Happy Halloween!!

Giddy Up!

Little man was a cowboy riding his pony. Poor pony looks like he has a broken neck. We kept trying to tell Griff to hold the pony up by the reins, but Griff had no idea what we were talking about. Poor limp-necked horse.

Griff still isn't too interested in the whole trick-or-treating thing. Don't get me wrong, he LOVES the candy part, but he's a little too shy to ring the doorbell & say "trick-or-treat". We made it to Keith & Rachel's house...
& then stopped by Grandma & Grandpa B's....

& then back to our house to pass out candy. Griff liked this part the best. He loved running to the door & seeing all the other kids in their costumes. I really think that kids should have to state what they are after saying "trick-or-treat". I honestly had NO idea what half of the kids were this year. Halloween costumes just quite aren't what they used to be. And don't let me get started about those teenage girls & boys going door to door with no costumes on. You're old, get a life. Or at least wear a stinkin' costume!

Have a spooktacular Halloween everyone!

(oh, & go Hawks!)

Halloween Costumes From Years Past

What a chunk!!

Griff wasn't quite 2 months old when

he celebrated his first Halloween. He wasn't too thrilled to be sitting next to the pumpkin. The pumpkin had been on our front step & brilliant me, I thought it would look cute sitting next to my lil' pumpkin. I forgot how cold it was outside & that the pumpkin was pretty much frozen solid. The poor guy sat nice & still for momma---while the left side of his body froze.

All for a stinkin' picture.

Wow.

Can you say

Mom. Of. The. Year.

No wonder we didn't get a single

smile out of him.

Last year Grandma B. found this costume when we were down in the Ozarks. It was a fairly warm Halloween, so this sweatsuit didn't stay on too long.
Oh, what a masculine little Bee.

This year I asked Griffin what he wanted to be for Halloween. He quickly replied--"MICKEY". And then he changed his mind and yelled "FOOTBALL PLAYER". Well folks, I can tell you this much, he's not going to be Mickey or a football player. Momma found a costume 30% off at Target Sunday. I think it frightened Griff at first, but tonight he couldn't stop talking about it. Hopefully he'll wear it Saturday night & hopefully the weather cooperates!

Back to life...

We've been SICK at our house. Super sick. Like possibly H1N1 sick. A week and a 1/2 ago Griffin developed a cough & fever......as did our daycare provider & her family. Griff was tested for influenza---which apparently those rapid tests aren't the most accurate. It was negative. Our daycare provider & her family saw their doctor & weren't tested, but were told with their symptoms they had H1N1. So, basically, I'm assuming little man had it also---and proceeded to pass it to Mommy, Daddy & Grandma B. Oh let me tell you, last week was a blast! I even got the H1N1 vaccine...of course I got this a day before my symptoms started. But, we are better now...after nebulizer treatments, motrin, tylenol, neti pots, nyquil, dayquil, sudafed, & robitussin....just some lingering coughing & sinus congestion.
We HAD to get better--we were hosting Keith & Rachel's baby shower at our house Saturday night. The shower went well & Keith & Rachel got a lot of good stuff for their little babe.

Rachel is due January 6th, check out her cute little baby bump.

A picture of the hostesses with the guest of honor. (Sonya, Me, Rach, Amber & Jenna)

From the looks of the picture below, Rachel is going to have a 7# baby....I'm going to have a 12# watermelon!
(Me 34wks; Rach 30wks)

Since we are all feeling better in our house, today I went out for some much needed girl time. Rachel, Lea & I ate lunch at Olive Garden & got a pedicure.

Hopefully I can keep these toes looking this nice until delivery time. I'd be mortified if my toes were unpolished when I was in labor. There's a lot of scary stuff going on below the waist these days, the least I can do is pretty up my feet. But I'm to the point where I can't bend over to do them myself & I will NOT ask Hubs for assistance. I made that mistake when I was pregnant with Griff. Yikes! Bless his heart, he tried, but I didn't just have red toenails, I had red toes!

It was nice to get away for a couple of hours....but I was happy to get home & spend the rest of Sunday with my HEALTHY family!

Sunday Brunch

Hubs was golfing in a golf tournament today (I know, crazy fool), so Griff & I decided to venture to Des Moines to meet my parents and my sister for brunch. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE brunch??? The Machine Shed has a great brunch. But even better, it has some great entertainment for Bubs. Griffin had to sit on the pig in front of the restaurant. He kept calling it a cow. Grandpa purchased a little toy cow from the Machine Shed store to help Griff get to know his farm animals.

