Apple Picking

Happy Thanksgiving week!!  Raise your hand if you'll be eating a good old-fashioned apple pie!  YUM.  Apple season has come to an end, and I can't believe we only made it to the orchard just once!  Before it's unacceptable to share these photos (because too much time has passed) I wanted to share the adventure.  My very favorite apples are Honey Crisp and we made it just before the trees were completely picked over.  

AJ found a wagon to pull around, our friend Seth found a nest of birds and we all ate about 3 apples each in the field. 

We had such a great apple stash I thought I'd make a few pies, but they disappeared during lunches the first week!  I'm drooling just looking at these photos.  MMM.  I may have to go to the apple farm this week and hope they have a leftover bag.  Enjoy the week, may everyone have numerous blessings to count.

Tricks or Treats

We are officially half way through November, and yet Halloween feels like it was yesterday.  The boys have fallen in love with characters from the movie Zootopia, and spent weeks insisting on dressing up as Officer Judy Hopps, a first ever bunny police officer who wants to make the world a better place, and Nick Wilde, a sly fox turned police detective.  

Before trick or treat night, which we spent in Keith's hometown, the boys and I attended a fun party with members of my multiples group.  I didn't have their police costumes prepared, so we all went as cowboys.  They spent the day calling me Jessie, the cowgirl from Toy Story, but said they were not Woody.  Mph.  Kids.

I dressed up for trick or treat as the villain from zootopia, a sheep named Bellwether and the assistant Mayor, but failed to get a good photo this year of the three of us.  Kaleb and Aiden policed the town, and were the ONLY ones dressed up from Zootopia.  I heard so many people exclaim "FINALLY."  Then, should anyone call Kman anything other than Officer Hopps, he was QUICK to correct them, hit his walkie talkie call button, fall into a lounge position and yell "YES".  HAHAHA, this happened roughly 85hundred times that night.

Halloween day we spent at home carving pumpkins and ridding the house of bad-guys.  AJ requested a dump-truck pumpkin and Kaleb asked for the witch from room on the broom as well as her kitty companion.  I thought it was unnecessary to attend another session of trick-or-treat, so we stayed in baking homemade pizza and watching hocus pocus.

We have been crazy busy every week, and I'm thankful our library pre-school sessions are over until the New Year.  Hope everyone is enjoying November so far!

Three Days a Week

Happy FALL!!!  My favorite time of the year has been busy and beautiful!  The boys have had a new weekly schedule the past two months, but this week is the beginning of the end of preschool for a long holiday break.  Monday's we visit our local city library, which has been fun-but not the greatest.  Our first day was an eye-opener where two classes were mashed together in the midst of a torn apart library, the teacher was scrambling to make name-tags, asked all parents please stay, THEN cut the time in HALF.  Ugh-this was not the deal, but it's a free program so like I tell the boys "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."  Each week has improved greatly, although the class has still remained only 30 minutes.  Almost not worth the effort, although I've made two girlfriends, and I really look forward to seeing their lovely faces every Monday morning.  And the revamp is really coming together!

Wednesday's are such a sigh of relief.  The "upper-level" preschool program.  Amazing teacher, great structure, always an adorable craft and Kaleb and Aiden have been telling me all about the teacher-classmates-singing songs-etc, unprompted, which means I know they are loving it and learning.  Mid-week class ends next Wednesday, after a little costume party, then preschool break goes until after the new year.  The boys will really miss their teachers-and I will surely miss that time to myself.  I found the comfiest chair, secluded and basking in the morning sun.  I run to that spot as quickly as the boys run to their classroom!

Our third busy day the boys take part in a gymnastics program.  This was the best decision and every week I fall a little more in love.  They have a nice balcony I always have to myself.  I'm able to watch the boys, get some work accomplished (I'm working on opening a little home run business) and enjoy another glorious hour to myself without interruption.  Although all three photos below show the kids on bars they also do floor exercise, tumble track (floor trampoline), balance beams and mat exercises like cartwheels, forward/backward somersaults, headstands and bridges.  Typically the boys have two coaches, and last week the class officially got split.  I'm not thrilled loosing the attention of two coaches, plus I'm more fond of the coach we "lost".  But it's still an amazing experience for everyone.  I'm so lucky to have found such a hidden gem close to home!

