Hall's Pumpkin Patch

We met the Harrisons at Hall's pumpkin patch a few weekends ago and it was a blast.

And the corn maze was no joke.  We felt truly victorious when we made it through (after asking for someone to literally lead us out.  Either way, victory is victory if you're lost and afraid you may run out of diet coke and become too dehydrated and its getting dark.  It was touch and go.)

They had a hay ride and we fed the animals and the kids ate it up.
We went to their house afterwards and shea and aves could not get enough of that gorgeous baby dylan.  I dont think shea ever left him alone.  She was all ahhhh and ohhhh and so many kisses the kid was wet with drool.  I love her passionate spirit.  We may just have to tame it.  She is definitely a lover.

On the way home, shea was crying and avery is usually the one who sits next to her and consoles her. She does an incredible job.  She plays with her and sings to her and gives her everything she wants.  She is always patient and always so sweet.
But on the way home, shea would not give it up.  When I looked back I saw Aves with huge tears just streaming down her cheeks.  She was so upset that she couldn't make shea happy and it just broke my heart.  I am so thankful for siblings and for ones that never hurt or pain to come on each other.  It isn't always rainbows and no fights, but I always want to remember how heart wrenching it was watching her care for shea that night.
So thankful for sisters- mine that didnt live in my house but came in the form of friends and my kids who hopefully will support and encourage each other their entire lives.  And share clothes.  Isn't that the best part of sisters??!

Banff and Lake Louise for the big 10 year

Jeff and I were soooo completely and incredibly lucky to go to Banff and Lake Louise in Canada for our 10 year anniversary.
I had kind of been having a bummer summer attitude and wasn't really feeling doing anything big for our anniversary and my mom and Christopher wouldn't let it go.  They were so great at encouraging Jeff and I to go and celebrate and I could not be more grateful.  After seeing Caroline's sisters pics when she went with her husband on instagram, I commented to them that that would be a beautiful place to go. They both jumped on it and helped us plan the coolest trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I truly can not stress or put on paper how gorgeous it is.  The glacial milk comes down from the glacier and it is a turquoise color.  The lake is truly turquoise.  It is unbelievable.  That milk streams down the Bow river and the entire river is turquoise and clear.  So ridiculous.
We took caroline's sisters advice and tried to do everything they had done.
And it was all awesome.  I mean who gets to go to canada on their anniversary and see glacial milk?! I cant get over it.
Before we left Christopher and my mom made an entire itinerary and Christopher and Tiff made us a whole backpack full of fun stuff to have with us.  It was so personal and so perfect.


It was about an hour and a half drive to Banff from the airport and we stopped along the way to take pics of everything because it was so gorgeous.  I keep saying gorgeous but truly, it was.  We had no idea that this was just the tip of the preverbal (and real) ice burg.
Once we got there our view was incredible.

And Banff is the cutest town.

Get ready for an insane amount of selfies.  We were excited.
Then we went into town, ate pizza and bought souvenirs for the kids.
The next morning we hiked up to see the waterfalls.

and took self timer pics of ourselves some more.


We accidentally went off the beaten path, but made it back in one piece and was only spotted once peeing in the woods.
After that, we drove to Lake Louise to spend the rest of our time there.

And its just a postcard in action.


We hiked around the lake first thing and it was, you know it, so gorgeous.


The glacial silt that comes down looks like sand so it looks like a beach, but its not.  What the what??


We relaxed for dinner and just enjoyed the view.


The next day we went on this gondola ride where there are supposedly bears that you can see from the ride up and then you can hike around.

We had fun but we did not see any bears.
But the view didnt hurt.

They had a little museum up at the top where we read about all the animals that live on the mountain.
Very interesting.

Afterwards we went hiking up to see the ink pots  Ink pots are little ponds where water comes up from the ground and they are all different shades of blue and green.  They are also like 6 miles up from the bottom of the mountain.
I usually am up for all kinds of strenuous activity and love a good sweat, but I am kind of lazy on vacation.  It is the only time that I can really relax and not feel guilty.  So, to be honest, I could have stayed in the room and watched ER.  I mean, Im glad I didnt.  Im just saying I needed a little push to keep going.

The first part of the hike is very family friendly and you just walk up a catwalk with tons of asian tourists.  (Im sure its not always the case, but while we were there thats pretty much who we were with).


