Halloween Events

 Halloween 2021 was a hit! The kids selected some great costumes this year. Cody, Jaden, and I have been reading the Harry Potter books together since the summer, so they are really into the series. Harry Potter was a fitting choice for Cody's Halloween costume.

Jaden asked to be a tiger. This homemade costume used up a TON of hot glue but turned out pretty nice!

Adley wanted to be a butterfly, so I made a floral headband to go with the butterfly wings she already owned. Adley's favorite part was her butterfly face paint.

We were so happy that our church's Trunk or Treat event was back this year, after a two-year haitus. The trunks were all decorated so creatively, and of course, it was a great way to get candy.

One of Cody's classmates was dressed up as Hermione Granger, so we had to take a photo of these two Harry Potter fans.

Jaden and Cody enjoyed running into a few of their buddies from school.

We loved seeing cousins Ben and Abby too!

The day before Halloween was our pumpkin carving day.

Step One: Clean out the pumpkin's gooey insides.

Step Two: Use your chosen template to poke holes into the pumpkin.

Step Three: Connect the dots with the carving knife to cut out your jack o' lantern's face.

Step Four: Light a candle inside your masterpiece and enjoy your handiwork!

Oct Misc

 Here are a few other miscellaneous events from our family in October...

Aspire

Our church hosted Aspire, a one-night women's event that my mom attended with me. There was a speaker, a worship leader, and a comedian. It was an uplifting evening!

Swim Party

Only in Texas can you still host a pool party in October! One of Adley's good friends turned 5 at the beginning of the month and had friends over for a swim and some s'mores by the outdoor fireplace. Adley loved swimming with her friends!

PT with Grandma

Jason's mom had knee surgery (her second!) this fall. One afternoon shortly after her surgery, Adley and I brought a meal for Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma showed Adley some of her physical therapy exercises that she was directed to do by her PT, Uncle Andrew. Grandma was a wonderful patient and did her exercises faithfully. Adley loved trying out some of the exercises as well. We were so thankful that God brought Grandma through her surgery smoothly and guided her healing too! 

Winter Giving Challenge

Earlier in the fall, I decided to participate in a service project sponsored by our public library. The library provided the supplies and encouraged its patrons to crochet a scarf for people in need. I had not crocheted since college and even then, had never fully finished a sewing project. Completing a scarf, however, seemed doable, so I jumped onboard. I spent many late evenings as Jason and I were watching TV working on this scarf. I went through a bit of a learning curve at the beginning, as my stitches were definitely not even. I eventually got the hang of it, though, and finally completed the scarf at the end of October. Adley loved trying on the scarf as I worked on it and was a little disappointed when I gave it away. So, I ended up making another one to give to Adley for Christmas. She was thrilled, and I was proud that I finished not just one, but two crocheting projects!

Chair Flip Challenge

My parents visited our Chicago relatives in October and witnessed my cousin's kids do this unique trick with a kitchen chair. My mom sent us a video of my cousin's kids challenging my kids to try this trick too. The goal was to start by lying on the floor and then flip yourself up into a sitting position on the chair without touching the ground. Cody was particularly into it and ended up succeeding! 

Aggies Game

Jaden and Cody got their second chance to experience a college football game this fall when a member of our church gave Jason tickets to an Aggies game. Jason, Jaden, and Cody drove out to College Station for this exciting game. The Aggies were playing Alabama, a huge rival and a number one ranked team. The game was a close one, and the fans were all in. Jason said the crowd was so loud that at one point, they could feel the entire stadium shaking. Jaden and Cody received rally towels and loved swinging them around during the game. The Aggies made history and ended up beating Alabama 41-38, the Aggie's first victory against them since 2012. What a privilege for these three to attend this exciting game!

Oct PreK Events

 The month of October contained a couple of special events for Adley in PreK. First was a fire truck visit! Adley's teachers do a great job of sharing photos from these events. 

Adley said one firefighter dressed in full gear and taught the kids to tap him on the arm as he was crawling by. This exercise reminded the kids of how to get help if they were trapped in a real fire situation.

The kids also took turns getting inside the truck. How fun!

At the end of the month, the early childhood hosted a community helper parade, combined with their monthly chapel service. The students were allowed to come to school dressed as a community helper. We had a perfect police officer costume in our dress-up bin for Adley to use!

Parents and grandparents were allowed to attend this event as well. We loved seeing Adley march across the stage in her costume.

Here she is with her preK class. They're a large bunch!

Following the parade and chapel service, students could chose a pumpkin from the "pumpkin patch" on the school's playground.

All four of Adley's grandparents joined in for the morning events. She is certainly blessed to have their loving, regular support!

What a fun morning!

Tyler's Visit

 I had a special treat in mid-October-- a weekend visit from my longtime childhood friend, Tyler. She and I did a couple things together in Houston and also took an overnight trip to Waco, TX. It was a fabulous girls' weekend and a wonderful time to catch up.

After picking Tyler up from the airport, we spent a few hours touring NASA, always an impressive place!

The next day, we drove to Waco and stopped first at Magnolia Market at the Silos. Tyler has always been a fan of the show Fixer-Upper and knows a lot about Chip and Joanna Gaines. I, on the other hand, haven't followed the show very much, so I read The Magnolia Story, the Gaines' autobiography, a few weeks before our trip. Between the two of us, Tyler and I were able to share a lot of stories about Chip and Joanna Gaines as we toured the Silos.

Each of us picked out some food from the area's many food trucks and lunched outside on this beautifully sunny day.

We even stood in a long line at the Silos Baking Company and splurged on some famous Joanna Gaines' desserts. I'm not usually much of a cupcake fan, but the ones from here were delicious!!

After browsing through most of the shops at Magnolia Market, we walked a few blocks to the Dr. Pepper museum. We paid for a self-guided tour and enjoyed a free soda at the end.

Then, we stopped by the Waco Suspension Bridge and walked for a bit alongside the Brazos River.

We ended the day by touring Spice Village, a collection of over 60 boutiques all under one roof.  It felt like we were visiting a huge craft fair. What a unique place!

The next day we drove a bit out of town to Homestead Heritage, an Amish-like community that focuses on farming and crafting. We stopped in each of the artisan buildings (like woodworking, pottery-making, weaving, basket-making, and blacksmithing) and browsed their many shops.

Before heading back home, we drove through Waco again and had a late lunch at Magnolia Table. Our wait for a table was very long (over an hour and a half), but it was worth it. We both enjoyed seeing the Gaines' unique designs inside the building and thought the food was delicious!

We returned home on a Saturday evening, so Tyler was able to attend church with us on Sunday morning. Following church, we had a quick lunch at home, and then our whole family drove out to Dewberry Farms to attend their pumpkin patch. This was the first time we had been to this particular pumpkin patch, and we all agreed that it wasn't our favorite seasonal site. The farm had a ton of fun-sounding activities, but the lines everywhere were crazy long, so we didn't have the opportunity to do even half of the activities. The day was terribly hot, too, so that didn't help our moods as we were waiting in long lines. Nevertheless, the kids enjoyed the few activities they were able to do.

Before Tyler left town on Monday, Adley and I took her to one more tourist site--the Houston Botanic Gardens. Tyler is a master gardener with a special interest in growing flowers, so this was a perfect spot to take her. Adley and I enjoyed seeing the botanic gardens for our first time as well. We even found a small water-play area for Adley.

The landscaping throughout the gardens was just amazing! Such a beautiful place.

What a joy it was to spend this time with Tyler! It was a fun opportunity to visit some new places, and a perfect chance for some relaxing girl time. I'm so thankful for this dear friend!