Happy Thanksgiving

I love this holiday because you have great food and don't have to buy presents for everyone! This year we were in Indiana for Thanksgiving so we joined my mom's family at my Aunt Patty's house. There are so many things for us to be thankful for, mainly our health, our friends and our family. Since I have a super large family I'll spare you the over indulgence of photos and just give you a little taste of what I am so lucky to have in my life.

First there's my mom

. I love her so much and am so thankful for the love she shows not only me but my children as well. Her entire family is lucky to have her. She gives so freely and unselfishly and only gets 1/5 of her kindness returned. She really is the best mom.

Then there are her sisters. A second mom and a best friend to me. These are children numbers 2, 7 and 9 to my grandparents...so really Patty was like a second mom to many.

And then there are my boys. A girl can only get so lucky to have kids like these. Not only cute, but smart, funny, healthy and happy. What more could a mother want or ask for?

Oh yeah! A super awesome husband that loves her and their kids and shows if freely and openly every single day.

Eye Candy

Yum!

Mona Jack

Sometimes you capture an image by accident that just speaks to you. I'm not sure what this one is saying exactly, but there's something about it I just love. I think it's got a Mona Lisa appeal to it. Perhaps I should call it Mona Jack.

Another Day at the Museum

So by now everyone should know that we are regulars at the Children's Museum. It's only the world's largest and best so why not take advantage of the family pass we have? Jack never seems to tire of it and it's a great way to burn off some energy, so here are a few more pictures from yet another day at the Museum. And if you're ever in Indy...look me up...we'll take you to the Museum too!

Yep...he still loves trains...

And now he's able to do the hand car himself!

The first time he's ever participated in the song and dance!

Practicing his fishing for summers at the lake

The Halloween Party is BACK!

YES! The Halloween Party is BACK BABY!!! What an awesome weekend we had! I know in a previous post (and if I were really cool, I'd know how to link posts and mark lines through text and all that really cool blogger stuff) I mentioned my family having tons of little kids growing up and putting on big Easter E

gg hunts, totally awesome Halloween parties and great Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. Why then you ask, do we not do this any more? There are no little kids in our family! No little cousins for Jack and Graham to grow up with, no little cousins or big cousins to fight and get in trouble with. Well...this weekend marked the return of the Halloween Party! Saturday night (which was a perfect fall evening and full moon!) we hosted a super fun party for adults and kids. 45 people showed up! And of those 45 people 13 were under the age of five! Talk about amazing! The kids dressed up in costumes, went on a hay ride (thanks to Angie!) and busted piñatas! We tried to roast s'mores but no one was interested in them once they had a bag of candy in their hands! It was truly a night of friendship, family and fun. All the kids got along fantastically running and chasing one another and enjoying just being a kid. It was all that I remembered from being a kid.

Graham dressed as "Rex" from Toy Story 3

Jack dressed as a train Engineer. Sierra gave him Bash right before the party and one could not separate train and Engineer the entire night.

"The Boys"

Max, Bowen, Jack, Lincoln

The hayride. Angie and Lilly drove

All the kids lined up for their turn at the piñata!

Jack

Bowen

Lincoln, the boy is a natural born athlete...

Clark!

Fall Chores

This coming weekend we are hosting our first kids Halloween party. Tons of family and friends are coming over to partake in some tricks and treats including a hay ride, bonfire and pinata. But from all our summer fun, the house has been a little neglected. I mean who really wants to weed flower beds when you could be going to the zoo or hiking in Brown County or swimming in Wisconsin or watching a canoe race in Michigan?

So on Sunday Jason headed outside to tackle our beast of a yard with his trusty helper...Jack. The boys worked diligently outside all morning...Jason raking leaves and burning them in the fire pit and Jack mowing the lawn with his little mower or pushing his train around his water table. Close to noon I brought Graham outside to see what I could do to help...because I really didn't feel like cleaning (although that's going to have to be done at some point too...BOO!). Jason handed me the leaf sucker and I was in charge of sucking leaves out of the flower beds.

For the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon we worked on de-leafing the yard. But of course...whenever there's a big pile of leaves one must take advantage of the opportunity to jump in them. I mean this time only comes around once a year right?! So Jack burried Jason in the leaves and the two of them jumped in them and scattered them only to rake them back up and jump in them again. So much fun watching Jack and Jason enjoy the simple pleasures in life! I can't wait until next year when Graham will be out there wrestling along with them!

I love this picture!

They look like they're working hard huh?!

Sharing some brother time

Graham...enjoying life as usual

Fabulous Fall

What a terrific weekend we had! On Saturday morning Mandi, JT and Jackson came over and we took the kids to the Children's Museum's Haunted House...Skeletown. This was the first time I had ever been to their haunted house...and probably the first haunted house I'd been to since I was in high school! We went during their special "lights on" hours so it wasn't as frightening. Each room we went through was done up with skeletons visiting some famous Indianapolis place. There was a Colts room, an IMA room and various other rooms highlighting all the fun and family friendly things to do in the city. I carried curious Jack through...not because he was scared but because he wanted to explore every nook and cranny possible and we had to keep the line moving. But he did a great job!

