Ye Halloween!

2nd Annual Belvedere Pumpkin Pickin'...

We made our second annual family trip to Belvedere Plantation this year for some fun and pumpkin' pickin'! They made several new additions to the place, like permanent bathrooms, concessions stands, games, and more! You can see pics of last years visit HERE...I had forgotten JR had all the fuzz on his face...



I took a few pics of the games the Little Brat could do this year, that she wasn't big or strong enough to do last year...they grow up TOO FAST! Here's a zip-line thingy she just LOVED!

..and she actually hung on there all by herself...

..all the way to the end...impressive!

...this was a big deal for LB, show is dead set on doing EVERYTHING by herself.

Here is another thing she was not big enough to do last year...she has officially upgraded from the pedal tractors to the pedal go-cart!

..and what's a visit to Belvedere without a trip through the Maize Maze? A Bummer, I tell ya! We threw caution to the wind and scrapped the directions...the truth is, none of us could read them anyways...

Just a nice Daddy-Daughter shot as we waited for the hay ride to the pumpkin patch...

...where we each found the most perfect specimen to make our own...

..and after we got home, we went straight to guttin' them out and makin' us some Jack-O-Lanterns...less the candles...I ALWAYS forget the candles!

..and here are our final masterpieces...that would be JR on top, then the Little Brat, Mommy, Tyler, and Kaiti...the 2 smallest creations are baby pumpkins I carved up for Baby A and Baby B...I am sorry to report that shortly after this picture was taken, Ginger ate the babies...

Happy Holidays!

Leah

Gpa Craig's 2009 Projects...WOW!

In no particular order, I'd like to present to you the most accomplished inhabitant of Westwood, Gpa Craig...In Gpa Craigs short visit each year, he manages to prove time and time again just how lazy the rest of us are in comparison...this year was no different.

Perhaps the most treasured project of 2009 is this swing...we we have all enjoyed to date, but that the Little Brat enjoys the most!

..and then there was the removal and replacement of an old roof on our largest run-in shed...the whole family pitched in on this one...I was busting my booty taking these shots, for sure! I get tired just thinking about it...point, click, point, click...my aching arms!

There are no 'small' projects around here...the addition of this hand rail to the basement (laundry room), is going to help keep us from busting our arses....again.

....and speaking of the basement, Gpa Craig put up some dry-loc (water resistant drywall) in the laundry room and applied some texture to match the plaster walls in the rest of the house...primer and paint are amongst my winter projects!

...this shed here...well, a picture is worth a thousand words. Gpa Craig replaced the roof last year....This year he mended the rest...

...all rotten wood was removed and replaced, including support beams and posts...new concrete footers and all! This man's a BEAST!

He framed in one of the bays to create a workshop area and deemed this project the new and improved 'Garage'...

..and with a new door and a new coat of primer (courtesy JR), it was like new again!

On to other matters....who remembers this tired old horse barn?

Gpa Craig also replaced all the rotten wood in this structure, including overhead beams and support posts....concrete footers and all!

Additionally, he put in an old sink that had been wasting away in the basement, and updated the electrical wiring and lights...

One side is open and currently being used for hay storage overflow, the other side has been turned into a grand tack room for all the lovely extra 'stuff' we horse owners tend to accumulate...

...not to mention a handy overflow are for the boarders to keep their tack trunks and out-of-season horsewear...

..the kids even pitched in a little on this project, and helped add a coat of primer to the siding for good measure...

I wish I would have capture EVERYTHING on film that he has accomplished in his short time here, alas, he often tackled projects when I was away at work...projects like trail blazing around the property, brush and tree clearing around the facilities, light switch fixin', and much much more! He really is an amazing man...and can make you feel amazingly inadequate, to say the least! Thank Goodness for Gpa Craig!

Happy Projects,

Leah

Fall Family Photos!

The sun came out! Lordsy Mercy, the sun came out! Just check out those goofy mugs...we are ALL so happy about it!


JR wanted a shot with his favorite daughter......Ginger. She's grown a little, dontcha think?

..and JR offered to take some pics of me and the Little Brat...I have so very few of these, but I'm not sure I could ever get enough...

I have her convinced that I'll die if I don't get frequent 'baby luv'....don't spoil it for me ;)....it's hard to believe in less than 10 years she'll hate my guts....sigh

Happy Families!

Leah

Twice Upon A Time..

Here's the first in a series of shots to show our twin belly progression each month...I suspect a lot of growth over the next few months!

4 Months

Happy Trails,

Leah

Twice Upon A Time....

We had our 15 week checkup yesterday...it was quick and painless...no ultrasounds to report on, but we did get some numbers from the fetal heart monitor.

• Baby A: 152 bps
• Baby B: 156 bps

I know there is no 'medical' correlation between fetal heart rates and baby gender, but an old wives tale states that rates above 140 are most often female, and less than 140 are most often male...I guess we'll know for sure in 4 weeks when we go in for an ultrasound!

Anyone care to place any bets? JR says I'll have 2 girls just to spite him...I say he's probably right ;)

I guess it's about time to start shooting some belly pics...I'd like to get a nice progression series lined up from 'barely showing' to 'Ungodly Ginormous'. this weekend marks our 4 month mark, and a slightly protruding baby bump, so stay tuned! If you can 'stomach' it...haha...get it? 'stomach it'? ...I kill me!

PS...I've gained 5 lbs in the last month...I guess that marks the beginning of the end. For the morbidly curious, that means I'm at 136lbs...that also means I can expect to hit 175 or more before it's all said and done....Lordsy Mercy! Doc says 1lb/week thru the second trimester should be expected...with the majority of the chub coming on in the third...I imagine I'll look something like this, less the perky little breasts...sorry, just keepin' it real!

Lord help us all...Gangway!

Happy Trails,

Leah

Farewell and Fair Travels Gpa Craig!

Gpa Craig left for the long haul back to California this weekend...we sure are gonna miss the old man...

..and he took Blue-Dog with him! He needed some company for the road trip, and Blue has really taken to him...

So with a "Load Up!"....

..and a GIANT hug...

Gpa Craig was on his way...

We hope the year flies by...the house is awful quiet without him around...no air compressor startling me awake in the middle of the night...no chain saw melodies all the day long...no automatic air gun or sawzall chorus....and certainly no flaming explosions!

...yes, he did make a full recovery.

Happy Travels Gpa Craig! Thanks so much for all your help around the place...we love you and miss you!

The Punks

PS...pics of Gpa Craigs 2009 projects to be posted shortly! Stay tuned, you'll be amazed what one handy-man Gpa can get done in a few months...

Let's play a game....

Question: Who do YOU think is capable of doing more damage to a leather sofa...a Toddler or a Teen?

WRONG! How about their angry father...The permanent marker the toddler decorated the couch with came off with some spray on sun screen...and the exterior primer the teen wiped all over it probably would have too...had not the man of the house gone into a scrub frenzy at the sight of said primer....and the icing on the cake? The warranty would have covered replacement of the cushions for either incident, but will not cover husband-caused trauma...ain't that a kicker.

Happy Marriages,

Leah