Last Days of Summer, Cousins, Fall, New Baby, Fire Station, & Halloween!

I can't believe it's already November 1st! It seems that in the last 2 months, the old saying "time flies when you're having fun" has really held true for us!

We started out September with an adults-only trip to the Renaissance Festival with good friends. We try to make in an annual trip. Sort of a last "hurrah" for the teachers in our life before they have to go back to school.
Here the 3 amigos (now related by marriage) enjoy some Renaissance beverages together!

Then in mid-September, the boys and I headed down to Illinois to help distract the cousins (and Aunt Katie) while they awaited the arrival of their new baby sister! It was a great trip, with visits to the arboretum, an orchard, and a train restaurant!

Can you imagine riding in THIS minivan??

True to form, Miles demanded to join his brother and cousins in the bouncy house...and LOVED it! In fact, he is the only one who Uncle Alex had to go in and retrieve when it was time to go!

Um, I thought our apples were in that bucket?

Your food gets delivered by a train!!The end of September and early October brought a very early fall.

Yes, Grandma, I do let them jump off of their picnic table into the pile of leaves!

The first weekend in October brought a surprise last-minute trip for me back to Illinois to take care of Izzie and Abbie while their new baby sister was being born! It was so special to be there! Welcome Emelia Alexandra!

Awwwww....what a happy family!

Admiring their new sister...

Back home, Miles was being diagnosed with croup. Although we made it to the ECFE fire station field trip that week, we didn't do much else for the next 2 weeks due to coughs, cold, and even fevers!

Finally, healthy and back to "normal" to celebrate Halloween. We prefer the "Mr. Pumpkin-Head" route to pumpkin decorating...seems a little safer at this time in our lives! :)

And my Spiderman and Tigger are still coming off of their sugar highs after a fun Halloween night!