Halloween 2012

For several years I have made Sophie's Halloween costumes.  I really enjoy doing this.  We were so busy getting ready to move that I was tempted to just purchase one this year but couldn't make myself do it.  Trick or Treating lasts for such a short time in a child's life.  I know I only have so many years to do it so I took the time and started up the sewing machine.  Sophie wanted to be a Fairy and a Butterfly so we put the two together and made her a "Fairy Fly".  She was beautiful!

 This was the first year in several that Madison did not have to work on Halloween.  I'm not sure who was more excited...him or Sophie.  Like me he has always loved this holiday and was thrilled he was getting to take her Trick or Treating.  He was also excited to go through her candy stash and swipe his favorites once they got home.

We came across many scary figures that night!

But Sophie was okay as long as her "Big Brother" was there holding her hand.

Night Out With A Beauty

When I learned that Disney's Beauty and the Beast was coming to town I knew that I would be taking Sophie.  This is one of my favorite Disney movies and I couldn't wait to take my girl to her first musical . My friend Suzannah and I bought tickets for our girls and planned our night.  

 I dressed my beautiful little girl and took her outside for a photo shoot.  Daddy downloaded the soundtrack for us.  We had listened to it together all week.  Singing Be Our Guest as loudly and as often as we could.

 We picked up our friends and headed to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory.  Suzannah and I were concerned that the girls might lose interest half way through but that was not the case.  Sophie sat on the edge of my knees through the entire performance, asking questions throughout and claiming at one point, "I am Sophie and I'm cute...I think the Beast would love me too."  Yes baby girl.  I'm sure he would.  Everyone else does.

 Suzannah I drilled the girls before the show and at dinner about being ladies and proper behavior at a restaurant and play.  They did pretty well but just couldn't help themselves during the intermission.  The silliness had to come out.

 This is one of the things I've looked forward to about having a daughter.  I love to share these things with my girl and I plan on doing them every chance we get and hopefully we can conquer the acting like lady part.

SOLD

This summer Camden and I began talking about selling our house.   Like many other American families, this economy has hit us hard and we just felt that this might be something we should consider. It was a very tough decision to make.  This is a great house and it's the only house our daughter has known as home, but we both felt it was something that needed to be done.  We still had the sign from when we sold our other house just 4 1/2 years ago.  We dusted it off, made some new flyers and prayed a simple prayer together, "God if it is your will that our house sell, send a buyer.  If it is not your will, please send provision."  We placed the sign in our yard.

It became apparent pretty quickly that our instinct was right and that God's will was for us to sell our home.  It just happened so fast and so easily.  Within a week we had gone through 50 flyers that had been placed in a box on our For Sale By Owner sign.  Within 10 days we had a couple who had come to see the home 4 times and was getting ready to write an offer but backed out at the last minute.  We had an open house for two hours one Sunday, 20 people show up.  By week 3 we had a contract on our house from a young couple who had already sold their house and was ready to buy now.  

All of this by only putting a sign in our front yard.  We never advertised other than that sign we had prayed over together a few weeks before.

We do not have another house.  For the time being we will be selling a lot of our furniture, putting the rest in a POD and moving in to my parents upstairs.  

I guess for most people this would be stressful and some days it has been but neither one of us doubts that this was supposed to be. 

 We are thankful that my parents care so much about us.  They have stepped up to help in any way they can and are just fine having us as house guests.   Madison & Sophie are very close to them and both are just fine living there.  Sophie just wants to make sure that her "stuff" will be going with her.  It will.  Mamoo already has her an area set up just for her toys and has redone a room with new paint and carpet for Madison.  

As for our future plans....we don't have any yet but we trust God to lead us where he wants us to go.  We believe that he has a plan and it will happen at the exact time he chooses.  For now we are packing, purging and selling, knowing that our future is in his hands.

Pre K Field Trip Fall 2012- Gallrein Farms

Camden and I went on Sophie's first official field trip.  Her class took a trip to the pumpkin patch in Shelbyville.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and we couldn't have had more fun!

 Sophie chose a nice "little" pumpkin which made us happy.  It wasn't too heavy to carry.

 We took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch and had a ball walking through, trying not to trip over all the pumpkins we had to choose from.

 We enjoyed every minute of our time there.  Sophie fed the animals, climbed to the top of the hay mountain and ran around the farm with her friends.

Eating a delicious Apple Cider doughnut that was still warm from the fryer......yum!

Sophie is a very adventurous child.  There is not too much she's afraid of.  The animals at the farm were no exception.  She hit Papaw Butch up for some quarters and immediately began feeding the goats. 

 Papaw Butch and Jojo love to spend time with Sophie.  They drove up and met us at the farm. 

 It was a fun day and I'm so glad we all got to enjoy it with Sophie.  She is growing up so fast and these are those times in a little ones life that are so special. 

HAPPY FALL!!!