Trick or treating

We weren't sure if Rowan was going to like trick or treating, but he LOVED it. He didn't want to stop. I think we are going to have a hard time explaining to him why he can't go tomorrow. The weather was perfect, crisp and cool but not cold. Rowan loved carrying around his pumpkin and had a great time with all his friends running from one house to the next.


In the car, ready to go...

Little brown bear.

in action

Enjoying the loot.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Josh!!! Thanks for being the best dad and husband I could have ever hoped for! We love you!

I love the next two, it sums up so much about the last few months. Rowan not sure what he thinks about life and a little annoyed and Eli just happy and smiling.

hanging out in the playroom

Just a few of the boys and I hanging out in the playroom. Eli is getting really strong and is really able to hold up his head. Rowan is talking up a storm now, and I feel like he adds 10 words a day to his vocabulary. It has been really fun to watch him start to put sentences together to convey a thought or idea. He has been really in to playing pretend and started to create imaginary worlds. I love to listen to him play as he talks to himself.

Eli is intently watching his big brother. He is so taken by Rowan, he watches his every move.

around the house this week

I can hold my head up....sort of.

Little boat shoes. cute.

Haircut

Josh has officiated two wedding this month and Rowan has been very taken by Josh dressing up and wearing ties. Today we were headed to a birthday party for his friend and he decided he needed a tie. Maybe he has more of his Uncle Casey in him then we knew :)

Landscaping!

Wow, landscaping is hard work! Just another perk (or down fall) of owning a never lived in home, you get to do all the landscaping. I have to admit, I have been thinking about it for months and months now, planning it out in my head, deciding what I must have. Then the waiting began. Waiting because I was nine months pregnant when we moved in, then mother to a newborn, then just trying to survive. Plus, let's be honest, plants are expensive and Josh and I refuse to pay full price for things, so we waited until the fall when things were on sale and it was a bit cooler for planting. We weren't able to do everything we wanted, but I think we are off to a great start. It will be so exciting next spring to watch everything bloom. It will be kind of a surprise to see all the colors work together since we were going on pictures, or what we have seen those species of plants do. It will also be so fun to see things grow and fill the space. One major challenge of planting, leaving room and being patient for things to fill out. We just tackled the large center area in the front and the one side. We also planted a tree. We really wanted two trees, but couldn't find a second of what we wanted that was in the budget. Maybe next year. The lighting was terrible, but you can get the idea.

Before.....

After

Purple blooming wisteria will climb up the lattice and three posts on the porch. And a white flowering pear tree in front.
Bushes hopefully make the stairs not so treacherous.

Stone wall finally done. In here we planted a crepe myrtle, blue hydrangea and several other things that will flower, and spread to fill in the space. There are several things that will eventually climb over both walls and I also planted a lot of daffodil and hyacinth bulbs for the spring.

Blueberry bush and a winter blooming Camellia will grow huge, so we needed to give them a lot of room. And a blackberry bush at the end climbing a trellis.

Planted these right before Eli was born
Now look at them, they are out of control.

Rowan the builder

Rowan loves the show Bob the Builder. He really loves all things that dig, move, haul or involve a hammer and saw. He actually loves the DIY network too. With Halloween approaching we decided a great costume for Rowan would be Bob and he has been practicing for it for the last two days. Basically ever waking moment he has insisted on wearing this outfit. He will walk up to an object, pause looking at it seriously and take out his level to check if the object is level. Then he will nod his head approvingly and move on to something else. Today my dad was putting up wainscoting in our half bath and Rowan took his job as assistant very seriously. He came down from his "nap" (I put this in quotes, because today he didn't really nap) completely dressed in this outfit, ready to work. Waiting for the moment Pa needed him to check something. This kid cracks me up.

3 months old

Eli was three months old on Friday. He is sleeping through the night now (that started at 10 weeks) but isn't always consistent. Hoping as the weeks pass it gets more and more regular. He is smiling a lot and generally very happy. He loves his big brother and watches his every move. I had a little trouble getting pictures this month. We had four attempts and none really came out that good. The first time he fell asleep, the second he cried, the third he spit up all over the outfit and the fourth he refused to smile. Maybe next month.

Pumpkin patch

We took the boys out to the Owsley's pumpkin patch today. It was so nostalgic winding down Springs road and pulling up to the field. Even though we haven't been gone too long, with all the changes it feels like a lifetime ago. I kept watching Rowan for flashes of recognition to see if he knew where we were. He was just excited to see cows and get out and run around. The biggest hit was Rosie and Otis, the Owsley's toy poodles. Rowan squealed with delight watching them run and jump and loved chasing them around the field. He also thought it was great to weigh himself on the pumpkin scale. It was pretty windy, so Eli stayed bundled up in the front pack, but overall it was a great morning and came home with some beautiful pumpkins, watermelons and flowers.

Come on already...

Rowan and his red shades. They always make me laugh.

Eli and I cuddled up on the hay ride.

Family shot

Rowan's favorite part, driving the tractor.

Fall 2009. Look how much he has grown!

Rainy day fun

My mom gave me this idea and I was so glad to have it today. It was a rainy cold day and we were trapped inside but from the moment I pulled out this bin of rice, Rowan was mesmerized. It makes a manageable mess and cleans up really easy, and he has hours of fun driving his trucks and tractors through it. The best part is, I can pop the top on and store it away for another day.