Trick or Treat!

We had the best time trick or treating tonight! Our neighborhood's not that big, but Sarah sure did get a lot of candy!!

The cutest cowgirl... this side of the Mississippi! The anticipation!

Bryan and I kept having to tell her not to look into their windows by the front door! Haha! We met up with one of her friends from class and went with them the rest of the night. (Sarah thought he looked scary!) All of her goodies!

Pumpkin Carving!

After school yesterday, Bryan and Sarah carved our big pumpkin and had a great time doing it! (For some reason, Bryan decided to do this project in the foyer...silly man!)

Sarah scooping away! Sarah watching "the pro" do it! Writing on ATM. Sarah drew the big "T" and helped with the "A." Sarah carving it. She made the funniest faces!

Too cute!

Sarah and Daddy showing off their work!

Gig 'em Aggies!

Dance Class!

Today's dance class theme was "Pajama Progress." The girls got to wear their jammies, and the parents got to watch them in the gym and dance room, (instead of in the waiting area). Sarah was excited to wear her pajamas to class initially, but before we left the house this afternoon she kept asking if I was sure it was PJ day. She said, "Mommy, I'll just be humiliated if I get to class and no one else is wearing their pajamas!"

Bryan and I loved watching her up close today, and I think she had a great time showing off! Doing her tap moves and her ballet moves.

Saying Grace

At the dinner table tonight, Bryan served Sarah's plate, then started serving his own. Meanwhile, Sarah took a bite of her garlic bread. I simply turned to her and said, "Sarah." She looked at me and replied, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I won't swallow." I laughed and told her to finish her bite, then we'd say grace.

Last Night of Call...for Two Months!!

Tonight, Bryan is on call at the hospital. But, this will be his last night of call until January! Hot dog!! Although the 70-80 hour weeks are still hard on him, bless his heart, being able to have a home-cooked meal and sleep in his own bed for over two months straight will sure be nice! I can't wait to see him tomorrow!

A Day with Sarah!

This morning, Sarah and I hugged and kissed Papa Bear goodbye before sending him off to a night of call with his coffee cup and paper lunch bag in tow. As always, we were sad that we weren't going to see him for a day and a half. Yet, I had stuff for Sarah and me to do lined up. We started with laundry. Haha! Sarah helped me throw in the clothes and turn the knobs, and she loved it! (She'll make her husband very happy some day!)

Then, we went to Costco. Yes, with her baby in tow. Yes, people either laughed or thought it was a real baby. Yes, I didn't care what others thought, because it made Sarah happy to take her baby! And she said baby loved Costco!

When we got home, we baked banana bread. 

Afterwards, we enjoyed the nice afternoon outside. Sarah loves this pinwheel!

And she loves the tire swing! Watching it spin.

Both of us enjoying the ride!

And who doesn't love sidewalk chalk?

Caramel Apples!

Last night after dinner, the three of us made caramel apples, and they were so yummy! I don't know why we've never done this before, but this will surely become something we make each fall now!

Sarah went first...choosing the biggest apple of course! She dipped hers in peanuts, sprinkles, and M&M's.

While we were eating, Sarah told daddy that he is a "Citizen Hero" because he works so hard as a doctor. The smile on his face was huge! It was such a sweet compliment that came out of nowhere. (Sarah got that term from Social Studies, where they talk about people in our community who our Citizen Heroes.)

Date Day!

Yesterday, Bryan was off, so after we dropped Sarah off at school, we had a date-day. (I love those!) We rearranged the living room furniture (fun!), went to go see a movie, and then once we picked Sarah up, we all went to Freebirds for dinner. That evening, Sarah went to a "Boo Party" at her Little Gym. While she was there, Bryan and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping, talked at Starbucks over hot chocolate, then watched one of our favorite shows before picking her up. It was a great day!

Sarah in her cowgirl costume.

Once Sarah was dressed, she kept saying, "I reckon" and "Yeehaw"! It was too cute!

I didn't do her hair or anything since she was going to be tumbling and playing while at the Gym. I can't wait until she gets to be completely dressed up for Halloween!

Sarah took this one of me and Bryan. (Boy, my legs are pale!)

Parent Teacher Conference

I just got back from a parent teacher conference. Her teacher, Ms. Zarate, (whom I adore!), said that Sarah was doing exceptionally well. She also said that Sarah is a fabulous writer, very determined, task focused, and genuinely kind. Yesterday, Sarah was moved up to the highest reading level in class, and she was beside herself as she was telling us about it on the way home from school! Ms. Zarate described it more today and said that this level is where Sarah should be by the 4th nine weeks of first grade. And we're just now ending the 1st nine weeks! We are so proud of her!

Carnival Fun!

Today, we went to Sarah's school carnival. Sarah had a ball!! She played lots of games and spent a good 10 minutes in the bounce house--after a corny dog and a cherry snow cone!

This pinwheel was Sarah's first prize, after knocking down 3 milk bottles with a ball! At the fishing pond! Needle in a haystack.

Sarah golfing. I golf in pearls too!

Look at that concentration! Haha!

Bryan took this one of his girls!

A Pizza for Reading!

This month, Sarah's school started the Pizza Hut Reading Program. If you read one book for each day of the month, you receive a certificate for a free personal sized pizza. They started the program on October 1st, and Sarah turned in her sheet on October 7th. She was so excited about the program, she couldn't help herself! Some of the books she read were difficult, others were simple board books that we read to her when she was a baby. Either way, she read 31 of them, and Bryan and I are so proud of her! So, tonight we went out to get her free pizza.

Her completed chart! Her certificate! Waiting for the pizza was so hard! Yum!!

Pumpkin Patch!

Fall is our family's favorite season! We love the crisp air outside, pumpkin spice lattes, the leaves changing colors, baking apple crisps, and pumpkin patches! We have visited a pumpkin patch each year since before Sarah could even walk. This year, however, was the best! It was a huge pumpkin patch in a small town miles down a country road, and it was so much fun!

The first thing Sarah did was paint a pumpkin! Then she was a scarecrow, and a pumpkin. Too cute!

Me and Papa Bear!

Sarah in the gazebo.

Aren't we cute? Blurry, but cute! : )

Sarah's favorite part was making her way through this maze o' hay!

Stopping to pose for a picture!

Sarah and me winding our way through.

I love this picture! She looks like she's about to climb the mountain of pumpkins!

Sarah filling her sand art container. I forgot to take a picture of it when she finished!

Brushing Mr. Horse

Daddy and Sarah petting him.

Sarah just adored the horses.

Swingin' away!

We loved the crosses. They were to build scarecrows, but we thought they were so simple and pretty.

This is the scarecrow Sarah and Daddy made. Sarah named her Lilly!

Me and Sarah Bear.

On our way home, we ate lunch at a hole in the wall BBQ joint, then stopped for ice cream at a soda fountain inside a General Store. It was lovely!

Here are some of the pumpkins we brought home. As it gets closer to Halloween, we'll carve the big one. (I moved the mums in between our rocking chairs!)