Lantern Fest

A special family night out:

One month ago I caught news of a magical night I simply HAD to take part in, and although my initial thought was to get away and have a fun date night with Keith, I knew the boys would love it so much too.

Similiar to my favorite scene from Disney's Tangled, Lantern Fest is still fresh in my mind. One of the most magical, beautiful and surreal moments and I'm beyond thankful to have brought the boys along!

Once we checked in, received our "kits" (lanterns, markers, lighters, graham crackers and marshmallows) we found a nice group to share a campfire with and set off to take in the surroundings.  We tracked down dinner, chocolate bars for s'more making and settled in together to enjoy the night.  In the middle of world frights left and right it was beyond refreshing to see SO many people SO happy!  Seriously; every single person had a smile on their face.  We all sang, danced, people were chasing lanterns, laughing and I saw some of the most outstanding art in the most unexpected ways.  From the overall view, remarkable silhouettes, expanding to the drawings individuals put on their lanterns, it was ah-mazing!

The festival travels all over-and has my top recommendations to friends and family.  

Summer is for Sunflowers

Happy last day of Summer!  

It's been a good one, we filled it with family vacation, camping, ice cream dates, swimming, a successful season of gardening, a few fairs and sunny sunflowers!

I caught word the Cleveland field of hope sunflowers was in full-bloom Labor Day weekend.  Jules and Will came to Pittsburgh for some fun, so after spending a few days with them we hurried to see the glory.  And such an amazing sight it was!

The field grows every year and raises awareness for childhood cancer.  It's a special place full of many emotions, truly a surreal sight.  Watching the boys run through the carved paths, past portraits of children who've lost their battles and families posing for portraits makes your heart ache.  I've never been so thankful for Kaleb and Aiden and the journey Keith and I experienced to bring us into parenthood.  

Arriving as late as we did, the sun disappeared in minutes.  I was pretty disappointed to have missed the golden light, but when you are surrounded by beauty it's hard not to enjoy the moment.  AJ gathered a handful of rocks and asked I take his picture: such a ham!

Just down the road the boys and I picked up some pretty mums for the front porch, and they had such a lovely little sunflower patch.  I couldn't help but snag a self-timed photo of us.  I wish these beauties lasted all summer long!

Charleston Vacation

I promise I think about blogging ALL.THE.TIME but never seem to get here to post.  My apologizes to all friends and family asking me for photos.  I have burned discs for everyone-I'll hand them out Labor Day weekend.

Public service announcements aside, Charleston was nothing short of fabulous!  Living with family in a ginormous house is something I feel confident I'd love to do at least half of every year.  Our house, surprisingly unchanged, really did feel like home.  The amount of space provided even allowed 19 people to "hide" from one another.  I'd follow the music to find Jess and Patrick, the sun to find Rachael, the memorable smell of a burning cigar for Papa, laughter/crying for the quads and sweet dessert baking for Julia.  I love everything about vacation, even the sand that unexplainably winds up in the sheets of the bed, missing flip flops, inescapable daily grocery runs and chasing down rainbows.  Thank you Papa for another magnificent family vacation!

Beach time was awesome this time around.  We used some handy carts to help lug toys, snacks and towels and spent many days building sand castles, jumping waves and Lucie June even flew a kite.  Quad control was pretty easy, especially when two of the four want to swim and swim every waking moment.  Seashell painting was pretty spectacular, thanks to Aunt Jules who totally came prepared for that one!  Bedtime stories (Lu and AJ love making their own up), quad baths (yay-this is still happening) and dance parties on the porch were SO entertaining.

Ok, I could ramble and list fun memories till the end of time, it's photo dump time!

COUSIN photos are my favorite!  Jumping waves.

Happy pelicans, undoubtably chasing that rainbow too

The wind and rain blowing in

Uncle Will Quad control!

Out for a rainy walk on the beach.  Total man on the moon feel here

Crabbing was HILARIOUS.  AJ has no fear, and everyone else screams when they come crawling.

Nightly dinner scene.  Love this so much!

Happy Birthday to Michael!!!!

Aunt Jess and Uncle Pat giving the kids rides.  

Love that Lucie Tail!!!

Photo request by Michael

Key Lime Pie and Plum/Peach Pie Bakers

Sea shell painting post naps.  Dear Kaleb, I love your bedhead forever and always

A beautiful, and sad view leaving the Isle of Palm.  Until next time!