Halloween 2011

This year we had a vocabulary costume contest at school where everyone had to come dressed as a vocabulary word.  I invaded Kayla Weller's costume trunk (it pays to know a Halloween diva), and came up with "Deity" - an immortal being held in high regard and highly respected by her followers.  Wearing Kayla's Athenian goddess costume and wig, I went to school dressed to impress!  

Sam's class dressed in their Halloween costumes and had a glow stick party, pretty brilliant for a class full of babies who can't enjoy the spoils of trick-or-treating quite yet.  

As is tradition, Pawpaw and Kimme joined us at our house for dinner and trick-or-treating, and they brought this!  A "big-jack" pumpkin from CedarRock decorated with vegetables, now that's a new spin on pumpkin decorating that made for interesting conversation with our trick-or-treaters!

And, speak of trick-or-treaters...

Superman, Bumblebee, and Scarecrow Sam posed briefly before the trick-or-treating began.  Cameron was really into it this year, realizing quickly that an enthusiastic "TRICK-OR-TREAT" at our neighbors door meant CANDY in his bucket!  He might have gone all night out there!

Surrounded by Scarecrows

The story of the scarecrow costume is a pretty special one.  When Kayden was only just a baby, I found this scarecrow costume and had to have it for him.  CedarRock had just started its Fall Festival and it was so perfect for him as a Halloween costume.  

Kayden wearing his scarecrow costume - Halloween 2007

Fast-forward a few years and as all younger siblings do, Cameron inherited the scarecrow costume. 

Cameron - Halloween 2010

 Now, Sam has been given the scarecrow costume to continue tradition and wear for Halloween.

Samuel - Halloween 2011

 No need to comment on who fills the costume out the best, we all know who that is! :)

Since today was the tall scarecrow's last day at CedarRock for this year, I dressed up the small scarecrow  and headed to the farm to get some pictures with Daddy.  Please notice their hats and how they both have a crow perched on them.  I love it!  And them!

 Sam loved the corn troughs, and I was finding corn kernals in 

his diaper, socks and shoes hours later.

Hello Wilber!  Sam wasn't sure about the baby bigs at first, even began to cry.  But, I left him a minute longer in hopes he would change his mind.  And before long, nose to nose, this piglet and my piglet became buds.

His favorite thing, hands down, was playing with the baby goats.  This little fellow learned how to poke his head through the fence and get on Sam's side.  Sam would hold his hand out, and the goat would put his nose right in his palm.  So cute!  Sam laughed and tried talking to the goat.

We love CedarRock and are blessed to have a 

wonderful place to go and have fun in the fall!

Long Lived the Brown Cat

I went to Riverchase Middle School in the sixth grade.  That was a big year.  Middle school.  My first dance team tryouts.  We bought a home after several years of apartment living.  And, on the last day of school, my mom checked me out early...to go pick up our kittens.  That's right, we moved into our new house on the first weekend of summer break, and on the very first night in my very own room (which I had never had before) I snuggled up and slept with my new kitten... Jasmine.  That was May of 1993, I was eleven then.

One month early, while we were still house hunting, we looked at a home and the owners' cat, Elvis, had just had a litter of kittens.  Three yellow striped tabby cats and one brown one.  Amanda and I instantly fell in love with the kittens.  Amanda became fond of the little one with a quiet, cuddly temperment.  I wanted the brown one that crawled all over me and everyone else.  Nooobody wanted the brown cat but me, but somehow Amanda and I convinced our mother to adopt them both.  One month later, we would return to pick up our then 8-week old kittens and take them to our new home.

It wasn't long before we learned "Jasmine" was a boy, so HIS name became Jasper.  He was a completely wild spirited kitten with a fear of nothing.  He climbed curtains and chased flashlights, loved to curl up in grocery bags and would come when you called him, just like a dog.  He wasn't your ordinary cat.  He loved a good bath.  He never hid from children but jumped right in and played.  His purr was like a motor-boat idling on your chest.  He would "make biscuits" with his paws until his nest was made and he was ready to lay down for one of his famous cat naps- that usually ended up with him sprawled out on his back.

He earned a place as a member of our family.  He was there as I finished middle school and high school. He saw me off to college and greeted me when I came home to visit.  He stayed with my mother when I moved to Tennessee.  He moved with my mom as she remarried.  He took on a chihuahua named Levi as a roommate.  And last November, my childhood pet greeted my newly-born son on his first trip to Nani and Papa Ron's house.  

