Halloween

We have had a fun filled week of Halloween fun! We started the week on Sunday with pumpkin carving at our friend Ann's house with Ann, Wes and Berfun. Raquel helped design the face while I carved. Natalya liked trying to eat the raw pumpkin seeds that we were scooping out.

On Tues. we attending story time at the church where they read lots of halloween books, sang songs and made a popcorn witch hand with candy corn fingernails. Then we headed to lunch bunch were we feasted on fun halloween inspired food like mummy dogs, mummy pizzas, bone bread sticks, spider web dip and witches brew to drink. It was lots of fun and gave me a lot of good ideas for halloween food that I might just have to try at a party next year.

Next on Wed. we had our ward trunk or treat at the church. Raquel dressed up as a pink fairy and Natalya a black cat and they both ate lots of candy. After collecting candy the ward had a little carnival set up in the gym with a haunted house, cake walk, fishing game and face painting.

On Thurs. the girls got to dress-up again in their costumes and participate in a halloween parade at Warm Hearth, an assisted living facility for the elderly. The kids paraded around and showed their costumes to the residences and received little treat bags full of candy and toys.

Friday Raquel had a halloween party at school where she again got to wear her costume and parade around the other classes rooms to show it off. I made halloween sugar cookies for her to share at her party.

That brings us to today where we spent the morning taking the dogs for a walk to the park and took some pictures of the girls enjoying the beautiful warm fall day. This evening I took Raquel and Natalya trick or treating with Raquel's friend Autumn's family in Christiansburg. We went to a neighborhood where a Autumn's Aunt and Uncle live, where the houses are close together and most of the people sit out in their driveways so you don't even have to climb steps and ring door bells. We started out with about 8 kids trick or treating together and one by one they all got too tired and went home but Raquel held on and was the last one to finally say she had had enough. We then headed to the Aunts house for a little halloween party. Ate some food, let the kids play and then headed home where Raquel quickly fell asleep in the car. Both girls definitely got good use of their costumes this year.

On our way to carving pumpkins. Had to take them in the wagon because I couldn't carry both Natalya and the pumpkin to Ann's house.

Ann helping clean out the pumpkins with the girls.

The girls modeling the carved pumpkin.

Natalya the cat and Raquel the pink fairy on the way to trunk or treat.

Raquel lining up for the parade at her preschool.

Some fun spider cupcakes and fingers that a friend brought us for Halloween.

Fall leaves!

Raquel getting buried in the leaves.

Raquel swinging at the park with her friend Autumn.

Natalya playing on the slide.

Raquel and Autumn trick or treating on Halloween.

Cpt Kennedy

Mike holding one of the Afghan National Police's Russian made machine guns.

Mike Update

Mike sent me some pictures today and so I thought I'd give a little update on what is happening with him. I'm not sure exactly what all the pictures are of since he didn't tell me specifics about them, so he will have to fill it in later.

Mike was able to leave his base to help out with a humanitarian mission this week where they were able to hand out coats, scarfs and warm clothes to the Afghan people. He continues to help train the medics at his base and aid any sick or wounded soldiers. He looks good and is doing well and we can't wait for him to get home, hopefully only 2 more months.

Middle of October

Natalya turned 11 months! She is such a sweet kiddo (when she is not whining). Now that her and Raquel share a room they have so much fun together in the mornings when they both wake up at the crack of dawn. Natalya loves playing with her big sister and doing what she is doing. I call her my little puppy dog because she always is crawling around with something hanging out of her mouth like a dog. I'll have to get a picture of it because it is rather cute.

My two hoodlums!

This past week we made a trip down to my sister Ali's house to play and see her new baby. The girls had a blast playing together. We decorated halloween cookies and made caramel apples. I was even brave or insane and took four little girls ages 4, 3, 2 and almost 1 to lunch by myself. It was amazing how many people commented on it and some were actually rude about it, but we survived and had a good time.

A picture of Marilyn Diantha (I think she should have been named after me since she was born on my birthday!)

Raquel and Anna were having so much fun at Anna's house we decided to bring her home with us for a few days. It gave my sister a bit of a break and let the girls play a little bit more. They love playing dress-up and so here is a picture of our two Belles. We are meeting Ali and her other girls half way tomorrow so that Anna can get home. We will meet and have a little lunch date before we have to come home.

Raquel has had a busy week of playdates, finishing up swim lessons and Preschool. This last week they talked about people in our community and a policeman came to visit and let them explore his police car. The kids were asked what their dads did and Raquel's answer was "My daddy works on cars." Don't know where that answer came from but I guess Mike does change the oil in our cars and thats what she sees him doing. Raquel also got her haircut this week, finally making it all the same length after friends and self haircuts. This is a picture of her new hairdo! She had been such a great help to me while Mike has been gone, its amazing how much she has grown in the last year. We tried on her winter jacket from last year and the sleeves were almost up to her elbows, so we had to go buy her a new one.

Apple Picking

Raquel picking apples

Natalya enjoying the car keys

Enjoying a fresh picked apple on the drive home.

Helping make applesauce

Today the girls and I took a 45 min. drive up to Troutville, both the girls slept most of the way so it was a nice peaceful ride for me. We arrived at the apple orchard and had the place to our self. It didn't take us long to pick a bushel of Staymen and Rome apples. The apples were low enough that Raquel helped pick, while Natalya sat on the ground and played with the car keys. It was such a nice day, we could have stayed for hours but after about 30 minutes we had enough apples to eat. We brought the apples home and immediately started to make apple sauce and I'm trying for the first time to make apple butter.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me! Its been a wonderful birthday and thanks to all for the birthday wishes.

Pumpkin Patch

The girls and I had a fun weekend! Saturday morning we headed out to a garage sale and to Sinkland Farm for some pumpkin picking. I got a few toys for the girls at the garage sale but by far Raquel's favorite was a red barbie car, now we just need to get some barbies so that she can play with them in it. After finding some good bargains we headed to the pumpkin patch where we took a hay ride to the field and Raquel got to pick her own pumpkin. After the pumpkin picking we spent 2 hours exploring the farm. They had all sorts of animals to pet and feed. Raquel got to ride in a horse carriage, milk a pretend cow, navigate a hay bale maze and watch a few girls clog. We ate lunch while watching the clogging show and both Raquel and Natalya loved watching the girls perform.

Taking a hay ride to the pumpkin patch

They had antique tractors to climb on

Raquel feeding the goats

Raquel and her pumpkin

Learning to milk a cow

Next we went to the annual Fire Station open house. We took our neighbors with us to enjoy the fun. They had all there fire trucks and vehicles out for the kids to climb in and around. Lots of fun snacks to eat and Raquels favorite a bouncy house with slide. We finished the day off with a walk with the dogs and dinner with our neighbors. A fun weekend!

Kaitlin, Tom and Raquel at the Fire Station

Raquel & Natalya in a fire truck

Enjoying the bouncy slide

Smokey the Bear

Raquel learning to use a fire hose.