November

The other day I took Declan to the park, just the two of us. He is so fun, 19 months old now.

My brother Paul came down from Utah for the Thanksgiving break. It was so nice to have him, and we enjoyed a marvelous feast!

The week before Thanksgiving, Audrey ran in her school's Turkey Trot and Declan and I got to go watch. I love being able to participate in her school functions. Maybe next year I'll run with her!

Family outing: Pumpkin Festival

I found a Groupon for a Desert Botanical Garden family membership, and got it mainly so we could go to their Christmas light festival. Well, our December schedule (we're going out of town) means we can't go to the lights this year, but we went to the pumpkin festival, where we heard bluegrass music, ate cotton candy, played pumpkin games, and picked out pumpkins (free, one for each child!). We also got to go through the butterfly exhibit, which contained hundreds of monarchs, way up close. Fun day.

Taking a hayride to pick out our pumpkins.

Hanging out at the children's maze.

Audrey with the pumpkin she picked out and decorated.

Halloween fun

A Halloween family night activity. Marshmallows become ghosts. Or Pac-man in Daddy's case. He couldn't resist.

Ian's preschool class Halloween party: He was a ghost but took off his costume.

Making Ian's ghost costume. He very specifically asked, several times, to be a ghost for Halloween. The kind where you cut holes in a white sheet. So that's what we did, with me following his directions. 

Our trick-or-treat decor. 

Our Jack-o-lanterns, another family night activity.

Audrey's school had a festival, and this is from the photo booth. I love Declan's face.

All set to trick-or-treat!

Audrey the ninja!

A scary Ian ghost!

A bemused  but delighted spider, Declan!