Happy Halloween!!!

The Spider-Men shooting some webs & Kitty Katie, meow!
We kicked off our Halloween fun at the Harvest Festival at Post Chapel. The kids love the horse drawn carriage ride, games, balloons, food and candy!

We tricker-treated our way home from the festival! The boys were ready to call it quits and hand out candy at home. Katie was ready for more tricks & treats with her friends!

College Bestie...

...comes to West Point...Julie & I caused more than our fair share of trouble at Texas A&M!!! Class of '99, Whoop! Such wonderful memories....I am so thrilled that she and her husband, Charlie came to visit! We gave them the grand tour of West Point. It is truly beautiful here this time of year!

Julie and I at Trophy Point...
The famous Cadet Chapel...
The Cadet Chapel has beautiful stained glass windows throughout the chapel. It is also home to the largest church organ in the world.

We spent the evening at a West Point Women's Club event... a historical tour of the West Point Cemetery, the final resting place for more than 8,000...we learned the history of just a few that evening...

Lt. Col. George A. Custer ’61, a brevetted major general for bravery in the Civil War, died with most of the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, June 1876...

The Warner Sisters...Susan & Anna Warner lived on Constitution Island, visible across the river, where they held Sunday school for the cadets. Susan wrote one of the most popular novels of the 19th Century “The Wide, Wide World” and Anna wrote the words to the hymn “Jesus Loves Me.”

Then we went back to the old hospital and warmed up around the fire pits to hear some of the ghost stories of West Point...

...Julie, Tara, & I had a spooktacular evening out!!!

Spider Party...

John's Pre-K class celebrated Halloween with a Spider Party!

John's class showing off their spider hats...
Spider snacks...

Luke, Caden & John enjoying snack time! John's playdate buddies!

They had lots of different spider games to play. John "fished" the spider on his shirt out of a bucket...

Pumpkin bowling... his favorite game...

I love watching John interact with his friends! He really enjoys Pre-K and is excited to go to school everyday!

I am so glad that I am able to share these special moments with Katie & John! Rushing from one party to the next was a little hectic, but it is moments like these that being a "stay at home mom" are all about! I hope I never have to miss a "special moment" at school because I have to work! Thank you, Donnie for knowing how important it is for me to be there with our kids!

Fall Hoe Down...

Katie's 1st grade class celebrated fall with a Hoe Down. They made trail mix & paper vest in class that morning before they showed off their square dancing skills!

Katie modeling her beautifully decorated vest...
Square dancing in the cafeteria...circle to the right....

Yeeee Haaaww!!!

No square dance is complete with a little knee slapping, 1-2-3-4...

Katie with her friends, Cora & Trinity...

I LOVE my little cowgirl!!!

After square dancing the parents were invited back to the classroom to enjoy some trail mix and listen to their "cowgirls & boys" read! Katie is a great reader! I absolutely LOVE hearing her read! She is learning to so much everyday! I am so proud of you, Katie!

Soccer Party!

Soccer season is over until spring! John's team, The Gold Stars celebrated with a party at the West Point Bowling Alley! They were the only undefeated 4 year old team! John really improved throughout the season and scored a goal in almost every game! I predict many more soccer seasons in our future!

John enjoying his soccer cupcake...

Showing off his soccer medal!

Awesome Soccer Season, John!!!

Big Boy Underwear!

Luke's first day wearing his Big Boy Underwear! Luke has been doing a great job going potty! I love how he says, "Mom I need to "T"! I need to "T"!!! So I told him next time we went to Target he could pick out Big Boy Underwear! He really wanted Backyardigans, but since they didn't have any Backyardigans underwear he settled for Thomas the Train! He was super excited! As soon as we got home, we put them in the washing machine, and right after nap he made sure I moved them to the dryer! So cute!

Showing off his new Thomas underwear...
And that cute little behind...
Such a Big Boy!

A bitter sweet moment.... so happy, but a little sad that he is my last baby to potty train! My sweet little Luke Bear is growing up!

Pumpkin Carving...

...is something that Katie remembers doing with Uncle Justin...she even remembers that he carved cat once...which got me thinking that I must have pictures of that somewhere...and I did...Katie, 3 years old, carving a pumpkin with Uncle Justin...
John, 1 year old, just watching...

Katie & Justin with their finished jack o'lantern...A Cat!

...to "Remember Justin" on this birthday we carved our pumpkin today...

Our finished jack o'lantern...

Pumpkin Faces...

Happy Birthday, Justin! I will always remember the fun times we had together...and help Katie, John, & Luke remember the fun times they had with their Uncle Justin...

Halloween Party...

after a lon day at the NY Aquarium & Coney Island...Katie's Girl Scout Troop had a Halloween Birthday Party to celebrate Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts! She was born on Halloween, and what better reason to dress up and have a fun party! The kids were VERY excited to wear their Halloween costumes before Halloween!

Kitty Katie with The Spider-Men!

We Did It!

...that is what we can say about the NY Aquarium and Coney Island!

The kids had Friday off school, so we decided to take the opportunity to see something on our "To Do List in NY". We planned a Road Trip to Coney Island with our favorite West Point friends, The Wilkison's! Brooke & I have taken the kids on little road trips in the past, but this one was a little longer due to some traffic and a short detour past the Wall Street Bull...but we made it! Thanks or no thanks to the Garmin! We did miss the Shark feeding that we had promised the kids they would see at 10:30am. Who knew it would take over 2 hours to get there! Yikes! Let me add it was a chilly, windy day in the low 50's! And when getting out of the car (after over 2 hours) with 5 kids, 2 strollers, snacks, drink cups and everything else you need...I said, "Leave your jackets in the car, since we will be inside!" Thinking that would be one less thing to keep up with or carry! WRONG!?! Much to our surprise, the NY Aquarium is a small group of building with some outdoor exhibits! All that aside, we were all pumped to be out of the car and at the aquarium seeing the seals!


This little baby seal was super cute! The kids loved this little guy!

Brooke, Brady, & Anna Belle happy to be at the aquarium!
Now, let me add that within minutes of our arrival...at least two preschools showed up and a TON of screaming middle school kids with what appeared to be zero chaperons! But that didn't stop us from having fun! We saw a giant walrus, fur seals, otters, seahorses, penguins, sharks, an octopus & lots of different fish!

Luke checking out some of the fish...

John showing me what the blow fish looked like...

The best picture we could get of all the kiddos...

One of the kids favorite exhibits was this tidal wave...they were so amazed each time the water came crashing down on them!

Katie looking up waiting for the water to come...

...it suprised her...

John & Brady watching the water...

After a late lunch, and freezing outside long enough to make each kid a flat penny with an aquarium animal, we were ready to go to the 4-D movie. But... not before a seagull pooped on Brooke! So gross! I am so glad it was you and not me, Brooke! You handled it much better than I would have...and we all had a good laugh!

4-D movie adventure, The Curse of Skull Rock...

I love Luke in his 3-D glasses!

Our family picture on Coney Island...We Saw It!

While I wouldn't recommended seeing the NY Aquarium or Coney Island on a chilly fall day, I am still glad "We Did It!" It is days like this that I will look back and remember forever...the craziness of 5 kids in the car, laughing and having great conversation with a dear friend (that I will miss like crazy in 7 more months when we aren't neighbors anymore and the Army has moved us somewhere new). It is days like this that I will miss most...thanks for being a wonderful friend who I can live & laugh with, Brooke!