall Festival-complete with a hay ride to pick a pumpkin, all sorts of arts & crafts & face painting!  It was really fun for the kids & we'll definitely do it again!

Searching for a perfect (non-deer nibbled) pumpkin!

She got one!

I love this one

They had fun decorating the pumpkins--I won't show you Liv's because it would give you nightmares but suffice to say she stuck to the screws & washers instead of the paint, glitter & whatnot...:)

Brady's had glasses :)

Miss Maddy

Nana & Papa came over & helped us carve our pumpkins!

Papa had a very intricate one going until he cut the wrong slice & basically ended up with a hole!  Pretty funny

Brady was a pro this year!

One of my favorite pictures of my mom

Our pumpkins!

Liv & I came & helped with Brady's class Black & Orange party 

 We love visiting Grandma on Halloween!

Rapunzel & Captain America!!

Nana & Papa in their costumes from their office party

Two sweet girls (Maddy was a futuristic fairy!) :)

We had a little pizza party at Johnsons before trick or treating in our neighborhood--I went home & passed out candy with Sonny--I had forgotten it's his favorite holiday!  He loved running to the door & seeing all the kids...it was so sweet.

Family Pictures by Anna Vancleeve!

Our good friend, Anna Vancleeve, took our family pictures this fall & we are so happy with them!  I loved them so much I had a hard time deciding on one for the Christmas card so I put 6 on there! :)  Here are some of my favorites!! 

Liv's First Day of Skiing!!

Papa & I took Livvy up for her first day of skiing a couple Fridays ago and had such a great day.  She felt so special to have a Livvy Day & she absolutely LOVED her time on the slopes!  She had a lesson that ended up to be a private lesson in the morning & it really made her feel comfortable in her skis & on the snow.  The teacher was so good with her & she didn't stop smiling or giggling the whole time.  She's so tiny she was getting a whole lot of attention from other skiers because I think they thought she was younger than she is :)  

After her lesson was done, Papa & I took her up the big chairlift & on her first official run!  She was very comfortable up there & had a blast...Papa did most of the skiing with her between his skis & holding on to his poles & then he would pick her up on the steep parts as he did with Brady...this may have been her favorite part swooping down the mountain in Papa's arms...so cute.  He had a college kid at the bottom tell him in colorful language it was "The #%^$@ coolest thing I've ever seen, man!" :)  Dad & I both got a huge kick out of it.

Here she is in her lesson outfit

Showing Papa the magic carpet ride on the bunny hill

On her first chairlift ride!

Having a little Apre Ski time at lunch...pretty tired after a big day!

She basically refused to take her equipment off...a BIG Thank YOU to Nana & Papa for her gear!

Showing Daddy when she got home

This was her first time skiing!  You can hear her giggling...so cute

On the big run!

We have the kiddos signed up for 6 wk lessons starting in January at Moonlight Basin so lots more skiing pictures to come! :)

Counting Blessings

I was heading to help in Brady's kindergarten classroom last Friday when I heard the horrific news out of Connecticut...it literally took my breath away & felt so surreal walking into his classroom & looking at all the sweet, smiling faces completely unaware & so excited to build their gingerbread houses.  Innocence protected & intact, thank God.  They are 6 yr olds but in so many ways they are still babies...still searching for their Elves in the morning & anticipating Santa's arrival. Jeff & I spent the weekend loving our kids, hugging our kids & counting our blessings.  Having Faith those little angels are in Heaven with the Lord but hearts breaking for their loved ones.

Here's something I saw on FB that really touched me:

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."

when what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring

those children all flew into the arms of their King

and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.

and as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe

then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"

"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"

"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

then He and the children stood up without a sound.

"come now my children, let me show you around."

excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA