Live Oak Pumpkin Patch

This year we decided to go to the Live Oak Pumpkin Patch because I was doing it as an outing for CAVA. We got to go on a tractor ride, learn about the different types of pumpkins, see animals in the petting zoo, and pick out our own pumpkins. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the turkey. It was so old and big and so funny! It kept getting mad at us and raising all of his feathers and then gobbling at us. Emma really got a kick out of it too. I think the girls really enjoyed this trip!

Carving Pumpkins

For the past five years (?) we have carved pumpkins with our good friends Neal and Meleah. They live in Long Beach so we don't get to see them too often but we always make time for our annual pumpkin carving and gingerbread house decorating. This year we have a couple of little ones with us so it is getting harder but they loved the pumpkins. We really enjoy this annual tradition!

Emma turns 3!

Emma turns 3 this Saturday and we had her first "friends" party this last Saturday. It was a lot of hard work but it was fun too! We had 13 kids (call me crazy) and a lot of cupcakes. Emma loved having her friends over so it made all of the work so worth it. We love Emma and all of her crazy antics! A few things about Emma:
- she remembers EVERYTHING you tell her - no getting away with unfulfilled promises!
- she loves to sing songs
- she knows most of her letters, knows all of the shapes and colors and can count to twenty
- she had recently decided her favorite color is purple
- likes to play mommy with Maddie
- loves to be pushed on the swing and will stay there forever (right, Uncle Nathan?)
- will sit and watch movies and Mickey Mouse all day if I let her (which I don't!)
- gives the cheesiest grin when you ask her to smile
- like to wear her pink rain boots
- is the cutest, most lovable toddler I know!

The Kitchen is Complete!

Our kitchen is finally complete!! Jacob and I (Jacob mostly) did the entire kitchen BY OURSELVES! I know.....amazing! I love it. I couldn't ask for a more talented husband. I realize the "before" pic is tiny but I am having problems with it.

Our Trip to the Beach

My sister, MaryBeth, and I thought it would be fun to take the girls to the beach. It ended up being fun but it was so exhausting!! Emma refused to walk on the sand (she hates dirt on her feet) and so it was hilarious watching MB try to hold Emma along with the fifty billion other things that you take with you to the beach with two small children. It was too cold to go in the water and both girls started screaming when we even hinted at going near the water. It was also a lot of fun trying to feed both of them without getting sand in everything! But, all in all, I think the girls really enjoyed it.

Emma Got Her Cast Off!

Yea!!!! It has been the longest 8 weeks of my life but Emma finally got her cast off! The doctors told us that it might take a few weeks for her to start walking again but, with a little bribe of Disneyland, we got her walking the next day! These are pics of her very first time walking and she is on her way out the door to preschool. We are so happy to have our walking girl back!

First Day of Preschool!

Emma has started preschool and it is so much fun! She goes for 3 hours two times a week and she really loves it. They play, paint, cook, sing, color and learn. She still has her cast on which makes it a little hard since she still has to crawl everywhere but she is making it work!