Fall Traditions

Autumn is the best. No doubt about it. I love the cooler weather, the traditions, and the delicious food. We went to Schwallier's Country Basket for the fourth year in a row. It just keeps getting better. The kids love petting the animals, the slide is as slippery as ever, and the kids can never get enough of the cider and donuts. We got both apples and pumpkins from Schwallier's this year. I love the pop of color the pumpkins add to the front porch alongside the bright yellow mums.

This year Andrew was a bit wary of the animals. He walked right into the goat pen but then proceeded to yell, "No thank you!" to the animals. Paul helped him overcome his fears to pet the bunnies and feed the goats. Vince and Kate especially loved the hay bales. Vince was brave enough to jump down two tiers in one go! Kate said her favorite part was choosing pumpkins. She walked all over the patch searching for the right one. Now it's time to enjoy the "fruits" of our labor.

Exterior Paint Update!

We have been here for 3.5 years. Last year I really wanted to paint the house but there just wasn't time for it. Instead we painted all of the trim white. It added a lot of contrast around the windows. We also painted the garage door but never got around to the service door. doh!

This year I really wanted to take the transformation all the way. Being 7 months pregnant meant I couldn't tackle the project myself. Instead, we hired painters to make our dreams come true. While they painted the siding Acier Gray (SW) and the trim and gutters white, Paul and I tackled the service and front doors. We had to completely strip the front doors. Talk about a pain in the butt! It took 3 rounds of citristrip, 2 days of painting, and a headache trying to attach the new door hardware. We ended up being doorless for THREE days and without a door handle for much longer than I care to admit.
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BUT now it's done and I couldn't love it more. I am so pleased with how it turned out.

Andrew's Second Birthday!

Drewbie is TWOBIE! How he managed to grow up to fast is beyond me. This kid is a riot. He loves to give us the cheesiest grins, yells at the top of his lungs if he doesn't get his way, follows his siblings around like a puppy dog, adores bike rides with Dad, gives the best squeezes, cuddles with any blanket he can find, gives Mommy the sloppiest kisses, dances like a wild man, and still takes the best 2-3 hour naps. He is either the family favorite or the world's worst kid. He gives out hugs freely but isn't afraid to whack you in the head if you don't comply with his wishes. Definitely a sour patch kid but all of the happy the oozes out of him makes it all worth it.