Halloween

Corbin has been waiting for Halloween since last Halloween! He couldn't wait for pumpkins, tricker treating, and now this year, decorations.

So here is our Halloween extravaganza. It began on Saturday morning with some pumpkin carving in our jammies!

Vola! Jack-o-lanterns...Corbin, mine, Eliza, and Adam's.

Like I said, Corbin wanted to decorate this year. He wanted much more but we settled on a few...homemade ghosts, spider webs, and you can't see the pumpkins on the windows but we made leaves, bats, and pumpkins for the sliding door.

We tricker treated down-town again. Eliza wasn't sure about it at first but then got the hang of it!

Actual Halloween started early... with face make-up too!

A visit to daddy's school for lunch. The only time the whole family is dressed up. I broke out the 1993 sweat shirt from Andover, I poofed my hair, tight rolled my jeans, put earrings in 7 ear holes. I think that people didn't really get it but it was fun to break out the early 90's gear!

Getting ready for tricker treating in Brody's neighborhood.

What we found outside the gate when we opened it up for tricker treaters.

Corbin's first experience going from house to house. It took only one time before he got the hang of it. He did want to ring the doorbell multiple times. They were all so cute!

When we got back to our neighborhood there were a lot of houses with lights on. In the past, we have gotten one or two tricker treaters. This year we decided to do our own neighborhood. It was fun to see our neighbors. Eliza had so much fun! She just wanted to get things in her bucket. It could have been rocks and she would have be excited. The thing about going to neighborhoods where no one goes is that each house gives you handfuls of candy!

Corbin is already waiting for Halloween next year! He wants to put up Christmas lights now, though, we keep telling him after Thanksgiving :-)

Cider Pressing!

Adam's parents have been pressing cider for 31+ years with this press. Susan remembers wearing Adam on her back. Now we are wearing and including our kids in this family tradition. I love it. This year we did it in Bellingham! We invited a few friends over to help out and bring their apples. It was a great time! Although I feel like I did more kid wrangling, food refilling, go-getting than being able to help actually press but it was still a great time!

Starting bright and early with Adam's parents!

3 Generations of Shaffer boys!

Toby and Quin helping out.

The sweatshirt gang!

My big guy helping be the "apple police". Love him!

Oh man, I love this little spunky girl!

28 Gallons of cider, not bad for our first Bham press.

We are so grateful that Adam's parents decided to bring their cider press up to Bham for this year cider press! Instead of having to drive to Bainbridge with 15 bags of apples, the dog, and the 2 kids, they came up here! Thank you Susan and Mark! Thank you Tara & Markus - Jen, Toby, Quin, & Silas - Rowan, KK, & Annika - Linda & Brody, and our neighbors for their apples!

RRRRrroooowwlll!

Picture parade

A couple of weeks in pictures...

My two little pumpkins at the Stoney Ridge Pumpkin Patch 2011.

Delicious pumpkin donuts. Eliza would like some too, please!

The rainy days have begun....

My budding artists!

Some new passengers got on at this stop!

My funny boy! Here he is a sheep in Eliza's fuzzy jacket.

And now this spunky little 15 month old. We knew from day one, she was in charge. But seriously this girl is already deciding what she wants to wear, not wear, what she needs and obviously doesn't need. Today her bottle tops were mis-matched. She refused the bottle, 2 times! And had a complete fit! As soon as Adam switched to the "right" top, she drank it down like nothing was the matter. The other day she refused to wear a sweat shirt I had picked. She kicked and screamed and pointed to another one. As soon as I tried to put the new one one, she stuck her arms right through. She would not let me take it off. She has also done this with shoes and jackets! Seriously! I could go on and on... but man we LOVE her! Just look at that smile :-)