The Story of a Bracelet

This is my mom at 6 months (circa 1944). She is wearing a baby bracelet that her mom lovingly dressed her in. My mom lost her mother as a young child, and her baby pictures have always been a special reminder of how well-loved and cared for she was. For my wedding in 2000, I wore the baby bracelet under my dress as my "something old."
And this past August, Eliza wore the bracelet for her one-year pictures.
Thank you, Edna Walin Bennett, for this wonderful gift.

Three Little Pumpkins

Perfect fall days are hard to beat. Yesterday (one such day) we made our annual trek to the pumpkin patch.
Eliza quickly picked out her favorite,
but found out it was harder to pick UP than pick OUT.

And yes, we do have a hair bow for every occasion.

Soapbox Derby!

Our neighborhood held its first annual soapbox derby last Saturday. A couple weekends ago, Jess and the boys began construction on team "Double-Dare Davises" car.
Eliza wanted in on the power tool action.
The boys take it for a test spin, with Eliza as their hood ornament.

The following weekend, Ben and Noah gave the car a custom paint job. (Before heading out camping. Is Jess campaigning for Dad of the Year?)

Our final derby car!

Race day with our good friends, Sawyer and Jackson.

The super-cool Lightning Lees!

(Yes, that's a hollowed out log. And yes, they won in the creative category.)

Team 3-D fanclub.

Cutest cheerleader ever.

It was awesome that Aunt Julie and Grandpa came to watch the big race.

Getting ready at the starting line.

And they're off!

So, we didn't break any speed records, but we had the BEST time. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Camping ... again

So, as Jess's luck would have it, Ben's class organized another camping trip this fall. With Eliza as a really good excuse for me to stay home, it was just the guys on this adventure. Jess and I had talked about "loose parenting" on the camping trip, which translated into exploring the river fully clothed. What little boy wouldn't LOVE this?

Jess texted me this picture, to which I replied, "Who is this?" His answer: "Your second oldest child." Needless to say, they had a great time.