Halloween + Happy Fall Days

Between parties at school, church, and Matt's work, plus trick or treating and visiting pumpkin patches, Halloween seemed to last all of October. This year we had a fairy princess, a bumble bee, and a kitten at our house!

Luke's costume is the same one I wore when I was 2 (and Lydia wore when she was 2, too!) and Elise wore the same outfit Lydia wore on her first Halloween. :) 

With all of the parties came enough candy to fill our "please take one" bowl on Halloween night (with more to spare) while we trick or treated around our new neighborhood. Everyone was out and I had just as much fun as the kids (maybe more!) chatting with neighbors with Elise in the front pack while Matt walked up to houses with Lydia and Luke. Another reason to love our neighborhood. :)

Our ward Halloween party was at the zoo! They had the lift ride and carousel going and Lydia had fun riding with all her church friends in the dark. :)  

When Halloween is on a Sunday :)

Her class also had a pumpkin patch at school and everyone took one home! So, so many Halloween activities all month. 

We started spending lots of time outside after the temps dropped and it stopped being humid. Luke, Elise and I went to parks every day after we dropped Lydia off at school for a few weeks. It was wonderful - quiet, sunshine, and Luke got his wiggles out. But then we had to stop when I ended up spending more time keeping Luke out of the parking lots and ponds (with Elise in the front pack) than he spent playing.

We did our annual family photos in our new back yard. :) Not only was it pretty, but it commemorated us buying our beautiful new house this year! So grateful Khand could take them for us again this year.

Matt is becoming quite the handy man these days. One of his recent projects was to bring my idea of a book wall to life in Lydia's room! He did a great job and it's a fun way to display our pretty picture books. He also did a 10 mile ruck march with 30lbs in his backpack for work. 

Other fall activities: Fun baking and decorating sugar "cut out" cookies with Vicky (we love her), and starting to make fires in our fireplace! Lydia's favorite was when Matt put something in the fire to make it turn colors. :) 

Meanwhile Elise has been our happy, growing girl! At 4.5 months she sleeps 10-12 hrs/night, usually with a wake-up around 5am for a feeding and then back to sleep. She loves cooing and taking with us and gives the BEST smiles. She loves formula even though she spits up all the time. We love her so much!

Her 4mo appointment stats:

• 14lbs 1oz (45%)
• 24.25in (37%)

It's been a fun, busy, happy fall. :)