Halloween Pictures....a bit late!

Even though Thanksgiving is less than a week away, I thought I would go ahead and post our Halloween pictures.  We really struggled coming up with ideas for costumes this year.  I was totally unimpressed by any of the costumes I saw on-line or in stores.  The girls were not really all that excited about picking out something.  So, after looking through a catalog and shopping in a store, we decided to look for ideas that included two people.  We found a cute idea of milk and cookies that was easily made at home.  The girls got so excited about the idea.  Lauren was going to be the milk and Allison was going to be the cookie.  I shopped around and got the supplies to make the costumes and the girls helped complete them.  Before our first Halloween activity which was an annual neighborhood Halloween party, Allison decided she didn't want to be a cookie because she was afraid someone would laugh at her.  :(  She had picked out a Rapunzel wedding dress costume when we were shopping in Target earlier.  She wanted to be Rapunzel the bride, so I went back to Target to get the costume (fortunately my sweet brother had a coupon for $5 off any costume).  That left our milk without a cookie.  Sweet  Daddy stepped in to be part of the pair and Lauren decided to switch to the cookie and let Daddy be the milk.  I must say daddy and daughter made an adorable milk an cookie pair.  But Lauren was not happy with her costume.  She was afraid people at the party would laugh at her.  (Aren't my kids too young to worry about peer pressure like that?)  She did go ahead and wear the cookie costume to Cole's Halloween party, but then chose not to wear it to Trunk-or-Treating the next day.  Instead we pulled out her Super Girl costume from last year.  Luckily it still fit! 

Daddy the milk and Lauren the cookie.....absolutely adorable, I think!

Allison in Rapunzel's wedding dress....this is so my little girlie girl!

Lauren the Super Girl

These costumes do suit their personalities

Allison and Lauren at Trunk-or-Treating

Mackenzie, Josiah, Lauren, Allison behind Lauren...April and David

These four sweet kiddos have spent the past several Halloweens together..Josiah, Mackenzie, Lauren, and Allison

Halloween day....love their Snoopy Halloween shirts

Lauren and Allison getting ready to go Trick-or-Treating

Allison, Lauren and Carissa

The man on the porch handing out candy kind of scared Allison...she didn't want to go up there

Jaycee, Carissa, Lauren, Allison and Jackston Trick-or-Treating in the neighborhood

We really enjoy Halloween in our wonderful neighborhood.  I took the girls around with some neighbor friends while Bill stayed home and handed out candy.  All in all, it was a fun Halloween.

Allison's Sentences

These are Allison's sentences she brought home from school today.  She was so proud of her writing and was so excited to read them to us.  

Can you read what it says?  If not, I'll write it for you at the bottom of the post!  I LOVE invented spelling!

I'm very proud of you, my sweet Allison!

Me and my sister like to roast marshmallows and hotdogs because it is fun.
I like fall because it is fun.

A Fabulous Fall Break

This post is coming several weeks late, but I wanted to write about our fall break back in October.  Knox County Schools only get two days off for fall break.  Thursday we spent the morning relaxing with the girls playing together before we met Bill for lunch at our favorite little Mexican restaurant in Clinton.  The rest of the day was pretty relaxed as well.  Friday we met my parents and brother at The Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge for lunch.  After lunch we went to Dollywood for the afternoon.  Bill got some cute pictures of the girls outside the Apple Barn.  We all enjoyed the yummy apple fritters and apple butter they serve with your meal. 

Dollywood was pretty packed that Friday, but we had a good time anyway.  The weather was perfect and we saw lots of friends enjoying the day there, too.  Bill and I rode the Wild Eagle for the first (and probably last) time.  We got to ride with my Mom and brother.  I hated the first drop.  I didn't open my eyes until we had recovered from the drop.  The rest of the ride was not as bad, but I'm just not a fan of roller coasters.  Must be my age! :(

We stayed in a cheap hotel there in Pigeon Forge Friday night because we wanted to go hiking Saturday.  The girls loved our little room and were just excited to be sleeping in a hotel. 

Saturday morning we got up and headed to Gatlinburg to eat breakfast at the Pancake Pantry before our hike.  We love the Pantry and the girls love their "Bears in the Snow" pancakes.

