Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!!

We had a great time trick or treating with our friends!  This was really the first Halloween Austin could walk around, but he really wasn't all that into the whole trick or treating part!  He just loved walking towards those blow up Halloween decorations everyone puts in their yards!  Thankfully his two best friends, Lauren and Kaelyn helped him out and took over trick or treating duties for him by carrying his pumpkin pail and filling it up with yummy treats! 

Trick or Treating in Arizona is so much different than what we were used to back in Washington!  Instead of tromping around in cold wet weather going from house to house, everyone here is in shorts and flip flops and camps out in their driveways tailgate style with BBQ's and lawn chairs and cold beers (for the adults that is!!)  It's very block party-ish, and very fun :)  

A very special thanks to the Bauer family for hosting another really fun Halloween, we had a great time!!  

Getting ready for a fun night of Trick or Treating!

Kelsey and her girls Lauren and Kaelyn all dressed up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and me and Austin, as a ferocious dinosaur!

Austin all ready to Trick or Treat!

Austin wasn't too sure why people kept putting candy into his pumpkin, but he sure loved taking it out!!

Kaelyn helping Austin carry his pumpkin :)

Hitting the streets for some serious Trick or Treating!!

Lauren & Kaelyn helping Austin Trick or Treating!

The girls had to get all of Austin's candy for him :)  He would get up there and then head right back the other way not really knowing what to do!!  Here they are trying to tell him to come back!!

Lauren showing Austin all the yummy candy she just got for him!

What's trick or treating without a good cold one!! 

(Don't worry, Austin's just holding it for the Dad's!!)

This was the favorite thing Austin got while Trick or Treating...a glowing bracelet!!

Kaelyn, Austin and Lauren!

After Trick or Treating, the kids had a blast playing in the Ranger :)

They sat in this ranger playing forever! They had so much fun pretending to drive and of course checking out all the candy they worked so hard to get :)

Dear Santa, I would really love my own Ranger for Christmas!!

Pumpkin Carving!

Tonight we taught Austin how to carve his first pumpkin!  I don't know why we only got 2 pumpkins (usually we get one for each of us), but that was what we had, so Brian and Austin shared one, while Hunter and I got the other one :)  Brian opted for the smaller one...I wonder why!  He was literally done with his while I was still trying to scoop mine out!!  Austin thought it was so funny to throw the goopy pumpkin mush and seeds at Hunter, who for some odd reason loved eating it!!  Hopefully our pumpkins will survive the night and make it to Halloween!  (Will someone please remind the state of Arizona that it is almost November and it is time to cool down already!!!)

Posing by our pumpkin masterpieces!  

Dad getting ready to show me how it's done!!

Now this is how you do it Austin!

Austin was very intrigued by the inside of the pumpkin!

Gettin messy!!

The boys hard at work!

Me and Mom!

Our pumpkins :)

(I know, they're not that fancy!!)

Soccer!!

Austin had his first day of Soccer Tots today!  Thankfully it is located at our community park, so Brian and I were able to walk him up there.  I must say though, when I think soccer, I imagine much cooler weather than what we have here.  It was super hot outside, we were all sweatin our tooshes off!!!  It was a lot of fun, Austin seemed to enjoy himself most of the time...he is by far the youngest in the class and he is not old enough for some of the drills they have the kids do, but for the most part, he had lots of fun!  He especially loved when they let the kids kick all of the cones that were placed on the field, and when they brought the hula hoops out, and of course at then end when it was parachute time!  

Austin all ready for his first day of Soccer!

(P.S. If you look closely, you can see where Austin took a digger and hit his lower lip!  Nothing like your first fat lip to make you look a little tougher!!)

Showing off his kicking skills!

Running the obstacle course!

Wait, I thought this was soccer, not dodgeball!!

Do you have a license for those guns?!

Water break!

I think I can, I think I can!!  

Austin trying out the hula hoop!

I did it!!

The hula hoops were a hit!

Loving soccer!

Hula hoop tug of war with Dad!

Go TEAM!!

Austin and his new soccer team celebrating a successful day out on the field!

Fun Weekend!

We kicked off our weekend by spending Friday out in Scottsdale. We had a yummy lunch with a good friend of Brian's, picked up our new end table, and shopped at the Scottsdale Mall, which we hardly ever do anymore, it was a lot of fun!!  Austin was a serious trooper, we were literally gone ALL day, and he only got a little nap driving from one place to another, but held up so well, we were very proud, and very grateful!!  We got a pretty new lamp for our new end table, and Austin even got 2 new pairs of sneakers, which he really needed!! (That darn ginormous big toe of his outgrew all of his other shoes!!)

*Here's Austin right after we got home from a very long day out in Scottsdale!!  He had a lot of fun and was so good!! I think his favorite part was the big play area at the mall, he didn't want to leave!*

On Saturday, Brian's parents came over and we headed out to our neighborhood's Fall Festival at the park.  It was a lot of fun, Austin especially loved the petting zoo!!  

Getting kisses from a baby goat :)

Austin loved the bunnies :)

The baby goats were so darn cute! Austin was really good with the animals!

Family swing time!!

After the Fall Festival, Grandma and Grandma babysat Austin and Hunter for us while Brian and I went out on another date night :)  Here's Grandpa and Austin reading a book while we were out watching a movie and having a delicious dinner!!!  

Thanks again Jane and Tom!! :)

Happy Birthday Gary!

We want to wish my brother Gary a very Happy Birthday!!

And what better way than with some fun photos from our childhood :)  

Thanks for being such a wonderful Brother and such a great Uncle to Austin & Hunter!!

My brother Gary showing great enthusiasm while opening Christmas presents with his little sis (me with a giant fro!) circa 1987 maybe?!

My brother Gary holding me as a baby...I have always looked up to you Gare!

Gary has always been such a great older brother!

One of my favorite pictures of me and my brothers as kids :)

That's my brother Tim on the left and Gary (with some sweet socks!) on the right!

P.S. Notice my cool wonder woman underoos!! I loved those!!

Happy Birthday Gary!!

We love you, 

S, B, A and H :)

Halloween Costume Preview!

Say hello to the world's scariest dinosaur!!  

Austin's Halloween costume arrived in the mail today (we cheated and ordered one, there is no way I could make something like this!), and we tried it out so he will be all ready for trick or treating come Oct. 31st!!  Brian and I love it, although, it took a little convincing for both Austin and Hunter!! (Hunter was a just a little hesitant of the mini T-Rex running through the house!!)

Hunter sniffing out the dinosaur that took over his best friend!!  I think Austin's a little unsure at this point too!!

Our little dinosaur!

Love it!!

ROAR!! 

(Austin's actually thinking "Get this thing off of me!")

Isn't this costume just too cute?!

Where the wild things are!

Who knew dinosaurs could text?!