Pumpkin Patch & Updates

We had quite a fun weekend this past few days celebrating and getting ready for Halloween.  Friday night the kids and I met up with a friend to go trick-or-treating at the mall.  It was a fun (but crowded) event and the kids really enjoyed dressing up in their costumes and getting all the candy.  Colton has a dragon costume this year and he LOVES dressing up and totally gets in character.  It's awesome.  Katie has a couple of costumes that fit her so I went with the most simple (pirate) for this event- she'll be an adorable little bumblebee for actual Halloween!  Colton took it upon himself to teach Katie how to get in character- he kept saying, "Katie, you're a pirate.  Say 'arrrr'!"   So, sporatically throughout the night Katie with bust out with, "Pi-yet, rrrrrrr".  Basically, my kids are adorable :)   After the trick or treat we got to go pick up daddy from the airport!  Jon was just getting home from a two-week work trip to Canada.  The kids were thrilled to see him and had lots of fun demanding daddy play all sorts of games with them when we got home.

The next morning, we went as a family to the Pride of the Wapsi pumpkin patch.  It was a bit chilly but we all had fun spending time together and doing seasonal activities!  Katie apparently really loved the barrel train because she started bawling her eyes out when we took her off and, unfortunately, took awhile to settle down so she is totally sad in several of our pictures we took.  Saturday night we had family pictures taken, and it was fun to get out in nature and spend more time together.  The kids weren't too fond of smiling but did pretty well overall.

Tonight we painted pumpkins for Family Home Evening.  Of course, the kids made a mess but it was fun!

Updates:
Colton is getting to be quite an intelligent little boy.  He picks up on almost everything he hears or sees and is quite impressive in the things he learns and remembers.  He is, of course, still obsessed with dinosaurs and dragons, but he also really likes trains, cars, baseball and most of the other typical boy stuff.  He can be incredibly sweet with us and Katie- always patting Katie on the head saying "You're such a good girl, Katie", and giving kisses and hugs all the time.  It's definitely one of my favorite things when he runs over randomly to give me a big hug and says, "I love you Mama!"  He is currently refusing to potty train.  He cries every time I try to put him on the toilet and no matter what incentive I give- he just keeps saying, "I'm not ready yet."  I guess I'll wait for him, but I hope he's not 10 before he decides he's ready!  We are done eye patching for right now so we are enjoying not having to deal with that battle!

Katie is quite the little girl- full of personality!  She in incredibly obstinate and enjoys saying "no" or doing the exact opposite of what we want, just for the sake of doing the exact opposite of what we want.  She thinks it's quite funny.  She also enjoys egging her brother into chasing her- she'll run up and steal one of his toys and run away until he's chasing after he and trying to tackle it out of her and soon they're both crying.  It's great.  (sarcasm)  She also loves making fun faces and just laughing out loud and being silly.  She is always bringing a smile to our faces.  She is speaking really well and can tell me what she wants most of the time.  She says, "poopy, pirate, snack, dinner, grapes, milk, hungry, Colton, push (usually those two together) mama, daddy, baby, blanket, kitty, doggie, drink, banana, swing, climb, stinky, diaper, belly, nose, hair, feet, mouth, what's that, there it is, where are you, and lots more common phrases.  The last xray on her hip was great and everything is forming correctly.  Prayers are definitely anwered!

Jon and I are doing great.  Jon's been traveling a lot with work this year, which is difficult on me and the kids but it also helps us appreciate each other and our family time together a lot more!  I'm in Young Women's now- the Beehive adviser.  It's a lot different than Relief Society but the girls are fun and it's definitely forcing me out of my comfort zone.  Overall, all is well and we are enjoying a beautiful Fall season in Iowa!