Halloween '10

The girls have been looking forward to Trick Or Treating for months now! Makenzie decide back in August that she wanted to be a butterfly, so for simplicity sake, I decided both girls would be butterflies. The original leotard I planned for Makenzie to wear was not working out so well, so as a last minute decision, she wore something else paired with wings. She looked more like a fairy, but that was okay since her pal Kylie was also a fairy this year.
We headed to Hunter's Glen Baptist Church for a 4th year in a row for their Fall Festival and met up with grandma and grandpa. Our friends, the Alcorns, joined us for some fall fun. Makenzie and Kylie enjoyed the bounce house, pumpkin bowling, making a bracelet, and a couple of other crafts. Ashlyn enjoyed playing putt-putt with her grandpa, the bean bag toss, a musical cookie game, and getting her face painted.
Afterwards, we headed home to take the girls trick-or-treating. We have so many young families on our street that we didn't have to venture off our street. The girls had a blast and looked so cute with all their colorful wings.

Ranger Game ALCS

Thanks to my father-in-law, Aaron and I were able to go the American League Championship Series game against the New York Yankees. What an awesome game it was to see the Rangers win the American League and clinch a spot in the World Series. We have been to Ranger games before, but this was by far the most exciting!!!! Of course, we would have loved to see the Rangers beat the Giants, but they still had an amazing year. Thanks Gary for the tickets!!!

Arboretum in the Fall

The girls and I took another trip to the Arboretum with my friend Stephanie and her boys. I have never been in the fall, so I was very excited about our outing. The weather was incredible and the kids had a great time hanging out with each other. They were even eager to pose for pictures, which isn't easy with four kids under the age of five. We managed to see most of the arboretum this time around and the kids enjoyed playing in the Texas Pioneer Adventure exhibit where they got to look inside a tepee, climb into a wagon, and tour cabins. I am pretty sure we will get a membership next year as we have already tagged along with the Torres' family on two occasions. Thanks Steph for taking us again!

Big Girl Bike

I am not sure what it is about going to Tomball, but both of our girls have learned to ride their bikes there. A last minute decision, I threw in the girls' bikes thinking they may enjoy having them at my parents' house. Up until about a month ago, Ashlyn still needed someone to hold on to her and help her ride her bike. I was a little shocked when I pulled the bikes from the car and Ashlyn hopped on and took off like she has been riding for months. We are so excited for her new accomplishment. Ashlyn is even more excited since her daddy took her to pick out a new "Pinkalicious" bike that comes with a seat to take her baby dolls for a ride. The last two pictures are of Ashlyn and her new bike. Our little girl is growing up!

Birthday fun, 50's style

The girls and I headed to Tomball last weekend for my aunt's surprise birthday party. She is turning 60, but my cousins and mom decided a 50's theme would be fun. The cake was super cute, as were all the little ones dressed in their jeans and poodle skirts. Ashlyn and Makenzie had fun playing with all of their cousins that they don't get to see very often. They also enjoyed our stop at the country to see all the animals and ride the 4-wheeler with their pawpaw.
We are glad we were able to make the trip. Happy Birthday, Aunt Peggy!!

New Gymnastics Class

Makenzie has started a new gymnastics class this fall. She is getting to participate on the beam, bars, floor, and trampoline. She seems to really be enjoying the class which is a refreshing change to the one she took this past summer through a different program. I am sure at some point, she will develop a favorite "rotation." For now, Makenzie is enjoying learning new things and having fun with her great friend Kylie who is also taking the class. Please excuse the last picture....my camera was not agreeing with the lighting in the gym (probably some operator error as well)!

Camping Trip #2

We took our second camping trip with the girls a couple of weeks ago. This time, our friends, the Alcorns, joined us for some great outdoor fun! The girls were supposed to get out there early to secure a campsite, but the guys managed to beat us (Aaron REALLY wanted to get the same campsite that we had last time). We didn't get the same campsite, but the one next to it, which turned out to be just fine. We couldn't have asked for better weather! The girls got to swim in the lake this time which was an fun addition from the first camping trip. It cooled down in the evening which was perfect for s'more making and for sleeping outdoors.
Aaron planned a treasure hunt for the girls in which he made a treasure map, told the girls this awesome story about how pirates long ago sailed the lake, and then sent them off to find the map and buried treasure. It was so fun to watch the girls as Aaron told the story of how the pirates would pull out one of their eyeballs and place it in the treasure box so that there was always an "eye" on the treasure. He found these bouncy balls that had a wiggly eyeball in them, so that was perfect for the treasure box. Makenzie and Kylie did a great job following the map to the hidden treasure. Ashlyn joined in at the end when the older girls started pulling jewelry out of the box. She had to have her share of course!
Our family stayed for a while on Sunday to do some more hiking while the Alcorns headed out to get their little boy whom they were missing greatly.
We had such a great time with our friends and look forward to more camping trips in the future. This time, we will try out another state park.