Halloween and Reformation Day

We celebrated two holidays on October 31, but only one was photographed. 

I'll talk about our Reformation Day festivities another year. For now, here was their first Halloween here at home. 

Trying on the costumes ahead of time. Peter was a fire fighter; Anna was Tinkerbell (with artistic license)

Peter's pumpkin. He loved the sliiiiiime! 

Time for his sweetheart to do her own sliming

It's all about the approach...

A thrilling time was had by all.

 

Mama on the knife, having received some artistic direction

Seeds! Waste not, want not.

Out for a picnic, soaking up the calm and warm...the last warm day, perhaps? I don't know how many times I've said that now.

The Night Arrives.

Getting our characters dressed

Ready to go...

I have to say, after a pretty rough day with some cranky kids, I had my doubts. But Tinkerbell and the firefighter took off! They were both so into it. Apparently Peter's costume came treated with a complementary dose of Instant-Extrovert, and Anna was witnessed running down the sidewalk between houses chanting, "I'm wearing wiiiiiiings/ for Haloweeeeeen!" 

This lady had really good porch lights, so I seized the shot. 

Off the beaten path to visit these dear folks and some of their Halloween hospitality. 

And this one

Soaking in the magical night for one last moment

Sampling and debriefing Daddy

More Fall Fun

Snapshots of our Fall fun, in brief:

Korean BBQ Birthday Dinner. More, please.

These cuties.

Our new tornado toy

Cool walk around the pond

Sunday visit from Grandaddy and Oma

These kids love their Grandaddy

The brownest eyes. My kids don't mess around with in-between colors. 

New, Planes, Puzzle. These are a few of his favorite things .

And these are a few of mine. 

And this is the sand I want to keep from slipping through my fingers.

Classic parent singing day view. How I love that determined sitter.

Favorite colors.

'nuff said.  

 Selfie (one of billions on my phone within a few minutes) and portrait of the artist.

And some good moments from our Seneca Creek picnic hike

 

A few more notes

The story on this pic: I'd gotten the kids down for their naps, after couple false starts apparently, and came back downstairs to this glorious scene. Letters and numbers, puzzles and crayons and mini excavators and play-doh and memory verses and apples and milk-carton caterpillars. Temporarily usurped during these oh-so-precious quiet minutes by big books and the book as I seize my one chance to prepare for my turn to lead the Bible study in the dark hours of the next morning. I had to smile at this harmonious disarray, how these parts all go together. Not a thing out of place. Richness pressing into richness. 

Sweetness

It was a boat sailing to India. Then it was a bubble bath. 

 On a walk, charging the yard of the first really red tree of the neighborhood.

 The Fort

Blue eyes in green grass

Kind of a last hurrah for the summer. The kids followed me out back and in a moment were rolling around in the grass like so.