Theres a lower falls and an upper falls and they are both breathtaking.
That was where I would have turned back.  But thanks to the encouragement of my husband I was able to force myself to get up to the ink pots.

And they were also very, very cool.
I was glad I did it.

That night we celebrated at an amazing restaurant in the Fairmont with incredible fondue. It was melt in your mouth cheese.

Im full just thinking about that little bowl of hot cheese.
The last day we fly fished down the Bow River and it was even more gorgeous than I could have dreamt.  Just clear and beautiful and brown trout everywhere (I mean not everywhere.  I only caught like three..)



Look at this stud.
He caught a lot more than three.
Then we he headed home to see the babies and I was SO READY that I could have busted.  It was such an incredible trip and I am so so so thankful to everyone who helped make it all possible for us to be alone and have so much fun.  It was relaxing and energizing and rejuvenating and all of those ing verbs, but it was so much fun to see those smiling (or crying, shea was crying to show me she was mad I left.  For like 30 min) faces of my babies.
Best anniversary ever.

Valentines (way late)

Remember Valentine's Day? Well here is a way belated post of how we spent ours.

The girls woke up to a very hearty breakfast. You can't go wrong if you start your day with pink heart shaped pancakes, candy and a chocolate rose. They loved it.

Bob was actually off work for dinner so we were thrilled to all go eat together. We took it easy this year and didn't bust out the dance floor like last year. We ended the night at this cute little bakery in Georgetown with cupcakes and chocolate covered strawberries. It was perfect.

The girls got to take Valentines to their school friends and I had so much fun making these. For Ella's, I did the same thing as last year. Since she is in a different school they weren't a repeat for any of the kids.

I took a picture of her wearing a pair of sunglasses and then designed the Valentine on my silhouette.

After printing them off, I made two slits on the side of her face for the glasses to go through. I think they turned out so cute. It was the first day in a while that the sun actually came out so it was perfect timing.

McKenna is always with me when I drop Ella off to school so she has a special bond with Ella's teacher as well. McKenna was so excited to deliver her favorite coffee drink.

McKenna is still with a lot of the same classmates so she couldn't repeat the sunglasses one again. I love how her valentines turned out this year though! I saw this idea on this blog last year. It was so perfect for McKenna. That girl loves apple juice and we rarely drink a juice box without one of these holders. 

I bought the juice box holders from hobby lobby. I started buying them a while ago so I could use my coupon for each one. It's rare that I plan that far ahead but it was great getting 40% off each one.
Hope everyone had a great Valentines Day!

Valentines of past

We love valentines over here.  

For some reason this is usually a holiday that I get on board with way in advance.  I think its the puns.  I know.  So lame.  But who doesn't love trying to make up a pun about a random dollar isle toy?  I know.  Me too.

So, as I try and make up a pun for the eraser rings that I just found at target, I thought I would put up some our past valentines ideas.

We only have eyes for you

( I love this one so much)

We had a Picture Perfect Valentine free printable with little mini cameras I got from oriental trading company.

and a few fast paced Valentine free printables made from erasers I got at target.

and "You make my heart Leap" Valentine free printables with more target dollar isle frogs.

We did a "You're the write one for me" free printable using pencils.

We had a goldfish printable that would be cute with goldfish crackers or swedish fish too.

The year before we did an "Im stuck on you" and "You make my heart spring!" valentine printables with sticky hands and slinkys I got, you guessed it, from the target dollar isle.


My favorite ones (and I am using them again this year and may update that printable) were the dinosaur ones-

and I did those with bouncy ball printables too.

You can get those here.
Al did the heartbreaker valentines from MADE and I always love those.  They are so so cute.

We have also done some 3D paper valentines, too.

And on the actual day, Allison and her crew had a daddy/daughter dance.
(This is seriously the sweetest thing ever.)


and love notes.

every year.

We made tins for each other and filled them with little notes about what we love about each other and then read them to each other at dinner.

We made a Valentine Wreath.

(I miss that old green door so much.  Sigh.)
And allison decorated with melted crayon hearts.

SO, I don't know exactly how Im going to do ours this year, but its so fun looking back and seeing what all we have done in the past.  And it makes it so easy to recycle those ideas again :)
Happy Valentining to all of you.  Hopefully you guys can use some of these! (or just use the ideas and make them even cuter.)