October

October was another busy month for us. It was filled with soccer games and practices, Halloween fun, and we went to Abilene.

I forgot to add this picture to my last post. This was Kate's team picture taken.

At the beginning of October I brought Kate lunch for the first time. It was so neat and sweet to see her walking into the cafeteria in a line. She was trying so hard to follow the rules, so she was scared to get out of line to come over to me. I had to reassure her that it was ok! Kamara came over to watch Claire so that I could have that time with just Kate. It was a special treat. I really enjoyed it! I have since tried to eat lunch with her at least once a month. I am also now helping out once a month in the cafeteria and workroom. I am so thankful that Kamara can help me out during those times.

That same day the girl's came home and turned two big boxes into rocket ships. It was completely their idea. I loved seeing their creativity!

Kate's Rocket Ship

Carly's Rocket Ship

Carly's finished rocket ship

Here is the top of Kate's rocket ship. She used flower hair clips to decorate.

Kate has all the essentials in her rocket ship.

I felt like I got a glimpse of the inside of Kate's locker in her teenage years. I love it!

I had a friend send me this picture of Carly in chapel. She volunteered to hold the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance. Look at that face! I was proud of her for volunteering!

The first weekend of October was October 4, 5 and 6. We had all planned to be in Abilene to be together for what would have been Lindsey's 30th Birthday on October 4. We got to see Lindsey's headstone for the first time. It is beautiful!

It was pretty cold and about to start raining so we only stayed for a little bit. 

Rogers Family

It was nice to have some time to reflect on Lindsey together and also to let the cousins spend some time together playing. We had some beautiful days that weekend. All the cousins spent a lot of time outside. We always say that Emie and Carly look like sisters. Don't they? Both beautiful, sweet, spunky girls!

Cole

Bree and Claire. I love those smiles!

Fun outside time. Cole swinging.

Kate and Emie in the background

Our traditional tree picture with Dad Dad and the grandkids. Here Dad Dad is with Claire.

The grandkids love having Dad Dad push them on the swings in Abilene. Here Dad Dad is with Carly.

Mom Mom, Aunt Lauren and Claire. 

Claire loved riding on the little Winnie the Pooh plane.

Tree picture with Carly and Dad Dad.

Mom Mom bought some pumpkins for all the grandkids to decorate. It was neat to see their creativity. They had a lot of fun!

Some of the finished pumpkins.

Time for S'mores!

Carly is serious about her S'mores!

That is one happy face!

Carly playing with Claire.

Sweet pictures of Claire.

Fun outside time

Everybody always has fun in Abilene!

 Now back at home taking a bubble bath together.

Gracie is one of Kate's friends at school. She is not in her class but they play in Kindergarten together. I have also become friends with her family. 

Here is another sweet friend that is in Kate's class. Her name is Mckinley. I have also become friends with her family. Ironically, Kate and Mckinley were in Kindermusic together when they were just one. It is crazy that years later we would reconnect in Kindergarten. Both girls are so sweet! This was a fun school activity that they had one Friday night.

Aubrey went with me to pick up Kate on a rainy day. They loved being able to each use an umbrella.

Kamara and I do play dates after school a lot of times so that Aubrey and Kate can still play together.  One evening I stayed a little later at Kamara's house and we did dinner there. On the way home was something happens that rarely happens. About five or ten minutes before I got home I turned around to see that all three girls were asleep!! Very rare. Luckily, it was a short time and I was still able to get all three of them asleep when we got home.

Pumpkin Carving with our Small group. Here is some of the Eoff family.

Kreneks

Janis

Zack, Kate and Carly

The Lees

Some of the Bumpus Family

We carved and decorated our pumpkins right beside the playground up at church, so then the kids could also play on the playground when they were done with their pumpkins. Here Claire is swinging.

Back to Zack. Keep it up Zack!

Henricksens

Lisa Lee

Eenigenbergs

Kreneks

Way to go Carly and Kate! 

Claire wanted to participate, too.

Sweet twins: Claire and Keely Bagley

Claire enjoyed playing on the playground, too.

Our finished jack o' lantern.

