Pumpkin Patch - Take 2

Our friends, the Changs host an annual Fall Breakfast followed by a fun trip to the Irvine Regional Park Pumpkin Patch.  We had a great time and tried to get lots of cute pictures.  They may not be perfect, but at least this time the whole family got to be there!

 Our sweet little pumpkins!

 Libby got to ride a horse for the first time!  She did not love it.  She cried for awhile when we first put her on it, but by the end was at least okay with the whole experience.  Now, a few days later, she talks about it all the time like it was the greatest thing she's ever done - go figure!

 She's getting better at the concept...

 Is she so cute, or what?!  I love that she's almost sitting up now - it sure made pumpkin picture taking easier than when we first tried this with Libby when she was less than 2 months old.

 The measure-up traditional picture.

 Lexi got in on the fun, too!

 Apparently this type of horse is more Libby's style!

 Libby and her buddies:  Houston, Owen, and Ian

One last Macbeth family photo.  What a fun day!  Thanks, Changs!

Pumpkin Patch - Take 1

While the Openshaws were here we had the ultimate Saturday:  we spent the morning at the park, midday at the beach, late afternoon at the pool, and after dinner finished up our night at the Pumpkin Patch at the Laguna Hills Mall. 

 The best of the many attempts at a shot of the Macbeth girls - pathetic, I know!

 Max and Libby didn't quite get the concept of these little gems - the head all the way through was my favorite, but they sure had fun!

Grammy and Lexi had fun watching Libby and Max on the train.

 Max is destined to be in parades - he was a star performer for the cheering crowds (being us, of course!).  Libby, not so much.  But she did catch on by the end.

 Tanner and Ellie got to join them on the Pumpkin City version of the teacups.  Now this was Libby's cup of tea - she was in heaven!  It was Max who needed some convincing on this one.

 And the longest ride known to man - the cars that just kept circling!  THough we adults were bored to tears by the end, the good thing about the length of the ride was that it was long enough for Libby to figure out how fun it was to smile and wave at her adoring fans!  Maybe she'll make it in parades after all! ;)

 The Foster gang (minus the Stewarts and Brad)

 Add in a few of the Stapelys and we were quite a group!

 One last try for a Macbeth girls picture...and another fail!  What can you do?! 

Libby loved the Pumpkin Patch and told us the next morning that she dreamed about it that night and had fun on all of the rides!

October Fun

Here are a few of the fun things that October has brought our way this year.

 1.  The Openshaws!  Their fall break is always in October and it usually results in a fun visit filled with lots of beach time, plenty of trips to Thrifty's, and good old family fun!  They started it off this year by all going to Legoland while I was a work - boooo!  But my mom was a champ and took both girls along for the fun.  They loved it and Amy and my mom enjoyed all the stares as everyone thought that all 7 of the kids were Amy's!  As if 5 weren't enough!

Libby and Max had a blast playing together the whole time - no matter where they were. And, turns out they both have a huge affinity for fire-hydrants - who knew?!?

As always, we got in lots of beach time and even made sure we got a Sunday evening stroll in to watch the sunset over the ocean.  It was beautiful and we were so happy to have Brad back from his backpacking trip to join us! 

 2.  Quality friend time!  Lexi and her buddy Connor have started "playing" together, just like their older siblings.  Those Chang boys sure know how to make our Macbeth girls happy! ;)

 3.  The Annual Witch Party!  One of my friends throws a girls-only witch party every year where we all dress up as witches and enjoy treats and socializing around the cauldron (AKA fire-pit) for a night away from the kids.  Super fun tradition - I love it!

 4.  Hawk Football!  Yep, fall means football - even if it is just the High School team.  I drug Brad and the girls to 2 games this year and since we lost both, I'm guessing that's all I'm going to get out of Brad.  This was during the Homecoming half-time show as the fireworks were going off - how cute!

 Apparently Libby only smiles for one picture per event (if that!).  We had fun and the girls are always a hit.

 5.  Goofing off!  So, this is what happens when you don't buckle your ultimate-back-arching-child into the swing!  It was still on, but her feet were touching the floor and she thought she was pretty hot stuff. 

 Yeah, we're still working on that whole smile-for-the-camera thing!  Someday...someday...

Roll, Stroll, and Jump!

Lexi is sure growing up fast!  Here are a few of the very grown-up things she's been doing lately:

 1.  Rolling.  This is how it began.  She's had the whole tummy to back thing going for over a month, but within the past few weeks she's started doing this..."I'm soooo close, Mom!"

 A few Sundays ago, she finally got past that stubborn arm that kept stopping her from making it all the way!

 Was she pleased with herself?!   YES!  Look at that smile!

 That's our happy little roller!

2.  Strolling.  As long as she's rolling, we might as well move on to strolling, too.  So she also had her first experience in the stroller without her carseat.  Facing forward and loving it!  What a big girl!

 3.  Jumping.  While we're at it, we better whip out the good old-fashioned jumper!  Just like her sister, she fell in love with it instantly!

 And then Libby got involved!  YIKES!!!!  This picture is classic!  (Don't worry, Libby wasn't quite as crazed as she looks!)

All in all, I'd say we have one very happy baby!  We sure do love her!

Bowling Party

Last Saturday, our friend Eric had a birthday party at the bowling alley.  We were super excited to get out there and show off our mad skills! 

 Brad and the girls ready to show 'em what we've got!

 Annie was soooo excited to get to hold Lexi while we bowled.  Lexi was the crowd favorite and was handed around from person to person all night.

 Brad took a second to Wow the crowd with his "standing baby" trick.  Lexi is just getting old enough for it and it is amazing to see people's faces when he does it - they all think she's going to die for sure!

 Here they go!

I got in on the fun, too.  Turns out we got there a little late and everyone else was done bowling when we got there, but we had fun ourselves and, as you can see, pretty much had the place to ourselves.  As much as she liked the bowling, I think the rocking out to loud music was even more of a hit!

Cute Girls

Yeah, turns out it's been forever since I posted anything...sorry!  Here are a few cute shots of the girls just being cute.  (It's what they do best, you know!)

 Lexi has discovered her hands and is a real grabby-Gus these days.  Here she is enjoying her toys.

 Despite the drool on her shirt (which is almost a permanent fixture for her!), she sure looks cute!

 Libby showing off her "smile".  Yeah, we're still working on that one! ;)

Not the best picture, but we had to show off Libby's awesome tan lines from this summer!  What a cutie!

(I got a better shot, but Lexi had wormed her way out of her loin cloth, so I had to go with this one.  Bummer!)

Libby's Birthday - Part 3

Since Libby had gotten so spoiled with presents by Grammy and Pops on her real birthday, we decided to hold off and give her the presents from us the next day after Sunday dinner.

 What a cool tower Daddy built! 

 OK, I couldn't resist - this picture is hilarious!  What this whole striking a pose thing is all about, I have no idea, but it was so funny!  Notice I tried to include at least some pink in all of the wrapping - she LOVES pink!

 One of her favorite presents was a Small World book we got her.  We've already read it countless times - I think it was a winner! :)

And, the left over cupcakes from yesterday made their debut a second time.  Whew!  What a whirlwind weekend!  And to think I had to start a full week of work the next day - YIKES!