What we've been up to...

1. Lindsay had her first field trip to the local firehouse this week. It was adorable that they were able to walk from the school a block to the station. She came home and told me all about Stop Drop and Roll and to call 9-1-1. Papa would be proud!!

2. Grammy sent me Gigi's (my Grandma's) pudding cups. One of my fondest memories was making/ eating chocolate pudding from these cups and I got to carry on the tradition with my sweet girls...

3. We got a Charming Charlie's in the shopping center by our house, and what girl doesn't love a store dedicated completely to accessories?!  The girls had fun trying on tiaras and playing princess!

4. Enjoying the last few days before it gets C-O-L-D. The three amigos, Lindsay, Madison and Teagan at our favorite park.

 5. Where's Molly?! Madison had fun hiding all her friends in unexpected places lately, which makes bed time even later when you can't find her special puppy, Molly...LOL.

 6. Enjoying the season of colors... The girls and I went for a walk in the park by the lake one day to just admire God's glorious work. The water was so still it looked like glass and we could see the reflection of the trees.

 7. Leaves, leaves and more leaves. The big tree in our yard keeps me busy raking.. too bad we can't wear tank tops in winter, because my arms are going to be toned! LOL. Madison loves help me by jumping in the pile and throwing the leaves in the air ;)

Halloween

This year for Halloween we carved pumpkins, did some trick or treating and attended lots of parties! As the years pass, I find myself dreading Halloween. The girls enjoy the elements of dressing in costumes and candy, but the celebration of death, evil and gore bothers me as a follower of Christ. 

As the girls grow older, I am beginning to see this holiday as an opportunity to talk about evil in our world and the message of redemption and eternal life in Christ. This year we started a new tradition, and read the story of  The Pumpkin Patch Parable as we carved our pumpkins. The story is about a farmer who picks out a special pumpkin from his garden, and scoops out all the messy "goo" to make room for his light to shine from inside. In the same way, God's transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light. 

EWWW!! Gross! 

Lulu dressed up this year as Ariel the Mermaid.

While Lindsay went to her preschool party, Madison and I went to the Farmers Market where they had a costume contest and children's sing-a-long.

Madison was a Cowgirl, from her favorite show Sheriff Callie.

We also want to wish Auntie Sarah a very Happy Birthday!!

Sheriff Maddie (2.5 yrs) and Mermaid Lindsay (4.5 yrs)

Nonna & Grandpa's Visit

Nonna and Grandpa came to visit the last week of October, and we had a blast taking them to the Jersey Shore, Philadelphia and Hershey Park. We had lots of fun and made some sweet memories!  

Love the playground on the sand... so much fun!

As our west coast family arrived, so did our cooler weather! We had some beautiful days, and took a short drive to the shore to play on the beach and eat some yummy pizza for lunch. 

Jarrett gave Jerry a behind-the-scenes tour of Princeton, where he enjoyed architecture, Einsteins classroom and his favorite, the Chapel... gorgeous stained glass windows.

Loving their new Tutu's that Nonna got them

While Grandpa and Daddy toured Princeton, we had ourselves a girls day and took the kids to Chuck E Cheese and went shopping.   

Girls in front of Independence Hall

We ventured into Philly to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and eat an original cheese-steak from Pat's.

YUM!!

Before the rain came we had the opportunity to drive out to see Lancaster, PA and eat at an Amish Smorgasbord. On the way out we visited Valley Forge and Jerry and Carol got to see Amish folks driving their buggies in the road and the giant silos and green rolling hills of PA. Hershey Park was only a short drive further, so we said, "Why Not?" Who doesn't love chocolate?!

The girls in front of Hershey World.. a world of chocolate? Yes please!!

Inside we got to make our own candy bars...

Nonna, Jarrett and the girls getting ready to make their bars. 

Channeling the lunch lady: happy for quality control, sad for fashion. 

You were able to choose what things you wanted inside your candy bar: Crushed pretzels, rice crispies, butterscotch, chocolate chips, toffee etc... or you could choose everything like Madison. LOL.

To top off our experience, we made custom labels... I put my name on so no one would eat it. At least no one who could read, that is.

Thank you Nonna and Grandpa for visiting!! We had a blast hanging out, snuggling and sight-seeing. We love you so much, and can't wait to get together again...xoxox