Halloween Fun

The Zoo

We decided to go to Zoo Boo at the Houston Zoo the morning of Halloween. The weather said it would be cool in the morning, so our kids didn't wear their costumes to the zoo, but the animals didn't mind. In fact, it appeared several times that the animals were posing just for us. Wasn't that so nice and considerate of them.

Too cute, my boy is too cute for words, of course I'm pretty biased!

Fall Festival

Our church didn't have a trunk-or-treat this year, but we managed to find one near us that had a fall festival of sorts on Halloween, so we decided our kids would get dressed up and we do that instead of going door to door for candy. They had all kinds of inflatable bouncing things that were too big for Schroeder to do, but they did have a trunk-or-treat, a small petting zoo and some fun games to play. We had a great time.

His first score for the day.

My pirate, arggh

He got bandaged in the Kooky clinic.

Have sword, will use. Give me my candy!

sitting pretty, loving this picture

The Zoo with a Buddy

Valerie and I are friends and lucky for us we each have a boy and even luckier than that they like to play together. It had been raining forever and ever around here. The days it didn't rain the outside was so muddy that we couldn't go out to play. We have a membership to the zoo and I had been wanting to take the kids but the weather wouldn't allow it. Finally we had two days of nice weather and Valerie and I made the zoo the play date. The boys had fun. They got to run around on a gorgeous day looking at animals. Mackenzie was content just to hang out in the stroller. It was a great day!

Checking out elephants

Going solo

The baby elephant

Watching this giraffe and trying to figure out what it was doing was a hoot. It spread its' legs, went down, stood up again, spread its' legs further and bent over again all to get some greens on the ground. I have never seen a girafe do that for any reason.


Hmm, do I like flamingos?
Just hanging out!

Our pumpkin

Saying cheese over and over again after noticing my camera.

This is as close as Schroeder got to helping dady take out the pumpkin guts.

Playing in the kitchen while the boys worked.

Schroeder decorated his own pumpkin.

Pumpkin Patch

I read about a pumpkin patch that was near our neighborhood so when my dad came to visit we decided to go check it out.  They have only been open on the weekends in October.  When we got it was very muddy and not quite what the adults expected.  They did let us in free because it was the first weekend it hadn't rained and they were not ready.  Schroeder got so excited at getting to see the ponies that it was worth going.  We got to pet some chicks and rabbits, pick out a pumpkin, and Schroeder was able to have a pony ride (that quite terrified him).  All in all it was a great morning to be outside.

Holding hands on the way to the pumpkin patch

Hanging out in daddy's warm sweatshirt

The tears are starting to stop.

Which one do I choose?

I found the perfect pumpkin!

My kids loved the ponies.

Moments I Treasure

Moments in Time

I treasure...

the moments when the little boy touches his little sister's face and she reaches out to touch his as well.

I smile...

at the moments when the big brother plays peekaboo with his beloved little sister.

My eyes moisten...

in the moments that brother and sister get mad because they cannot hold hands in the backseat of the car.

I adore...

seeing the moments when the daddy gets to play with both daughter and son and everyone is laughing.

I know love...

in the moments after I open the door to a child's room and that child puts on a smile reserved just for me.

I am thankful...

for as many moments I am allowed to be a mommy to two beautiful, cherished children and a wife to one amazing man who loves me unconditionally.

pancakes and love

"I am sooo cute!"

When Schroeder and Mackenzie play together, I never know if it will be all smiles and giggles or crying and tears. Schroeder loves to play with his little sister but he's still working on being gentle with her. This time it was all smiles.

"I got you brother."

Camping at the Frio

It's not really camping anymore because in the last 15 years we have stayed in a cabin down along the river, but we still grill outside, have a campfire(when there is no burn ban), and eat with camping utensils.

My dad and stepmother had the bigger cabin and the shaded trees, so each day we headed their direction to hang out and eat supper together. While we were waiting to eat, Schroeder found some sticks, dirt, leaves, and just about anything to play with while he was outside. At our house our backyard gets the setting sun and since we have no patio cover, it gets very hot. Schroeder doesn't get to play outside much, so he was in hog heaven playing outside.

We wanted to do smores, but since there was a burn ban we had to use the grill. Ryan was trying to hold onto Schroeder to help him to his own, but it got too hot.

So he moved away, but then

he decided he could stand a little closer.

Last summer when I took Schroeder to camping he was on a gluten free diet and couldn't eat anything we had. It was nice this year to let him try some of the foods we ate. This was his first attempt at trying to eat a smore.

He realize he needs to just get in there and bite down.

Can you tell he doesn't want to get messy, he's using as little fingers as possible.

Poor Schroeder got worn out from licking the chocolate, I mean eating the smore. He actually never ate it and gave it to his dad.

Daddy and Mackenzie

Down at the river

Sitting in the water for the first time.

We caught a minnow and Schroeder had to keep checking on it.

Overall, it was a great, tiring, fun, sleepless trip. It was our first trip as a family of four and I can't wait for us to go on more trips. Maybe next time our little girl might actually let everybody get some sleep!!