Disneyland

My friends the Cassidy's are so wonderful. They invited us for a day at Disneyland and we didn't have to pay a nickel...... do you know how fun that place is when you haven't invested $300 dollars into your day? We had a ball and the place was pretty empty. We went on 18 rides (that's incredible) and I only counted Buzz Lightyear once when we actually went on it 3 times! The only things we waited for were Autopia and the new Toy Story ride at California Adventure (my new fave ride, btw). The kiddos were close to perfect and the weather was lovely. Couldn't have asked for a better day!

Maui

Kaanapali sunset

Kimo's in Lahaina

view from our hotel

What a wonderful week Jeremy and I had in Maui. I would love to sit here and write about all of the exciting things we did and sights we saw, but I would be lying. We didn't do much at all but relax and enjoy the breathtaking views. It was truly one of the best vacations ever. I have been lucky enough to visit Hawaii multiple times and I never tire of the place. In fact it probably makes me love it more. Many thanks to all the relatives who pitched in with babysitting/driving/entertaining of our children, etc. And of course thanks to my two new nephews who made sure they entered the world before we left... thanks for simplifying matters. Auntie is forever grateful. :)

Benjamin Dean

Jeremy's brother Dino & his wife Terri welcomed baby Ben on Dino's birthday, November 4. He weighed 7 lbs even. I don't have any pics yet, but he is super adorable and has tons of black hair! Two new nephews in 1 week.... what a blessing!

Joshua Timothy

Welcome to the world my beautiful nephew!

My Caped Crusaders

I hate Halloween. Always have. Even when Iwas a little girl I couldn't stand it. I feel bad about this so I tend to overcompensate for my kids. I don't want them to be a big scaredy cat like their mom so I go out of my way to make sure they have fun. Gavin had a parade at school followed by dinner at our house with homemade mac and cheese and dump cake. I love hosting our extended family and this turns a dreaded holiday into something I look forward to instead. Seriously, if you tried my mac and cheese you'd agree. Halloween is absolutely yummy!

We skipped the church "trunk-or-treat" this year and opted to do it the ol' fashioned way instead. Jeremy, Dino, Grandpa Rich and Grandpa Jerry took the boys and Macey around the neighborhood door to door. They had a ball. Of course it was not near as much candy but please.... it's still more than enough. I think their favorite part of the night though was answering our door and passing out candy. They would literally sit on the stairs in our entry waiting for the doorbell to ring. And if too much time passed they'd open the door and holler out to kids on the street! It really was too cute. Even I have to admit: it was a fun Halloween this year.

Added bonus Tim's wife Sarah went into labor after we went to bed last night. Stay tuned for details!