"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 4: 6-9

Monday, October 31, 2011

Trick or Treating 2011

The kids couldn't wait to get to Nana and Papa's to trick or treat! My parents have a nice neighborhood with lots of cul-de-sacs and it's become a tradition to trick or treat in their neighborhood each year. We let Nana cook us all dinner before the festivities began! :) This year, Jamie made a yummy "mummy" snack! Mickey Mouse was ready to hit the streets! And our sweet little kitty cat was too! Here was our attempt of taking Mickey Mouse, Kitty Cat, and Ducky's picture beforehand! :) Carson was a big help pulling Hannah and Tanner around in the wagon. That got old of course after a few houses! Tanner kept up with the older two! He was a "duck on the loose" most of the time! Last year he mainly stayed back at the house, but this year, he was all about the trick or treating fun! It surprised me how well Carson and Hannah did at ringing the doorbell, saying "trick or treat", and always saying "thank you" after they got their candy. It was so much fun to watch! One of the best parts of the evening was when Tanner received a lollipop! He LOVES lollipops, and this picture captures exactly what he did when he realized he just got handed his favorite treat! We weren't even off the front porch before this lollipop was being eaten! Yum! He had not only one lollipop, but two lollipops! All of that sugar makes a little ducky tired! We had such a fun family night!

MnM Fall Festival

We started off our day of Halloween fun with our friends from our Mom's group at church. We asked the Mom's in the group to dress up too for some added fun, so I quickly threw together a "dalmation" outfit at 10:30pm the night before! A little felt and hot glue will get you this! We set up the atrium with carnival style games. The kids had a blast with all of them, but Carson especially liked the fishing game... And the Elefun game too... Of course the bounce houses are always a huge hit! Half way through our morning, we set up a little parade and trick or treated the staff in the church office. The kids loved getting the goodies and the staff loved looking at all our cute trick or treaters! Here are a few of the creative Mommy's that dressed up!

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

One of the books we read this Halloween was The Pumpkin Patch Parable. It's such a cute story about a farmer and his pumpkin patch, but at the end it teaches your child about how God offers us the chance to be made new, full of joy, and full of light just like a jack-o-lantern!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

DeMoor Cousins Halloween

We were excited to get together with Matt's family over the weekend, at the Treehouse resort at Disney, and celebrate Sarah's birthday. All the kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes and were all so adorable! Tanner and Tyler as Ducky and Bam-Bam! We decorated pumpkins... And even had a few games of pumpkin bowling! Carson gets a strike!
The birthday girl with her haunted house ice cream cake! What a fun evening together!

Carving "Mr. Scary Pumpkin"

Carson requested a "scary" looking pumpkin this year! Matt was a bit relieved after the intricate detailed Mickey Mouse pumpkin last year! :) Carson dove right into the yucky part of carving a pumpkin! We scooped out all the seeds and pulp and made it nice and clean inside. Daddy draws the "scary" pumpkin face while Carson entertains himself with a slinky! Carson loved the face Daddy came up with and couldn't wait to see it all lit up! Carson was cracking us up when he kissed the pumpkin and told him "Good night"!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Breast Cancer Walk

Words really can't describe how blessed I feel to be apart of this journey alongside my friend Dawn as she fights her battle with Stage 3 breast cancer. Dawn is someone who inspires others along her journey. I had the privilege of walking with Dawn and several other close friends in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk this morning. It was an incredible experience! We decked Dawn out in pink! She was beautiful!! Dawn's best friend of 18 years, Nikki, shaved her hair in support of Dawn. These are the friends God has blessed me with! From the moment we all arrived at the walk, it was raining, and it rained the entire time, but the love, energy, and support you felt from the thousands of people around you, you would have never known it was even raining! The start/finish line... Walking with Sarah along the way... Group photo at Mile 1... We did it! We completed the 5K! At the finish line, such a trooper!
Dawn and her husband Jason. What a loving and supportive couple! Thank you to all of you that have been praying for Dawn, and for those of you that supported me financially on my walk. Please continue to pray for Dawn and her family as she continues her intense chemo treatments in the next few months.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Green Meadows Farm

Our Mommy's group at church took a tour of Green Meadows Farm last week. The weather was perfect fall weather, and we had such a fun day! The boys rode in the wagon for most of the tour. We got to see lots of animals up close, including cows. Carson rode the pony... And Tanner did too! This picture of Tanner in the turkey pen is EXACTLY the excitement he had in every pen! He thought the turkey's were ducks, and yelled "Quack, Quack!!" all around the pen! Carson and Tanner checking out the turkey's... The chickens were a little more difficult to catch and pet. Luckily our tour guide was great at catching them, and caught one so the kids could pet it. Carson got to milk a cow, and then fed her hay afterwards... One of the highlights of our day, of course, was the train ride! Choo Choo! Carson loved petting the rabbits... And Tanner was loving the ducks, his favorite animal! Our attempt at a group photo in the goat pen... The goats were so silly and climbed up on the trough. Carson and Tanner were very curious as to what those goats were doing! Carson pet the goats... And fed them too! We ended our tour with a really fun, and bumpy, hayride! Then it was off to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. Which one should I pick? Our little pumpkins this fall! What a great day at the farm!