Pumpkin Patch

Last Sunday morning we traveled to nearby Patch's Pumpkins! Quinn had been to a pumpkin patch with day care before, but this was Wes's first time. It was a chilly morning. We bundled the kids up in winter coats and hats. They were able to shed the coats once the sun came out, though. We got to the patch as soon as it opened and met our friends Jake, Stacy, and their girls Stella and Charlotte there. This pumpkin patch has tons of kids' activities as well as the usual patch stuff. Here's to a new fall tradition!

Quinn playing with friend Stella. Love their blonde ponytails :-).

Pumpkin-hunting is serious business!

First Birthday Party!

Last Saturday night we had Wes's 1st birthday party at our house. Forgive me, but I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that my littlest nugget has turned ONE. We kept things simple with just family (and my friend/Wes's godmother Gina!), pizza, a few salads, and cake. This year's theme was John Deere, and man, did Wes clean up! He got so many toy tractors, Caterpillar toys, and farm stuff. He (and Quinn) are in toy heaven right now. He is such a lucky little man!

Wes got his very own smash cake and went right to town on it. That is such a messy tradition, but it is definitely one of my favorite things about kiddoes turning 1!

Wes had more than a little help opening his presents...

Check out my new ride!

Not so sure about this...

Covered in chocolate cake and frosting!

Wes's "big" cake

Iowa State Fair 2012

A few weeks ago my mom came up and we all went to the fair! This was Wes's first trip there. Quinn has been every year since she's been alive! We left right after breakfast and had a nice, cool morning at the fairgrounds. The kids were great and the food was good; another fair trip in the books!

Riding a pony with Daddy. These horses looked so big next to tiny little kids!

so brave!

Quinn and Daddy up at the top of the big slide (can you spot them?)

They had a blast on this!

The stockings are hung...

We went over our good friends Jenni and Eric's home the other night. Jenni is a fabulous decorator, especially for different seasons. She inspired me to put up my Christmas stuff yesterday! My house is not nearly as festive as hers, but I did my best between the two kiddos' naps.

When the stockings were finally hung on our mantel, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that there are four gold quilted stockings up there. At Christmastime last year, we were enjoying life with a vivacious 9-month old. Quinn was cruising along furniture, crawling everywhere, and eating everything in sight. We didn't do official Christmas presents, because Quinn wasn't into opening presents at that time. Quinn wore tons of beautiful velvet and tulle dresses and skirts and sported festive headbands on her still-bald head.

Never did I imagine that we'd be so blessed to have a new baby in 2011; what a wonderful, sweet surprise!

Christmas is going to look very different this year. I have presents for Quinn to unwrap, and I'm going to stuff the four stockings on our mantel. Wes might even get a treat or two in his. :-) I keep reading friends' blogs about all of these fabulous traditions that they have....but I'm not the kind of person who tromps through a field to pick out a real Christmas tree, I'm not really a fan of Christmas music, and with two kids under two, sipping eggnog, watching Jimmy Stewart, and gazing at our tree is just not going to happen.

However, this Christmas season I'll still make little treats for my family. Quinn will look gorgeous in all of her holiday finest, and Wes will be her handsome sidekick. Randy and I will steal sips of each other's wine between bouncing a baby, wiping spills off the counter, and reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the 100th time. Perfect? No. Real-life? Absolutely. :-)

Somewhere, amidst all of the food and noise and family and friends, we'll find traditions of our own.