Halloween

Yes, I'm already planning.

Caroline will be in town, so she's dressing up, too.

We have a theme for the entire family (Blake and me included).

Carter will be bribed to participate and then given a second costume to wear around friends.

You have one guess after one clue:

Duh. We live in Kansas.

What else would my hokey self do?

Beach Portraits

I received our pictures in the mail today and am thrilled to share them with you! I was initially nervous.....and then regretful.....and then elated with the results once I calmed down. Please note....a pricey photo session in California with 2 toddlers is not the easiest of tasks. Carter was wonderful and cooperative.......Jack and Lainey......umh......interesting. :)

Photographs were taken on Coronado Island with the lovely Pacific Ocean behind us.

Enjoy!

Look at those punkins. I'm a proud mama.

Click on this one to see the little ones giggling....very cute.

Probably the favorite (although I favor the first one as well).

And, each image arrived with its match in black and white, too. Do click on this one. It is beautiful.

Our photographer was wonderful. Check out her site here.

And, a side note......I totally recommend this souvenier when traveling. This is the second time we have done beach pictures and they provide a lifetime of fun memories. Our kids left Disneyland, Legoland and many, many touristy shops empty-handed, but I am betting that they'll appreciate these little treasures much more than the toy they would have likely lost under the car seat 20 minutes after we bought it.

Beach portraits are typically expensive and not an easy add on when you're already budgeting for a vacation, but if you can make it work, I bet you'll look back and be glad you did.

Take a look while researching your next destination and see what you can find. Totally worth the money in my humble opinion!

Weekend, Weekend

Has this been a long week for you? Seems like everyone is feeling stressed right now. Monday started off with my usual morning chat with Britney.....she called and I launched into some typical complaint or joke about the kids being kids.....and was stopped abruptly when she told me her grandfather died. So sad for the Starnes family.....funeral arrangements and Blake's flights to Dallas to be with everyone.....lots of prayers and thoughts for so many we love.

All of my little annoyances seem very trivial in comparison.....Lainey's being super feisty these days...challenging me in new and different ways....the terrible twos for sure. The boys are surprisingly cooperative at the moment, but daily rain has kept us inside, turning even the best of attitudes into fussy ones.

So, the weekend is near and I'm working on a game plan to cheer everyone up and have some summer fun, as the leaves are starting to change in scattered areas, which means the weather will be soon, too. No complaints from me.....but I do want to enjoy the sun while we have it.

Maybe a trip to Deanna Rose Farmstead?

Little ones are always happy here.

We found a butterfly garden and nature walk last trip and I can't wait to get back to take trail into the woods.

Feeding animals...

And, lots of walks on their beautiful grounds.

A project to complete for Blake and me. Well, kind of me. Blake paints and I usually watch. 2 coats have been applied so far....now, we just need to distress and then put an antique glaze on plus hardware. Isn't this piece darling? LOVE it.

Definitely a night out at Worlds of Fun.

Lainey wants to go on the "skoo bus" again.

And, maybe the kangaroos.

Jack and Carter ride a lot together, which warms my heart. Brothers can be so sweet.

All 3! What fun they have.....and equally, Blake and me watching them.

I think that might cover it for us. You? What's on your agenda?

Facebook

Is anyone on MySpace anymore? I never was, so that world is foreign to me.

I love Facebook and its many perks, however. I also like the latest phone company commercial where the child asks his father to quit updating his status all the time with mundane information. (ie, "I'm sitting on....the.....patio.") Awesome!

While I do understand its obvious flaws....and self-loving qualities.....Facebook is a daily survival tool for me. When play dough and Thomas the Train threaten to push me over the edge, I escape to this little online world I also live in......blogging, facebook, email.....and feel a slight relief.

I joined just as Blake moved to Kansas City last year and I started my 7 month stint as a single mother of three. It was a way for me to connect with the outside world.....have daily interaction and entertainment....regardless of how trivial it all was. I still like it.

Found this recent article about the 12 most annoying types of facebookers. So funny and so true. Check it out here.

My favorite? The Maddening Obscurist. Definitely!

Midwest Travel Report: Lawrence, Kansas

Finally finding the time to post about the great city of Lawrence. It's the "Boulder" or "Austin" of Kansas......a fun, liberal town...about 40 miles west of where we are.....lots of history and home to the University of Kansas.

We met an old friend of mine....Christine from my high school days....and her 3 kids. Started out mid-town with a visit to the playground.

Love Jack storming off here. Pouty face and arm swinging? That means business. Can't even recall what he was so upset about. (Probably because the train was fenced off).





Carter started an impromptu basketball game. We really need to work on his shy personality, don't you think?

We walked over to Massachusetts Street.....the heart of downtown. Lots of old buildings and good shopping. We ate lunch (always fun with 6 kids!) and enjoyed walking around.

Beautiful architecture.

Here is Carter with 2 of Christine's boys......Marcus and Jordan.

The boys loved this old park (just past the courthouse) with beautiful trees to climb.

We walked into this fabulous toy store and Lainey was in love. Babies galore.

Walked a bit further down the street and shopped some more. Took this pic for Ryan.....a very cool looking record store.

Found this kitty at a used book store......many of the stores have a cat sitting in the front window. Love that.

The Kansas River flows through town and so we took the kids down to see it.

If there is a snake in sight, Carter will naturally gravitate toward it. Since there were two, he walked even faster. Marcus and Jordan went with him. Such tough guys!

Christine and I stayed with the little ones and screamed the whole time, warning the big boys away from the water. They at least got a pretty close look.

Went next to the Union Pacific Train Depot. I'll give you one guess as to who was most excited.

Two Lawrence locals were inside, keeping the depot running and filling me with all sorts of Kansas information. Which cities held the most historical destinations, where to find the Westward trail markers and more. Heaven for me.

Walked back towards our original stop and saw some funky stores on the way. Can't wait to go back to this little gem. Looks like fun.

Finally......another playground to discover and then we were on the road back to KC. Jack with Christine...

Blake and I would love to live in Lawrence and we haven't completely ruled it out. Still lots to think about. But, a darling town over all and I am anxious to see more. I definitely recommend a trip out there!

Kansas on Dwellable