Wilson's World

Wilson got a little digital camera for Christmas and it has been a big hit. He walks around the house taking pictures of all the furniture and stuffed animals, he is really into close ups.

I often times tell Peter that when we look back on our lives in pictures it will be like I don't exist. I am always behind the camera, which I love, but I think Wilson might change things. Yesterday he asked if he practiced really hard could he be a photographer like me? I do wish I could remember how he says photographer- very cute. I think he will be busy making coffee and taking pictures.

Merry Christmas

We had a really good Christmas! Time with family, good food, new toys, a nap. Hope you all had a great day too.

Merry Christmas!

Cookie

Last weekend we let the kids have a little fun by making sugar cookies, a favorite Christmas tradition of mine.

Wilson and Dylan were very good with the shakers.

I had to leave this one in color so you wouldn't miss the icing. There really is a cookie under all that.

Thankful

We are lucky enough to have 9 nieces and nephews. There are many wonderful things about that, but the best part has to be that Wilson and Campbell get to have 9 cousins. This is really a joy to me and even more fun when they all get to be together. We spent the first half of last week with the Loibner cousins and the end of the week with the Wilson (really Craven) cousins. Wilson even refers to each group as "the cousins." I do so love family time and am very thankful for these special people in our lives.

matching bags

my mom bought the boys matching bags. they are ready to go...anywhere.

Starburst & Turkeys

my little boys.


Wilson:

I guess this story really starts just after Halloween. We had a friend over and I was offering her a piece of candy from the large Halloween bowl. This broke off into a conversation about Starburst where I mentioned that the pink were my favorite, the only one I am really tempted by. Skip ahead to last week... Wilson got to pick a treat from the bowl and he said he was picking the two pack of Starburst, because there are two. After opening it and realizing that one was pink he brought it to me, "look." I was excited for him because pink really is the best and then he put it in my hand "this one is for you." i so enjoy the sweet moments.





Campbell:
"look mommy i make turkey"

Sprites and Sprinkles

Sounds like some treats, but instead this is what Wilson has named our two pair of kids scissors. They are a new purchase and when I gave them to him I explained that one was for straight lines and one was for crinkles. A few minutes later he asked which scissors I liked best the sprites or sprinkles? I so enjoy the funny little things my kids say and I love a little craft time.

Squeezing in the pumpkin patch

We have been to the pumpkin patch every year since Wilson was born. It was almost missed this year because of busy weekends and lots of rain, but we squeezed it in last week and I am just getting around to putting up the pictures. I thought I would share a few from the last 3 years, before that we had not entered the digital photography world.

Trunk or Treat

The trunk or treat concept was new to me 2 years ago when our church started doing it and I have fallen in love with it. It is so great to have a place to go and so many fun things to do and see.

We like to go with a family theme. So we were a king, a queen, and 2 knights.

My parents even joined in as the jesters.

Happy Halloween!!!

Boo! It's the zoo

I can't tell you how many times I was asked where the animals were. We went to boo at the zoo last night and I do have to say it is strange to walk around the zoo and not see any of the animals, don't worry you could still smell them- so I know they were there. maybe we just went on the wrong path. We pretty much hit up the candy, rode the merry-go-round, and hit the road. It was fun for all and actually a little less crazy than anticipated.

If you are questioning what Dylan might be doing here just go with your first thought, because he is in fact trying to knock the pumpkins over with his bottom.

Cupcake

It was an adventure in cupcake making, but at the end of the day I think it was worth it. I haven't tasted one, but they look real cute. They are orange vanilla with butter something icing. And now they have sprinkles. All wrapped up for Halloween, oh how I love a party!

Castle Bluff

We went to Castle Bluff this weekend. It was a great trip. One of my favorite parts was that the further we went north the more beautiful the leaves got. I love Fall!

Rainy Day

Just thought this was a cute rainy day pic. Did anybody else enjoy the amazing sky this evening? I was out w/o my camera, but it was so beautiful.

Island Camping

In all the years Peter and I have been married I have heard a lot about island camping, but somehow I had missed out until this weekend. It is a longstanding Loibner tradition to go camping on a island on lake Ouchita. So yesterday we loaded up with Craig and went to meet some of his family on island 33.

The boys were so excited, they love to camp, and I feel like little boys are most comfortable when surrounded by dirt. I was pretty excited too, just being outside on such a nice day was a pretty big treat. And the Loibner family does camping very well. We ate some super yummy food, including fried fish and potatoes for lunch, per Wilson's request and already had a tent up upon our arrival.

Beyond the obvious joy of being outside the boys also rode a boat, went fishing, watched Peter's uncle fillet a live fish, threw rocks, peed outside, slept in a tent, swung on a hammock, went swimming, played with a rope, climbed on a wood pile, and ate marshmallows. It was a really good time and now I would like to go to sleep.

Oh, I almost forgot... Campbell fell asleep in my arms and then slept on the hammock while we got our stuff ready to go... So Cutie!!

Last Game

Tonight was the last soccer game for the season. It went really fast and was so much fun. Dylan and Wilson were in rare form, but i did manage to get a few pics.

Campbell has really enjoyed the soccer nights and this one was not an exception. He played in the dirt next to the field.

A failed attempt to catch the cousins together.

Wishing for Fall

It usually start some time around mid September, but for sure by the first of October- I am wishing for fall. This year in an attempt to control the uncontrollable I have decide to start acting like it is fall despite the daily reminder of upper 80s temperatures that we aren't there yet. I have given up my shorts, carpis, and summer dresses and have settled nicely into my jeans, I would do the same for my children except I think some would consider this child abuse. I have also started adding fall items into our weekly meal plan. Two weeks ago it was carrot cheddar soup, last week tomato basil soup and then yesterday I had a fall cooking frenzy. The boys picked all the basil from our yard and I made pesto to freeze for the winter. I also made a pumpkin puree from my BAM pumpkin, who knew it would make like 6 cups, so that's when I had to get creative. We made 2 batches pumpkin pecan cookies, 3 loaves coconut pumpkin bread, roasted pumpkin seeds, a pumpkin apple smoothie, and still froze a cup of the puree. Peter even ran to Starbucks and got a pumpkin latte, apparently it brings out the flavors. Then for dinner we had roasted sweet potato fries. If it weren't for the almost unbearable heat from the oven being on all day I would have sworn fall was here. I think I have done my part, now I will try to wait patiently.