The One With Better Halloween Pictures

Since we went trick-or-treating with friends yesterday in their town, today we just handed out candy during Kent's trick-or-treating.  I did get the girlies dressed up again, though (of course!) so they could get another wear out of their costumes, and I could attempt to get some more pictures!  I think these ones turned out MUCH better than yesterday's!  I re-fell in love with my telephoto lens.  And I fixed the camera settings so the pictures weren't so grainy.  Oh, and I have adorable children, of course :)  So here are some more trick-or-treat pictures.

Yeah, yeah, Charlotte has a runny nose.  That's real life right there, ok?

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat!

Pretty sure the title explains this one!  Charlotte most definitely would have won a costume contest had we entered ~ I don't think we've EVER gotten so many "oh my goodness how cute!" comments!  Like, in her whole life.  Combined.  She makes quite an amazing kangaroo.

Maya, Julia and Becca went as princesses.  Through complete chance, they all wore different colors.  Rachael pointed out that they were kinda like the 3 fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather).

Adorableness ahead (and please excuse the poor photos ~ I had my camera settings set wrong and didn't realize it until I uploaded the pictures.  Also, the battery died after going to 2 houses.  Head --> Wall).

Halloween, Friends, and Aunt Laura

Maya's preschool celebrated halloween this week, so of course she had to dress up!  Her costume for trick-or-treat is actually a princess, but since the princess dress is a bit long and cumbersome, we had to come up with something a little easier to play in.  Thanks to some homemade leg warmers, some tights we got last week for our family photo session, a borrowed ballet outfit, and lots of hair clips and gel, we had ourselves a little ballerina!

Aunt Laura came up to visit yesterday and today and we had a great time!  The girls always love when someone new visits, *especially* if that person is willing to sit down with them and read book after book after book (after book after book!).

We went to the park a couple of days ago with Sierra and Linda.  Linda is due very very soon with baby #4, and she looks ADORABLE!  Look at that belly!

Maya and Linda's son Nick held hands for most of the time at the playground (Isabella was chasing after Linda's older son, Danny, which is good because I'm not sure we could handle them going after the same boy!).

Maya and Isabella's new game is "hospital" ~ I'm not sure what the leaves were for...

In this one, Maya is giving Isabella a "shot".  

Apparently it doesn't hurt quite as bad as a real shot!

Finally, our favorite little man is going to have surgery next week on Tuesday.  Please keep Isaac, Sierra, Walter, Isabella, the doctors, nurses, and anyone else associated with his care in your prayers!  Thanks!

Family Photo Shoot

When Maya was almost 1, Michael surprised me on my birthday by planning to get a family picture taken.  We decided that it would become a tradition, so that we would have an updated picture each year.  The last 2 years we have gone to a local portrait place, but after some very unpleasant experiences (one in which we had to leave and come back because they weren't prepared with the appropriate number of people), we decided to do it differently this year.  My awesome friend Sierra agreed to take our family picture for us, and holy moly did she come through!  We went out Saturday (and then again on Sunday!) to a local park.  The pictures turned out FANTASTIC!  I am so excited to get some of these printed and on our wall (and replace the current one we have, where Charlotte is 5 weeks old and still looking a bit like an alien!).  You should check out Sierra's blog for all the pictures (there are A LOT! :)) ~ but I'll give you a sampling!

Isabella was Sierra's assistant! 

Thank you again, Sierra, for all you hard work, time, and research!  We are so happy with the results!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

We made our yearly trip to the pumpkin patch today!  Not much to say ~ we took lots of pictures of the girls in front of the "how tall this fall" sign, tried to go through the maze (too scary, apparently!), picked out pumpkins, and went home!

Last night we made pumpkin milkshakes.  Yum!  Maya definitely enjoyed them :)

After we got home from the pumpkin patch, Maya helped Michael rake the leaves...

...and then redistribute them!

Poor thing has had an ear infection for going on 2 weeks now :(  Giving her antibiotics is like torture, apparently!

Michael being silly, as usual :)

"How Tall This Fall" through the years!

Maya:

Charlotte (she wasn't super cooperative, so the pictures we have of her from this year include Maya, too :))