Halloween

Halloween kind of snuck up on us this year.  We were so busy we didn't even make our annual trek to the pumpkin patch!  We had to choose pumpkins from the grocery store....

it was slim pickins'...but we found some.

 Geoff and Robin even came up to see the girls' last soccer game of the season the Saturday before.

Brrrrrr.....but they were good sports!

Then....after soccer and dinner we got to work on our pumpkin carving!

Avery's owl and Annalise's "Meowna Lisa"....

 (yes we used patterns...)

Robin and Geoff went traditional...no patterns.

 And somehow...we never got a picture of Mark's super cool Seahawk logo pumpkin.

Halloween was on a Thursday night this year.

The Bumblebee...

And the '50's Girl...

Mark took them out through the neighborhood while I stayed home and handed out candy.  We did our usual tallying of trick-or-treaters and with better weather this year, our grand total was 150.

The girls had a blast and got another ton of candy!!

Another Little Chef

Not to be outdone by Avery's creations (the animal pancakes and these cool fruit butterflies)....

Annalise wanted to do some cooking.

She chose CARAMEL APPLES.

Yum!!  Nice work Annalise!!

Soccer Saturdays

With both girls playing soccer this fall, our Saturdays pretty much revolve around SOCCER.

Sometimes the games happened at near or the same time.

Other days, they were a couple of hours apart.

Either way....

we got used to soccer Saturdays!!!

Annalise's team thought it would be super cool if each girl had a matching tutu to wear as part of the uniform.  One of the moms helped the dream become reality and the girls each got their own soccer tutu.  Sometimes they wore them....

 For picture day they didn't....

Avery was a great spectator for her sister....

And did some great playing of her own!!!

Gotta love Soccer Saturdays!!!

(***Both girls have decided to NOT play soccer this Spring.

I must admit....I am NOT sad we won't have Soccer Saturdays.)

A Little Aloha

Our parents are getting older.
All four of them have had battles with their health over the past few years.

We were so worried about Grams this summer.

When she couldn't make it to Ft. Flagler we became really concerned about her health.
We should know that she is one tough cookie who has bounced back many a time from some serious health problems.  

This time was the same....Grams and Gramps called us at the end of September and told us they were going to Hawaii in a couple of weeks.

What?  For Reals?

Yep.....and they COULDN'T WAIT!!!!!!

They flew out of Bellingham so we got to see them for a quick visit, too!

They had an AMAZING trip!!!!

They found their "aloha"!

THIS makes me smile.....

Same with Grandma.
She and Grandpa had booked a trip to Hawaii last year and had to cancel their trip for her surgery and treatment for cancer.
She is also a tough cookie who has beaten cancer once again!!!
She and Grandpa were able to take that trip to Hawaii this October as well.
They FULLY enjoyed every moment.
THIS also makes me smile....

We are so glad our parents are enjoying retirement.
THIS does our hearts good.
xoxoxoxoxo