Laney's Halloween costume

Laney has become fascinated with Snow White.  B surprised her and made a costume.  After a lot of hard work Laney looks beautiful as Snow White!

I have new neighbors!!!

Oh my goodness!  Surprise, Surprise!  My mom and step-dad bought a house two doors down...

We had hoped and prayed this would happen almost a year ago.  But the Lord closed the door at the time and I thought that it would never happen.  But without my knowledge (and without my mom's knowledge) my step-dad went under contract again...and again...until he got the house.  B and Pops closed last Friday and they are officially our neighbors!  We had a great weenie/marshmallow roast on Saturday thanks to their new place coming with a nice fire pit.

We even followed it up the next day with some pumpkin decorating.

We've had so much fun this week walking over to the house (sometimes up to four times a day) and checking in on their progress.  They have a few big projects before moving in, but we're excited that we will eventually have them as neighbors!

October 11th

Sam chose Chuy's for his birthday dinner.  B and Pops happily joined us...

He was given a really cool space book from B and Pops.  The cousins gave him a Cars 2 art set.  He loved both!!

Ron and I gave him a Pillow Pet night light, which somehow Laney was holding by the end of the meal.  ☺

Luke's first field trip

My sweet Lukey had his first field trip the other day.  The K4 students went to the pumpkin patch in Clanton.  It was his first time riding a school bus.

I followed and got a cute picture of him walking off the bus after the trip there.

Mrs. Shirley's K4 class:

Within 2 minutes of jumping on the hay, he was wheezing like crazy with runny nose and watery eyes.  His asthma kicked in and we've been on the inhaler ever since...

Nena's party

Sam's classmate had a dress-up birthday party a couple of weeks ago.  Sam is dressed as Batman at the bottom of this first photo.

Sam's teacher even came!...Dressed to match Nena in 50's attire.  Have I mentioned how much I love Sam's teacher?

iPhone images

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I have a new job.  I'm working at the church nursery on Thursdays.  I like getting paid to watch/play with kiddos.  And best of all, Laney and I get to be together!

Laney loved the princess rings we got her from Chicago.

The boys posed for a picture at the McWane Center.

Laney was having a "skirt race".  I don't know how she comes up with these things.

 She loves playing dressup...especially if it involves her being a ballerina.

This is the pose Laney often makes when I'm trying to take her picture.

Chicago iPhone images

All Ron wanted right after running 26.2 miles in under 2:49 was Dunkin' Donuts.  There was a DD one block from the finish line, so we were there before 11am enjoying donuts and vanilla coffee.

Laney was happy when I told her I met Ricky Fowler.  She has a crush on him.  She looked at the picture and said "He's not real, Mommy".

Our hotel was caddy-corner from The Rookery, which is the oldest standing high-rise in Chicago at 12 stories high.  Ron and I read all about the architects Burnham and Root, who designed and built the building, in The Devil in the White City.  A good book if you like non-fiction that reads like a novel!

I took this crappy picture while riding on the "L" in Chicago.

Instagram turned it into this:

 Ron took a picture of Laney at dinner one night and I love how it looks after some Instagram cropping and adjusting...

need some popcorn?

I created a personal scout image of Sam at Trail's End.  Cute, huh?

Sam is selling popcorn for Cub Scouts, so let me know if you would like some.  Or, just click here and place an order online.

Chicago Architecture Tour

Ron and I went to Chicago a couple of weeks ago for the marathon.  While there, we also enjoyed the architecture, food, shopping, time together (sans kids), and sleeping in.  On Saturday afternoon, we took an architecture tour with Shoreline Sightseeing.  Before the tour, we went to a park on Lake Michigan.

I loved this canoe art! (I thought of Pops and the kids since they enjoy canoeing together.)

Our tour guide was great!  He told us so much about the city during our one-hour ride.  He even sang an original song about Chicago, accompanied by the harmonica.

ballet progress

I secretly took a few pictures of Laney through the door...she was so cute flexing and pointing her toes.

pretty piggies

I took Laney to get her first pedicure a few weeks ago.  She loved how the light made the water change colors!  She's already asked when we can go back.