Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

 From our favorite pirate and mermaid!

 

Hope your evening is filled with more treats than tricks!

Is she a Nimz or Jolly?

I love to compare Shane and mine pictures as babies to our kids to see who they look like.

 

Newborn

Carrie 

 Lola

 Shane

 

6 month

Carrie

 Lola

 Shane

(sorry for the bad quality of the "old" pictures. I was too lazy to scan them so I just took a pic from my phone.)

What do you think? I didn't think she favored Shane as a baby like Lincoln did but now that I see the pics together, I think she does look more like him as a baby. But at 6 month I don't see any Shane in her. I think she looks more like me.

ACU Homecoming 2012

This past Saturday, the kids, myself and my parents headed to Abilene for the day for ACU Homecoming. The rest of the family was unable to make it so it was a blah year. This was Lola's first experience with Homecoming and it was a quick one.

 

We got there just in time for the parade and the realization that I left Lola's socks in RO so she barefoot all day. Thank you Texas for still having 85 degree fall days. 

On the Admin building steps for our annual pictures.

Lincoln convinced his Nena that he "needed" this ACU flag to hang in his room. He ran through the campus as his cape to the car first.

We grabbed lunch and headed to my grandparents' house. They moved this past year from the family farm to a smaller house that is easier to keep up. This house still has a great backyard with a HUGE pecan tree that shades almost all of it. We sat outside most the time there and enjoyed the "fall" afternoon.

We spent some time with my mom's family but the camera never got out of the car. It was a fast trip and I am glad we went. Hopefully next year the whole crew will be there!

The Pumpkin Patch

What fun are holidays without holiday jammies?! Sister Girl has some crazy hair some nights. 

I love the pumpkin patch. I haven't found a great one that I have fallen in love with yet but this one was ok. We traveled to Forney for a late morning trip. There was a petting zoo with various animals. Lincoln was not a fan of the animals and did not want to be anywhere near them but Lola was my animal girl!

She would shriek and move her hands when she came close to an animal. It was pretty funny.

Not a great but decent picture of my two pumpkins.

Our family of 4, it is sad but this is the best one we got!

Nothing I did could get her attention off the hay.

Lola and Grandaddy chatting.

Not sure what we bribed him with but this is a fabulous picture of my sweet boy.

This is mostly what he did at the pumpkin patch. He would have been happy with no animals and only tires.

My sweet girl who wouldn't smile that day.

It was a fun visit. I am hoping to check out a new pumpkin patch next year and maybe, just maybe get more smiles.

Lola~7 months

This may never happen again that I actually post on her actual month bday!

 

I think Lola has changed the most this past month than any other month. Here's the latest on Lola or Sister Girl as she is called around here.

 

Lola has her first tooth! She has one tiny tooth that finally popped through about a week ago. She was ultra fussy and didn't want to eat much so we knew something was going on. Once it came through her gum, she was much more pleasant.

 

Lola is getting close to crawling already! She will get up on all fours and move her legs but can't figure out her hands yet. I can't believe how early she is doing this. Lincoln did not crawl until almost 10 months and this girl will probably be moving around by Thanksgiving. I am not ready for that! Lincoln's world is about to change!

 



Lola is still a good sleeper but not as great as Lincoln was (and still is). She will wake up a few times in the night and need to be wrapped back up and have her paci put back in. But most of the time we get a full 11-12 hours of sleep. She takes 2 naps at home, one really long (like 2.5 to 3 hours) and one short nap. At school is a different story, she only takes very short naps there. School night she is in bed by 6:30.

Lola has tried more and more foods this month. She has eaten banana, applesauce, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans and mashed potatoes. She had her first real table food, blueberry waffle this morning. She ate some of it but was still unsure about it. She takes 3-4 bottles a day but she would rather have solids than milk.

This girl is B-U-S-Y! Anytime there is a toy out (usually one of Lincoln's) she is determined to get over to it somehow. She is constantly looking around to the action and babbles a lot. Her new thing is the lovely spitting. Lincoln is not as much of a fan since he is not allowed to spit. :)

Momma is still her favorite person and looks for me whenever someone else has her and hears my voice. This past weekend was the first time she got upset when I was holding Lincoln and not her.

