This past week my parents flew into town and spoiled us for 5 days!  Hallie LOVES her Nanna and Grandpa. She is such a little show off and thrives on the attention. We played, played, played, shopped craft stores until I wanted to go home (which tells you something), ate out everyday, and watched movies! My dad also taught a mommy CPR/first aid class that was a huge success. The two hours went by so fast and we could have easily added another hour.  I’m so grateful for a dad who knows so much. I really feel better prepared now if anything were to happen. Ahh it really was a great weekend.

Hallie and Grandpa coloring:

Our family best friends are in the military and so Saturday we went and explored Font Belvoir and the Black hawk Helicopters that Lee flies.

Hallie chillin’ inside the helicopter

Hallie and Nanna

The girlies (We all look like our dad’s) lol

Hallie and Grandpa

Our group exploring.

Nanna, Grandpa and Hallie

Boss man in the driver seat!

Up top checking out the motor. Any of you who know Ben know that his mind was soaking every bit of this up.

Inside the elite black hawk that is only for top officials and high rollers. (Notice the difference between the other helicopter Hallie was sitting in? This one even has couch covers!)

Boss woman in the drivers seat.

We had so much fun last week. We love grandma and grandpa and wish we could see them more often. Although I guess when you live across the country the amount of times we see them is actually a lot. We just miss them so much we always wish we could be with them. Thanks Nanna and Grandpa for such a great week. Also, thanks Hoopers for showing us around. It was awesome!! Ben is still talking about it. 🙂

With the end of fall comes the raking of leaves. I remember when I was little we would go and rake my grandparents leaves and then we would jump and play in them for what seemed like forever. (Although now looking back “forever” in little kid time was really probably only 20 min.) 🙂

Ever since the leaves started falling out here in Virginia I have been so excited to take Hallie out and play in them. I watched two kids from our ward (a.k.a. Church Group) the other day and decided to enlist them in the work of raking. Frankie and Amber had a blast and I laughed the entire time watching them. Even Hallie got in on the action and had fun.

Hallie hard at work!! I can’t get over how BIG she is.

Taking a little break.

Switching over to her little broom.

Jumping and playing in the leaves!

Frankie and Amber had a blast. They would bury each other in the big pile and then one of them would get a huge running start and jump on the one in the pile. I was laughing at their laughing. They are such great kids!

Hallie burying herself. Needless to say we had to take a bath after this adventure.

Don’t worry I helped a little bit. 🙂

What a great day!

This year we had a fun Halloween. My mom made Hallie a fairy costume and it turned out so cute as you can see.

Hallie at our ward Halloween party.

Check out Hallie shopping this weekend.

She made quite the scene. And yes we bought her all of it!

I was featured on Tip Junkie!!

If you don’t believe me go here. 🙂

Oh my goodness I have so much to blog about it is intimidating! Let me show you what we’ve been up to with pictures.

Went on a beautiful hike.

Taught Hallie how to drive.

Went to Mount Vernon and saw George Washington’s Grist Mill and distillery.

Volunteered and attended a church exchange. It was HUGE!! It opened up @9 am Saturday morning. I got there @ 8:15 and there was already a line outside the doors. It was pretty much a mormon black friday event!!!! We got these items: lots of books, Home schooling phonics kit, scriptures movies and regular movies, walker/bike toy for Hallie, rollerblades for Ben and I (2 sets), a jogging stroller, and a toaster oven. I’d say we scored big time!! The best part- it was all FREE!!

Carved Pumpkins.

Cooked Pumpkin. (Don’t mind the date on the baggies. I was jumping a month ahead when I labeled them.) Opps!

Went to Cox farms and had the time of our life. (Although Hallie doesn’t look like it in this picture. She wanted to go play instead of stop and pose for a picture.) I have soooo many photos to post from this that I will have to do a whole other blog post just for Cox Farms.

Went to a fabulous little kid Halloween party.  I made Hallie’s costume. It is the fill in until the one my mom made gets here for the ward trunk or treat.

P.S. It is almost impossible to get a good picture of a busy 14 1/2 month old. She seriously NEVER stops! I took like a million pictures trying to get her face and her costume. Alas, I failed!!

Bundled up and went running with our new stroller!

And last but not least we are enjoying a Virginia Fall!

I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!

So here are some pictures of my latest FINISHED craft projects.

Grocery cart cover. This has been my most time consuming project. Thanks to my great friend Stacey and her unwavering patience I am finally finished and able to use it. Goodbye GERMS!!! Just look at how happy Hallie is to have her new cushy and germ free  ride!! 🙂  Tip: Don’t go from burp cloths to grocery cart covers. Much more difficult!!!!!!!!

Here is a lamp that our landlord left behind. BORING!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I learned a trick from my friend Anna. I’ve fallen in love with Mod Podge!

I made this out of an old mirror I got at a thrift store. I took off the mirror and spray painted the frame. Then I glued ribbon inside to hang all of Hallie’s flowers on.

I didn’t make these, my best friend Tiffany did. (Thanks Tiff!)  I’m posting a pic of them because they are so cute and I FINALLY hung them up. (Thanks Linds!)  p.s. sorry such a bad picture we need a new camera!

Hallie and I went to the zoo today with a bunch of our friends. I wondered how much Hallie would enjoy it-thinking she might get more out of it when she was a little older, but man she LOVED it! My favorite part was watching her face light up as she would she an animal. She would get this little smirk on her face-I wish I could have captured that on camera but you know how kids are. 🙂 BTW it was the perfect 70 degrees today and NO humidity-WOW doesn’t get better than that!

That monkey wasn’t in a cage!

There was the cutest baby gorilla eating with it’s mama.

Just another one of Hallie’s little faces. Such a goof ball. She crinkles her eyebrows and scrunches her nose.

Aquarium

Obviously the elephants

She loved the big fish

Hallie and her buddy Gabe. She loves him and just laughs whenever she is around him. So cute!

Hallie getting a good look at the ducks

Ahh what a perfect day!

Just some clips from our summer.

This past weekend we were invited to go to our friends football game. (Our friend Ed coaches a high school football team.)  It was fun sitting in the stands cheering for the team, listening to the parents get upset, reminiscing about our own high school days and many football games, and visiting with friends from our old ward. It was Hallie’s first football game and she seemed to enjoy it. (There were so many people to observe!) We only stayed for the first half so I’m not even sure if “our” team won-hopefully!  (It was late and Hallie was already way passed her bedtime-ahh don’t you love being old.) haha

Ed’s daughter Noah wanted to stay with us during the game. Apparently she attaches to men. haha She found a cute one!! I love how her hands are around Ben’s neck. She cracked us up!

Hallie sitting on the bleachers with our friend Kami. She thinks she is such a big girl.

Hallie pulling a silly face. Love her jacket!! Thanks Nana