Happy Birthday, Papa!

Today my Dad turns 70. If you spend any time around him at all, you know that that's hard to believe. Ever the tinkerer, he still loves to play with his "toys" (mostly tractors these days), chase down a "good deal," and of course, spoil his grandkids. Dad and Me, 1975
December 2000

Papa and Ben, July 2007

Papa and Noah, July 2007

Papa and Eliza, October 2011

Happy birthday, Papa! We love you!

Fall Festivals and Halloween 2011

October has become jam-packed with fun fall activities. My friend said they should just cancel school in October in order to fit everything in. While I myself am happy to send the little darlings off every morning, I do agree that it's a lot ... but SO MUCH fun! Last weekend we went to Noah's school fall festival where he was transformed into a ... ferocious tiger!
Ever seen a tiger riding a pony?

Eliza was thrilled to take her first pony ride. Now the real question: Will Daddy be buying her a pony for her second birthday? (I assure you the answer is no.)
Noah loved the petting zoo ...
Eliza was less enthusiastic.

Last week we also had our church fall festival.

Eliza seemed a little appalled that we would dress her up like a strawberry and take her out in public. So humiliating.

But when she got over herself, she had a great time.

Of course, there were lots of treats,

and games ... and what do you know?

More ponies! (Ever seen a shark ride a pony?)

One of Noah's classmates had a Halloween party last week with lots of backyard fun.

And on Halloween day, his class paraded around the school in costume ...

On Halloween night, it's tradition to have our great friends Ava and Eli and parents over for dinner and, of course, trick-or-treating!

I think this was year 5 with this growing (in number and size) gang.

Enjoying the fruits (er, candy) of their labor.

Count Shark-ula!

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.