Autumn in Indiana

So last year was officially our first year in Indiana (well, mine and the kids). But since we lived in the city and didn't have a yard, the kids didn't have the opportunity for any seasonal fun. Now that we have almost 2 acres and lots of trees we got out the rakes and made big leaf piles! It was the boys first time playing in a leaf pile and boy did Luke have fun. David was a little more reluctant to get in the wet and messy pile of leaves. I finally did convince him to lie down in it and I was able to get ONE photo of him looking like he was having fun. Then Luke tackled him and he looked like he actually was having fun!

After the leaf pile fun our neighbor Madison came over and the kids had some ice cream in the back of Mark's truck. Silly kids! Why can't I even get a "normal" photo of the boys? Luke got his first bee sting while playing in the woods. Why the bee chose to sting him is beyond me. He got it right on his ear lobe (thus the white thing on his ear). He was a trooper and the ice cream made him feel much better.

I finished my third sweater project this week as well. Just in time for fall weather. This is the February Lady Sweater pattern. I knit it with Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn in the colorway "Sealing Wax". It is so soft, warm and squishy. I altered it a bit by adding tie closures instead of buttons and it is a little more fitted than the original pattern.

Finally, I took some photos of the trees in our back yard. They maples are just starting to turn color. It's so beautiful here!

Someone just turned two!

I can't believe it, but my baby girl is two years old. How the time flies. It seems like just yesterday she was a tiny baby and now she is running around with her brothers, talking and growing up before my eyes. 

We had a birthday party for her last weekend. The Bogles, Mark's parents and our friends the Stayton family came for pumpkin carving, presents, dinner and cake. It was so great to share this special occasion with our friends and family. Last year on Hannah's birthday it was just Mark, me, David and Luke. It's so nice to be close to family!

Here are some shots of the kids with their pumkins. Luke carved his almost all by himself. He needed just a little bit of help with the mouth.

This is their cousin Grace who was so proud of her pumkin.

We decided to let Hannah go at it with the Sharpies. She had a great time and she was so focused!

This is our friend Fred Stayton and his daughter Sarah. Mark has known Fred since high school. They live just a few minutes from us.

Here is the spread. We had a lot of fun!

Since our house is full of cars, trains, tracks, and more cars, Hannah has grown and affinity for these toys. The baby dolls seem to just sit in a box most of the time. We though we would help encourage the girly toys so we got her the Fisher Price Loving Family doll house and most all of the furniture and figures that go with it. It was a hit and she played with it non-stop for almost 3 days. She also received 4 pairs of dress-up shoes that she LOVES to wear, some sparkly necklaces and bracelets and which she loves as well. 

I made her butterfly cake that she was delighted with. It was actually pretty easy. I just made 2 9x11 sheet cakes and stacked them. Then I used a bread knife to cut triangle pieces away at the sides to create a butterfly shape. I used all store bought frostings to draw and color a butterfly based on the butterfly illustrations on her plates. 

Oh, on a note about what a small world it is; Mark's sister's husband went to high school with Fred's wife Cheryl. They figured that out after about 1/2 hour of meeting. What a small world!