Halloween

First & foremost, thanks to Aunt Cheryl for sending the adorable costumes. With the hectic pace of life around these parts as of late, not having to think about what to dress them in and then go out and get it was a great relief.

It seems we are creating a tradition around Halloween of late afternoon trick-or-treating with the Galbraiths, followed by wings, pizza, and handing out candy at their house until the kids start melting down and bedtime can no longer be ignored. It surprises my how much they enjoy giving out candy to trick-or-treaters, it would seem that they derive more satisfaction from that than going out rustling up candy themselves.

Since becoming a parent, I now understand my mother and have come to grips with the fact that she was right 99.9% of the time. Having thought her just plain mean and wickedly firm in her decisions & discipline, I now realize she was just doing what was necessary in her attempt to raise kids that would be functional, independent, & responsible adults. Why does this photo provoke these thoughts... my girls are just like I imagine Staci & I were. One moment they are bickering, screaming like banshees, crying & whining at one another and suddenly they are hugging, squealing, and giggling up a storm that you just can't help but smile at. I imagine my Ma felt just the same as I do, the kids are either completely adorable and terrifically funny or make you want to poke a pencil in your eye awful.

These two photos are one of those "I love my sister" moments that I just happened to have the luck to record for posterity. Charming.

Enlarge this one so you truly experience the photographic nature of three uncooperative little people. Not so charming.

People loved this costume, and even more so when Bitty would march over to the admirer and state "that's my baby brother, Gunnar, and he is a banana, and I AM A MONKEY!!!"

Maggie, as Mario. This is the one moment we got her to wear the moustache.

One of our local churches had a booth set up downtown and was doing face paint. She was thrilled to have it done.

calabaza

Please excuse the photo overload, but I really did have a hard time paring them down... you'll forgive me as I don't do it often.

Our visit to Ephrata also included a jaunt to the pumpkin patch... courtesy of our ever present and illustrious activities czar, Aunty Staci.

I don't remember what was so exciting... but LindyJean is stoked!

Gourds; entirely useless, yet so autumnal in their aesthetic.

JoMama & Gunnar. He's so sweet, such a nice little baby. He only cries when he's real hungry and has to wait for milk to warm.

Grandad entertaining GW while we ready for pumpkin carving.

There was a thirty second period of possible doubt regarding the cold, gooey innards of her beloved pumpkin before she started smashing, mashing, squishing, and rubbing them everywhere.

Look out, the activities czar is wielding a knife!

LindyJean wouldn't touch the pumpkin (unless it was to pick up chunks of guts here and there to taste test them), but enjoyed being the observer.

What is this expression? I'm not sure, bonus points to the first commentator to make sense of it.

Posing with our masterpieces... enlarge photo to take note of Bitty's rancid, pouty face. She's taken to refusing to have her picture taken as of late.

Gigi & APPLESAUCE.

Grandma Boufford, also known as Gigi, came for a visit to Washington, amid applesauce production. She met LindyJean and Gunnar for the first time and made an excellent babywatcher, feeder, soother, and toddler herder.

GW and Gigi

Fun with Nana... watch your head, she's likely to catch your noggin round a corner!

Aunty Staci lookin' fine during sauce preparation.

While Aunty Staci's lookin' fine, JoMama's just trying to hold it together... God only knows the last time I showered?!?!?!! But, there will be applesauce dammit!

All the men in our family joke about how the women have some sort 0f Felix Unger like disease that causes complusive cleaning rampages and an unnatural attachment to our vacuums... apparently Bitty and LindyJean have suffered the cruel fate of this genetic trait. They had no chance, the women in Eric's family are just as bad! :)

This what you get when you ask Nana to pose for a photo.

Cheese!

Thanks for the visit Grams, it was very nice to see your face.

Apple pickin'

Here are the girls, all bundled, ready for an outing in the early morn to go pick apples. We did some remodel work for a local orchardist last year and he has given us free reign to muck about his massive orchards.

JoMama & babes.

Stace... does this look familiar? Somewhere we have a photo of you and I in one of these. I don't need no stinkin' pack'n'play, I've got an apple bin! I had to throw them in here, LindyJean would not stop eating dirt and Bitty was running amuck.

Dad & Babes... trying to get your small children to properly pose for a photo is absolutely impossible. It is rare luck when it happens.

Among friends...

My pal Dana is a kindred spirit and tons of fun! She has come to visit (from Yakima) a few times to support me, deliver some goodies, and visit. She understands, first hand, this dairy cow business as her second baby was never able to nurse and she pumped exclusively for the first year of Mariel's blessed little life! Plus, Mariel & Gunnar share a birthday, one year apart.

Bitty (aka Cinderella) entertaining the little ones.

LindyJean & Mariel chillin'.

Mariel is very affectionate and super excitable and loves to gives kisses, here she is zoning in for a big smackeroo.

When Johnny comes marching home.

Cousin Brandon came for a visit and the girls LOVE him. Poor dude, they followed him about like happy little puppydogs. He was even so kind as to take them to the park!

It was a rainy day, so Bitty specifically wore her 'muck muck' boots so she could splash in the puddles.

This is such a fantastic photo of her!

Bran kept them swinging!

UNDERDOG!!!

Brandon is great with kids. Here he is soothing baby Gunnar and forcing him to pose in a football jersey, making sure the little man gets enough testosterone apparently.

Brandon - we are so very glad that you are home, safe & sound. We are incredibly proud of you and wish you the best... live it up and be sure that you live up to your potential. HUGS.

Wedded Bliss

My ma-in-law had the girls for the weekend so it was just us and the baby. Ta-da! Congratulations to David & Erin... may your marriage be blissful. Please visit Aunty Staci's photography blog for more photos of their day.

We went to our friends' wedding reception and had a lovely evening. They are bicycling enthusiasts and had a lot of real cute bicycle paraphernalia, among them this photo board.