Grandpa's visit to Tennessee!

Brooke showing everyone her bed =)

Grandpa holding baby Avery

Brooke smiles for a picture with Aunt Arlene

Then she says "lets do a scary face"

"We can't wait to see everyone again!! It was so nice having you visit, we had so much fun with you guys."

Love, Brooke & Jade (and Avery too!)

Happy Halloween

Trick or treating is tomorrow night, but they had a small little event yesterday in our community that we took the girls to. Brooke and Jade got candy from the 3 model homes and we walked around for a little while. It was a nice practice run for the real trick or treating on Monday. Jade did great.. she walked real slow and followed Brooke. Brooke is super excited to get lots of CANDY tomorrow!!

Mommy's Little Ladys:

End of October

Brooke does puzzles with Great Grandpa during his visit to Tennessee!!

 It's hard to believe Avery is a month old already. She was one month last Saturday! I guess between chasing 2 toddlers and a newborn, time seems to pass quickly...

So... every baby that has been born, everyone said that they looked just like Jeff... However, Brooke, Jade and Avery ALL seemed to look very different as newborns.

Brooke clearly looks like my mom and Jade is totally Jeff... so who will sweet Avery end up looking like, anyone want to take a stab?

 Brooke and Jade seem to adore Avery....but Brooke is dealing with having a new sister much better than Jade is. Jade is pretty gentle with her, but sometimes seems to get a little frustrated that she is around! Brooke read Avery "green eggs and ham" the other day... Brooke seems to be doing much better as a big sister the second time around =)

Yesterday was the Cowboy Carnival at Brooke's school... she was really looking forward to it, and was especially excited to wear her cowgirl costume from last year! She played a bunch of games and won some candy and a little stuffed animal. She also went in a castle bounce house! She is looking forward to halloween and trick or treating this weekend!!

Pumpkin Patch!

Many of you may remember Jeff's fascination with cotton when we first moved here to Tennessee and we came down to close on the house (side note: can you believe its been 2 yrs already?). Jeff said over and over before we moved that he wanted to own a cotton plantation (and although I thought he was joking, I definitely think its on his Bucket List, because the obsession is still there). Anyways... I had a mini session the other day with 'Simply Modern Kids,' one of my fav photographers... and we took pictures in a cotton field! Here are 2 previews from the session... and I think the pictures are just stunning!

Brooke before dance class looking all diva:

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch. We tried a different farm this year because I wanted to try to avoid the animals. I really thought it was just too much to handle while carting around 3 kids, and I certainly didn't want Brooke and Jade touching the animals and than touching Avery. This farm had a few animals but were easily avoidable. The trip was successful, mainly because Avery slept the whole time (thank goodness) otherwise it may not have went as well.

We started with a hayride (minus the hay). I don't quite understand why many of the hayrides we've went on the past few years don't actually have hay. I guess it keeps us cleaner... but it certainly takes some of the fun away!

Of course... the kids wouldn't stay seated...and ultimately ended up standing towards the end. Oh well. I may look like a bad parent but I needed to avoid as many temper tantrums as possible... and was it really so bad that my kids stood the last 2 minutes?

Avery asleep on the ride

Brooke went on the pumpkin train, which circled around the Corn Maze. We couldn't see the train the whole time, so when the train came to an abrupt stop early, and we see the driver looking back and farm staff running over, of course Jeff and I are thinking 'what did Brooke do?' I thought, she must be standing up... maybe she jumped out... the list of things Brooke could of done is vast... however, turns out, the train blew a tire. Lesson learned: give your kids the benefit of the doubt.

Still sleeping...

Gotta love the sign in this picture... Brooke must of thought it was opposite day (I guess you know what she was doing in here)



Brooke wanted a balloon.... of course she picked the most expensive balloon, a flower... what can I say, the kids have great taste, they take after me (wink wink).

Ta Da... the finished product.

And so our trip to the farm was over. We came. We saw. We left.  Brooke let Jade hold the flower (how sweet she can be sometimes!) balloon, and we made the walk to our truck... no sooner did we get to our truck and POP! The balloon fell on the ground and popped. Goodbye Pumpkin Patch...see you next year!!