After our bellies were nice and full, we were ready to work off all that sugar we had just consumed.  (I failed to mention that our cheap hotel had complimentary Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast.  I couldn't pass up free Krispy Kreme!!)

We hiked the Grotto Falls trail which was a perfect little hike for us.  We parked the car and visited the "facilities" before our hike....and while waiting our turn, I noticed a small commotion starting....and...you guessed it, a bear!!!!  A young bear.  Luckily we didn't see the momma.  I love seeing bears in the mountains, but I was a little nervous about this one because it seemed a little too close to our trail head.  I only remember seeing bears when I was in the car, or near the car.   If you encounter a bear while you are hiking, where do you go?  Luckily, we did not see that bear or any others while we were hiking.

I'm so glad we were able to spend our fall break enjoying the beauty of fall in the Smokey Mountains!  I love the fall, and I love the mountains, and I love my sweet family!

Lauren and Allison outside The Apple Barn

Cuties in their pigtails

Posing by an apple tree at the Apple Barn

Cute Fall display

Allison and Bill on Adventure Mountain.....the girls love this place

Daddy and his little girl

Allison says, "Phewww, I made it around that rock wall!"

Lauren and Uncle Bill's turn

Classic Lauren look

Such concentration

My favorite picture....what a cute face!

Finally took a picture of the girls hatching at Dollywood

Lauren and Allison in the Village near Pancake Pantry.....Allison loved the bride scarecrow

Cute little bear

Peek-a-boo

Trail Head

And off we go....Mommy, Allison, Lauren

Allison, Mommy and Lauren

Beautiful view

Lauren working up a sweat...had to take her fleece off

Sweet sisters

We made it to the waterfall.  Daddy and his little hikers

Sweeties

They look a little tired.....

Fall Field Trips

This beautiful month of amazing weather and beautiful fall colors was blessed with fun field trips with both of my girls.  (I didn't get a lot of work in this month because the trips fell on a Tuesday and a Thursday, so naturally, I had to take off of work to be able to go with the girls.) 

First Allison's class went to Oaks Farm.  That is one of my all time favorite fall places, and the field trip on October 4th was a perfect day... cool weather, blue skies and lots of fun.  It was Allison's first field trip in "real" school.  I think her favorite part of the trip was riding the school bus to the farm.

Allison riding the pedal cars

Allison with the pumpkins

In the pumpkin field picking the perfect pumpkin

Some of her friends....Sophia, Allison, Sydney

Class shot with their pumpkins

On Thursday, October 16th Lauren's class went to Mayfield  Dairy Farm.  It was another picture perfect fall day for this trip and we had a fun time learning a lot about the farm.

Lauren and Lilly

Lauren and Lilly taking a bite out of the giant corn on the cob.  The corn was made from milk jugs...too cute!

Lauren and Lilly on the corn popper

Jumping on the corn popper

More fun bouncing

Lauren and Lilly playing tether ball

I'm so thankful that I am able to go with the girls on their class field trips.  I can't imagine not being able to do that.  Thanks, sweet hubby, for letting me take those two days off from work to be with our girlies!!!  We sure had some fall fun together.

Another Visit from the Tooth Fairy

It has been a little over a year and a half, but the Tooth Fairy was able to find Lauren again... even at my Mom and Dad's house!  Lauren was so excited to get another tooth out that she let her Daddy try to pull it when it wasn't quite ready to come out.  After an unsuccessful attempt from Daddy a couple of weeks ago, Lauren was a little gun shy about actually pulling this tooth.  It was so loose, I was afraid she was going to swallow it or lose it.  While we were at Mom and Dad's this past weekend, I told Lauren we had to get that tooth out.  Still hesitant to let her Daddy try, she wanted me to pull the tooth!  That's not my thing.  I tried to pull one of her first ones to come out and I couldn't do it.  But I told her I would try.  Right before I got ready to try, she said she wanted to pull it herself.  She put her hand in her mouth got a hold of the tooth and pulled it out with no problems at all.  Way to go Lauren!!  You ROCK!!!  (Thanks for sparing Mommy from pulling it)

Lauren pulls her top tooth!!!

Love the sweet smile

This is a picture of Lauren at a field trip on Tuesday.  I love the hole in her smile.

Lilly and Lauren.....with that sweet smile!!!!