cuteness ♥

Just driving the basket mom...

"Get in my belly"

Hair cut time?

Driving the box...

Gingerbread making at school

Sad...

You know that lump you get in your throat just before you turn into a sobbing snotty mess? It's been with me all weekend and the glassy-tear filled eyes too. I can't believe that soon he'll be gone. Yes, I know that he's coming back, and yes I know that it's only 6 months, but the lump won't go away. I keep hoping that we're going to get a phone call this weekend and they're going to say, 'Whoops, our bad, he doesn't have to go...', so far the phone hasn't been ringing. I guess I will just sit around and watch as these suitcases fill themselves and wish I was going too.....

lil pilgrim ❤

My favorite girl is learning about our beginnings. Isn't she cute?!

I hope this isn't my new mantra for the next 6 months...

How do like them apples?!

Wednesday I received the news that my best friend is to be deployed for the next six months- and he's leaving in a week. Now that a few days have passed and my emotions are off the roller coaster I can put it in print. There's so much that's going to be missed: holidays, birthdays, vacations... I wasn't prepared at all. And I don't know how to prepare the kids for this either. We will just have to show daddy how much we love him in this last week he has with us.

:(

My heart is cracking and there is nothing I can do about it. Some days are harder than others when uncle Sam has his say...

Trick or treat?

How about a treat. Look how cute these guys are!

He was not too thrilled about the costume...

He did enjoy the spoils the costume brought~

The sweaty mess at the end of the adventure!

Getting ready to Halloween!

Today we performed surgery. We did a couple lobotomies, gut removal and a few instances of corrective reconstruction. (we as in the kids and I- for some odd reason my husband doesn't like the smell of pumpkin) (not even in pie!) do you want to see our work?

Makings

I've been busy living my dream... My dream to homestead... Well almost living it anyway. This past week I've tried my hand at making sourdough bread, sour kraut, regular white bread (my sourdough was all whole wheat and a bit tough to chew) and Halloween cookies. Unfortunately I didn't grow any of the food I made, but hopefully one day I will. For now, I practice:

Pumkining

Hooray for fall! Hooray for pretty leaves and globes of orange dotting the landscape. Hooray mostly for cooler weather! Whew, it's been hot here in Virginia these past few months. Not that I'm complaining- 31/2 years in northern Germany will make anyone appreciate the sun. I am appreciating every season here though, and by far my favorite is fall. There's so much to see and do, places to go and holidays to celebrate.
In anticipation of Halloween (or as the schools like to call it: Fall Festival) W's class was invited out to the pumpkin patch. There the kids were treated to a short lesson in animal husbandry, a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, a choice of a pumpkin in a field so large it would make any decision difficult and a picnic at a playground! As little brother is attached to my hip at all times (well, except when it's dangerous, then he thinks he can go off by himself) he was able to attend the field trip too with his chaperon mom. It's good to have connections when you're two. Here are the photos of our outing, happy fall, y'all!

hay ride

choosing is sooooo difficult!

although for some people, the choice was easy.

Geeze mom, do I have to carry this all the way back?!

more hay riding

If you're interested, here's where we went: http://www.belmontpumpkinfarm.com/

Summers in Virginia

Summer 2011

Snow cone tongue

buckets at the beach

nekked 4 wheeling

loving the cats

Visitors from Germany

Sandy toes

Hope for green things

meeting new friends

sunsets

playgrounds

sweaty brows

toothy smiles

sailing with dad

relaxing with mom

the most handsome man ever...

taking it all in

teaching little brother things he needs to know

killing me with those eyes

don't mess with my breakfast

tea parties with new friends

snuggles in the shade

packages from Germany

can't stop eating...

watermelon as big as your head

talking to apa (grandpapa)

hairy chins

busch gardens

fun where ever we go

fun at home too

rocking the euro short

learning to swim like a fish

catching her first fish! (on a $9.99 Barbie fishing pole no less)

eating the fruits of her labor

homemade ice cream

sampling

consuming

♥Pretty♥ <---- check out my girl!

What have you been doing with your summer?