This past Saturday, October 22nd 2011, Jasper peacefully went to his forever home in heaven.  To say he lived a long life is an understatement.  He was 18 years old, approximately 96 in cat years, a rarely attained age for a cat.  He was with our family for almost two decades.  He outlived three other cats, a rabbit and who knows how many fish.  He was truly an amazing cat with a unique spirit.  Pets like him don't come along very often.  He will always be remembered as extraordinary.  Rest easy boy, enjoy your retirement, and thank you for so many great years together.  You will be fondly remembered and greatly missed. - Love your sister

Sam's Pumpkin Party

So, I'm a few weeks late in posting about Sam's birthday party, but I'm posting ANYWAY!  That has to count for something...

I actually began planning Sam's 1st birthday party when he was oh, about 4 months old.  I would find clearance items and pin ideas on my "pumpkin party" board on Pintrest (which I love.)  Finally getting to put it all together and celebrate our boy's big day was so much fun!  CedarRock was the perfect place to gather our family and friends for a small party and a little fun on the farm.  We had cupcakes and popcorn (in the hanging cones) on one table.  The other table had all the rest of our party snacks: wagon-wheel sandwiches, scarecrow crunch, caramel apples, and Judy Lynn's famous pumpkin face oreos.  That girl knows how to make lemonade out of lemons!  Thanks for all the help.

Anamana made Sam's cupcakes, two different kinds!  I should tell the story of the "pumpkin torte" she intended to serve, but it didn't make it through the taste-test the night before.  Another day, another story, but definitely an entertaining one.  Sam's a blessed little boy to have an aunt who loves him so...

Kendall and Harper (and Mary and Lila) drove up for Sam's party 

which was a special treat.  Thanks for coming!

Our birthday boy in his new wagon and his best playmate, Daddy.

How cute are these girls!?  Harley is in Sam's class at his school, 

and her big sister Chloe came for some birthday party fun.  We love them.

The Drivers were in town this weekend and were able to celebrate with us.  

They each gave Sam books and a homeade card.  I saved them for when he can read.

I love this picture, and the two men in it!

Sandra, Morgan and Jen - Sam's favorite girls at daycare.

Sam discovers that this strange thing called a "cupcake" is very good!

This is about as messy as it got.  He wasn't wasting any cupcake on his shirt!

Kimmie and Pawpaw gave Sam a name puzzle.

I know you can't tell from this picture, but Sam really loves Morgan and Jennifer.

Our birthday hayride was a lot of fun.  Sam almost went overboard shouting at scarecrows he saw.

Kayden is the resident tour guide at CedarRock these days.  He practically owns the place.

And, no CedarRock party would be complete without pictures with Frank and Diane - lemonade, canned goods, and homebaked goodies experts!  They love these boys and always seem to have a treat waiting for them when they see them.  Sam goes right to them like he sees them everyday...knows good character when he sees it.

So many of our guests didn't get pictured because it was hard to get everyone in the same place at the same time, but it was a great day surrounded with our amazing family and some great friends.  Thank you all for coming to celebrate Sam's big year and attending his pumpkin party!

I am Sam, ONE I am!

One short year ago, I finally met my boy.  One year later, I could not be happier being his Momma.  He is an absolute joy...when he feels well.  Today, however, on his first birthday, he doesn't feel well.  So, Momma had to stay home from work with her sick boy on his first birthday.  Isn't that terrible? :)

We started off the day with birthday breakfast wearing his birthday hat his teacher gave him from school.  Thanks Morgan!

We just took it easy today.  He wanted to stay in my lap the whole day and cuddle.  I know that means he really doesn't feel well, but I sure do love the snuggle time.  We loaded the couch up with blankets and watched his new Veggie-Tales movie he got for his birthday, "Pistachio, the Boy Who Wouldn't."  

We also visited the doctor to see what was wrong with Sam.  Turns out, cutting three upper teeth at the same time will make any baby feel lousy.  No flu, no strep.  Just a low grade fever, a lot of drooling, and an overall whiny birthday boy.  

And, what do two parents who are desperate to stop the whining and have a good first birthday do to put a smile back on the boy's face???

We strap a beach umbrella to his new wagon that he loves, and take the boy for a walk...in the rain.  This makes for a pretty priceless first birthday memory.

And, that smile, was well worth it!