'Twas the Night Before Halloween

We enjoyed a fun evening getting ready for Halloween.

We made pumpkin shaped pizzas for dinner.  Chloe and Will had a great time choosing their toppings and designing their "pumpkin" faces.  Super thankful for a tasty gluten-free crust we can pick up at Spin Pizza on the way home!

Funny pumpkin guts faces from Chloe and Will.

The final product.  Both kiddos loved seeing their jack-o-lanterns lit.



K-S-U WILDCATS!

We headed back to Manhattan for K-State Homecoming weekend.

 

 

Will understands the importance of UV protection for the eyes.  Making sure Willie is covered.

 

 

Trick or treating in Aggieville.

 

We enjoyed watching the Homecoming parade after trick or treating was done.  The KSU band and cheerleaders were a hit with Chloe and Will.

 

 

Willie hugs prior to the big game.  Love that the looks on their faces are a mix of excitement and a little fear.

 

 

Big 12 champions in football, basketball and baseball for the 2012-2013 year!

 

 

First time KSU football attendees.

 

 

It was a bit chilly sitting in the shadow of the new West Side Stadium Center.  We are now the proud owners of new Powercat stocking caps and blankets.  The new stadium looks fantastic!  So proud to be a KSU Alumni!

 

 

 

 

Post-game smiles after a Wildcat win over the West Virginia Mountaineers.

 

Chloe and Will rallied for the second half of the game and had a great time at their first KSU football game. 

LEAWOOD FALL FESTIVAL

We had a great time enjoying the nice fall temps at the Leawood Fall Fest with the Branick cousins.  Face painting, giant slides and a hayride made for a fun Friday evening with family.

 

Cousins dressed in their Halloween outfits. 

 



 

Spiderman and Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

WALKING IN MEMPHIS

Lehi and I spent a weekend in Memphis for SCO's Homecoming at the beginning of October.  I can't believe it's been 10 years since my graduation! I definitely don't feel old enough to have been out of school for that long!  We road tripped our way down I-70 and I-55 with our good friends Jaimie and Scott.  I'm not sure how we made that long trip back and forth for a quick weekend visits home so many times during our years in Memphis!  It's quite the drive but was so much fun to have time to catch up with friends. 
 

 

A photo from way back.  Was I seriously rockin' overalls to decorate Christmas cookies with these girls!??

 

 

Meeting up with old friends was so much fun!  Vaughn, Kim, Jaimie & Sarah in the photo but missing some of our old group. 

 

 

The ladies with their hubbies. 

We stayed at the Peabody and headed across the street for Memphis BBQ at Rendezvous for dinner with this group.  We will forever be Memphis BBQ fans (Team Corky's!).  Lehi and I first visited Rendezvous when I interviewed at SCO in 1999.  We were warned by a friend who was currently attending SCO that the area around the restaurant was a little sketchy and to be careful.  We were young, naïve and hadn't traveled on our own much at that point.  Lehi put cash in his shoe (because that's a safe place to store your money!) so that he didn't have to carry a wallet and off we went.  We enjoyed our dinner but then came the time to pay.  Rendezvous waiters have a bit of a reputation and take their jobs very seriously.  Lehi wondered if he would get a comment about the warm and REALLY soggy cash he paid the bill with that night.  We laughed until we had tears in our eyes remembering this funny story.

 

I had the best time catching up with everyone at dinner.  I miss hearing Vaughn's laugh on a daily basis.  And I had forgotten Sarah's funny eating habits.  I had remembered that she cooked a lot at home while we were in school and was impressed that she knew how to cook a turkey breast in the oven!  I had forgotten that the reason she knew how to do that was because she is such a picky eater. 

 

 

Standing in the old entrance to the SCO clinic with Jaimie after attending some continuing education hours.

SCO opened a new patient clinic when we were 4th year students.  We got to attend the ribbon cutting of the new academic facility during Homecoming weekend.  The new space is amazing! The current students at SCO are so lucky to be able to learn in this new space. 

 

 

A group shot of most of my classmates in attendance.  Kind of funny that I couldn't find a picture that made us all look a little less possessed!

 

 

We ended our weekend with dinner and after-party at the Peabody.  Great conversations and lots of laughter.

 

 

Rooftop view of the Peabody. 

 

I am so thankful to have had time to catch up with these friends again!

 

 

 

SPORTING TYKES SOCCER

Chloe and Will played soccer for a few weeks this fall through the local YMCA.  They had a great time learning some basic skills.

 

 

Coach Anna and Team Leopards.

 



 

Warming up together.

 

Not so sure what to do?

 



 

Pre-game huddle.

 

GO LEOPARDS!!! (imagine 9 little voices squealing this as loud as they can)

 

Loving Will's determined face and arm swing.

 

Great teammates.

 

Being goalie was a favorite...

 

...for Will too.

 

Not sure what the tummy flash was for - distracting the other team?!

 

Good game high fives were almost more complicated than playing soccer!

Super happy medal and fruit snack soccer players.

 



 

I hope that they love playing together for many years to come. 

 

At one point this season, one of their teammates yelled out, "I smell victory!", after a goal was scored.  He then paused and said, "Wait, what does victory mean?"  The parents on the sideline had a good laugh.

PROUD PARENTS

BRAG ALERT! 

 

We got this note from Chloe's kindergarten teacher a few weeks ago.  I can't even begin to describe how this note makes me feel.  A young lady who is kind to others and behaves well.  So nice to know that our hard work as parents is paying off.

NO LABOR ON LABOR DAY

We asked the kids what one activity they wanted to do over the long holiday weekend.  Will picked playing at a new to us park, Fairway Park, and playing in the sand.  Chloe chose a trip to the zoo.

 

Will loved digging in the sand.

 



 

Chloe loved swinging.  Underdogs are her favorite.

 

Early morning dress up - Rapunzel and a construction worker.

A few rounds on the carousel make for happy kids.

 



We're taking a trip on the train.

 



 

Both kiddos love taking pictures in these cutouts at the zoo.

 

We also hit up the pool for the last trip of the season.  Chloe and Will were so much more comfortable in the water by the end of the summer.  It's fun to watch them fall in love with the pool.  They are NOT fans of the lifeguards' loud whistles.  We tried to explain to them that this was our summer job when we were younger.  I don't think quite get the idea of us as younger people.