Jesse and Jonathan

Kate and Carly

John and Carly

Kate and Claire

Some of the kids together

Me and Claire

Also, in October we went to our annual pumpkin patch not far from our house. We have been going there for about 4 years.

It was kind of cold and windy so we did not stay there long. Poor Kate was not feeling good at all on this day. You can tell by her forced smile. Later on that day I took her to the doctor. This was a holiday for us in October like a little Fall Break that gave us a four day weekend. However, after going to the doctor we were advised for Kate to miss that Tuesday of school, too. She had a nasty virus that gave her a cold, fever and made her very tired. Carly and Claire ended up getting it, too.

I love this picture of Claire!

Poor Kate. This never happens any more to this big girl. She first of all does not get sick much, but also she doesn't ever fall asleep in the daytime! This was a big indicator that she was sick. I took this picture at the doctor's office while waiting in our room. Sweet Kate. Even after this snooze when she got home she begged and cried to go to bed. I gave her a little dinner and she went straight to bed. 

Here is one of Zack's projects. He was cleaning up some old tree stumps to make as chairs or little side tables.

Zack is usually gone a couple of weekends in the fall due to hunting. In October he goes pheasant hunting with some of the brother in laws and my Dad. So, to help us have more fun at home I turned the playroom into the library for the weekend. It made for a lot of fun for all of us. 

Meanwhile, the boys were hunting pheasants. From left to right: Rod, Zack, Brett and Michael. Chad did not go.

Now starts the Halloween Fun! The weekend before Halloween my sister Sheri and their church does a Boo Bash at their house. It is always lots of fun with bounce houses, nachos, hot dogs and some of the kids in costumes. Carly was hot in her costume, so she took off the top part for a little while. Carly was a butterfly, Kate was a fairy and Claire was a bumblebee for Halloween this year.

Carly's cousin, my nephew, Will is always quick to help out with the little ones. Thanks Will!

And here Will is with Kate, too.

Carly having fun in another bounce house.

There was a little bounce house that even Claire got to enjoy. 

Me and my little bumblebee

Laci is always so sweet to help out with the girls, too. Here Laci is with Carly while Carly eats.

Ellee joined in, too.

Kate and Isabelle

Nana and Claire

Kate and Carly see me straighten my hair some times and they always ask for me to do it to them. I could not get either one of their hair completely straight because my straightener is older and I don't think it works well enough for this. They were so excited about it! It was a fun experience for us girls.

And here is the front of their beautiful faces!

Shortly after we left Kate and Carly were running around and their hair got a little sweaty, so it went completely curly again. Even at age five Kate gets frustrated with her curly hair. I know she will probably have a love/hate relationship with her curls growing up, but it is one of my favorite things about her. I love Carly's little curls, too!

The week of Halloween Greenville Oaks Preschool always has a Petting Zoo/Pumpkin Patch. We are to bring in a decorated pumpkin to add to the collection. There was a great collection there! Carly also had fun feeding some of the animals.

Here is her sweet friend Harper. 

Shortly after those last pictures were taken Carly was done with the animals. She would rather play with her sister Claire and Mommy.

Here is Carly with her decorated pumpkin.

Carly and Harper with their pumpkins.

There were lots of cute pumpkins! Here were some other ones that we found.

Claire loved walking around and seeing the pumpkins, too.

Miss Mallory then had the class sit in a circle and go around and share something about the day and their pumpkin.

Carly felt a little too shy to share. That baby is not Claire but another sibling from the class.

Carly loves to play in the little house outside and ring the bell.

Kamara and I purchased these adorable orange pumpkin onesies for the girls. It made for some really cute pictures!

Look at these adorable laughing babies!!

Halloween day! Carly is ready to show her costume off at school!

All of the kids at preschool get to walk around the school for a Costume Parade and get candy from parents that are passing out. Here Carly is getting candy from me.

Claire enjoyed helping, too.

After the parade they went to sit in the Chapel room to wait for Chapel. Carly is waiting so patiently.

 All the kids are ready for the Halloween Party!
Many of the kids chose to take off their costume for the reminder of the day including Carly.

