Just a few cute faces....

Jason's reading glasses....
Spaghetti face....

The Annual Leaf Walk

Several years ago, Jason and I started an annual tradition of a "leaf walk". I think Jason actually came up with the idea, knowing how much I love everything about Fall. So each year we go on a walk and collect the prettiest leaves we can find. They usually sit in a bowl in our house as a decoration and celebration of my favorite season. Honestly, they usually sit there for far too long until they are way past due to be recycled.

Last year, Ella was in the Ergo carrier on our leaf walk, and this year....
...what a great helper. She loved it. It's actually the perfect activity for a toddler. She loved picking up pretty leaves and adding them to the collection. She helped carry the bag, she crunched leaves under her little converse-clad feet.

We stopped for a visit with the Ramigs and Kaleels and Carolyn snapped a quick family shot for us....

What a simple thing to do, but it filled me with so much happiness.

Happy Halloween!!

Ella was a cupcake this year! She went trick or treating for the first time ever, and it was a DELIGHT! We just went around to a few of our friends homes within a few blocks (Davis', Rockers', Burkharts, Ramigs, Kaleels) and Ella would knock and say, "treat please"! and "thank you!" We didn't have any great candy holder for her, so she just carried her little purse. She had SO much fun, and it made us so excited for the future years to come of trick or treating with her. What a blast! When we got back home we quickly swapped out all her candy (most contained nuts) for 5 gummy bears, and she had a little feast....What a happy girl. And I'm telling you....I can't wait for next Halloween!

A visit from Grandma Gretchen

My mom came down for a visit at the end of October and we had a wonderful time together. Jason was on a men's retreat with the Fellows. If you want to know what that is about, you can go visit: http://www.thefellowsprogram.org

So it was just us three girls for the weekend and we had fun! Ella really took to calling my mom, "Gamma", and had so much fun playing with her and reading books with her. This is a shot of them sitting and reading books for about an hour one afternoon.

And of course, Grandma came with a few small gifts for Ella, one being a cute purple tutu!! I was also thrilled becuase I'd been wanting to buy her one, and Jason wasn't as thrilled about the idea (I think he is still holding out for a tomboy....)

But alas, our girl loves pink, and frill, and babies.....and working on the car with Dada, so I guess we'll see. :)

Such a cute combo with her high top converse shoes (thanks Anna Satterfield!) ...

Going out to eat at Red Robin where Ella ate a very well rounded meal of french fries....It was such a blessing to have my mom while Jason was gone over the weekend becuase Ella had been fighting a cold that didn't seem to effect her during the day, but made for rough nights. She was up quite a bit coughing, and my mom was very helpful in getting up with me and helping out at our early 5:30am wake-ups....eesh. Lifesaver!