Noah captured Thanksgiving this year as he shot our family’s progression through our first celebratorial Thanksgiving!! We totally rocked the corn pudding and sweet potato casserole but fumbled the turkey as an extra hour in the oven did nothing to thaw him!  We ended up nibbling the outside and laughing at the fact that even the 6 calls to my mom couldn’t melt his heart and fix that crazy bird!! We ended the day driving around a christmas village and checking out all the lights.  Such a great holiday and so very much to be thankful for!

Noah and I celebrated a day that was just us.  Well, us and about 4000 other parents, goblins, and ghosts that decided to venture to the zoo to celebrate the lions, tigers, and bears in true October style with treats and sweet moments!

I try to capture some moment everyday to send to jaythan at work.  this was our Friday.

OK so sometimes it gets away from me:) and as I was trying to work on the monstrous pile of clothes in our room Ima totally tanked out! HA!

That’s right! We hit the road and headed to devil’s lake where we shopped, drank, ate, and dished til our hearts content. There were stories told that can never be repeated, secretes shared, and the only pictures to capture any incriminating behavior were of the kids

We rocked! We rolled! I taught Noah invaluable lessons like how to yell with the band, and how to boogie in the aisle! as well as important distinctions like the difference between an MandM and reese pieces! He had a blast running between standing room and the lobby I don’t think we’ve ever had more fun!!

“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.