It has been more difficult to get a good picture of her this month because she is so busy. She still has the sweetest smile but it is harder to catch on camera. Anything she can grab goes in her mouth.

Lola still has the bluest eyes and brown hair. She still has chubby cheeks and fat thighs.

I love this outfit with her blue eyes. Again no smile because she was more interested in the grass than the camera.

The rest of the birthday weekend

Saturday was a jammed with birthday so we spent the rest of the weekend recuperating. Birthdays are hard on everyone.

 

Lola all dressed for Halloween. I am super excited for the holiday season to start because this girl has many outfits for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

 We went to breakfast with Gigi and Pappy on Sunday before they headed home. Sister Girl sat in a big kid highchair for the first time at a restaurant. She thought she was big stuff and celebrated by chewing on the table. I tried to not think of all the germs that she was ingesting.

 Pappy and Gigi and their 2 grandkids (for now, the third grandbaby will be here in November).

 After breakfast, Lincoln and I headed to the movies with Phoebe, Eli and Grandaddy to watch Finding Nemo 3D. I think Lincoln glasses lasted long enough for me to take this picture then he just held them in his hand.

 Phoebe and Sister.....love this sassy girl!

Our school had Monday off as Fair Day so we spent the day getting healthy and resting. Lola was up ALL.NIGHT.LONG Sunday night and it turns out she had a viral infection. I wasn't feeling great either, probably the same virus, so Lola and I stayed home on Tuesday as well. I *think* we are all healthy now.

Birthdays are hard but oh so much fun!

Sound the Alarm! Lincoln is 3!

A firetruck party was the theme this year for Lincoln's 3rd birthday. I saw the idea on a blog a few months ago and knew we had do it too.

 

Gigi and Pappy came in town Friday afternoon and gave Lincoln his present, a sandbox. He has enjoyed playing it since we have cooler temps in the evenings now. 

He loves the sandbox at his school so I knew it would be a hit at home too.

Saturday morning was also his actual birthday so we had one of his favorite breakfasts, donuts!

I chose to have a late morning party and I loved it! Here are the 6 cousins on my side of the family. So hard to get 6 kids under the age of 9 to look at the camera and all smile. My brother was doing a great job of getting the boys to smile but he was not in the right place. None of the girls looked amused. This was the best picture I could get.

The birthday boy! Love this picture!

Lincoln and Lola. I ordered Lincoln's shirt from Etsy and my mom made Lola's outfit. I wanted her to match the party but not wear firetrucks. Her red and black looked great! 

Our little family (minus one). Lola napped through part of the party so she missed out on the picture.

The party favors....fireman hats, firetruck sugar cookies, firetruck coloring book, badge and 2 tattoos.

The table decorated with firetruck stuff from around the house. It was nice to not have to buy any decorations.

We started the party at the local fire station. The firemen talked about home fire safety then showed the kids the different fire trucks.

Lincoln was not a fan of the firefighter dressed in his gear. Most of the kids were not a fan of this.

Climbing in one of the trucks

Lincoln and his school buddy, Dylan. Sweet boys!

All the kiddos at the fire station on the truck.

We came back to the house for lunch and cake. We had a firehouse chili bar and hot dogs. Lincoln loved his cake.

Some of the party goers inside.

The day of the party it rained ALL.DAY. LONG! My plan was to have kids and lunch outside but the rain changed that idea. We set up tables in the garage and it seemed to work out great. Lincoln and Dylan got out the sports equipment and played in the rain.

Aunt JoJo, Lola and Gigi

Grandaddy, Nena, Uncle Ben, Aunt Sarah and Abby

More decorations

Lincoln got a new power wheels car from us and my parents. He picked this one out by himself and he loved it. He was a little surprised when he first saw it.

Nothing like driving around in the rain with your cousin.

The 4 grandparents and the two babies

My "aunt" Amy and her husband, Allen, stopped by that afternoon to join in on the fun.

What party is not complete without a huge fort made in the playroom with cousins?!

Lincoln had a blast at his party and has already asked when it will be his birthday again.