Pumpkin Patch with the Cousin

While we were in Franklin for Weston's interview, I really wanted to take Hannah and her "twin" cousin, Caroline, to the pumpkin patch.  I had big ideas of going to Gentry's farm so that Hannah could see all the animals and take a hayride, but with the two little ones, I compromised with everyone on the pumpkin patch next to the mall.  All the proceeds went to a good cause benefiting siblings of childhood cancer patients, but next year I'm taking her to the farm too.  Despite our suburban setting, we were still able to get some cute pictures of the girls.  And Hannah had a blast touching all the different pumpkins and fell in love with one pumpkin in particular, and Caroline seemed to have fun as well.  So I guess you would call the pumpkin patch a success this year!

Caroline was loving Hannah's pumpkin bib when we first met up.

I'll just let the pictures do the talking because there is A LOT.  And adorable pictures need no words.

 

 

 

 

After the pumpkin patch, we went back to Grandma and Granddad's house for chili.  The grandparents gave the girls a cute spider book and adorable pumpkin sleepers with these pumpkin hats.

 

So much fun!  Only wish our other 3 cousins in Texas could have joined us.  I can just picture these girls trick or treating together in the years to come!

Glass Etching Craftiness and Hobtoberfest

When Hannah was born, all my focus, energy, and identity was poured into her precious life and becoming the mother she needed from me.  It's what I wanted.  The greater purpose in life I prayed to be given.  And it's been hard.  It's been rewarding.  It's been wonderful.

Now with the rearrangement of life and our priorities, I realize it's also important to keeps my other interests, hobbies, and friendships going.  I've forgotten how fun it is to get creative and craft.  They make me happy, and Hannah loves a happy Mommy.

Wes and I hosted a party this fall.  We called it "Hobtoberfest".  A play on words with our last name and Oktoberfest.  It was a party for all things fall.  Fall beer, German food, and football.

The idea came to me to give out frosted beer mugs at the party to each of our guests.  I thought it would be even cooler if they were glass etched to say "Hobtoberfest".  So I ran to the dollar store to get my glass steins, and the craft store to get my stencil and etching cream.

First I washed all of them before applying the stencil and cream.

I originally had a really awesome Old English font, but I realized after I brought it home that it was a one-time use stencil which was going to get expensive multiplied by 12 mugs.  So I went back and got these reusable stencils at Hobby Lobby.  They stuck great to the glass time after time.  And then I used painters tape to help keep my letters level and to avoid the cream getting outside of my letter stencil.

Then you leave on the cream for just a minute then rinse off with warm water, and the glass etch will stay forever, even through the wash!  I wish I had left the cream on a little longer to make the letters a little darker.  It's a little hard to see in this picture.

We would never have been able to pull everything together that day without the help of our fantastic friends, Jenny and Jakob.

There was food at this party I promise.  We had all sorts of fall dips, bratwursts, pretzels, cupcakes, and more.  But the beer took center stage.  We filled several growlers with specialty fall brews fresh on tap from Hop City here in Birmingham.  There was also plenty of Sam Adams Octoberfest-Weston's favorite brew.

 

It was really hot that day.  Fall really doesn't start in Alabama until late October or really even November.  So folks stayed indoors at first until it started to cool off in the late afternoon.  Football was on all the TV's.  Georgia and Oklahoma both had big games that day, and our friends can't miss cheering on their alma maters.

Our friends, Adam and Roopan, had their baby girl the same week we had Hannah.  Nora Grace is her name, and Nora Grace and Hannah became fast friends and held hands without anyone's encouragement.  It was so adorable.

Hard to believe this guy was an adorable 6-week old when we all moved to B'ham.

And one last cheers after everyone left and Hannah was in bed.  So much fun!

Thanks for everyone coming over to celebrate fall finally arriving!  We had a blast.

Also, a very special Happy Birthday to my dad today!!  He's such a fantastic Dad.  I love being a daddy's girl.  One of my fondest memories with my dad is going to our local bakery to pick up doughnuts nearly every Saturday morning.  It was our errand to run, and we would sing "if you're happy and you know it" on the way in the car.  When we got there, my dad would set me up on the counter, and the bakery lady would sneak me a doughnut hole.  He was that kind of dad.  Always doing the little things that reinforced the important stuff-like that I'm important and loved.  I hope he knows too how important and loved he is as well.  Happy Birthday!

Sweet Caroline

About a month ago, Hannah and I made our way back to Tennessee for my newest niece's baptism.  My brother, Joe, and sister-in-law, Lindsey, had their first baby in the beginning of August.  They named her Caroline Reese, and she is as sweet as can be.

 

There were plenty of Caroline's friends in attendance looking as adorable as ever.

My brother, Bryan, and Lindsey's sister, Autumn, are the godparents to little Caroline.  You can just see the love for this baby.

Caroline didn't make a peep through the entire celebration.  Although Hannah was quite talkative through it.  I think she was just happy for her cousin.

 

Caroline with her grandparents.

The best big brothers any girl could ask for.  Caroline is just as blessed to have these men in her life.

 

Lindsey and Joe hosted a really nice luncheon reception at the church following the Baptism.  I wish I had taken some more pictures, but each table had pink flowers in mason jars.  There was an adorable tiny kiddie table for the little ones, and my littlest of ones just snoozed in her uncle's lap.

Exhausted from all the excitement from her cousin's Baptism.

 

We love you sweet Caroline.

 

5 months

We spent Hannah's 5 month birthday in San Francisco.  Weston had a work conference, and my parents, Hannah, and I joined him for a little vacation time.  After returning from SF, we've also been back in Nashville for an interview for Weston.  I think we were out of town 12 days in a 13 day stretch.  So forgive me as I catch up on the latest happenings in the next few posts.  But before I do that, here is our 5 month old.

This month has been full of new experiences for Hannah.  The biggest would be her first flight and first vacation.  She also has been trying a little rice cereal here and there.

She is quite the studier.  Her eyes scan and then focus on everything around her.  She can have very smiley moments, but things such as Mommy's camera brings out a more serious and inquisitive looks.

 

I have a feeling baby proofing is in my very near future.  This girl is getting mobile.

...very mobile.

All in all, it was a very busy and fun month with our 5 month old.