“Tradition” is a funny word. Loosely defined as an act repeated and brought from the past into the present. Our tradition, the first we did upon moving to wisconsin and the reoccurring event we have then experianced every year since: pumpkins. We drive to treinen farm where we visit the dogs, goats, lamas, chickens, and horses and on a good day, take the horse drawn carriage to the pumpkin patch where we peruse and carefully select THE squash of choice.

But this day, the day we chose to venture out to this picturesque farm and begin our adoration that is halloween; WAS FREEZING! It began snowing as we left the city and was so wicked cold we couldn’t even get the gumption to get on the carriage!!  So after much debate and not a lot of argument from our little people we celebrated our trip with a Crockett picnic in which we enjoyed hotdogs, coke and each-other! This is that moment!

We watched the fireman parade at the capital with Noah waving on with complete adoration

This marks my 28th birthday. We are constantly changing, everpresent to capture the next perfect day, the next unqualified moment – that encapsulates our lives. I continue to wait for the other shoe to drop, for something to happen that will bring reality back and remind me that we are getting older and that birthdays begin to mark that passage between age and youth, but right now, we’re vital! We’re in the middle of EVERYTHING with laughter and celebration. I have such confidence, such power in the woman I’m growing into! I wouldn’t change the younger me (although I might advise NEVER say never;) but i look back at her and think… there’s still so much you have to live!

We just finished ringing in Noah’s 3rd birthday. We threw him a party; celebrating his life, his birth, his nature and character and I cried! I cried as my sister surprised me, alighting from the car with my parents. I cried when Noah saw his cake – the exact color (chocolate), flavor (chocolate:) and pic (brontosaurus) that he dreamed up – and his entire face lit up. I cried when I kissed him goodnight as he ambled off with nana and popie for a sleepover. I teared up as my nephew (all 17 lbs:) body slammed my hubbie as he was winding down for the night. and I definetly bawled like a baby to say my goodbyes. It was such a joyous weekend.

we drove to the far reaches of wisconsin in order to explore the fishes.

Ahhhh what could be better than a beautiful day playing at the park with friends!

we drove to the far reaches of wisconsin in order to explor the fishes in mil-wau-kee

After  soaking, destroying, ripping, and eventually running in his birthday suit, I felt I had to post about our day at the children’s museum!  Nothing but good memories! Check out the rest of our pics.

When the collective “we” started talking about getting our little people introduced into the world of organized sports, I couldn’t imagine anything more adorable than our toddlers running around, scoring goals, making passes… HA!  The pictures could never do justice to the up at dawn, constant vigilance, semi-peep show (that’s for you leah:) that was the shorewood hills soccer league.

we traveled to lake ripely with the baby-mamas to let the kiddos play in the sand.  It was perfect