Kansas City

Kansas City was one of the last two things on my Fort Leonard Wood bucket list. So we decided to take advantage of the 4 day weekend over Veteran's Day and go back with Ben and Emily. When we went to years ago the temple was just about to be dedicated and we really wanted to go do a session. So the Friday before we left I mentioned it to my Mom at the end of our 30 minute conversation. 10 minutes later I get a call from my Dad saying, "I want to come!" So we all met up on Thursday night while my parents watched kids so we could do a session. Then on Friday we headed to the Great Wolf Lodge!

Hannah going down the kiddie slide.

 Mom and Ellie

Dad and Lucy

We decided the Great Wolf Lodge was fun but not 3 days worth of fun especially with such young kids so we checked out early. Then we took the kids to parks, stores and out to eat for the extra day in Kansas City and they thought it was the greatest vacation ever.

I'm an independent kind of girl and pride myself on living far from most of my family and completely embracing it. But as soon as I spent a couple of hours with my parents it made me miss them so much more. We turned on FaceTime and went to their hotel room every night after the kids were asleep. I was so glad to see them and the kids were too!

On Sunday we headed to Liberty Jail and Independence to see the LDS church historical sites. I love this one of the kids looking up at Christ.

We have an almost identical picture from two years ago with two less kids at Liberty Jail. I love this place. There is nothing better than traveling with family with the exact same number of kids you have so you feel completely normal and everyone has a buddy.

Here is the picture I took of Hannah as one of the Stripling Warriors right before THIS happened...

She was standing on the leather ottoman in front of an exhibit fell off and smashed her face right up against the side of the wall. She had a black then yellow eye for almost 10 whole days. Hannah floors me. She cries over her feelings being hurt for hours. She cried over this gash that could have used stitches for 10 minutes. She'll have a scar on her cheek forever and I wanted to document for her where it happened.

We had a great time in Kansas City and are thinking of putting it on our short list of possible places to go when we move this summer. We won't know till February but it's always fun to think about the possibilities.

Halloween 2013

I saw the cutest pregnant mummy on pinterest with eyes poking out of her belly. Well, it was a total fail. By the time we got to the church all my wrappings were falling off, I had lost one of the eyes and I was blistering hot in a crowded gym. My face was totally that red because it was HOT!! David looked really good though and his mostly stayed up so it was a win!

Then actual Halloween came and it was freezing and raining. I was so glad that their costumes this year could be layered upon without taking away from what they were supposed to be.

 Wolverine

Purple Flower - for those of you who know Hannah know how appropriate this is. She is obsessed with picking flowers. It was even her part (that she wrote herself) in the Primary Program this year. "Jesus loves me because he created beautiful flowers and I love to pick them!"

Butterfly

Ladybug (that snuck a sucker) and Daddy. 

And at the end of the photo shoot we caught this gem. Ashton had pulled over all the girls on the couch and Lucy just stood their crying.

You know how Mom's take their kids candy away so they don't make themselves sick by eating too much? Well, I'll freely admit I have made myself sick on THEIR candy several nights this week while David and I have watched movies. I used to be excited to be pregnant through the holidays... now I'm wondering if overindulgence on sweets just might be the end of me. I told David if I end up testing positive for Gestation Diabetes before Thanksgiving and Christmas (even though I never have before) I would have a full on melt down and then sink into a deep depression from having to live out my worst nightmare over the holiday season. Cross your fingers for me!

Pumpkin Patch

This is our 3rd year in a row at Happy Hollow Pumpkin Patch. We tried not to get too nostalgic thinking about how much better it has gotten since our first year here in Missouri. We love Happy Hollows Pumpkin Patch in the middle of nowhere!!

 It's a frightening and enlightening moment when you start to trust your oldest to take your youngest on little rides.

Lucy started walking at 14 months exactly. It felt like forever. We're thrilled we can take her places without a stroller!

Last year I was wearing a 2 month old Lucy in a backpack and next year we'll have an 8 month old at Halloween. Can't wait!!