Pumpkin Patch Fun 2013!

This post is a little out of order but we made it to the Pumpkin Patch again this year in Oct. We went with our friends Mandy and Jason along with their kids Jonathan and Hailee. We had a great day but it ended up raining right when we got in the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins!  To say the least, we were pretty quick at picking out our pumpkins!

Getting tall!

Tall girl!

Petting sheep with Hailee

Hayden's buddy

Playing on the little tractors

Lyla always scopes out the tractors

Playing in the sand

Busy workers

Climbing down

Dad had to join in the fun too!

Playing on the horses!

Who's going to win?

Jump Jump Around!

Trying to bury each other!

Climbing the tires 

I had to include another picture of the girls playing dress up!  I got my super hero and ballerina!

Hayden's big girl bed!

My baby is growing up!  Hayden just got her big girl bed on Friday and has been so excited all week waiting for it to come.  I left the crib up last night just in case she wasn't sleeping well but she didn't get up once!  We checked on her a couple times last night and found her in various positions like off her pillow, her head up in the corner of bed, sideways and etc.  I'm so happy she is transitioning well but sad that she is growing up!

Lyla, this is my bed!  Get out!

Pumpkin Carving and Halloween Costumes 2013

We got our pumpkins carved this year, in a mad rush like always!  Matt and I are not very creative so we like to follow patterns to make our pumpkins look decent!  I can't talk as I just help get the "guts" out of the pumpkins and let Matt do all the carving!  Lyla liked cleaning out her pumpkin this year but Hayden still just likes to watch.  Maybe next year she will clean the "guts" out!
This is what we came up with this year:

Lyla helping out

Excited for pumpkin carving

Lyla's buck pumpkin

Hayden's skull pumpkin

Halloween
My mom made the girl's costumes again this year.  Lyla decided in the beginning of the year that she wanted to be Periwinkle (Tinker Bell's sister) and let Grandma know right away.  The costumes looked amazing like always and I'm so glad I have a crafty and talented mom I can lean on!  Hayden was Tinker Bell this year, a costume Lyla wore a couple years ago.
It rained on Halloween this year but we didn't let that stop us trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. The girls got lots of candy and love going through their buckets everyday to decide what they want to eat!

Candy buckets for my clients, candy for trick-or-treat and homemade Rice Krispies treats for Lyla to take to school

Tinker Bell, a witch and Periwinkle

Happy Halloween!

Beautiful Periwinkle

Periwinkle and Tinker Bell

Beautiful girls

Grandma Brown as a Minion, Periwinkle and Tinker Bell

Beautiful Tinker Bell

Devil's Lake 2013

We had a wonderful  year at Devil's Lake once again!  The weather couldn't have been any better along with great company!  It's so fun having the 3rd generation continue to grow and get older and see them play together.  We continue to bring a big group coming from all over like California, Colorado, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois!  Luckily, I only  have to travel a short distance but so thrilled everyone can continue to make the trip.

First hike down to the lake
From Left: Holly, Taylor, Megan, mom, Clay, Lyla, Hayden, dad, Brett and Colin

Some of the 3rd generation at Devil's Lake
From Left: Taylor, Clay, Cullen, Lyla, Hayden and Colin

2nd and 3rd generations:
Brett, Megan, Taylor, Hayden, me, Clay, Holly, Lyla, Colin, Brian and Cullen

Family picture on the bluff

My brother and his family

On a hike!
Anne (my cousin Jody's daughter), Reagan (my cousin Jaime's daughter), Hayden and Lyla

Grandpa getting ready to take Lyla climbing on the rocks for the first time!

Saturday Potluck:
We continue to get everyone together for a big potluck feast on Saturday night.  It's more like Thanksgiving a month early.

Craft table
From Left around the table: Anne, Lyla, Holly, Clay, Heather, Reed and Hayden

All the tables set up

Dancing and singing around the Guitar with Uncle Jon
From Left: Jon, Reagan, Anne, Ruthie, Cullen, Lyla and Hayden

Hiking

Hiking with walking sticks

Fall trees

August-September 2013

I'm having a hard time trying to close out this blog!! Good news for you as I have more pictures to show on what we have been up to the last couple of months.

The girls stats:
Lyla (4 years, 4 months old):

• 35.1 lbs (36-37%) and 42 inches tall (75%)
• When we went to the UW Children's Hospital in April to check up on her heart murmur, she still has 2 innocent murmurs (a venous hum and a Still's murmur) but the dr said there was nothing to worry about and we don't have a follow up appointment!
• When I was filling out Lyla's report at the dr's office to see how she is progressing, I was already answering questions in the 5 year old section....what a smart little girl!

Hayden (2 years old):

• 28.1 lbs (63-64%) and 37.8 inches tall (100%).....there is no way she is that tall so that was a bad measurement at our appointment
• The nurse and dr were very impressed with her vocabulary at such a young age so that is great to hear!

Fun at the Fair!
Our yearly trip to the fair is always a hit.  The girls rode more rides this year, saw all the farm animals and ate lots of good food.

Sunglasses girl #1

Sunglasses girl #2

Haydee petting the goats

Tractor time!

Driving a 4-wheeler

Rides!!

More tractors

The girls with Grandma and Grandpa

First day of school
Lyla just started 4K this year, which she goes in the mornings Monday-Thursday.  We ended up open enrolling her to a different school district so we could keep our sitter.  With this, Lyla gets to ride the school bus and she just loves it!  She is smiling ear to ear when she gets on the bus and when she gets off at the end of the morning.  Her first day was rough on not only me but Hayden!  We dropped Hayden off at the sitter first and she was pretty upset that her sister was not staying with her.  Then we get to Lyla's school and I was doing well until a little boy was crying for his mom and another parent was upset.  Then I had to get out of there!  Lyla just smiled at me and said "Momma, I will be okay."  She told me later that she was a little nervous when daddy and I left but she did just fine.  She is such a trooper!  She is already making friends at school (which one she really likes is named Ella!) and she just loves going every day.  What a relief!

Ready for her first day!

Hayden loving her sister 

Apple Orchard!
The girls and I love heading to the apple orchard I used to go to when I was a little girl.  They have amazing apple cider donuts along with fun activities for the girls.  No wonder why we have to go every year!  Plus grandma and grandpa like to have excuses to go too!

Tractors...do you see a theme?

Big driver

More driving

Playing on the tires

Big girl!