Chewy 1 and 2

A couple of years ago, my brother and his girlfriend got Jackson a Chewbacca suit.  Then, this year for Halloween, Sarah's trumpet section dressed as Star Wars' characters, and she went as Chewy.  So, I just had to get a picture of them together in their suits!  They're my very favorite!

Halloween Dinner

At the beginning of each October, Jackson asks me if I'm going to make the Halloween dinner, because he loves it so much!

I made the Halloween-themed meal last week, and Jackson picked out a Halloween movie for us to watch while we ate!

J's favorite part of the meal are these mummy hot dogs!  He always eats at least 2 of them!

I thought these turned out so cute!

And as usual, we had no shortage of dessert!

Pumpkin Patch

On Monday, we went to the pumpkin patch with our littlest pumpkin!

He wanted to go in the hay maze so badly, but it was closed due to all the rain we've been having.  Luckily, these cutouts of his favorite cartoons made him smile!

This was our first time in 16 years going to the pumpkin patch without our Sarah Bear--she was at band practice.  She's so busy with school, that she told us she didn't mind if we went without her, but it just wasn't the same!

Date with Jackson

Yesterday, while on my date day with my favorite 8 year old, Jackson asked me if I would love him "always and forever."  So, like I always do, I promised him that I would love him always and forever.  Then, I made him promise me that he knew that, and he said he did...unless I become a bandit.  He said if I ever become a bandit I would stop loving him, because bandits don't love anyone.  Like I said, he's my favorite 8 year old.

Baking Cookies

Yesterday, the kids were home from school, and it was cold and rainy, making it the perfect day to bake cookies.

We've been making these refrigerated cookies since Sarah was a year and a half, and now that she's 15, she still asks me to buy them each time a holiday rolls around and the stores sell them.  So, they'll always hold a special place in my heart.

The kids love eating the dough raw...

...and Jackson obviously thinks it's hilarious!

I love being in the kitchen with them!

I think I'll still buy these cookies when Sarah's in her 30's and she comes to visit!

17 Years Later

Last Friday, Bryan and I went out on a date.  We went on our first date 17 years ago, when we were 17.  And even though we've been together for so long, as I was getting ready for our date last week, I still felt all those same feelings.  Excitement, butterflies, smitten-ness.

Things I did not do 17 years ago when I was getting ready for our date:

*make sure our first baby had a ride home from the football game and knew her Friday treat was waiting for her on the kitchen counter

*pack an overnight bag for our second baby to spend the night at Nana and Grandpa's

*pluck my gray hairs

*put on bracelets that Jackson picked out for me

*drink caffeine at 3 pm so I can stay awake on the date

*have Jackson take our picture

I don't know how I got so lucky that I get to date him for the rest of our lives, but I am so grateful.