Griffin was in heaven.

Several tractors to play on, and a willing Grandpa to play with him.

Too bad the temperature was only in the upper 30s. Griff could have played on those tractors for hours.

Griff & Aunt Krista.

Griff & Grandpa & Grandma E.

Griff & Mommy.

Daddy, you missed out on some good eats!

Fall Treats

I love fall.

I love when it is actually cool enough to wear a scarf. Sure, you can be stylish and wear scarves all year round, but in 90 degree heat, ringing the perspiration out of your scarf just isn't cool...or attractive. I love curling up with a blanket, a good book & a cup of coffee. Oh wait, I have a 2 year old, when do I have time do do those relaxing things? Prior to children, I loved sitting with a warm soft blanket. Nowadays those blankets are used for forts or playing peek-a-boo. My new favorite scent of the season.
"Leaves " by Bath & Body Works.
Smells so yummy!

I love wearing fleece.
Of course, I cannot zip up any of my fleece jackets right now....maybe next fall.




Time to break these babies out. I was reluctant to buy a pair of Uggs, but they have turned out to be the greatest shoe I have ever purchased. LOVE them!

And I cannot forget to mention all the edible treats of the season. After we visited the apple orchard, I tackled an apple turnover recipe. They were delicious!

Last weekend I made a pot of chili, cinnamon rolls & apple crisp. My FAVORITE fall meal!

I also made applesauce & some other homemade goodies. I did have some helpers baking with me in the kitchen.

& I did have some helpers eating up the treats!

Aunt Rachel made us some pumpkin bars---The plate of bars didn't last very long at our house.

No treat ever does!

(So glad I'm not on a diet right now)

Beautiful Fall Weekend

The weekend started off by Griffin cooking breakfast.

He made waffles & they were delicious.He tries to be so helpful.

He helps cook....he helps vacuum.....he helps fold laundry. Of course everything takes 20 minutes longer because he wants to help. I love that he wants to do what Mommy & Daddy are doing.....even if it takes all day!
Saturday I went to Des Moines to visit my sister, spend a lot of money at Babies R Us & get a massage. I hadn't had a massage in over a year & I was definitely due for one. The masseuse told me I had a lot of tension in my shoulders & suggested I get a monthly massage---I strongly agreed. Hubs strongly disagreed. If I win the lottery or money starts growing on trees I'll be scheduling monthly, scratch that, weekly spa days.

Today we visited the local apple orchard. I didn't realize how much walking was involved. Thank goodness for the hay rack ride back to the car!

Griffin had a blast picking the apples & he loved running around the orchard.

We were able to pick about 10 pounds worth of yummy apples. Can't wait to make some apple crisp, applesauce, & some apple turnovers.

I'm glad we took a family picture, but by this point in the afternoon, I was exhausted, sweaty & starting to get a little grumpy. Wish someone would have told me to cover up those fat arms! Oh, the joys of pregnancy. Griff also picked out a pumpkin that we'll

be carving in the next couple of weeks.

What a great fall day!

Oh, and the Hawkeyes whooped up on Penn State last night--Hell yeah!

And that's what ya call a perfect weekend!

2 Year Stats & Some Fall Decor

"No sick"

That's why Griffin thinks he got a shot on Monday. I explained to my very intelligent 2 year old that he was going to have to get a shot or owie so that he didn't get sick (I wasn't going to explain all about Hepatitis A....I mean, he's smart, but come on!) It is now Thursday, and he is still talking about his crayon bandaid & "no sick". Little does the twerp know, he's still in store for a flu shot & possibly an H1N1 vaccine (us Iowans don't like the term "swine flu".....kinda hurting our pork market!)

2 YEAR STATS:

Head Circumference: 19 1/2"

80th percentile

Weight: 29#

60th percentile

Height: 35 1/2"

80th percentile

Strong & Healthy....thank you God!

Not gonna lie,

A SAD DISPLAY OF FALL DECOR:
Now that I'm into my 3rd trimester, my energy level is declining. I'm displaying VERY little fall decor this year. I'm saving all my energy for Christmas decorating before the baby comes. I'll probably start that mid-November, so no sense in going all-out for Halloween or Thanksgiving (very unfortunate because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!)

I DO HEART FALL!

Next year I'll do better!