Happy 5th Birthday, Ava!!!

A Sneak Peek at the Birthday Girl!

She's 5!!!!!

And got up at 4:30 this morning, when Mommy got up, and started her day opening a few presents. Later, it's cupcakes at school, then dinner at Olive Garden and birthday cake and presents at home. More pictures to come.

Twas the Night Before Halloween. . .

with no sugar to be found,
still my girls acted different, definitely wound
with funny hats
and swinging acrobats,

but all is well now,
as we prepare for trick-or-treating,
stay tuned for a ghostly show
and someone cartwheeling. . .

My Sweet Noelle

My sweet Noelle. In all of the pictures I have of my girl, she looks incredibly healthy, especially considering the severity of her heart condition. I know God is looking out for her and I trust in His timing and wisdom.

Happy Halloween

We went back to the pumpkin patch but with similar results as last week. It was about a hundred degrees and after about 30 minutes we left for the air conditioned mall. We got treats there and ended up getting our pumpkin at Wal-Mart (most of the pumpkins at the patch were beginning to rot). I think we'll find another, closer pumpkin patch for next year.

Pumpkin Patch, II

Our pumpkin patch trip did not go as planned. The 1 hour drive turned into 2 hours with traffic into the patch at its worst:( By the time we got in we had only forty minutes for fun before they closed. We hit the candy store and the craft fair, but will return next weekend for the hay ride, corn maze and pumpkins. We'll go early (they open at 9am), hopefully before the crowds funnel in. We've been going eight years and this is the first time I've seen it packed.

Pumpkin Patch

We're going today. YIPPEEE! Autumn is my favorite season.
I'm heading out for a jog and when I get back, it's to the Y for the girls' gymnastics classes. I'll do a little writing while they have lunch and play, then we're headed to the patch. It's an hour's drive, but they know what's waiting at the end of the road--a corn maze and hay rides, craft booths and sweets. After picking out our pumpkins, we'll be ready for dinner. Soup Plantation tonight.