What? We're going to a haunted house? SWEET!

Finishing up at the end of Skeletown

Sitting with Skele

That was fun!

We had packed lunches to eat at the Museum and after we filled our bellies we headed over to Waterman's Farm to pick some pumpkins and partake in their fall festival. We'd never been to this place before, but went on a recommendation from one of Jason's work friends. Actually, it was Gretchen aka "the goil's" mom. Jack played with Karis (the goil) while we were at Jason's work conference in Brown County.

Jack and Jackson seemed to have tons of fun running through the corn maze (or the maize maze as Jason kept calling it),

crawling through the straw tunnel and climbing the straw mountain,

and climbing in giant tires.

We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and after looking at every pumpkin there Jack finally decided on a pumpkin to carry back to the wagon.

There was tons to do there including watching a giant mechanical T-Rex smash pumpkins in it's mouth...but to me it seemed to be lacking that "pumpkin patch" feel. The pumpkins were laid out on hard dirt to make the patch and there was no area where you could take that classic "pumpkin patch picture". You know the one where the kids are surrounded by nothing but pumpkins. Jason liked this place better because there were more activities so we'll see where we end up next year. Maybe we'll try another place! Each year we'll just experience a new pumpkin patch until we find that "perfect" one!

Jack vs. The Swing

Enough said.

I'm taking a shower!

During our stay in Brown County for Jason's fall IEHA conference we discovered the cabin only had showers...which Jack really enjoyed!

Seriously?

So as I've been going back through these posts I can't believe what a crazy summer this has been. We have pretty much been on the go non stop this summer which is crazy in and of itself, but when you factor in Graham's arrival at the end of May...it makes it that much more crazy. I can't believe we managed all this with a newborn! Let's back track and take a look at what little Graham has already gotten to experience in his short life.

Week 1: Graham comes home from the hospital on "Race Day"

Week 2: Travels to Plainfield to meet his Great Grandparents, goes bowling with toddlers

Week 3: First trip to Children's Museum and first appearance at Grandparent's lake cottage

Week 4: Travels to Connersville to meet Thomas and visits Traders Point Creamery

Week 5: San Fransisco Ravenscrofts fly in and Graham goes back to the lake cottage

Week 6: Meets Emily and Barrett, goes swimming at Y, plays at Chuck E Cheese's

Week 7: Travels to WI to meet May Moms, goes to Indian's game

Week 8: Travels to MI for Canoe Weekend

Week 9: Back to lake cottage and visits the Indiana State Fair

Week 10: Visits Strole grandparents at cemetery and 2 more fair trips

Week 11:

Week 12:

Week 13: Walk to Broad Ripple and picnic at park

Week 14: Road real train to Tipton, IN

Week 15:

Week 16: Back to lake cottage and Indianapolis Zoo

And these are just the "big" events. I know I'm missing other museum, zoo and library trips. I mean seriously? This kid has done more in four months than some adults their entire life.

Jackisms

Two year olds can say some funny stuff. Jack really keeps us smiling these days with what comes out of his mouth. Here are just a few of the things he says that we get a kick out of:

"Spit it out" when Jason pretends to eat a piece of Jack

"I play five more minutes" for everything

"I just need a snack" at bedtime

"I'm running as fast as I can" when chasing you

"I do it by myself" again, for everything

"You play with me?" daily

"That's enough Daddy" when he's had enough of Jason's shenanigans

"I call you" in the mornings when he's ready to get out of bed

"Yabba yabba light turn green" Abracadabra...his magical way of turning red lights green

"Where's Cousin Tyler?/ Is Cousin Tyler coming?" when someone is coming over

"That's nonsense" Ashley taught him to say it

"Yeah, I can" when he wants you to know, yes he can...

It makes me sad to think that one day we won't remember all the cute things he said when he was learning to talk.

Just being gentle

My boy is getting so big. Everyday he picks up something new, is able to communicate a little more and shows a little more understanding of the world around him. Because he's a typical boy, I'm always telling him to be gentle...with things he's touching, with his brother, with just about everything he comes into contact with...be gentle. Today he was in our bedroom touching the little beads that hang down from our lamp shades. While standing in the hall watching him, I called in "Jack? Whatcha doing in there?" He looked up at me and said, "I just being gentle in here."

Picnic in the Park

Jason and I decided to walk the boys into Broad Ripple to feed the ducks along the canal and stop for a picnic in the park on the way back home. It's been so beautiful outside we needed to take advantage of the last days of summer.

Jack drawing in the dirt with a stick he found

My three men

Checking out the ducks from the bridge...already a "Ripple Bridge Kid"

I love them

Here comes another one!

Family afFAIR

Today was the free day for the State Fair so Jason and I decided to take the boys with just us. It's still hot hot hot outside and I know the boys were sweltering because I was pretty hot myself. But they pulled through like troopers and we enjoyed some time as a family.

Pig petting in the FFA building

He was a little skittish around the horses

Graham's so excited...can you tell?!

Catching the parade with Daddy

His "big stick" he won spinning the wheel.

He was so excited!