"Trick or Treat...

...smell my feet, give me something good to eat."

That is the song I heard ALL DAY LONG! Kellen and Addie (especially Addie) could not wait for evening so they could go trick-or-treating with their friends in our neighborhood. We have a great street for trick-or-treating - lots of friendly families with young children, sidewalks and streetlights. So at 5:30 K, A & E got on their costumes and we headed outside with an electric guitar, Dora the Explorer, and a little jack-o-lantern.

They had fun going up and down the block, but I think Addie had the most fun hanging out on our front porch and passing out candy. When she saw someone coming she would carefully pick out 2 pieces of candy that she thought they would like and she would hold it behind her back and tell them they could not have our candy until they said trick or treat. :) She was quite serious about the whole affair. She was even worried about giving small kids candies that might be too hard for their teeth, so she only gave them lollipops. All night she kept asking me if I thought "the people" liked our candy. :)

Dora the candy police

Kellen had had enough after a few houses and he just wanted to run around the yard with Uncle Steve. They invented a game that involved throwing candy as high in the air as they could. I don't think Kellen ate very much candy, but all that playing was treat enough for him. Ellary went to bed around 6:45, as usual, but she was cute for the few minutes she was outside with us! It was a fun evening, but I have to say that I will NEVER let my teenage kids go trick or treating at 8:30 without costumes and collecting candy in their backpacks!!! Preschoolers and teenagers ... different worlds. :)

Eeeeeeeeek!!!

My Little Punkin

The big kids headed off to preschool this morning dressed as Dora the Explorer and an electric guitar. So I brought Ellary home and set her up in her pumpkin costume and snapped some pictures since she will probably be asleep come trick-or-treating time. I think she makes the sweetest little jack-o-lantern. :)

Pumpkins

This afternoon we finally made it over to the pumpkin stand to pick out a few pumpkins for carving. At first Kellen and Addie had a great time picking through the pumpkins, sitting on them, stacking them up, etc, but for some reason Addie started crying and didn't stop until we got back in the car. She was determined not to have a fun time!! Then Ellary started voicing her hunger and cried right along with Addie. Oh well, we came home with 3 more pumpkins, and I think Kellen had a good time!

Which little pumpkin would you pick?

Pumpkins make good seats

EB is 2 pumpkins tall

After our visit to the pumpkin stand, I had orchestra rehearsal for an hour. When I got home some of our friends came over for a pumpkin carving/painting party. We did as much as we could in the front yard until it got too dark and chilly to carve any more. We'll work on making faces in the pumpkins tonight. For now, I believe there are about 10 pumpkins on our front porch!

Scooping the goop

Finally doing something for fall

I'm usually all over the fall/harvest/halloween activities with the kids. This year I've just not gotten around to much. We did manage to make stained glass fruits for the windows out of tissue paper and contact paper a few weeks ago, but the pumpkins have been scarce around here. With sickness, busy weekends, and shortened evenings (thanks to a baby who goes to bed at 6:45), we just haven't gotten out to the pumpkin patch or to any local farms. Anyway, yesterday I brought home some pumpkins from the grocery store and let the kids paint pumpkins. I even temporarily lost my mind and let Ellary wear a smock and paint one! Who paints a 4 1/2 month old's hands green and lets her rub it all over a pumpkin? At least she didn't eat any of it. :) Hopefully we'll get to the pumpkin patch for pictures once the rain clears out.

Ellary liked grabbing her pumpkin's stem, and Addie liked mixing the colors with her hands. Seriously, she painted her entire arms green like the Incredible Hulk. That was fun to clean. That's my Addie!

Kellen's cute little guy

Geof has joined the club!

Saturday was Geof's 30th birthday! On Friday night we gave Geof a ping pong table, something he's been talking about ever since we first got married. The table folds up, and the plan is to have it in the garage and fold it up and move it out of the way when we're done playing with it so we can park the cars in there. So far the cars have been in the driveway since Friday... :)

On Saturday morning, Geof and some guys played frisbee golf at a nearby park and then we had a picnic lunch at a shelter at the park. After lunch, Geof, Jordan and Ben went for a bike ride on a trail near the house, and that night Geof tried out his new golf bag with Jordan at a lighted golf course. It was a busy day of activity for old Geof! But I think his exact words were, "this has been the best birthday ever..." :)

A Joyful Noise

Last night Kellen and his 4-year-old friends had their first time singing in "big church" with Kidz Praise. The 4s, 5s and 1st graders sang the call to worship for the evening service, and they did such a great job! Kellen looked a little nervous, and he was somewhat disappointed that he was on the steps and not on the stage near the drums. But he's excited to do it again and we're looking forward to their Christmas program!

She's on a roll!

I've been watching and waiting for a few days now, just sure that EB would flip from her back to her front at any time. She's been struggling and straining and has been so close, and today she finally did it!! This morning she rolled herself over 3 times and she seemed so pleased with herself! It won't be long now before I really have to keep an eye on all the tiny little stuff that K&A leave around the house, since I'm sure EB will be rolling her way to it and cramming it in her mouth. I was so excited to see her roll, but now the reality of a mobile child is sinking in... :) Oh well, a child making progress is a wonderful thing.

Hmmm... I would really like to get those toys

Mom moved them, so now I have to work for it.

Use those stomach muscles!

Almost there!

Yay! I'm over!

Almost made it to 5...

Kellen is 4 years, 10 months old, and today he had his first dose of antibiotic EVER! He has a sinus infection and is now on antibiotics to clear it up. Geof had to remind me that he's never had an antibiotic before - unheard of!!! That boy has the best constitution, which is more than I can say for Addie, who may as well substitute omnicef for milk on her cereal in the morning... Here's hoping another 4 years, 10 months go by before he needs it again. :)

Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Just before fall break of my freshman year of college, I was running a shade low on laundry and all I had left was a white dress shirt. It looked kind of silly by itself (well, I DID have pants -- it wasn't that bad), so I put on a tie and headed out for the day. When I saw my friend Melissa at breakfast that day she asked if I'd dressed up for her birthday. Quick on my feet, I told her that I had.

So, today marked the 14th consecutive Melissa's birthday that I have honored with a shirt and tie. Andy Miller (the original Andy Miller I knew in college) ... I hope you're out there somewhere looking spiffy too!

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Melissa!

My first shoot!

Before we found out that Ellary was on the way, I had been thinking about going to school again to do something completely different - art, design, something other than library science. That has been tabled since we've had our third child, but is still in the back of my mind. Ever since I got my new camera I've been thinking that I would love to take a photography class or two. I just LOVE taking pictures, and I would really like to learn how to do it well. Maybe one of these days when I'm not preoccupied with changing diapers, wiping noses, playing Memory, building lego castles and making play dough, I'll take some time to learn a new skill. But for now I'm having fun experimenting on my own.

Yesterday I had my very first photo shoot that didn't involve my own kids, and I had so much fun! When I learned that a family we know wanted some pictures taken for a ministry project, I thought I would give it a try, and I think we had fun! Below is a preview of some of the pictures for their mom and dad, and I was really pleased with them! Of course, it helps to have such beautiful (and handsome) and cooperative subjects!