Happy 6th Birthday, Isabella!

My little girl turned 6 on October 20! I can't believe that she is already in kindergarten and 6 years-old! We had a tea party for all her little girlfriends at school. We had 8 little girls dressed in more ruffles and glitter than any one house should have at a time! My whole house was full of pink glitter when they all went home! They had a blast but I do believe I spent too much time preparing. Chris reminded me that the girls are 5 and 6 years-old, not 12! Oh well, it sure looked pretty and I loved doing it! She had a family party this past Sunday. I am officially caked-out and on a sugar-free diet until further notice!

Fall 2009

As everyone living in Minnesota knows, this fall has been terrible! Usually we spent a great deal of time outside but this year we have had almost 5 inches of rain in October and lots of very gloomy days. We did manage to sneak in a Sunday afternoon outside in the leaves! Despite the fact that the Vikings were playing, I did get Noah to come outside for 5 pictures, no more! We are hoping for a very warm and sunny November!

Cheerleading!

Well, Isabella has been asking for 2 years to take cheerleading and so I started her this fall. Yes, it is adorable and she is totally into it! She has more spirit than 90% of the girls in her class! That's my girl! Next year we're going to take her to camp with the Vikings cheerleaders so this is a good beginning! The other girl in the pictures is a good friend from daycare, Jolissa. Next class, ballet. She should be starting that before Christmas. Who would have thought that having an 8 year-old sports junkie and an almost 6 year-old girlie girl would require so many evenings!

Bop Pa's Pumpkins

Every year Bop Pa (Chris' dad) grows pumpkins for the grandkids and carves their names in them while they are little. The name grows with the pumpkin and it's always a surprise to see how they grow. Our front yard resembles a pumpkin patch since Noah and Isabella can't seem to have enough pumpkins! We started buying pumpkins the 2nd week of September and I believe we bought the last of our purchases last weekend! I don't mind decorating for the season, it's just that my kids have a hard time saying goodbye to the pumpkins when Thanksgiving is over! I have found them hidden in the garage, their bedrooms, and around the house. They are both fully aware that they mold and turn into a gooey mess if kept inside but they want to keep them as long as possible!

Apple Picking and Pumpkin Patch

Every year we go to Emma Krumbees in Belle Plain to pick apples and visit the pumpkin patch (even though we have already purchased around 12 pumpkins). The kids ride the ponies, climb the hay pile, and look at the scarecrow contest entries. We hit up the gift shop before heading home. Everyone needs to purchase an apple pie even though we had just picked a bushel of apples that will need to be baked into something!