Fall Leaf Fun

It's was a cold & rainy October here so we we're able to get the leaves up until this past weekend which means everything was dried out & not much of the beautiful colors were left. Fall is usually my favorite time of year in our neighborhood because of the mature trees & the gorgeous colors we tend to get. I have fond memories of raking leaves at my mom's house & jumping in the big pile so that's something I love to let Maddy do too. Here are a few fun photos from this weekend.

Trying her hand raking

Enjoying the fruits of her labor

Even Samson loves helping with the leaves

Photo Catch up

Here are some fun photos from last month..........


Maddy, Briana, her mom & I met up at an apple orchard. They had a fun apple crate maze & a few other neat things to play with:

Here's Maddy cutting a rug at a wedding last month:


Photo opp with cousin Izzy & uncle Scott:

Pumpkin Fest 2009:

And now it's November

Seriously, what has happened to fall this year? Between work & bad weather I haven't really been able to enjoy it at all which is a huge downer since this is my favortite time of year.


I was out of town for our 2nd Forever Family Day last Wednesday but we did celebrate a little early by going out for dinner to our local Chinese restaurant. The owner loves Maddy & spoils her rotten. This time Maddy walked out with a large laffy taffy, a 'N m N' Cookie (as she calls it) and a frosted pumpkin bar.


It didn't have the camera with, but here are some professional photos we had taken a month or so ago as a family-

Farewell after 26 years

We moved my mom last weekend out of her house of 26 years. I have been a little reflective this week about all of the memories I had in that house. My mom & I moved there when I was in Jr High after my parents split up. At the time it was both bitter & sweet. Bitter because of the circumstances that caused us to move to the house. Sweet because as a kid who formerly was a 'country kid' it was pretty awesome to become a 'town kid' having more things to do within walking and biking distance.

In this house I went on my first real date, started high school, went to many dances, proms etc. This is where I learned to drive, graduated from high school and spent weekends and some summers home from college. I graduated from college, started my first job in corporate America, met my husband & got married.

We hosted over 20 exchange students during our time in the house from about 15 different countries. Including the younger brother of our very first student from Brazil many years after she stayed with us. Because our house was in town it was often the hang out for friends after school, between events and just in general.

Most recently, this became 'Grandma Mommy's' house for our daughter. She knew just where to toys were kept and wasted no time after saying 'hi' to grandma making a bee-line for that cabinet.

Once again, I am at a bittersweet point in life. Sad to see mom moving out of the house that played such a big part of my life, but happy for her to begin a new chapter in hers. Her new place is an apartment with a beautiful lake view from every window and it sits right next to the only big park my hometown has to offer. Maddy has once again found the legos & grandma's bear at the new place and is happy to see grandma no matter where she is.

Thankful Thursday

I haven't had time to post much as I've been busy with a project at work. Our big deadline in the week after next so hopefully things will start settling down a little. I am thankful today to have a job. I see so many people around me unemployed or having their hours cut and my heart goes out to them.

2009 State Fair

We took Maddy to the State Fair this weekend. We have the traditional foods that we usually get every year, but this year we also decided to buy one of the Blue Ribbon Bargain books which was fun to use for trying a few new things. We also both took a turn with Maddy on the Giant Slide which is still one of my favorite rides after all these years.

I lost my camera a few weeks back when my family was in town for my uncle's 80th birthday so I've been a little lost. We finally broke down & bought a new one just in time for the fair. Though it's not the DSLR I've been pining for, it's better then the disposable box camera I had been using.

Here are a few shots from the fair-

Two Years Ago today, our referral

Two years ago today we got the call we had been waiting to get for years telling us about Madison's referral. That call & the little picture that was e-mailed to us after has forever changed our life. We are so blessed to be Maddy's Mommy & Daddy and thank God every day for our daughter. Here is the then & now picture: