Pumpkin Time

This year instead of picking our pumpkins out at the grocery store, we (meaning me, Leslie) decided it would be more fun to go and pick them straight from the patch!

And it WAS fun! Turns out, however, that you pay a lot for fun, in case you were wondering. We went to the grocery store right after our pumpkin patch adventure and pumpkins were on sale for 9 cents a pound.

We were ripped off.

BUT, it was totally fun.





Harrison had a hard time choosing the perfect pumpkin. If he couldn't lift it, he didn't want it. We were told time and time again, "That's not a good one."








He finally settled for this one with the long handle.


Before leaving the pumpkin patch we, of course, needed a family picture. Even though there were plenty of people around to help, we set the camera on top of the camera bag and just did a timer picture. We usually rock the self timer pictures, but we had a little trouble this time around. We were all crouched down watching the blinking light and slowly our camera started to fall backward off the camera bag. As the camera fell further we kept standing up higher, so as not to miss our shot. Dang. These pictures crack me up every time. My camera snaps three shots in a row - you can see us standing up higher and higher:




Redo:


Hooray for overpriced pumpkins!


It was totally worth it.





Later that night it was time to carve those pumpkins. Harrison colored his.




Hard at work...


Kate came,


and Brock too.


We love when Kate and Brock come over.


The finished product!


Our pumpkins!! (Kate, Brock, Leslie, Peter)

Actual and Factual Quotes from my 2 Year Old:

Harrison: "Mom, take my picture with my Buzz Lightyear undies! I turn this way."


"Did you see him?! Is it a good one?!"


"Let's try another one. Can you see him?"


"Is it totally awesome?!"




Later that day...

"Take my picture again! I'm on my potty!"


"Cheeeeeeeeeese!!!!!"



Oh Harrison... you are so cute.



Even if you did pee on my couch later that day...

That's how we roll

I've decided we are going to become bike people, because bike people are cool people.

They are adventurous. They go explore cool places. They are always smiling and having a good time. And most importantly:

They are skinny.


Yeah. We want to be bike people.



In my quest to become skinny, er... I mean bike people... I got a bike for my birthday and then bought a bike trailer for Harrison.



Hi there!


The bike trailer is awesome. I spent a long, long time researching all of the different kinds and brands of trailers and finally decided on this one. Love, love, love it.


Harrison loves it too.


Peter's parents brought his bike out from Virginia so that he can ride with us too. (thanks again!)


My neighbor goes with me on morning bike rides and we whine together about sore bums and tired thighs. We ride for about 30 minutes and then chat outside for about an hour (okay... sometimes more, because it's hard work being bike people!).

This is my neighbor's daughter, Tennley. She normally rides in her own trailer, but this day she was having a little visit in Harrison's trailer.






Harrison and Tennley are good friends. They share the same birthday, exactly one year apart. Tennley follows Harrison around like he is the coolest kid she's ever met. She laughs and giggles at everything he does. It is so funny to watch them together.

They are so cute!






But don't worry, they're nothing more than just friends.


Gimme some knuckles.


That's just how we roll.

Flashback Friday

Because I said I would, dang it.

Easter 2009

And because I will never, ever tire of seeing Harrison in that Easter outfit.





More flashbacks to come. I have a LOT of catching up to do still...

Time flies when you're having fun

We've had a lot of visitors this summer, which makes us feel like this:





But we've been so busy and life has gotten so hectic that is mostly leaves us feeling like this:



CRAZY.



We've been so busy running here and there and somewhere in the process my poor blog got pushed to the side.

I have a million things to blog about and a million pictures to post.



It's coming, I promise.

And it's gonna be good.

Wait.. have I said that before? Well... this time I mean it. Posts are coming. Lots of 'em.




Keep visiting.

Peter's first post

I've hijacked the family blog to let everyone know how fantastic my wife is now that we've been married for 4 years today. We talked the other night how each year has had its specific challenge and specific blessing, but when I really think about it, life has been absolutely wonderful since we got married. We didn't post much on the blog about this, but as most know, we had quite a scary health moment earlier this year and as I walked out of the hospital at 3 AM holding my sleeping 18 month old, I can't put into words how humbled and grateful I felt that (a) I got to keep my wife with me and (b) I have such a wonderful wife and mother to our son to take care of us. I realized then, in very (too?) sharp of contrast, that I couldn't do it alone and at the same time how very fortunate I am to not have to go through life alone.

Now that I'm a bit choked up (too bad Food Network is on, hard to explain that one away...) I need to point out how awesome my wife is:

1. She takes the best pictures, ever.

2. She is the craftiest person I know (in the good way, not the sneaky way.)

3. She never gets upset with Harrison, no matter how many times he wants to make paper airplane. All of his intelligence can be directly tied back to her.

4. She makes delicious food, too good sometimes.

5. She loves me, despite the many obvious reasons otherwise.

6. She lets me be passionate, even though she knows most things I can't remember the next day.

Thank you for being my best friend, my support, my son's fantastic mother, my anchor and my love. I couldn't do it without you, nor would I ever want to try. I love you always and for always.

Hip, hip HOORAY!!!

Just for fun I entered Harrison's birthday cake in parenting.com's 2009 Birthday Cake Contest.


And.



I.



WON.


Woo-hoo!! I never win anything!

This is one of the most exciting days of my entire life.




Seriously.




Yipee!!!!


You can check it out here: 2009 Birthday Cake Contest



(in case you were wondering... I won a 500 dollar gift card to Kmart. Let the shopping begin!!!!)