This year I am the Room Mom for Carly's class along with my friend Tracey Shepherd. One of your responsibilities as a Room Mom is to take of all the class parties. So, Tracey and I had planned for the kids to start the party by decorating a pumpkin with some stickers. They each had individual sheets. Then, we played a game which I don't have pictures of because I was in charge of it. They had to throw three balls on to a Ghost Dartboard. Each child got three tries to make the Target. It was fun! 

The last thing we did was decorate pumpkin cookies.  Everybody had a good time!

All through out our church there are pictures of children that are members at Greenville Oaks. However, our kids have never made the wall. Then, I was walking by and saw this precious gem! I love this picture of Carly with her classic Carly smile. 

Zack had a busy couple of weeks because he went Pheasant hunting, came back for one night, then had to go to Fifth Grade Camp. He then had a couple of nights home before going to Fredricksburg for Opening Weekend. When he came home for one of those days he could hear water trickling down in our hallway that sounded like it was coming from our water heater. Our water heater is located in the hallway by our room. When he opened the door he saw a great deal of water coming out at the bottom which was also leaking into the carpet. Oh no! We have known for some time that our water heater was on it's last leg. So, Zack had to turn off the water heater and we had to make the plan to replace it. My handy husband did some research and decided that he would replace it himself. Unfortunately, this fell on Halloween. So, Zack did in fact replace the water heater, but he had to miss out on most of the trick or treating with the girls. He went out for a little bit then came back home to finish working on it so that we could have hot water by bath time. We did in fact have hot water that night. Thank you Zack! Another drawback was that we had to spend about five days of drying out the carpet and having a musky smell in our hallway. However, it was all worth it. Now, when somebody is taking a hot bath or shower you don't hear this loud popping noise coming from our water heater. Yeah!

Kate and Carly were very intrigued by the hot water heater replacement. They loved watching it all take place.

They also enjoyed playing on the old water heater.

As well as the big box that the new heater came in.

We went Trick or Treating with our new friends in our neighborhood from Hughston Elementary. The little girl in white in named Gracie. She is dressed up as a veterinarian. Her little brother, Ramsey is a puppy to go along with her costume. We started taking Gracie to school in November. Kate was having trouble walking into the school in the mornings so I offered to take Gracie to school so Kate would have a friend to walk in with. Gracie lives right by the school, so it was a win-win situation. Gracie is not in Kate's class but she is in Kindergarten, so they can walk down the hall together. The little girl in blue is named Zoey. She is a first grader. She is Mckinley's neighbor and one of Mckinley's best friends, so we have also become good friends with her and her family. Mckinley was sick and could not join us. Zoey's little brother, Ziggy, was also there but not pictured. All of these kids are so sweet and we are so thankful they have all become friends.

Claire and Ramsey. Claire just kept smiling and smiling when we were taking pictures of the two of them. It was so cute. Ramsey is about 7 months younger than Claire, so they will be in Kindergarten together. He is so cute and also has the sweetest smile.

Sweet Ramsey

So cute!

I love this expression on Claire's face. She makes this expression a lot when she is talking.

Our three girls: The fairy, the bumblebee and the butterfly

Look at all those wings!

Our cute little bumblebee!

Posing in front of some Fall decorations.

Carly wasn't too fond of trick or treating after awhile. She just wanted to be held. Kate had fun doing it with some friends, though.

This is a popular attraction in our neighborhood. This family does a huge haunted house that draws a lot of people to come to the neighborhood. They take all their furniture out of the house and turn it into a haunted house. Kate really wanted to go in it with her friends, so I let her go with a couple of the parents. The only reason why I allowed it is because they separated the kids from young to old. I had to stay out with Carly and Claire. They seemed to have fun walking in it. I was told that Kate was pretty scared, though.

The best part is going through all your candy at the end of the night!

Carly still had a lot of candy to go through because she had her candy from preschool, too.

The day after Halloween, November 1, was Field Day at Kate's school. So, I had a babysitter named Savannah come over to watch Claire and Carly in the morning time so that I could volunteer to help out with Field Day. I had a game that I was in charge of that the kids rotated to do. They had all the games listed on the back of their shirts and once they went to a game we marked it off their shirts. Here Kate is with her group.

Sweet Kate!

October was pretty busy for the Pruett Household, but lots of fun!